In a Nutshell:
The Ashley Ludden Rocker Recliner is a superb chair, offered in a variety of configurations. Recommended for anyone who weighs less than 350 pounds.
Value for the Money
Comfort
Brand Reliability*
Aesthetic Flexibility**
Overall Rating
4.5/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Anyone who weighs less than 350 pounds.
Are you a new or expectant mother? Have you recently had surgery that you’re in the process of recovering from?
Do you have sleep apnea and find it all but impossible to get a decent night’s sleep in your bed?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, or if you’re in the market for a rocking recliner for any other reason, you’re going to like what you read in this review.
Ashley Furniture has been in the business for a long time. More than seventy years, in fact, so they know the American furniture market and have tons of design experience.
They’ve put that experience to good use with the design of the Ashley Ludden Rocker Recliner. It’s a handsome, versatile piece of furniture that’s useful for just about any purpose.
In the sections that follow, we’ll tell you all about what this chair can do, so you’ll have all the information you need to decide if this is the model you’ve been looking for. Let’s jump in and see what this model has to offer!
An Overview of the Ludden Rocker Recliner Ashley Furniture
Before we get into the configuration options and colors you can choose from, let’s start by taking a quick look at the core stats that define the Ashley Ludden Rocker Recliner. After all, no matter which options you choose, none of the other stats change from one option to the next.
Chair Specifications
As you can see, although this chair is fairly lightweight, it can support an impressive amount of user weight.
The Ludden has a cozy, inviting aesthetic and is almost big enough that you could classify it as a big and tall chair. The weight limits don’t support that, but it definitely counts as being overstuffed.
Unfortunately, although it is attractive, it was not designed with Wall Hugger technology incorporated into the mix. You’ll need to be sure to place this chair at least 16” from whatever wall you set it near so you’ll have enough space to recline fully.
If you live in a smaller home or you don’t have a lot of room to work with, the size of the chair, plus the distance you need to put it from the wall could be deal breakers for you. Be sure to measure your available space carefully before you buy.
Configurations
In addition to being able to select from four different colors (blue, cocoa, burgundy or sand), you can also order the chair in either manual or power configurations.
That gives you some flexibility and ensures that you get exactly the chair you want.
Adjustability & Comfort
If you choose the manual recliner option, what you’re getting is a basic three-position recliner. You can leave the chair upright and rock, you can recline to “TV Mode,” which lays you back far enough to allow you to nap comfortably, or you can fully recline. If you fully recline in this chair, you won’t be laying completely flat, but you’ll be about 80% of the way there, which is fine for most people. If you feel that you must have a “Lay Flat” option, then this isn’t the model you want.
If you get the power recliner option, then you have an unlimited number of recline possibilities because you can just fiddle with the controls until you get the chair into exactly the position you want it in. The only downside to the power recliner option is that it doesn’t come with a battery backup system. If the power fails while you’re reclined back in your chair, you’ll have to awkwardly claw your way over the side to get out of it.
That kind of thing shouldn’t happen often, and in fact, you may never even experience it, but it is something to bear in mind.
As we mentioned at the start of our Ashley Ludden rocker recliner review, the chair also rocks, although it cannot rock while it’s reclined. It’s either one or the other. If you want a chair that can rock while reclined, La-Z-Boy does make such a model, though!
Turning our attention to comfort, the Ludden utilizes a combination of conventional block foam and poly fiberfill, supported by a system of steel springs. That, paired with the delightfully soft, pillowed upholstery creates a simply delightful sitting or sleeping experience. Granted, it’s not next-level comfort like you’d get from a chair padded with memory foam, but it is very cozy, and you won’t have any trouble at all getting a decent night’s sleep in the chair.
Note too that this chair features pillowtop armrests that are bursting with padding themselves. If you’re smaller, or if you have children, they can curl up in the chair and rest their heads on the armrests, which will serve as comfortable pillows in their own right.
Finally, this chair offers a nice surprise benefit. It’s one of a minority of recliners on the market today that provides ergonomic support! Granted, the only ergonomic feature on offer is well-implemented lumbar support, but that’s a nice perk. Kudos to Ashley for its addition.
Storage & Extras
Since we already discussed the various ordering options available, we won’t repeat that information here. Those aren’t really considered “extras” per se, and apart from those options, there are no extras on offer.
That’s not a bad thing, but we dearly wish the Ludden Rocker Recliner Ashley Furniture featured a side storage pocket, and that the powered version of the chair came with a battery backup. In our view, the absence of those things represents missed opportunities.
Minimal Assembly Required
This chair does not come assembled. It will arrive at your door in a single, gigantic box. Fortunately, the assembly instructions are clear and consist of just four steps. Essentially, all you have to do is mount the seatback to the rest of the chair and plug it in if you got the powered option.
Unfortunately, Ashley does not offer White Glove service with this model. So, if you don’t want to tackle the assembly by yourself, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got an assistant on hand for when the chair arrives. Overall, it will probably take longer to unbox the chair than it will to get it ready for first use, and once that’s done, you’re ready to have a seat and enjoy!
Pros & Cons of Ludden Rocker Recliner by Ashley Furniture
This chair doesn’t have anything we’d categorize as a genuine flaw or weakness, but there are two things we’d like to see in some future update of the model:
The absence of those things aren’t deal-breakers by any means, but their presence would make an awesome chair even better.
Ashley Ludden Rocker Recliner Review Conclusion
The Ashley Ludden rocker recliner is a superb, versatile, comfortable, and capable chair, offered by one of the big names in the American furniture industry. Provided that its measurements are a good fit for yours, we recommend it. This one will serve you very well.
References & Resources
- Ashley Homestore, Official Brand Website.
- Ashley Ludden Rocker Recliner User Manual.
- Different Types of Recliners, Morfurniture.
- How to Decorate Around a Recliner, SFGate.