The Takeaway:
Best High Weight Capacity Recliners
1. Our Pick: Simmons Osborn Rocker and Recliner
2. Runner Up: Sunset Trading Diamond Recliner
3. Budget Pick: Simmons C709-195 Cuddler Recliner
Best High Weight Capacity Lift Recliners
1. Our Pick: Catnapper Burns 4847 Power Lift Recliner
2. Runner Up: Catnapper Omni 4827 Heavy Duty Lift Chair
3. Budget Pick: Southern Motion Grand Recliner
Are you a bigger, heavier individual? Has that fact frustrated you on your search for a comfortable recliner that’s big and well-built enough to support you properly?
We completely understand. The simple truth is that most of the recliners on the market today were simply not built with you in mind. Most of them support between 250 and 325 pounds. If you weigh more than that, the number of options available to you drops off considerably.
That’s why we wrote this roundup review. We scoured the internet in search of the best high weight capacity recliners on the market today, and we found a surprising number of hidden gems and great options that were built with heavier users in mind.
In much of the furniture industry, bigger, taller, heavier users have largely been abandoned by major manufacturers, with the two notable exceptions being office chairs and recliners. In both of these areas, you’ll find product offerings by big-name brands that will be very much to your liking.
During the course of our research and based on the products we found, we decided to break our findings into two distinct categories: Regular recliners and lift chairs, considering that if you don’t actually need a lift chair, then there’s no point in paying extra for that feature.
We compared the various options in both categories against each other and found an overall winner in each class. We’ll introduce our winners and the various chairs they competed against for top honors in just a moment, but before we do that, let’s begin by taking a high-level view of all of our finalists to give you a sneak peek at what lies ahead.
Author’s Note: I have a personal stake and interest in this roundup review, given that I’m 6’6” tall and 340 pounds. I’m a part of the segment of the market that often gets ignored or overlooked. Most of the recliners being sold today are absolutely useless to me, so I was thrilled to be asked to write this piece.
I wrote this review for everyone in the same boat that I’m in. When I’m ready to buy new furniture, this roundup review will serve as a reference for me as well, so I worked hard to make sure it was as thorough and complete as possible.
Recliners Comparison Table
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Our Pick
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|
|
|
4.6
|
4.6
|
4.5
|
|
N/A
|
$1,063.60
|
N/A
|
|
51” x 37” x 42” (71” fully reclined)
|
41” W x 36” D x 40” H (65” fully reclined)
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44” x 56” x 44” (66” fully reclined)
|
|
Manual and Power options available
|
Power
|
Power
|
|
400 pounds
|
400 pounds
|
400 pounds
|
|
30”
|
18”
|
23”
|
|
21”
|
20”
|
21”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The chair’s shortcomings are generally easy to overlook. We highly recommend this model.
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One of the best on the market today, despite its shortcomings. Highly recommended.
|
If you have space for it, and you’re not too tall, it’s a great value for the money that will serve you well. Recommended.
|
- It’s huge and comfortable. It rocks. It’s an American-made piece of furniture. Available in manual and powered options.
- Powered version has no battery backup.No built-in storage.Does not lay completely flat. The seat may actually be too wide for some users.
- It’s a beautifully designed chair with an advanced comfort system. The leather upholstery is actually breathable!
- A little on the short side, and the seat isn’t terribly wide, which may make it unsuitable for some users. No battery backup. The quality of the upholstery is a bit underwhelming and won’t last nearly as long as the rest of the chair.
- A beautiful, versatile recliner. Proudly made in the USA. Incredibly well-priced. Advanced comfort system (though not as advanced as our top picks
- A bit on the short side, so not great for especially tall users. No battery backup. Its size makes it hard for people short on space to find a permanent home for it.
*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Our Selection Criteria
Given the title of this roundup review, it probably comes as no surprise that our first priority was to find recliners that supported more than the usual amount of weight. The problem, however, is that the phrase “high weight capacity recliners” isn’t specific enough to be helpful. To that end, the first thing we did was put a specific number to that.
We settled on a minimum supported weight of 400 pounds. More than that was obviously welcome, but in order to even be considered for inclusion here, we considered 400 pounds of supported weight to be the absolute minimum.
Beyond that, since people tend to buy recliners to have a comfortable place to lounge, comfort was another key feature we zeroed in on. After that, we gave a nod to any chair that offered extras or enhancements that went above and beyond what most other companies offer.
Our Pick: Simmons Osborn Rocker and Recliner
Recommended For: Anyone weighing 400 pounds or less, who has enough space for it.
Simmons dominates this portion of our roundup review of the best high weight capacity recliners, capturing two of our top spots. What’s remarkable about that fact is that Simmons is one of the few big players in the furniture industry that builds furniture specifically for larger folk.
The company has a long history in the furniture business that stretches back more than 140 years. To say that they know a lot about making world-class furniture is an understatement, and the Osborn Rocker and Recliner is an excellent example of their work.
Chair Specifications
Before we get into particulars, let’s do a quick review of the stats that define this model. Here are the basics:
There are a few things to talk about here. First, the seat is enormous. In fact, the Osborn rocker offers the widest seat of any recliner in the entire roundup, both categories considered. That’s a good thing, but there’s a caveat here:
If the seat is substantially wider than you are, you’re going to find it impossible to make effective use of the chair arms. Depending on how much time you plan on spending in the chair each day, that may not be a big issue for you, but it does bear thinking about before committing to this chair.
