There are many different kinds of home theater recliners on the market, which makes choosing the best models largely a question of knowing your space, your style, and your price point. Most of the time, a home theater recliner is meant to resemble the sort of chair found in a movie theater, but with more decadent features. Many contain cup holders and snack trays, but may also come with consoles for remote controls, roomy armrests, and even built-in speakers that can connect to the surround sound speakers in a home media room. Some chairs are meant to link together into theater-style rows, while others stand alone as individual units. Choosing the best home theater recliner requires you to have a comprehensive understanding both of your media room design needs and the available market.
A home theater recliner is often one of the most expensive home theater furnishings you can buy. Depending on the brand and quality of the recliner, its price tag can often rival that of even the biggest televisions or major furniture pieces. For this reason, it is important that you enter into the decision with some degree of seriousness. Look at a range of different options before making your final selection to ensure that the recliner you settle on is one that you can envision as a part of your room for many years to come.
One of the first things to consider is the style you are looking for in a home theater recliner. If you are looking to recreate a true theater feel, chairs capable of connecting or designed to sit on tiered platforms may be the best bet. These kind of chairs are generally fixed, and can often be anchored to your flooring or otherwise designed as permanent fixtures. If you are looking for more flexibility in your media room furnishings, look for smaller units that can more easily be rearranged and reoriented.
Gauging your available space is also very important. It is usually a good idea to measure your home media room before you even begin looking at options. Drawing out a scale map of the room can be helpful in this respect.
Note all elements of your media room decor on the map, then sketch out where you envision putting a home theater recliner. This exercise can help you conceptualize just how much space the chair will actually take. You will want to make sure that you have enough clearance between the recliner and any walls to actually recline, for instance, yet you do not want to be too close to the television.
Next, look into the different recliner options. Making a list of desirable characteristics can be a good place to start. It is also important to have at least a basic budget of how much you are willing to spend. If you visit a furniture show room, ask the salesperson to show you a range of products that align with your specifications.
Be sure to take time sitting in a range of chairs, and note the difference in materials. The same chair can feel very different in leather versus plush microfiber, for instance. When shopping via catalog or online, request samples or more detailed photos from the manufacturer. This will help you get a good feel for recliners you are not able to see in person. Also ask about the return policy, in case the chairs do not arrive as described.