Windermere Burton NM1650 Power Lift Recliner Review 2024

Do you have trouble standing up after sitting for a while? 

There are lots of reasons why that might be the case. A recent surgery, the flare-up of an old injury, arthritis, or, let’s face it, sometimes it’s just the accumulation of years finally catching up with you.

Whatever the underlying cause, the loss of freedom, independence, and mobility can be jarring, even unsettling, or embarrassing. After all, you used to be able to get your feet under you with no problems, and now, it feels like an epic struggle.

You don’t have to be embarrassed about it, though. Some technologies, such as a top-quality power lift recliner, can help restore your independence.

The problem is that a dizzying number of models are available, and it can be hard to narrow your search. We’ve tried to make it easier by rounding up the best of the best, and the Windermere Burton NM1650 falls into this category. It made our short list, placing a solid third in the best lift chairs being sold today.

While it may not be what you’re looking for, you’ll agree that this is an excellent, capable model. To help you decide, we’ll review everything it can do in the following sections.

About the Windermere Burton Brand

Before we do that, though, we should point out a detail that’s not readily apparent. You may not be familiar with the name “Windermere Burton.”  Many people aren’t, leading them to believe it’s an off-brand.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Windermere Burton is a subsidiary of Mega Motion, an excellent company owned by Pride Mobility. Pride is one of the biggest and best-known brands in the mobility market and makes exceptional lift chairs, wheelchairs, and mobility scooters.

They make outstanding products and are known for their world-class post-sales service and support, a trait their subsidiaries share. Even if you’re not especially brand-conscious, sometimes it pays to know who you’re dealing with; in this case, you’re dealing with one of the best companies in the business!

Look at the Windermere NM-1650 lift chair and see what it’s all about.

Key Features of Windermere Burton NM-1650

The first thing you’ll notice when you see the Windermere NM-1650 for the first time is its friendly, inviting look. The checkerboard back and warm chair colors are offered (see samples below), lending it an almost homespun, welcoming air.

Combined with modern American styling, the chair will blend easily with most home décor schemes. However, note that it’s a fairly sizeable piece of furniture, measuring 40” x 38” x 47” and weighing a respectable 125 pounds, so if you have a smaller living room, this chair could easily dominate the space.

Other relevant specs are as follows:

Some exciting things to note here, starting with the maximum supported weight. If you’re heavier than that, we recommend looking at the Catnapper Burns or the Mega Motion Easy Comfort, which can support users up to 400 and 500 pounds, respectively. The Easy Comfort is a cousin to the Windermere Burton power lift chair, both of which are manufactured by subsidiaries of Pride Mobility.

Beyond that, did you see the seat depth? Twenty-five inches! This chair was designed with taller people in mind. If you’re not especially tall, sitting in this chair could be an uncomfortable experience because if you’re settled back against the backrest, your knees might not bend over the edge of the seat. Something to keep in mind!

Comfort

You’ll find it highly comfortable and well-padded if you fit nicely into the chair. The design of the chair back is deceptively cunning because this model reclines into the “Trendelenburg Position,” which sees you flat on your back with your feet elevated 15-30 degrees above your head.

When in this position, the backrest serves double duty as a mattress, and it’s sufficiently well-padded to make it an exceptional chair for napping, Trendelenburg position or not!

The generous padding is further assisted by the company’s patented “comfort coil” system, which helps the padding conform to the shape of your body. This makes it functionally similar to memory foam but much less expensive (and, admittedly, not quite as effective).

If comfort matters, you won’t find many chairs at any price that can beat this one.

Recline and Lift Functions

Regarding adjustability, there are no preset recline positions on the remote, which we consider a positive. The trouble with presets is that while they do give you one-touch convenience, they’re only convenient if you find the presets to your liking, and you may not.

After all, where presets exist, they were designed by some guy in the factory who may or may not have the same comfort preferences as you, which limits their utility. We much prefer chairs that give you the remote and let you experiment to your heart’s content, and that’s precisely what the Windermere Burton offers.

Sure, it may mean you’ll spend a few minutes fiddling with the controls to get the right angle. Still, it essentially gives you an unlimited number of recline positions for maximum flexibility. We love it.

