Can't get our of my recliner, help! Footrest too hard to close

The only way I can get out of our new recliner is to have shoes on and push like hell to get it down. My legs are short and some can do it but man it's hard. Any solutions or should I return?

I know what you mean. I sat in some H&M and a couple of other high end brand recliners recently at a local store. I could not budge them. I wondered if they would become easier to move with use and a little “breaking in”. I was left wondering if my only option would be an electric one. I don’t really like those as much because I find them slow, but it beats a recliner that I end up using as a straight chair because I can’t move it. I will say, in my case I could not even get them to recline, so I have no idea if bringing the footrest back down would be as difficult, but I assume it would. I will be interested to hear the reply to your question. I think H&M should consider the issue in their line. Makes me wonder how many people walked away from them in a showroom for the same reason. Traditionally I think recliners have been built for men, not women. But older people and others might have strength issues as well that make a recliner that moves with less effort necessary.

You leave out many details so I have to make some assumptions:

1) It's a Wall Hugger recliner.

2) You are not very tall and probably female? Women have shorter legs than men from the knees down, and that can make working a wall hugger unit more difficult.

Wall Hugger recliners operate differently than conventional recliners. The mechanism is on a "trip" where you activate the lever and it opens easily. Then you have to overcome the springs to close it. What happens is shorter people, and women in particular, use their thighs to try to close these and they are pushing down on the seat cushion to try to close the unit. That takes all your leverage advantage away and also results in what we call a "cushion trap" where you are crushing the front edge of the seat cushion and eventually it gets caught in the mechanism.

To close a Wall Hugger, you have to use your calves or ankles on the footrest and draw them back smartly, not your thighs pushing down. Do it quick and in one motion and the Wall Hugger will close. So your issue is technique, it's not in the unit itself. A good salesperson will explain this to you at time of purchase. I watch people struggle with these all the time, and once I show them how to do it they have far less issues in doing so.

For this reason I ask all my Wall Hugger customers to buy a motorized unit - it makes life so much easier.

Duane, is there Also a technique to getting them into the recline position? I just leaned back and gripped the arms on bth sides and tried to push it back but had no luck. I plan to add a recliner eventually so I need to figure this out. I get the short legs thing and once you get used to how to do it is good to know it won’t likely be a problem, but does a similar issue apply to reclining it?

Get a power recliner if you have difficulty in operating the manual ones.

Hello Fearless leader. We just got recliners that you have to close with your legs. They are not wall huggers, they glide and recline. It is very difficult for me to close the foot rest but I manage to do it. It's my husband that has the worst problem, he looks like a fish flopping around trying to get it down, it's hysterical, but it is a problem. Is there a way to adjust the tension on the foot rest so it is just a tad easier to close. They are flexsteel chairs and very comfortable, i have had a power chair but I got tired of waiting for it to close and would bail before it was all the way down. I sure would appreciate some response from you or anyone on this site as long as it is constructive.
Thanks in Advance,
Tamare3258

Most Glider/Recliners are on a wall-hugger mechanism, in fact I've not see one that isn't. If there is a lever you have to operate to get it to open, then they are definitely that type. You have to overcome the springs to close the units, and its mostly technique. When people have trouble closing wall huggers, its because they are pushing DOWN with their thighs. Relax the thighs and don't press down to the floor. Use your leg muscles and in particular the heel of your foot and press the footrest that way. Pushing down with the thighs reduces leverage and also winds up causing "Cushion Trap" where the lower front edge of the seat cushion gets caught in the footrest. If there are springs underneath, they usually come in pairs. You can try removing one and see how it operates. The real fix though is learning correct closing technique.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drcollie

Most Glider/Recliners are on a wall-hugger mechanism, in fact I've not see one that isn't. If there is a lever you have to operate to get it to open, then they are definitely that type. You have to overcome the springs to close the units, and its mostly technique. When people have trouble closing wall huggers, its because they are pushing DOWN with their thighs. Relax the thighs and don't press down to the floor. Use your leg muscles and in particular the heel of your foot and press the footrest that way. Pushing down with the thighs reduces leverage and also winds up causing "Cushion Trap" where the lower front edge of the seat cushion gets caught in the footrest. If there are springs underneath, they usually come in pairs. You can try removing one and see how it operates. The real fix though is learning correct closing technique.

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Fearless leader: I know you are all about technique and learning how to close the recliner. I use to work at a furniture store a long time ago and have sat in recliners where you have to use your legs to close and I did it with no problem. I kid you not when I tell you these chairs are a work out, I actually got a cramp in calf today and had to walk it out. It is not a defect because my husband and I have identical chairs and they are both the same. We have had several people stop by and we have asked them to sit in the chairs and close the footrest with there legs, they all had difficulty, some said just don't recline. So I am going to flip it over and check out the springs and see if there is anyway of adjusting them. I will keep you posted of my progress if there is any. Thank you for replying, and have a great day.
Tamara 3258

I had the same problem when I tried them in the furniture store. I am "height challanged" so I am not sure if my short legs mean my they don't extend far enough down on the foot rest to get them to go down. I would love an H&M recliner, but I am a little stuck on what to get because I don't like waiting for an electric one to go down, but I am not sure I could use the manual one. When I am more serious about buying I will have to spend some time at the store and see if I lcan figure out if technique can help.

The issue you are having is it sounds like you are trying out recliners that are too large for you. When I hear female and short legs, then the recliner for you to get is this one - the Hancock and Moore # 7170 Script. It was developed (at my repeated insistence) for ladies who are 4' 11" to 5' 5". I always keep on on display in my store. Women love it, and I have no complaints from them on difficulty to operate. My most recent customer to order one bought it in Lambskin Walnut, she's 4' 10" and liked it so much her husband came in and ordered a larger recliner for himself in the same leather.

BTW, the dimensions of this piece on the H&M website are incorrect.

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...ghlight=script

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...ambskin+walnut

It sounds like you are trying out recliners that are too large for you. When I hear female and short legs, then the recliner for you to get is this one - the Hancock and Moore # 7170 Script. It was developed (at my repeated insistence) for ladies who are 4' 11" to 5' 5". I always keep on on display in my store. Women love it, and I have no complaints from them on difficulty to operate, the mechanism is smaller and lighter, which requires less effort. My most recent customer to order one bought it in Lambskin Walnut, she's 4' 10" and liked it so much her husband came in and ordered a larger recliner for himself in the same leather.

BTW, the dimensions of this piece on the H&M website are incorrect.

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...ghlight=script

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...ambskin+walnut