Re: Austin Wall Hugger Recliner Closing Technique Question
Yes, The Austin is a Wall-hugger recliner and all wall-huggers, regardless of brand, operate differently from a conventional recliner. A conventional recliner is balanced with a spring load that is equal 50/50 in each direction (open - close). Same amount of resistance in each direction. A Wall Hugger is not, it is 100% overcoming the spring on the close. The "Open" is a trip latch that releases the mechanism. Ever notice how easy it is to open up a wall hugger and how hard it is to close one? That's because you are pushing twice as hard on a wall hugger to close it as a conventional recliner.
The right way to close a wall hugger is to push down with the heel of your foot, or at the ankle. What most people do though, is push down with their thighs and that puts downward pressure on the cushion. That results in 'cushion trap' where the leading edge of the seat cushion gets caught in the footrest as its closing. Customers then think their recliner is defective and they are unhappy. And the shorter and less strong you are, the more you push down with your thighs. So a 25-year-old 6' 2" tall man closes the wall hugger easily, the 60-year-old 5' 1" woman struggles with it. If you have a wall hugger, go try out both methods. Try to close it using your feet only and keep your thighs as elevated as you can, it will require more effort but it will close smooth and clean. Then push down with your thighs on the cushion as you close it, you will see the front edge of the seat cushion buckle and move forward some.
I have got to the point where I always recommend power wall-huggers for this reason. Just press a switch and no effort and no cushion trap. A lot of customers think I'm trying to upsell them on a power unit, but its not about the money, its about making it easier to operate and avoid that frustration of cushion-trap closures.
Last edited by drcollie; 04-25-2015 at 09:52 AM.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
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