Powerful Motors

The motors (there are two) that control the recline and lift functions are robust and relatively quiet, although not the quietest we’ve ever heard. More importantly, though, they offer smooth action, which won’t jolt you unexpectedly as you change positions or activate the lift function. Even better, the electronics are all top-notch and built to last. There is corner-cutting here!

Extras

Our Windermere Motion NM1650 review covers a surprising amount, but let’s start with the basics.

Storage 

The ​Windermere Burton power lift chair has three generously sized storage pockets. That’s enough room to stash your remote, books and magazines, and that bag of chips or snack cakes you snuck in from the kitchen when no one was looking. And what’s not to like about that?

Built-In Battery Backup

Second, there’s the enormous built-in battery backup system. Most people don’t fully appreciate this importance until they need it the first time; then, it’s worth its weight in gold.

Consider this scenario: You’re home alone, but you’re not worried about not being able to get up because you’ve got your handy lift chair. You drift off to sleep, only to be awakened sometime later by a loud rumble of thunder. The power has gone out!

Uh oh. Now you’re in trouble (if you don’t have a battery backup) because the chair requires electricity to help you get into a standing position. Your options are limited since you are home alone, and none are very good. You can:

That’s the magic of the battery backup, though. If something like that happens (and sooner or later, it will), the battery backup engages when the lights go out, and you can get your feet under you and carry on.

USB Port

Third, a USB port is included on the chair arm. This is a small touch that many people in the market for a lift chair might not use (seniors, for example, haven’t embraced smartphones the way younger folks have).

Even if it doesn’t get used by everyone, it’s still an excellent finishing feature that adds a nice “extra touch” to the chair. We love it!

Trendelenburg Position

Fourth, let’s talk about that Trendelenburg Position. It’s a great therapeutic feature that provides many benefits, from soothing aching muscles to improving circulation and lowering blood pressure. In other words, it’s much like the Zero-G seating options many massage chairs offer.

We’re on the fence about it. Granted, it’s cool, but we sense that only a minority of users will use the feature. Even so, the fact that it can be reclined back like that makes it a great napping chair, and it’s certainly comfortable enough to use for those purposes.

It’s also worth mentioning that since the chair has infinite recline settings, you can rig up your Zero-G seating position with your knees elevated slightly above your heart with patience and experimentation. The feeling of weightlessness will only add to the chair’s comfort. Nice touch, Windermere Burton!

For Tall Users

Finally, let’s talk about the seat depth some more. Twenty-five inches, remember? So, the chair is designed for taller people.

The company took things further and built the chair with an extended ottoman, ideal for long legs. Of all the chairs we reviewed, this one is the best choice for users taller than 6’1”. You’ll find it fits you like a glove. Shorter people, however, probably won’t be all that comfortable in it.

Minimal Assembly Required

Unfortunately, the Windermere Mega Motion NM1650 doesn’t come fully assembled and ready to use when it arrives at your doorstep. 

The assembly won’t take twenty minutes (even less with a helper), but if you’d rather not be bothered, you can order the “White Glove” service, have a pro assemble it, and cart the box away. Another very nice touch!

Pros & Cons of the Windermere Power Lift Chair

There’s so much to like about the Windermere Mega Motion NM1650 that it’s hard to know where to begin. In our view, here are the things you’re likely to be most impressed with:

About the only thing that will give you pause is the price. There’s a premium to be paid for this kind of quality, and unfortunately, that puts the chair out of reach for many of the people who need it the most.

This could have been partly offset had the company left a few things off (like the ability to recline in the Trendelenburg Position), but it wouldn’t amount to huge savings.

Windermere Burton NM1650 Review Conclusion

This is a great chair—there is no doubt about it. It’s super comfortable, full-featured, and offered by one of the best companies.

We recommend the Windermere Burton NM1650 without reservation to anyone over 6’1” as you’re unlikely to find a better “fit” even among the chairs that ranked more highly in our roundup review.

As good as it is, though, give this one a pass if you’re a shorter person. You’re just not comfortable in it because of the seat depth. You’ll either sit back and not be able to bend your legs or sit forward to bend your legs and lose the back support.

Recommended Reading

References & Resources

• ​Learn More About Trendelenburg Position, ScienceDirect.
• Sofa Secrets: How to Choose the Right Seat Depth and Cushions, Houzz.
• Avoiding Mistakes When Buying a Power Lift Chair Recliner, CareGiver.