re: buying a leather wingback when most can't be seen in any showroom!!!....

Hi all -

I am looking for 2 leather wingback chairs that need to be comfortable, small dimensioned (I prefer something no bigger than 32w and 36d and at least 40h) and good quality. The problem is, while I can find stuff on-line that looks good, I hate to spend some significant money on chairs that I have never sat on! I went to a design center the other day and sat on the Raul wingback chair by Hancock & Moore and I wasn't pleased by the comfortableness of it (But is WAS gorgeous). I also saw a Sam Moore wingback chair, not in leather but it can come in leather, that was 33w and 36d and it was very comfortable. I saw a Baker (Simply Baker) wingback, too, that was great, 30.5w and 33d, but it doesn't come in leather. Can anyone recommend a comfy leather wingback chair that is small (in w and d?)

Thanks very much everyone :)

p.s. - The place that had the Sam Moore had great customer service; they said that if I ordered a chair and it was not comfortable, I could exchange it for any other chair that they had (or could order.) Is this unusual for a furniture store? (I know Crate and Barrel has a return policy if you call w/in 7 days and it is an in-stock item, but I don't want Crate & Barrel b/c I've heard the price is way more than the quality........)

THx !!

WWW.HANCOCKANDMOORE.COM Click on the product link.. and there is an entire section dedicated to wingback chairs....

I've just ordered a Hancock and Moore, and I felt exactly the same way about spending so much money on a recliner without sitting on it. I had picked out the one I liked, and I checked every H&M dealer in KY, IN, IL, OH, TN, and a few other cities I could travel to easily, to no avail. Duane suggested going to the H&M factory in Hickory, NC. I called to find out when they would have the particular recliner I was interested in at the factory where I could see it, and as luck would have it, they were going to have one available to see the following week. So I made some quick travel plans and set up a tour of the factory. As it turned out, Jimmy Moore gave me the grand tour, and it was a fun and interesting morning. And I spotted my recliner the minute I walked onto the factory floor. It was perfect! And I felt even better about it seeing the quality that went into the production. All in all, a successful trip, and with a few days tacked on in Asheville, a fun little getaway.

Marjflowers, Sounds like you had a great trip and I know you will love your new Hancock and Moore Recliner. Funny thing is about our experience with quality leather pieces is that they actually offer more and more comfort as they are enjoyed. A brand new leather recliner for example can be a bit puffed up prior to use. After a relatively short period they typically relax a little and feel even more comfortable. There certainly are other considerations as to ones personal "comfort" within a chair or sofa, like how high or low is the seating surface (do your feet touch the ground, do your knees fall way above the surface, etc.), or how deep is the back cushion from the front of the seating surface (do you have to place your hand on the seat and push your body back to reach the back cushion? Also, the angle of the back of the chair or sofa can be perfect for one person while too straight or tilted-bak for another. These types of considerations can typically be garnered by becoming more familiar with what you personally like and then becoming more familiar with what dimensions offer same. I can say for sure that I would indeed buy a particular furniture piece without having sat in it, but only after I did a little homework on what I truly wanted. Thus far, I have to say I didn't try a Hancock and Moore sofa that I didn't like ...but some more than others. My wife and I at first thought our individual perception of just the right comfort was different enough that we just wouldn't find something we both loved, but fortunately the H&M Sundance became a rather immediate desire (although it took us 18-months to find it) for both of us. We have now had our's in our living room about three months and we are patting ourselves on the back regularly for the selection.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a sofa or a chair without sitting in it, assuming I liked the looks and it was the right size. In fact, when I bought my leather sofa from a local dealer, the owner had to remind me to try sitting on it. The reason? I had no intention of ever sitting on it -- strictly for company. And in nine years, I never have sat on it, although I do occasionally nap on it. But for me, a recliner is different for a couple of reasons. First, I live in my recliner. If it's not comfortable, I'm going to spend a whole lot of time being uncomfortable. Second, I think buying a recliner is kind of like buying a pair of shoes -- and there's nothing like a well-fitting pair of shoes! It's got to be comfortable in the upright position, and equally comfortable reclined. And because I like to nap in a recliner (on my side!) that has to work too. There are just too many variables.

Having taken my Harbison Lounger for a test drive, I KNOW it's going to be perfect for me. Now wait, wait, wait.....

I do hear that 10x a week, "I can't buy it without trying it out first" and its a viable comment. The problem is going to be finding one to try...there is no central database of what dealers carry on the floor, you have to call around and even then some stores are not really even sure what they do have on the floor. My store is small, just 5,000 sf. but I have about (40) Hancock and Moore frames on the floor. But they have over 1,400! Who can stock one of everything? Even the H&M showroom at High Point only has about 250 frames in it (during Market).

There is no easy answer to that dilemma. For folks willing to make a trip to the production factories, we can usually find out when a particular model is coming off the line and they will hold it a day for you to get there to see it in most instances. Not an elegant solution to have to travel to the factory, but it is do-able.

Doable, and totally fun! Whoever thought I would get such a kick out of touring a furniture factory?!?

HI all -

Thanks so much for the specific feedback. I guess, after trying a few that were great quality but not great comfort-wise, and trying a few that were decent comfort-wise but not very quality, I've decided to use an upcoming trip to DC to stop by Mr. Collie's shop! (Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian, the White House.....and Hancock & Moore!) I feel that while for the $700/chair range (in whatever upholstery,) I might be able to make an educated guess as to the comfort and buy on-line or take the store person's word for it; for around 2K, I just can't do it... I also feel that if a mid-range so-so chair could cost me $1300, then putting in the extra $$ (if I have them!) to get a real quality chair for $2,000 makes sense.

Thank you everyone for your infos!