The seat height definitely marks this model as a chair built for taller folks. The “normal” big and tall seat height range starts at 18” and goes to 22” and beyond, but curiously, the recliner is only 71” long when fully reclined, which may make it unsuitable for really tall users, say, over 6’4” or so.
Again, this mostly comes down to how much time you plan to spend in the chair and whether or not you mind your head and feet hanging well past the frame and cushioning of the chair.
The other thing to note here is that this is a massive piece of furniture, so unless you’ve got a sizeable room, it may be difficult to find a permanent home for the chair, and even in a big room, it’s going to dominate the space, becoming the focal point of the room by default.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing since it’s a stylish and attractive chair, offered in a neutral color that blends well with most any home décor scheme.
Manual and Powered Versions Available
Moving beyond the basics, you’ll be delighted to know that this chair is offered in both manual and power recline variants. If you opt for the manual version, you’ll be getting a standard three-position recliner, while the powered variant offers an infinite number of possible recline positions.
Note, however, that while many infinite-position recliners have preset recline positions built into the remote, this one does not. If you buy the powered version, you’ll have to use the controls to get yourself into your desired recline position, and you won’t be able to save your favorite settings. That’s not the end of the world, of course, but it is a slight limitation.
Also, be aware of the fact that the power recliner does not come with a battery backup system, so if the power fails while you’re reclined back, you’re going to have to awkwardly crawl out of the chair. That’s seldom a major issue, but when the lights go out, it may result in a bit of colorful language on your part.
Comfort-wise, there’s a lot to like about the Osborn. It utilizes a combination of standard block foam and poly fiberfill laced atop an array of individually wrapped comfort coil springs, much like what you find in top-end mattresses. That’s a very good thing, especially if you’re buying this chair with an intention of spending extended periods of time in it and using it for napping or even sleeping through the night in it.
Unfortunately, this recliner is not a “lay flat” model, so while it’s great for napping, unless you’re accustomed to sleeping sitting up slightly, or if you’ve recently had surgery of some kind and sleeping flat on your back is difficult, it may not be great for that purpose.
On the other hand, it is a rocking recliner, which is a fabulous combination of features that further enhances the overall comfort of the chair.
With an advanced comfort system, and the possibility of infinite recline positions combined with the soothing, relaxing rocking motion and the capacity to support up to 400-pounds of user weight, this chair is a great choice for just about anyone.
The only real negative is the fact that in the absence of a battery backup system if you ordered the powered version of the chair, you could find yourself in an awkward position if the power fails. The other potential drawback is that if you’re short on space, it’s going to be a real challenge to figure out where to put it. Other than that, though, this is a magnificent chair that you’ll be proud to own. It’s well-deserving of top honors here, and we highly recommend it.
Runner Up: Sunset Trading Diamond Recliner
Recommended For: Anyone weighing up to 400-pounds looking for a beautifully designed, high-weight capacity recliner.
Sunset Trading isn’t an industry giant. They go about their business quietly, and they make stunning, well-designed furniture that has an undeniable artistic flair. The Diamond Power recliner is absolutely beautiful and is one of the best recliners for heavy weight on the market today.
Chair Specifications
Before we dive into exactly why that is, let’s do a quick stats review:
These numbers reveal the only limitation of the model. The seat is inconveniently narrow for a chair designed for heavier folks, a fact that works against the generous 400-pound supported weight limit. It may not be a deal-breaker, but you’ll definitely want to take careful measurements before buying this one to make sure you’ll fit comfortably into it.
Although the seat is 20” off the floor, which is well inside big and tall territory, the recliner only measures 65” when fully reclined, which won’t be long enough for the tallest users. This, combined with the relatively narrow seat, limit the market appeal of the chair, which is the main reason the Diamond Recliner did not win top honors in this part of our review. Assuming those facts don’t make the chair a non-starter for you, you’ll find a lot to like about this chair.
First, as big and tall recliners go, it’s not a huge chair compared to the other models on our list. So, if you’re cramped for space, this one probably moves to the head of the line by default. Second, as is the case with many power recliners, this one offers an infinite number of recline positions.
While many powered recliners feature a remote, the controls for this one are located on the side of the chair. There are no presets, so you’ll have to tweak the position to taste every time you recline back in the chair.
Although the Diamond doesn’t offer any built-in storage, you will find a USB port located next to the recline controls, which will allow you to keep your phone fully charged as you watch cute kitten videos or listen to your favorite music while relaxing in the chair.
Sunset Trading is known for adding extras and finishing touches like this on most of the furniture they make, so we were not at all surprised to see a feature like this added to the mix.
What is a bit more surprising is the fact that although this chair is clad in a leather/PU hybrid, it’s actually delightfully breathable, thanks to the diamond pattern stitching in the seat and the seatback. They’re more than just decorative (although they are pretty!); there’s a practical purpose for their being part of the chair’s design.
In our view, the upholstery leaves a bit to be desired, though. Sunset Trading makes a glorious accent chair upholstered with specially treated top-grain leather, and we would love to have seen this chair upholstered with the same material.
