Thread: Tilt Back Chair vs. Recliner

Is there a difference between a tilt back chair and a recliner? I am looking at the Angelo Tile Back Chair and comparing it to several recliners. The photos do not show how the chair works. I am assuming a tilt back does not fully recline.

Thanks!

A tilt back chair is used with an ottoman.... No foot panel to rise up, like a recliner..

Also, because the parts aren't bolted to a recliner mechanism, my tilt-back has a distinctly different "feel" than the recliner. There's no movement of the frame at all when you sit down or shift around in the chair. Not that the recliner is loose and wobbly or anything, but there is movement in the frame that is absent in the tilt-back.

They do recline fully though. Not positive, but I'm pretty sure my tilt-back reclines further than my recliner. It goes almost completely flat, which the recliner does not do. I can't verify because there's a cabinet behind it obstructing at the moment since I never fully recline the tilt-back. If I do it causes me to fall asleep instantly and I never get anything done. It's almost as bad as a hammock.

Tilt Backs are superior in construction to recliners because the base of a tilt back chair is a solid hardwood frame with a full 8-way hand-tied suspension. The back operates in an infinite range within its motion of travel and is operated by a cable that in turn controls a pressurized gas strut.

A Recliner is an articulating steel mechanism that operates on springs and a frame is built around that mechanism. It cannot be as sturdy as a Tilt Back because of the limits of building around that mechanism.

Tilt Backs require an ottoman to function properly. Higher cost overall with two pieces of furniture (and they take up more footprint), but in general they are more comfortable and last longer than recliners.