Wall-hugger lift chairs: when there's little room behind the chair

In many homes, the best spot for a lift chair is against a wall: in a small living room, a bedroom corner, or beside a window you do not want to block. A standard recliner swings its back toward the wall as it leans back, so it needs open space behind it. "Wall hugger" is the everyday name for a recliner designed to need very little of that space. If you are short on room, the number to look for is the maker's wall clearance, and this guide explains how to read it and compare models.

Two labels for the same idea

Makers publish the space behind the chair, but they do not all label it the same way.

• Pride lists "Distance From Wall" for each size (Pride specifications).
• Golden lists "Wall clearance reclined," and its comparison tool calls it "Distance Required from Wall Reclined" (Golden Technologies: Halo, Golden Technologies).
• Vive gives a plain instruction for its Large Lift Chair: at least 20 inches from the wall (Vive Health).

Golden's label makes it clear the figure is for the fully reclined chair. Pride's page does not say whether its figure is measured upright or reclined, so if you are working to the inch, ask before you order.

What the numbers look like

Here are wall clearance figures from the makers' pages for chairs in our catalog. Lower numbers need less room behind.

• Pride VivaLift! Tranquil 2: 12.5 inches on the Petite Wide, 13 inches on the Small, 16 inches on the Medium and Large/Tall (Pride specifications).
• Pride VivaLift! Elegance 2: 14 inches (Pride specifications).
• Golden Halo: 15 inches reclined (Golden Technologies).
• Golden Cambridge: 15 inches on the Small, 17 inches on the Medium, 19 inches on the Large (Golden Technologies).
• Pride Genesis LC-150: 17 inches on the Small, 18.5 inches on the Medium (Pride specifications).
• Golden Cloud with MaxiComfort: 26.5 inches reclined (Golden Technologies).

Two lessons stand out. First, size matters: within one model, the larger sizes usually need more room. Second, the recline type does not decide it. The infinite-position Tranquil 2 in Small needs less room than the three-position Genesis LC-150 in Small, while Golden's MaxiComfort Cloud needs much more. You have to check each chair.

Do not forget the front

A chair that hugs the wall still needs room in front when it reclines and when its footrest comes up. It also tilts forward when it lifts you to stand. Golden publishes a reclined length, measured from the seat back to the footrest: 45.5 inches on the Halo (Golden Technologies). Vive lists a length fully reclined of 63 inches for its Large Lift Chair (Vive Health). Add the wall clearance to the reclined length and you get a rough idea of the floor depth the chair needs from the wall outward. Keep that path clear of coffee tables and side tables.

How to measure your space

1. Mark the spot. Decide where the chair will stand and measure the width available, then compare it with the overall chair width on the spec sheet.
2. Measure from the wall out. Run a tape from the wall straight out into the room to the nearest piece of furniture or walkway you want to keep clear.
3. Subtract the wall clearance. What is left is the room for the chair itself, reclined, with its footrest up.
4. Check the corners. If the chair sits near a corner or a window ledge, check that the back will not catch on it as it reclines.
5. Find the outlet. Lift chairs plug in. Plan where the cord will run so it stays out of walking paths, as the National Institute on Aging advises for all cords (National Institute on Aging).

Space is only one part of the fit

Choose a wall-saving chair only if it also fits the person. Check the height range, seat-to-floor height, seat width and weight capacity for the exact size. A chair that saves 4 inches of floor but leaves your feet dangling is not the right chair. Our guide to choosing a lift chair walks through those checks, and our guide to recline types explains the labels.

Questions to ask before you order

• Is the wall clearance figure for the chair upright or fully reclined?
• Which size am I ordering, and what is the clearance for that size, not just the smallest one?
• How much room does the footrest need in front at full extension?
• Will a baseboard, heating vent or window sill behind the chair change the distance I measured?

If the product page does not answer one of these, email us and we will check with the maker for you.

A note on moving furniture

Sometimes the simplest fix is to move a table or a lamp a few inches. Before you rule out a chair you like, measure the room again with that in mind. And before you rule in a chair, think about the path from the front door to the room, since lift chairs are heavy and bulky to carry.

Browse our lift recliners, where each product page lists the maker's wall clearance. If you send us your room measurements at info@faithmobility.com, we will help you find chairs that fit.

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Sources

• Pride Mobility: VivaLift! Tranquil 2 specifications
• Golden Technologies: Halo
• Golden Technologies: Lift recliners by comfort zone
• Vive Health: Large Lift Chair
• Pride Mobility: VivaLift! Elegance 2 specifications
• Golden Technologies: Cambridge
• Pride Mobility: Genesis LC-150 specifications
• Golden Technologies: Cloud with MaxiComfort
• National Institute on Aging: Preventing Falls at Home, Room by Room