Unfortunately, doing so would have more than doubled the price of the Diamond recliner, which would have put it out of the reach of many, if not most potential buyers, so we understand the decision to downshift into a lesser upholstery option. Even so, the PU/bonded leather hybrid used here might look nice, but it doesn’t age well and won’t hold up very long under the strain of heavy daily use.
Even under optimal conditions, after a couple of years, you’ll start to notice the peeling and cracking that’s inevitable with upholstery like this.
The upshot is that both the chair and the recline mechanism are incredibly well-constructed and will provide years of reliable service, which makes reupholstering with a more durable material a good investment when the time comes.
The Diamond’s comfort system is quite advanced and, in our view, even better than the one offered by our top pick.
Like the Osborn, it features a combination of individually wrapped coil springs supporting a layer of block foam. The seatback is double padded and features a flexible web mesh suspension behind the cushioning that provides spectacular support and comfort.
On top of that, the chair comes with a surprisingly comfortable built-in headrest pillow that makes it ideal for napping, reading, or movie-watching.
Minus the underwhelming upholstery, this is a magnificent chair from top to bottom. You’ll love it, and we highly recommend it.
Budget Pick: Simmons C709-195 Cuddler Recliner
Recommended For: Anyone. This is a great chair for couples who want to cuddle, or bigger, taller folks. An excellent sleeper recliner!
The Cuddler is the second chair offered by Simmons Upholstery to make it into our final three of the best heavy duty recliners. Like the Osborn rocking recliner, it’s an amazing chair with a lot to offer. As we’ve done with our top two picks, let’s start by doing a quick stats review:
Chair Specifications
This is a big chair, and these are good numbers that, for the most part, support each other beautifully, defining this as a chair really optimized for big and tall folks.
The only exception is the length of the recliner when it’s fully reclined. It’s a bit on the short side, so if you’re taller than about 6’4”, then this model may not be a good fit for you if you’re planning to spend several hours at a stretch sitting in it.
That’s a pity because this is an excellent sleeper recliner…unless you’re taller than 6’4” or so, in which case you’ll find that to be a bit of a challenge.
Bear in mind, too, that this chair is not a wall hugger, and you’ll need at least 20” of space between the back of the chair and whatever wall you place it near if you want to recline in the chair fully. That, combined with the sheer size of the thing, makes it a relatively poor choice if you live in a smaller home or apartment or are just generally cramped for space.
This is a power recliner with an infinite number of recline options on offer. Like the powered version of the Osborn, this chair has its recline controls on the side of the chair, rather than building them into a remote.
In another similarity with the Osborn, you won’t find any recline presets on offer here, so you’ll need to just keep fiddling with the recline controls until you achieve the perfect recline angle for you.
Like the other power recliners, we’ve talked about thus far, there’s no battery backup system here. So in the event of a power outage, you’ll find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to scramble awkwardly out of the chair.
If you want something with a battery backup system to avoid this, your best bet is to spend the extra money and invest in a lift chair, whether you need the lift functionality or not. It’s an expensive way to deal with a problem that will, in practice, only happen rarely, but if it’s important to you, that’s the best way to go.
It should be noted that the Cuddler is not a lay-flat recliner, so unless you’re accustomed to sleeping, sitting up slightly, this isn’t a good chair for spending a full night in. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you’re looking for, especially if you’ve recently had surgery of one sort or another, and sleeping while lying flat on your back is difficult, if not outright impossible. It is a delightfully comfortable chair, though, and a great option for lounging and napping.
The comfort system isn’t quite as advanced as that found on the Osborn, but it does feature a combination of supporting springs and generous amounts of block foam, and the comfortable fabric upholstery serves to enhance the comfort of the chair further.
Overall, this is a superb American-made recliner that will serve broad swaths of the big and tall market very well, though, as we said earlier, it’s a better fit for bigger folk than exceptionally tall people. We recommend it.
Also Great
Lane Stallion Recliner
Recommended for: Anyone weighing up to 500 pounds looking for a good quality, basic recliner, offered at a fair price.
Like Sunset Trading, Lane Furniture isn’t one of the biggest and best-known brands in the industry. Still, they’ve been in the business for a long time and have a reputation for making exceptionally well-designed furniture. They offer a small selection of big and tall recliners as part of their Big Man collection, and the Stallion is a part of that lineup.
Unlike the other chairs we’ve talked about to this point, this chair can support up to 500 pounds of user weight. Let’s take a look at the other numbers that define the model to see how well they work together.
Chair Specifications
Overall, they work exceptionally well together. The seat height definitely marks this chair as being optimized for tall users, so if you’re shorter and heavier, this chair may simply be too big for you. Note that the length, when fully reclined, supports the idea of this being a great choice for especially tall people as well.
There are two potential drawbacks here, the first of which centers on the seat width. While it should be fine for the vast majority of people, if you’re near the top end of this model’s maximum supported weight, it may not be sufficient. Just to make sure, you’ll want to take careful measurements to ensure that you’ll fit comfortably in the chair.
The second potential issue is the sheer size of the chair. While it’s not the biggest model on our list of finalists, it’s a sizeable piece of furniture, and its length at full recline has to be taken into account too. If you live in a smaller home or apartment or the room you want to put the Stallion in already plays home to a lot of other furniture, it may be a challenge to find a suitable place to put it.
