In a Nutshell:
The La-Z-Boy Niagara Recliner is an expertly designed chair with a couple of pleasant surprises on offer. Recommended for anyone up to 6’4” in height, weighing 300 pounds or less.
Value for the Money
Comfort
Brand Reliability*
Aesthetic Flexibility**
Overall Rating
4.5/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Anyone up to 6’4” in height, weighing 300 pounds or less.
Are you in the market for a great, well-priced rocking recliner? If so, you’re certainly not alone. In addition to being a fantastic piece of furniture for any home living room, they’re also valuable to people who:
Whatever your reasons for shopping for a new recliner, you will love what you see in this review. La-Z-Boy is one of the Titans of the American furniture industry. Their reputation for excellence and post-sales service and support is well-known; even better, this model is made right here in the US of A. You may not have your heart set on an American-made piece of furniture, but if you do, the La Z Boy Niagara Recliner belongs on your shortlist.
In the sections that follow, we’ll discuss everything this awesome rocking recliner can do and its (very few) shortcomings so you can decide for yourself if this is the model you’ve been searching for. That said, let’s dive in and take a closer look!
Key Features of the La Z Boy Niagara Reclina Rocker Recliner
Chair Specifications
Before we get to the specific features the La Z Boy Niagara Recliner has to offer, let’s start by reviewing its basic stats:
As you can see, this is a sizeable piece of furniture that will appeal to most of the market. Unfortunately, its maximum supported weight limit causes it to fall short of being a Big and Tall recliner, but for people up to about 6’4” weighing 300 pounds or less, it’s a good fit, so overall, more than 90% of the market should find this chair of use.
Note that this chair does not incorporate “Wall Hugger” technology into its design. In light of that, you’ll need to place it at least fifteen inches from whatever wall you set it near to ensure it can recline fully. That could be problematic if you have a smaller home or limited space, so it’s something to be mindful of!
Options & Upgrades
If you decide to order one, choose from Fossil or Platinum-colored fabric. Other colors and upholstery options are available, but you’ll need to special order this model from La-Z-Boy’s website to get them. You can also get this model with a swivel base, but again, to do so, you’ll need to head to La-Z-Boy’s site to place your order.
It’s a handsome piece of furniture, and the two default colors are neutral, which should make the chair blend easily and seamlessly into your home’s décor scheme, but if you’d like the Niagara in some other color, you can certainly get it. Just be aware that ordering customizations from the company’s website will increase your delivery time.
Powered Variant
We focused on the Niagara rocking recliner’s manual version for this review. But if you’d prefer a powered version, La-Z-Boy has that, too. The Niagara power rocking recliner has the same dimensions and rocking function, but it offers more recline positions at the touch of a button and has a USB port for charging your devices.
The powered version cannot be upgraded to have a swivel base, but you can upgrade its cushion to Airform™, a 2-inch layer that provides responsive cushioning and contoured support.
Adjustability
The La Z Boy Niagara Reclina Rocker Recliner offers a couple of interesting surprises, the first of which is that this is one of the few recliners that allows you to adjust the recline tension.
If you find that getting the chair back into a reclined position takes too much effort, you can tweak the setting so that it requires less effort.
That’s an especially valuable feature for elderly folks or anyone with mobility issues, and it’s just what you’d expect from a company with such a long history in the American furniture market.
Rocking & Reclining
Although La-Z-Boy makes recliners that can rock while in a reclined position, this isn’t one of them. With the Niagara, it’s an either/or proposition. You can rock or recline, but you can’t rock while reclined.
Turning to the recline function, the Niagara offers three different recline positions, allowing you to choose from the standard “Sitting,” “TV,” or “Sleeping” positions. The Niagara features a proprietary position-locking system for added safety, support, and reliability.
Note that the seatback can recline without engaging the footrest, which gives you a few “custom” recline options.
The final thing to be aware of is that the Niagara does not recline so far back that it lays perfectly flat. It will take you about 80% of the distance, which is enough for most people. After all, if you’re looking for a recliner to sleep in, the odds are good that you will have trouble sleeping comfortably when you’re lying perfectly flat.
Normally, it’s not a deal-breaker, but if you are specifically in the market for a chair that lays almost completely flat, this is sadly not the chair you want.
Comfort
On the comfort front, the Niagara utilizes block foam, polyfill, and supporting springs to provide a delightful seating experience, even if you spend several hours a day in the chair. Granted, it’s not as comfortable as memory foam, but it is pretty amazing.
Ergonomic Features
Even better, the Niagara offers another surprise, this time in ergonomic support! The sad truth is that most home furnishings today lack ergonomic support, another mark of distinction for this model. It features exceptional lumbar and decent whole-back support, enhancing the chair’s comfort.
Storage & Extras
Unfortunately, the chair doesn’t offer any onboard storage. That’s a pity because, as a rocking recliner, this chair would make a great addition to a home nursery, and a handy storage pocket would be great for keeping a few essential baby supplies in. Sadly, it’s something La-Z-Boy chose to leave out of the design.
In terms of extras, as we mentioned in the previous section of our La Z Boy Niagara Recliner review, if you go to the La-Z-Boy site, you can choose from a much broader array of fabrics and colors. You can also order the Niagara with a swiveling base if you prefer. Aside from that, though, there are no other extras on offer.
Minimal Assembly Required
The La Z Boy Niagara Rocker Recliner does not come assembled. White Glove service is unavailable, so you’ll probably want an assistant standing by when the chair arrives at your door. The only thing you’ll have to do to get the chair ready for first use is to attach the seatback to the rest of the chair and put it where you want it.
Given the chair’s rather modest weight, the assembly process isn’t difficult, but if you suffer from some type of mobility issue or don’t want to be bothered with it, having a friend handy to assist will certainly make it go more quickly.
Pros & Cons of the La Z Boy Niagara Recliner
There’s a lot to like about this chair. It’s a rocking chair. It’s a recliner. Although it doesn’t lay completely flat, it’s certainly good enough for sleeping, and it’s delightfully comfortable, so you’ll get a decent night’s sleep.
Even better, it offers some surprise features, such as adjustable recline tension control and ergonomic supports, making it an amazing value for its surprisingly modest price. And it’s an American-made piece of furniture, to boot!
We don’t have anything negative to say about it. Sure, we’d have loved it if the chair offered a storage pocket, but that’s honestly the worst thing we can find to say about the design, and that’s hardly a deal-breaker.
La Z Boy Niagara Recliner Review Conclusion
Provided the La Z Boy Niagara Recliner’s measurements are a good fit, and you don’t exceed its 300-pound weight limit, this recliner belongs on your shortlist. For the price, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value. We recommend it.
Recommended Reading
Simmons Jaguar Cuddler Recliner Review
Our evaluation focuses on the Simmons Jaguar Cuddler Recliner, a comfortable chair ideal for couples or larger individuals.
Ashley Ludden Rocker Recliner Review
Our analysis focuses on the Ashley Ludden Rocker Recliner, a handsome, versatile piece of furniture for any home.
References & Resources
- La-Z-Boy Niagara Recliner User Manual.
- La-Z-Boy, Official Brand Website.
- Recliners Get a Makeover, Lifestyle.
- Troubleshooting Recliner Issues, Hunker.
- 5 Benefits to Owning a Reclining Chair, My Decorative.