The modern recliner came about from a culmination of design and engineering that occurred over a period of a century and a half – providing us with ergonomic designs and the ability to modify our own comfort using innovations pioneered in the medical, automobile, and aeronautics industries. While the standard sofa may be just fine to some of us looking for a quick nap on an improvised bed, people who are serious about relaxation look to the recliner – which is why we went ahead and listed our five favourite brands of recliners for the discerning loafer here.
Image Credit: Future Sofa
Perhaps more well known abroad than in Malaysia due to their prolific exports to discerning homeowners in Europe, South Africa, Middle East, India, Canada, New Zealand, and Singapore – Future Sofa has been around since the late 90’s. The stereotypical form of the recliner is embodied in Future Sofa’s overstuffed designs, such as the pictured Model #9901 – which is available as a standalone recliner with leather upholstery in beige, black, brown, and a regal shade of reddish-grey, as well as a matching pair with a cupholder-equipped centre console box – the ideal accompaniment for full-fledged home theatres.
Billed as “Australia’s most awarded furniture company”, King Living is a recent entrant to the local scene of furniture brands. King Living’s recliners are differentiated from others with an array of proprietary innovations such as interchangeable seat covers, hydraulic-aided mechanisms, and TouchGlide® electronic controls – which enable users of their recliners to alter the angles of headrests, armrests, and leg rests with a mere gesture. As with all of King Living’s other offerings, their recliners are built with a patented system of pocketed springs (“KingCell®”), as well as ergonomic and orthopedic features (“Postureflex®”) around spot-welded steel-alloy frames that are guaranteed for a quarter century.
Image Credit: La-Z-Boy
No other brand in existence is as synonymous with the reclining armchair as the La-Z-Boy (pronounced as ‘Lazy Boy’) – which was based on patents issued all the way back in 1928 and an improvement of design in 1959 by Daniel F. Caldemeyer – a US Air Force veteran and NASA project contributor. The retro overstuffed design of the original has seated various American presidents and has been featured in multiple visual works on television (“Friends”) as well as the silver screen (“Apollo 13”). The pictured Maxx Reclina-Rocker® Recliner from La-Z-Boy features a more contemporary design that is available in diverse styles of leather, fabric, or the proprietary iCleanTM stain-resistant fabric.
Image Credit: Master Sofa
Master Sofa has been manufacturing recliners and other lounge furniture in the region since 1992, exporting to the world under the brand names of Maximus and Maestro International from their factories in Johor (Malaysia) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). The pictured Model 9063 provides the standard mechanisms expected of any top-of-the-line recliner but differentiates itself with the use of a revolutionary material known as Mylo – an ecologically-friendly, lab-grown substitute for leather based on mycelium (the naturally-occurring material found in the root structure of mushrooms).
Image Credit: Rozel
Rozel has a characteristic focus on luxury, with their designs blending classical features such as capitonné upholstery with modern materials in opulent style. The pictured model 117-T969 features genuine leather upholstery over a frame that draws inspiration from some iconic pieces of retro furniture: the subtly winged headrest speaks of Skipper’s MÌübler high-backed lounge chairs while the circular base is a seemingly modern interpretation of Knoll’s Eero Saarinen tulip base. Despite the retro ancestry, this particular recliner is equipped with the same grade of electronic controls that enable motorised seat adjustments in modern luxury vehicles.
* Brands are listed alphabetically