Beyond the raw numbers, the first thing you’ll note about the Stallion is that it’s designed along purely conventional lines. That’s not a bad thing, but if you’re looking for something edgy or artistic, this isn’t the chair you want.
It’s also not the chair you’re looking for if you want something that features lots of bells and whistles. This chair doesn’t offer anything on that front, not even built-in storage. It’s just a big, comfortable, basic three-position manual recliner.
If that’s what you’re looking for, then this model belongs on your shortlist. If you’re hoping to find a model that offers more, then just about any other chair mentioned here will probably be more to your liking.
Comfort-wise, the Stallion utilizes spring-supported block foam, which is pretty standard fare as recliner cushioning goes. It’s not gloriously comfortable, but it does offer a very comfortable seating experience, and the pillowed design of the seatback helps make the chair more breathable. That’s a good thing given the Stallion’s upholstery, which we regard as a genuine point of weakness.
The Stallion is clad in bonded leather, which is real leather made from scraps that have been fused. As a result, bonded leather isn’t as strong or as supple as genuine grain leather. The problem is that had Lane chosen to cover this chair with genuine grain leather; it would have increased its price significantly.
The downside is that bonded leather isn’t really all that durable. After a couple of years, you can expect it to start showing its age by peeling and cracking, even if you’re exceptionally careful with it. If you have pets, you can expect that they’ll puncture it within a week, and perhaps before the chair has been in your home for a full day. Not good.
Fortunately, the bones of the chair are rock solid, so when the day comes that you have to have the chair reupholstered, doing so is a good investment because, with proper care, the frame itself will last you for years.
At the end of the day, this is a basic, no-frills design. If that’s what you’re looking for, then it will get your attention immediately. It’s also a bit of a niche product, though. If you weigh 400 pounds or less, you’ll probably find that one of our other finalists of best rated heavy duty recliners will serve you better, so this chair’s real target market is exceptionally tall people who weigh between 400-500 pounds.
That’s a fairly specific, relatively tiny slice of the market, and unless you happen to be a part of it, some other model will probably wind up being more attractive to you. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it.
Southern Motion’s Hercules Recliner
Recommended For: Anyone weighing up to 400 pounds who’s’ looking for a bit more freedom and the flexibility to have at least some control over the design of their recliner.
We didn’t feel this portion of our roundup review would be complete without giving a shout-out to Southern Motion’s Hercules recliner, which the company specifically designed to compete with our fourth-place entrant, Lane Furniture’s Stallion recliner.
This is an interesting chair for a few reasons, but as we’ll explain below, overall, we find it to be slightly inferior to the chair it was designed to compete against. Before we get into that, let’s start by taking a closer look at the chair’s core statistics.
Chair Specifications
This chair is similar in size to but slightly smaller all around than the Stallion. At full recline, it’s also five inches shorter, but even so, it’s the second-longest recliner in this portion of our roundup review, which puts it in the same general segment of the market.
Disappointingly though, the Hercules only supports 400 pounds of user weight, compared to the Stallion’s 500, which means that the Stallion serves a slightly larger segment of the market.
The seat dimensions and seat height are both excellent fits for the portion of the market this chair is targeting, and even if you’re near the top end of the supported weight limit, you shouldn’t have any trouble fitting comfortably into this chair.
As with most of the other models we’ve talked about in this section, with the notable exception of the Diamond Recliner, finding a permanent home for this chair may be a bit of a challenge if you’re cramped for space.
Like the Stallion, it’s designed along conventional lines, but where the Stallion features a pillowed seatback that improves the chair’s breathability, this one is just a solid wall of disappointingly low-quality upholstery, which means this chair isn’t nearly as breathable as the model it’s designed to compete head-to-head against.
It’s fine for short-duration seating, but if you plan to spend any length of time in this chair at a stretch, it’s going to get increasingly hot and uncomfortable.
Comfort-wise, the Hercules fares much better thanks to one of its two modular add-ons, the recline-a-pedic feature, which, if purchased, adds a layer of memory foam over the spring-supported block foam.
The big thing this chair has going for it is its modularity. That’s something most Southern Motion chairs offer, but sadly, there are only two modular options available with this model: Wall Hugging Technology and the recline-a-pedic feature.
Unfortunately, unless you invest in both of those extras, this chair comes up significantly short against the Stallion and in fact, all the other models we’ve talked about so far.
Even worse, the addition of those two features makes this chair far and away the most expensive model on our list of finalists, which is an unfortunate combination of factors.
Given the steep price, we would have expected to see high-end upholstery on the chair, but sadly, the Hercules comes up a bit short here too, offering a hybrid upholstery that’s a blend of polyester and PU. Both are non-breathable, low-end material options, and blending them together doesn’t really improve the equation.
You can expect that after a year to a year and a half of moderate to heavy daily use, the upholstery will start peeling and cracking as the material begins to show its age. If there’s a silver lining here, it lies in the fact that the frame of the chair is exceptionally well-constructed and will last several years longer than the upholstery itself.
When the time comes to reupholster, that fact makes doing so a good investment that will extend the useful life of the chair by a number of years, plus, you’ll be able to re-cover the chair in something you like better that offers more in the way of durability.
