Madison Home Classic Leather Recliner Review 2024

Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued. Check some of the Lift Chairs we’ve reviewed.

Have you started having difficulty rising to a standing position after you’ve been sitting down for a while? Sooner or later, it happens to us all. The precipitating event in your life might have been arthritis, a recent surgery, or just the relentless march of time.

Whatever the cause of your mobility issue, it’s no fun. It can leave you feeling trapped and helpless and let’s face it, if you’re used to doing things on your own, it can be embarrassing to have to call someone to help you with something as simple as standing up.

That’s why power lift recliners are so important and valuable. They’re an important part of getting your freedom and independence back. Of regaining at least some of your mobility. The question though, is which one is the “right” chair for you?

The answer is that it depends on a lot of factors, not the least is what you can afford. The unfortunate thing is that a lot of people with mobility issues are older and live on a fixed income, so there’s not much money to spare for equipment like this.

The good news is that there are some incredible bargains available in the budget section of the market and the Madison Home Classic, having placed a respectable third in the budget section of our recent roundup review is one of these. While it would be overselling it to describe this model as “the perfect lift recliner,” it is a very solid model and offered for a song.

We’ll go over it inch by inch, so you’ll have all the information you need to decide for yourself if it’s the model you’ve been looking for. Let’s jump right in and see what it can do!

Overview of the Madison Home Classic Recliner

At first glance, it’s not immediately obvious that the Madison Home Classic is anything other than a smallish conventional recliner. It’s got a very basic (classic) unassuming design and is offered in three neutral colors (black, brown, and gray) that will make it fit in easily to most any home décor scheme. 

Size and Dimensions 

It’s not an especially large piece of furniture either, measuring just 32” x 36” x 42” which means that even if you have a smaller home or apartment, finding a permanent home for the chair should not present much of a challenge. Note, however, that it’s not a “wall hugger,” so you will need to place the chair 18”-24” from your wall to fully recline in it.

Also, note that the seat is 21” wide and 20” deep and that the chair can support up to three hundred pounds of user weight. Given its modest dimensions, it’s an ideal chair for average-sized or smaller people. If you’re big and tall, you may struggle to sit comfortably in it.

Simple Design

There’s not much to say on this front. The Madison Home Classic plush bonded leather power lift is a very basic, bare bones lift recliner. It’s got a wired remote which you use to control both the angle of recline and the power lift function. The remote itself is a lesson in simplicity, and even if you wouldn’t consider yourself to be good with gadgets and gizmos, you’ll have it mastered in less than a minute.

The motors which control the recline and power lift functions are smooth and quiet. 

Quality and Durability

Note, however, that this chair is made in China, and as such, the manufacturing quality isn’t on par with furniture manufactured in the West. 

That’s not to say it’s poor quality – actually, for the price, we were rather impressed with the quality, but we’re quick to add that it’s a sliding scale. The chair is manufactured with low-end materials, so although it offers solid value for the money, this chair isn’t going to age well, and it’s not going to last you for decades.

Comfort

Comfort-wise, it’s generously padded (though not quite overstuffed) and comfortable. Filled with standard block foam though, you can expect that after just a few years, you’ll start noticing sagging, and the chair will struggle to retain its factory-condition shape.

Upholstery

The upholstery is genuine leather, which is a nice touch, but it’s bonded leather, which is the lowest common denominator (leather pulp, fused together). Still, leather in any form in the value segment of the market is a welcome addition indeed!

Extras

The only “extras” on offer in the Madison Home USA Classic power lift assist recliner are the two generously-sized storage pockets on each side of the chair. There’s plenty of space here to store your remote, your favorite books and magazines, and just about anything else you’d like.

No Cupholders

While some models of recliners offer niceties like cup holders, this one takes a pass on all of that. The designers opted to focus on making the best chair they could and cut everything that wasn’t essential. 

Truth be told, we have mixed feelings about the inclusion of cup holders on power lift chairs, because the first time you forget you’ve got a cup full of your favorite drink in the cup holder and activate the lift function, you’ll make a huge mess, so…

Some Assembly Required

Unfortunately, you’ve got to play the “where does this piece go?” game when your chair arrives at your doorstep. 

One of the trials and tribulations associated with buying off-brand furniture made overseas is the fact that most of it have to be put together, and sometimes, it feels like the instructions for doing so were written by aliens from a distant planet.

That’s pretty much what you can expect here. Cryptic diagrams that more-or-less line up with the actual equipment in front of you, and instructions that only make sense after a glass of wine (come to think of it, better make it two).

As with most projects like this, it’ll go faster if you enlist the aid of an assistant because invariably, you’ll reach a point where you find yourself wishing you had a third or fourth hand.

If there’s a silver lining, it is the fact that you’ve only got to go through the process once, and once the chair is assembled, it’s actually a fairly solid piece of furniture. Though again, the materials used in its construction are low-end, so don’t expect maximum durability.

Pros & Cons of the Madison Home Classic

For what it is, and for the price, this is a good chair. It’s not a great chair, but then, you’re not going to find a great chair in this price range, so there’s no need to go looking for unicorns.

It’s very basic, very bare bones, but it’s surprisingly good at its job, which is to keep you comfortable while you’re sitting down and help you get your feet back under you when it’s time to move.

Anything we could say concerning improving or expanding its modest feature set would increase its price, and work against its position in the market, so we can’t honestly say we’d add anything.

There are three things we’ll point out though here that may give you pause:

First, it’s worth mentioning again that this is an off-brand chair, and off-brands aren’t known for having world-class post-sales support. If there’s a problem with your chair, expect to have to jump through a few hoops before you get an actual human being on the phone.

Second, note that in all probability, the motor that controls the recline function will be the first thing to give you trouble, since it will wind up getting used the most. If it starts to fail, you’ll probably notice some jerkiness as the foot rest comes up. If you experience that, it’s a sure sign that you’ll be needing a repair job in the near future, so keep an eye out for that.

And third, this chair does not have a battery backup. Most low-end chairs don’t, but it’s worth drawing your attention to, because if the power goes out while you’re sitting in it, you may have to send out an SOS after all. If a battery backup is important to you, you’ll want to give this one a pass, save a bit more money, and buy a slightly more expensive model.

Madison Home Classic Review Conclusion

We like the Madison Home Classic leather recliner at the price it’s offered. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more capable power lift recliner that can beat it on price.

While it’s by no means perfect, it’s got the basics well-covered, and if you’re on a fixed income and can’t get your insurance to help pay for a chair, this is an extremely attractive, cost-effective option. On that basis, we recommend it.

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Official Manufacturer Support

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

• Madison Home, Official Brand Website.
• Reclining Is Good For Your Back, Dr. Ben Kim.
• How Can a Great Recliner Chair Improve Your Life?, Sherwood Studios.
• The Recliner Test, Dynamic Chiropractic.