In a Nutshell:
A surprisingly good, inexpensive rocker recliner with a few surprises you’ll enjoy. Dorel Living Padded Dual Massage Recliner is recommended for users between 5’ and 6’ tall, weighing less than 250 pounds.
Value for the Money
Comfort
Brand Reliability*
Aesthetic Flexibility**
Overall Rating
3.6/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Users between 5’ and 6’ tall, weighing less than 250 pounds.
Are you on a budget? Looking for a versatile rocker and recliner that will give you a comfortable perch for lounging, napping, or even sleeping through the night?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, you’re going to be intrigued by our review of the Dorel Living Padded Dual Massage Recliner.
This is an interesting design for several reasons, but we’ll be quick to admit that this isn’t a perfect chair and it’s not going to be for everyone. Even so, it’s such an interesting design that we couldn’t resist the opportunity to review it. For the right person, it could be absolutely perfect!
In the sections that follow, we’ll tell you all about this chair, giving you full details on everything it gets right and its various shortcomings. That way, you’ll have all the information you need to determine if this is the seating solution you’ve been looking for. If that sounds good to you, let’s jump right in and take a closer look!
Overview of the Dorel Living Padded Massage Rocker Recliner
This is a handsome rocker and recliner, offered by a well-established Canadian brand that sells a variety of home furnishings. However, they do source their wares from China, so the first thing to be aware of is the fact that their products may not have the same quality as of those offered by the bigger, mainstream brands in the American furniture industry.
Lower quality materials mean lower prices, but of course, that comes with a tradeoff. While the furniture Dorel sells looks good and has lots of features you’re sure to love, their products aren’t built to last. After a couple of years of moderate to heavy use, they’re going to start showing their age, and this chair is no exception.
If you’re looking for a long-term solution, this isn’t the chair you want, but if you only need a chair for a couple of years and plan on buying something more robust and long-lasting later on, this is a great option.
Chair Specifications
Before we get into the specific features this chair has on offer, let’s begin by taking a quick look at the stats that define the Dorel Living Padded Massage Recliner. Here they are:
As you can see, this chair is somewhat limited in its appeal. With a relatively narrow seat width and a modest maximum supported weight limit, it’s simply too lightly constructed to appeal to the upper end of the market.
Still, if you weigh less than 250 pounds and are 6’ tall or shorter, this is a good option that will probably fit you well.
Color Variation
If you decide to order one, you’ll be able to select either tan or chocolate, which gives you some flexibility in terms of ensuring that the chair will blend seamlessly with your home décor scheme, whatever it might be.
Features of Dorel Living Massage Rocker Recliner
Adjustability
There’s really not much to say about the chair’s adjustability because that’s not its strong suit. It’s a manual recliner. Grab the lever and pull up to bring the footrest up and push back on the seatback to recline. That’s it.
When the chair isn’t reclined, you can use it as a rocker, which makes it a wonderfully versatile piece of furniture and an especially good fit for inclusion in a nursery if you’re expecting or already have a newborn baby.
Comfort
Comfort-wise, the Dorel Living Padded Massage Rocker Recliner relies on conventional block foam for padding, but there’s a generous amount of it. While not the most comfortable chair we’ve ever seen or sat in, it still provides a comfortable seating experience, even after several hours in it.
The only problem is that over time, block foam starts to break down and will struggle to retain its shape. Exactly when that starts happening is due, in large part, to how many hours a day you use the chair. Again though, given that this model is built with lower-cost materials, it’s unlikely to last more than a couple years in any case.
No Storage
Unfortunately, Dorel Living Padded Dual Massage Recliner doesn’t have a side storage pocket. We’re not really sure why. They’re easy to add and wouldn’t increase the cost of the chair in any meaningful way, and would make the model even more valuable to new mothers or anyone who spends several hours a day in the chair.
Vibration Massage
It does, however, have one compelling extra you may enjoy. This chair comes equipped with stationary massage heads that deliver a basic, vibration-style massage.
Vibration-style massage isn’t great. It can’t compare to the kind of massage you get from a proper massage chair. But then, proper massage chairs cost significantly more than this little model. If all you need is something to help massage away the stress of the day for a few minutes while you’re relaxing, this isn’t bad, and it does provide some genuine relief.
Even better, there are massage heads in both the seatback and the seat. These are independently activated, and best of all, you can select from two different massage modes. Again, we’re talking a simple vibration-style massage here, so it’s nothing fancy, but any massage capability is better than none at all, and we were impressed, especially given the modest price of the chair!
Minimal Assembly Required
If you choose to buy this model, it will arrive in a pair of medium-sized boxes. You’ll need to attach the seat back to the seat and plug it in, so the process is not complicated, but if you suffer from a mobility issue of some kind, you’ll want to be sure you’ve got a trusty assistant close at hand when the chair arrives. Overall, expect the assembly time to take no more than fifteen or twenty minutes, and the chair will be ready for first use!
Pros and Cons of the Dorel Living Padded Dual Massage Recliner
We like this model and consider it to be a pleasant surprise in its price range, but as we said at the beginning, this model won’t be for everyone. In our view, here are the things you’ll like best and least about the chair.
PROS
CONS
In our view, the pros far outweigh the cons here. For what it is, and the price the chair is being offered at, it’s a good value for the money.
Final Thoughts on the Dorel Padded Massage Dual Recliner
It’s important to set expectations when looking at furniture like this. If you buy with the thinking that this chair will serve you well for years into the future, it’s going to disappoint you. If, on the other hand, you buy with the knowledge that this is a comfortable, decent piece of furniture designed to last for a couple of years, you’ll be impressed by its capabilities, and while it lasts, you’ll get to enjoy the occasional massage to boot. What’s not to like about that?
On that basis, we provisionally recommend the Dorel Living Padded Dual Massage Recliner.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
- Dorel Living, Official Brand Website.
- Dorel Living Padded Dual Massage Recliner User Manual.
- Rocking like a Baby Promotes Better Sleep in Adults, BBC News.
- Rocking Puts Adults to Sleep Faster and Makes Slumber Deeper, Science News.
- Rocking Motion Improves Sleep and Memory, Studies in Mice and People Show, ScienceDaily.