The Hercules reclines back to about 160 degrees, which isn’t quite flat, but near enough that you can easily use it as a napping chair and could possibly even spend an entire night sleeping in it. If you do so, however, you’ll almost certainly want to put a sheet between you and the hot, non-breathable upholstery, or you’re apt to have a miserable night.
The Hercules also features well-implemented wall-hugging technology, which means you’ll only need about 5” of clearance between the back of the chair and whatever wall you decide to place it near, which will make it at least a little easier to find a place to put it.
The Hercules compares favorably to the Stallion in terms of recline capabilities, however. Where the Stallion is a manual, three-position recliner, the Hercules is a powered chair with an infinite number of recline possibilities. That, combined with its modularity, makes it an attractive option but also a super pricey one.
Overall, we just didn’t feel that the bright spots this model brings to the table were enough to warrant the massive difference in price. It’s an interesting chair, and it’s got good bones, so if none of the other recliners we’ve talked about to this point are what you’re looking for, it’s a good option to consider. We do, however, regard it as a relatively weaker option than the rest. On that basis, we can only provisionally recommend it.
Lift Recliners Comparison Table
|
Our Pick
|
|
|
|
4.4
|
4.3
|
4.2
|
|
$1,499.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
39” W x 42” H x 44” D (76” fully reclined)
|
42” D x 45” W x 46” H (79” fully reclined)
|
41” W x 44” D x 46” H (70” fully reclined)
|
|
400 pounds
|
450 pounds
|
400 pounds
|
|
22”
|
25”
|
22”
|
|
20”
|
21”
|
20”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is an amazing chair, well-deserving of top honors here. Highly recommended.
|
If you want the Burns, but it won’t support you, this is a good alternative. We provisionally recommend it.
|
Despite its hefty price tag, the Grand’s modular design approach is amazing. We highly recommend this chair.
|
- A delightfully low-priced, understated lift chair. Features an advanced comfort system. Lay flat capabilities Infinite recline positions. Ample storage. Battery backup system.
- It’s a fairly sizeable chair that may be a challenge to find a permanent home for if you’re short on space.
- Longest recliner in the entire roundup, ideally suited for the tallest users. Supports a generous amount of user weight. Delightfully comfortable with an advanced comfort system. Has a battery backup.
- It’s a basic three-position recliner. Significantly more expensive than the Burns and with less built-in storage.
- A highly modular recliner that allows you to build the perfect chair for you. Battery backup.
- Pricey. You’ll pay a premium for the modularity.
Our Pick: Catnapper Burns 4847 Power Lift Recliner
Recommended For: Anyone up to 400 pounds who is looking for a great, basic power lift recliner. If you’re looking for tons of extras, this one’s not a good fit.
Just as Simmons dominated our list of standard recliners, Catnapper dominates this portion of our roundup review, capturing the top two positions for the best high weight capacity lift recliner. The Catnapper Burns is a simple, rugged, low-cost design that is sure to please. As we’ve done previously in this roundup, let’s begin by reviewing the core stats that define the model.
Chair Specifications
These numbers support each other beautifully. Even if you’re near the top end of the chair’s maximum supported weight limit, the seat is likely to be wide enough that you’ll be able to fit into it quite comfortably, though it still pays to take a quick measurement to be sure.
The seat height is well within the standard big and tall range, which typically starts at 18” and goes up from there. This, in turn, is a good fit with the length of the chair at full recline, which marks the chair as being an excellent choice even for very tall users who are on the heavy side.
As is usually the case with furniture designed for big and tall folk, this is a sizeable chair, but surprisingly, it’s not one of the largest chairs in this roundup review (except for the total recline length, which is impressive).
Unfortunately, this chair is not a wall hugger, which is a definite limitation here. You’ll need at least 19” of space between the seatback and whatever wall you decide to place it near in order to fully recline, which might complicate things when it comes to trying to find a permanent home for the chair. This is especially true if you’re planning to put it in a smaller room or a room already crowded with other furniture.
The Burns is clad in a comfortable, breathable fabric, offered in a quartet of subdued colors, which make it easy to blend it in with whatever color and décor scheme you already have in your home. It also sports a subdued, conventional design that ensures the chair won’t stick out like a sore thumb when sitting next to your other furniture.
It blends. It makes a good compliment. Those are good things, but if you’re looking for something bold and artistic, this isn’t the chair you want.
In addition to being a decent-looking piece of furniture, the Burns sports an advanced comfort system that relies on conventional block foam and poly fiberfill, supported by individually wrapped comfort coils like you find in many high-quality mattresses, and further enhanced by the delightful fabric the chair is upholstered in.
Another aspect of this chair you’re sure to love is the fact that the seatback and the footrest recline independently of each other, giving you an endless variety of recline options at your fingertips and available at the touch of a button.
Unfortunately, there are no preset recline positions on offer here, so you’ll have to manually fiddle with the controls to find your perfect recline angle, but this isn’t really much of a hardship.
The Burns is also a lay-flat recliner, so if you’re looking for a chair you can spend extended periods of time in and use for both napping and sleeping through the night, this is a great option to consider.
Finally, the Burns has two “extras” that are worth mentioning. The first takes the form of a pair of generously sized storage pockets located on either side of the chair. These are large enough to hold whatever books or magazines you’re reading, snacks, and other supplies you might need when spending extended periods of time in the chair.
That matters because people who buy lift chairs typically have mobility issues of one sort or another, and having a place to stash your stuff when you can’t move around well makes a big difference.
The second “extra” on offer is something that most lift chairs have, a battery backup system. Here’s why it matters: Imagine that you have a mobility issue and can’t easily get to your feet without the chair’s lift function.
While you’re sitting in the chair, the lights go out. What do you do? If you’re in a “regular” recliner, you do nothing. You sit there or call out to someone else in the house until you can get a rescue. With a battery backup system, it’s no problem. Just activate the emergency lift function, and the chair gives you a boost that gets you back on your feet, and you can go on about your business uninterrupted.
In practice, it’s a small thing. You may never even need to make use of it, but if and when you do, suddenly, that little extra is worth its weight in gold. It’s just a good bit of insurance to have.
Final Note: This chair can be purchased with a White Glove option that will see the delivery folks bring it into your home and set it up for you. It costs extra, of course, but if you have a mobility issue and you’re not sure you can have an assistant on standby to help you get the chair in the door and complete the relatively simple assembly process, it can be a good investment.
Overall, this is an amazing chair that provides a tremendous amount of value, comfort, and functionality to a broad range of users. It is well-deserving of top honors in this section of our review, and we highly recommend it.
Runner-Up: Catnapper Omni 4827 Heavy Duty Lift Chair
Recommended For: Anyone up to 450 pounds who’s in the market for a chair they can spend serious amounts of time in and even get a decent night’s sleep in.
Catnapper has the distinction of having claimed both of the top spots in this portion of our roundup. While not quite as good as the Burns in our view, the Omni is certainly no slouch where lift chairs are concerned. Before we get into the details, let’s review the basic stats of the chair:
Chair Specifications
A couple of interesting things to note here. First, this is the longest chair in our entire roundup review, which makes it an especially good fit for the tallest of users. Second, it supports an impressive amount of weight. Granted, not best in class, with that honor going to the lift recliner offered by Mega Motion, which we’ll be talking about later. Even so, it’s an excellent pairing with the length of this recliner.
Since Catnapper designed the chair to support more weight than the Burns, they also widened the seat, which was an excellent decision. Like the Burns, even if you’re near the top end of this chair’s maximum supported weight limit, you’ll likely have no problems fitting comfortably into the chair. Still, it pays to take a quick measurement to be sure.
The rest of the dimensions are a good overall fit, too, and the Omni should serve almost anyone very well indeed. Unfortunately, if you’re on the short side, the chair may swallow you whole. In that case, you’re probably better off finding a smaller model that’s built for your size and body shape.
Somewhat disappointingly, this chair is a good deal more expensive than the Burns, which is the major reason it wound up in the second-place position. It just doesn’t deliver quite the same level of value as the Burns does. Still, if you weigh slightly more than 400 pounds and need a sturdier chair than the Burns, this is an excellent option to consider, despite the higher price tag.
Like the Burns, the Omni is clad in comfortable, breathable fabric, but where the Burns is only available in four different colors, the Omni gives you a total of eight different choices, making it even easier to blend the chair with just about any home décor or color scheme.
Unfortunately, this chair has one potentially serious drawback. Where the Burns offers an infinite number of possible recline positions, the Omni is a standard three-position recliner. If you want more recline options than that, this isn’t the chair you’re looking for.
On the other hand, it is a lay-flat recliner and offers the same advanced comfort system that the Burns does, which includes individually wrapped comfort coil springs supporting generous layers of conventional block foam and poly fiberfill, making it the chair-based equivalent of a high-quality mattress, which makes it excellent for long periods of sitting, napping, or even sleeping through the night.
You’ll find a wired remote attached to the chair with clearly labeled, simple controls for both the recline functions and the chair’s lift function.
In addition to the basics, you’ll find one modestly sized storage pocket and a battery backup system that provides the same benefits and insurance that we talked about in the segment on the Burns lift chair. Even better, this chair will arrive at your door fully assembled and ready for first use. All you’ll have to do is get it where you want it to go and plug it in.
Given the size of the chair, though, you may need help getting it into position. If so, the company does offer White Glove service. It’s rather expensive, but if you don’t have an assistant on standby to help you on the day the chair arrives, it does simplify the process considerably, and some people may find that to be well worth the investment.
Considering the added cost of this chair and the limitations inherent in a three-position recliner design, we can only give this model a provisional recommendation. It’s essentially a self-selecting chair. If you weigh less than 400 pounds, the Burns is a better value. If you weigh between 401 to 450 pounds, and the Burns simply won’t work for you, this is a great alternate choice.
Budget Pick: Southern Motion Grand Recliner
Recommended For: Anyone weighing up to 400 pounds who is unhappy with the other big and tall recliner options available.
As a child, did you ever go to one of those “Build a Bear” stores and get to build your own ideal teddy bear? If so, you probably had a great time doing it. The number of choices at those stores is amazing, and kids love picking out every feature and custom-crafting their perfect teddy bear.
Southern Motion has given grownups the same feeling by creating an amazing recliner and offering loads of optional features that allow you to pick and choose, creating the perfect recliner for you. Before we say more about that, let’s continue with our tradition of reviewing the basic stats that define the model.
Chair Specifications
These numbers are about what we’d expect to see from a chair in this class. We are a bit puzzled by the seat depth, which seems a little high but not radically so. The chair’s overall length is middle of the road, marking this chair as a less-than-optimal fit for the very tallest of users, but for most people, it should be just fine.
The big thing to talk about here is, as we mentioned at the start, the stunning array of fun options you can pick and choose to add to the basic chair. If you like, you can even take the lift motor and mechanism off and have a highly modular standard recliner, which is insanely cool. As to the options themselves, here’s a quick overview:
If you’ve never had the pleasure of using a recliner with an independently controlled headrest, you don’t know what you’re missing. The first time you do, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it. While the other features come down to personal preference, this one is a no-brainer to add. It’s amazing and is the most highly recommended optional feature the company offers.
Even in its default configuration, this is an infinite position recliner, giving you perfect freedom and flexibility where reclining in the chair is concerned. It’s also quite comfortable and well-padded, though, in fairness, it utilizes a basic configuration of spring-supported block foam, which makes it somewhat less luxuriant than the options offered by Catnapper. Still, there’s enough padding that sitting in the chair, even for extended periods, is delightfully comfortable.
Unfortunately, the chair is clad in bonded leather. That’s not the worst upholstery choice in the world, but it is on the low end.
The main problems with this choice of upholstery are as follows:
If there’s a silver lining here, it is the fact that the frame of the chair is rugged and durable. It will last for years with proper care, so when it comes time to start thinking about re-upholstering, it’s a no-brainer. Doing so will add significantly to the useful life of the chair and give you the opportunity to pick an upholstery material that’s both more durable and more breathable.
All of the “extras” you can get from this chair are defined by the options you can add. You won’t find any built-in storage on offer here, and the only way to get a battery backup system is to add the power lift feature.
On the other hand, if you decide you want one of these, the chair will arrive at your door fully assembled and ready to use. Sadly, the company does not offer White Glove service, so you’ll need to figure out how to get it into the room you plan to use it in, which will almost certainly involve having an assistant on standby, given the size and weight of the chair.
Other than the disappointing upholstery, the only real drawback here is the price of the chair. We love the modularity of the design, but you’ll pay a premium for the pleasure of picking and choosing the features you want. Even so, we love this chair, and we think you will too. This is Southern Motion at its very best, and we highly recommend the Grand.
Also Great
Lane Boss Big Man Power Lifter
Recommended for: Anyone up to 500 pounds who’s in the market for a comfortable, reliable lift chair with lots of storage and other fun extras.
Like Southern Motion, Lane Furniture captures a spot in this section of the roundup as well, this time with the Boss Big Man Power Lifter. This is a very good lifter, offered by a well-respected company with a long history of making high-quality home furnishings. It also has the distinction of being one of only two lift chairs with a 500-pound weight capacity, so if the other chairs on our list of finalists aren’t big and sturdy enough to support you, this one deserves special attention.
Chair Specifications
It’s also got a couple of fun surprises on offer, but we’ll talk about those after we do a review of the model’s basic stats. Here they are:
Everything about this chair marks it as being designed for taller users. Not only is it one of the longest recliners in our roundup review, but it also sports a gloriously roomy seat. The usual caveat applies here: If you’re close to the chair’s maximum supported weight, you’ll want to take a quick measurement to be sure you’ll fit comfortably in it.
Note that if you’re shorter and heavy, this chair is probably a non-starter for you. That 22” seat height, combined with the overall length, will likely swallow you whole. Assuming that’s not an issue, this model will serve you very well.
Comfort-wise, the Boss takes a pretty standard approach, utilizing a mix of spring-supported block foam and poly fiberfill. The chair doesn’t offer next-level comfort like our top two picks, but there’s certainly enough padding that it provides a delightful seating experience, even if you spend extended periods of time in the chair.
Unfortunately, as with Southern Motion’s offering, this one is outfitted in bonded leather. We won’t repeat what we’ve already said about it; just know that we regard it as a disappointing choice of material that won’t age well and suffers from a lack of breathability.
Lane makes some effort to counter this fact via the stitching on the seatback. The design does give the back of the chair a bit more breathability than it would otherwise have, but it’s far from a perfect solution, and the more time you spend in the chair, the hotter and more uncomfortable it’s apt to get.
The frame of the chair is well-constructed, however, so as with Southern Motion’s offering, re-upholstering it when the time comes is a safe bet that will add several years to the useful life of the chair.
Upholstery issues aside, there’s a lot to like about this model. It features a large side pocket for storing your favorite books and magazines, and you’ll be delighted by the hidden storage compartments located in each of the arms of the chair. One of them even contains a 120-volt power outlet, making it possible to plug your laptop in and work or surf the net in the chair.
In addition to that, next to the controls mounted on the side of the chair, you’ll find a handy USB port you can use to keep your phone fully charged while you listen to your playlist, surf from your phone, play your favorite games and otherwise stay connected to the world around you.
It gets better. Like our top pick, the seatback and the footrest can be controlled independently, giving you all sorts of fun recline options that many other chairs simply can’t replicate.
Also, note that the chair will arrive at your door fully assembled and ready to use, but the company doesn’t offer White Glove service. Given the size and weight of the chair, you’ll almost certainly want to have an assistant standing by to help you get the chair into the room you want to use it in.
Overall, we really like this chair but readily admit that it’s not going to be a good fit for everyone. If you’re shorter than about 5’6,” it’s likely to be too big to be useful, and if you’re cramped for space, it’s going to be difficult to find a permanent home for it.
Its one major drawback is what we regard as a disappointing upholstery choice, but the styling and comfort make it an attractive option, especially for people who weigh more than 450 pounds and simply won’t be able to use the chairs we’ve talked about to this point.
The hidden storage, USB port, and included power outlet set it apart from the other models on our list of finalists, but by themselves, those things aren’t compelling enough to sway most potential buyers. Even so, if you like the styling and the other chairs aren’t a good fit for you, this is a solid option. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it.
Mega Motion Easy Comfort Power Lifter
Recommended For: Ideal for heavier users (highest supported weight in its class, up to 500 pounds)
This section of our roundup review wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t give a shout-out to Mega Motion’s Easy Comfort chair. Mega Motion isn’t an industry Titan, but they are a well-respected company with a reputation for building good quality mobility-related products. Their lift chair is a bit of a departure for them but is near enough to their core business that it makes a reasonably good fit.
Chair Specifications
Before we get into the particulars, let’s do a quick stats review of the chair. Here are the basics:
As with every other chair we’ve talked about, this is a big piece of furniture, so if you’re cramped for space or living in a smaller home or apartment, finding a place to put the chair could be a challenge.
Unfortunately, this chair is not designed with wall-hugging technology, which makes it even more of a challenge to find a permanent home for the chair because you’ll need a staggering 29” of space between the seatback and whatever wall you place this chair near in order to recline this chair fully.
Assuming the size of the chair doesn’t make it a non-starter for you, you’ll find a wide, roomy seat and a 500-pound maximum supported weight limit, which makes the Easy Comfort a great option to consider if our top picks aren’t big and robust enough to support you.
Also, if you decide you want one, you can order yours in your choice of four different colors, which, when combined with its understated design makes it very easy to blend this chair in with your other home furnishings and overall décor scheme.
It’s not the most comfortable chair on our list, sticking to the basics and using spring-supported block foam, but there’s quite a lot of padding present, so sitting in the chair even for several hours at a stretch certainly won’t be a hardship. The chair is comfortable, and the fabric is soft and breathable.
One thing we really like about the Mega Motion chair is that it offers both an infinite number of recline options and preset recline positions, all available from the intuitively designed remote. The presets offer one-touch recline convenience, while the other controls on the remote allow you to tweak your recline angle to your heart’s content until you find your perfect recline angle.
In terms of extras, you’ll find a pair of generously sized storage pockets, one on each side of the chair. Use them to stash whatever books or magazines you’re currently reading, snacks, or other supplies you may want or need to have while you’re spending time in the chair.
The second is, of course, the built-in battery backup system, which offers you cheap insurance in the event that the power fails. As long as you keep a 9-volt battery charged and in place to power the backup system, you’ll never find yourself in a situation where you get stuck in the chair.
If you decide you want one of these, know that you’ll have to do a little work when it arrives at your door. The assembly process is fairly quick and painless, but if you suffer from any type of mobility issue, you may need to get help to put it together to get it ready for first use.
Overall, including the time spent unboxing, expect the process to take 20 minutes. If you’d rather not be bothered, the company does offer White Glove service, which leaves you with nothing to do but have a seat when the delivery people are finished putting it together for you. It’s rather expensive, but some people may find value in it.
With a lifetime warranty on its lift mechanism, unlimited recline options paired with convenient recline presets, and a generous maximum supported weight limit, this is a solid contender and well-deserving of a spot on our list. Unfortunately, it doesn’t pack quite the punch that our other finalists do, which is why it only gets an honorable mention. Even so, it’s a good alternative choice if none of the other chairs on this list work for you. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it.
What’s the Best High Weight Capacity Recliner in 2024?
While we absolutely stand by the Osborn Rocking Recliner and the Catnapper Burns Power Lift Recliner as our top picks in their respective categories, we understand that tastes and preferences will vary, and you may wind up disagreeing with our rankings here in our roundup review of the best high weight capacity recliners. Here then, are some of the reasons that one of the other chairs on our list of finalists here might be a better choice for you:
In the Regular Recliner Category:
In the Power Lift Chair Category:
Whether you agree with our top picks or not, ultimately, the only question that matters is this: “What’s the best recliner for you?” One thing we’re almost certain of is that your next recliner is lurking somewhere in this roundup review. More than anything, we hope we’ve helped simplify your search!
Recommended Reading
High Weight Capacity Rocking Chairs
Assessing rocking chairs designed for higher weight capacities, offering relaxation and comfort while ensuring durability and stability for all users.
High Weight Capacity Bar Stools
Exploring bar stools built to withstand heavier weights while offering comfort and style for kitchen islands, bars, or entertainment areas.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
- Simmons, Official Brand Website.
- Mega Motion, Official Brand Website.
- Southern Motion, Official Brand Website.
- Lane Home Furnishings, Official Brand Website.
- How to Repair Leather Sofa Peeling, Holmes Leather Cleaning.
- The Best and Worst Sleep Positions for Health Conditions, Verywell Health.
- Sleeping Position Tips After Total Hip Replacement Surgery, Cleveland Clinic.