A reclining sofa is a sofa with recliners built into its seats. Pull a tab, turn a handle or press a button, and the back tips while a footrest rises under your legs. Against a regular sofa, it gives two or three people a footrest at once. It also costs more, weighs more, and takes about two more feet of floor once the seats are open.
At Merit Home Furniture, 58 of the 221 sofas on our Vancouver Island site recline, counted on October 16, 2026. La-Z-Boy has 26 of them and Ashley 15. Decor-Rest, Best Home Furnishings, Cheers, Monarch and Palliser make the other 17, and none of our 36 Island Living sofas reclines.
If only one person in the family reclines, a regular sofa and one of the single recliners we carry on the Island may suit better. If two or more do, the reclining sofa came out cheaper in both makers' examples below, as long as the room is deep enough to open it.
Reclining sofa vs regular sofa: what are the differences?
The differences between a reclining sofa and a regular sofa come down to the moving parts. A regular sofa is a fixed frame with cushions. A reclining sofa has a mechanism under each reclining seat, and a power version adds a motor to each one, with a cord to an outlet. Those parts bring the benefits: footrests for more than one person and, on power sofas, a button in place of a lever. They also bring the costs, in money, in weight and in floor space once the seats are open.
Ashley lists both kinds and prints a size on most of its listings, so it gives a fair side by side. The price row gives the middle values (medians) of the Ashley sofas listed through Duncan, 32 regular and 7 reclining, before applicable taxes. The other rows cover all of Ashley's sofas on Merit's site. Half the listings sit above each one and half below.
| Ashley | Regular | Reclining |
|---|---|---|
| Listings | 49 | 15 |
| Price | $1,149 | $1,599 |
| Depth, sitting up | 38 in | 41 in |
| Weight | 130.5 lb | 242.5 lb |
| Outlet needed | No | On 8 of the 15, the power ones |
The 36 regular and 10 reclining listings that print a weight put the reclining sofa about 110 lb heavier.
The bigger change in depth comes when the footrests rise, and the space section below gives it sofa by sofa.
What a reclining sofa costs next to the same maker's regular sofas
A reclining sofa usually costs more than a regular sofa from the same maker, by an amount that depends on the maker and the motor. The table sets Merit's listed ranges side by side, before applicable taxes. The counts cover every listing, and the price ranges cover the listings available through Duncan, all read on October 16, 2026.
| Maker | Regular | Reclining |
|---|---|---|
| La-Z-Boy | 8, $1,399 to $1,799, sleeper sofas aside | 26, of which 22 are priced, $1,449 to $7,049 |
| Ashley | 49, $549 to $2,899 | 15, $799 to $1,899 |
| Decor-Rest | 43, of which 38 are priced, $1,349 to $4,249 | 4: M8508P $3,049, M8508PH $3,599, M38500P at our Campbell River store, M8508PHL on request |
| Best Home Furnishings | None; its Traftly power incliner is $4,299 | 5 power space savers; the one listed through Duncan, the Josey, is $6,249 |
| Cheers, Monarch, Palliser | Palliser's two, at our Port Alberni and Campbell River stores | 8, $1,749 to $5,049 |
| Island Living | 36, with prices not shown online | None |
A listing counts as reclining here when its title says reclining, recliner, motion or space saver, or its specifications say reclining. Space saver is Best's name for its wall-saver recliners. Best's Traftly sits apart: its listing calls it a sofa that "looks stationary" and inclines at the touch of a button.
La-Z-Boy's prices make the clearest case. Its regular sofas sit at a middle price of $1,599, and its Pinnacle reclining sofa is listed at $1,699, only $100 more. Each La-Z-Boy reclining listing shows one price for a style that comes in several versions, from manual to power with headrest and lumbar. The listing doesn't say which version that price is for, so ask us to price the one you want.
The cost of a single power feature shows inside one Decor-Rest series. The M8508P power reclining sofa is $3,049. The M8508PH, the same sofa with a power headrest, is $3,599, or $550 more.
Decor-Rest's pages also show what the motor leaves alone, which is the size. Its pages for the 2456, 2786 and 2900 list a Power Sofa at the regular sofa's exact size, 85 inches long. The power versions run on a zero wall mechanism, with a battery backup option. Our site lists those three as regular sofas at $1,549 each, and the power version is priced on request.
Is a reclining sofa worth the extra money?
A reclining sofa is worth the extra money when two or more people want their feet up most evenings, in a room deep enough to open the seats. On Ashley's listings through Duncan, the middle reclining sofa costs $450 more than the middle regular one. At La-Z-Boy the gap can be far smaller, as the Pinnacle shows. It's harder to justify when one person reclines and everyone else sits, and the sofa-and-recliner comparison further down weighs that case. If the person who'll use it most finds a lever hard work, Rubeena and I see power as essential, because working a manual mechanism gets harder with age.
How a reclining sofa reclines: each maker's mechanism in its own words
A reclining sofa reclines on either a manual or a power mechanism. A manual one is worked by a pull tab, a lever or a handle on the outside arm. On La-Z-Boy's, the back reclines when you lean on it, by its manual. A power one runs a motor for each reclining seat from buttons on the arm. Makers then add power headrests, power lumbar (lower-back support), USB ports and versions built to sit close to a wall. This is what each maker with reclining sofas on Merit's site says of its own.
| Maker | In its own words |
|---|---|
| La-Z-Boy | On manual versions, a handle on the outside arm raises each legrest into three locking positions, which its manual gives as reading, TV and full recline. Of the 21 listings that print their versions, 18 come as power, 18 with a power headrest and 17 with headrest and lumbar. Five are wall reclining sofas, and two duo sofas put power recline in a regular sofa's shape. |
| Ashley | "Pull tab reclining motion" on manual sofas such as the Tulen and the Frohn. "One-touch power control with adjustable positions" on power ones such as the Leesworth, and a zero-draw USB port in the Barnsana control. |
| Decor-Rest | The M8508P has a "Wall Hugger Mechanism", a USB-C controller and an "Auto touch home button". A power headrest, power lumbar and battery backup are options. |
| Best Home Furnishings | "Power Space Saver recline with power tilt headrest", run by a "Comfort Dial" with a USB port. The Josey rates each power seat to 275 lb. |
| Cheers, Monarch, Palliser | The Cheers 70629 power reclines its two end seats. Monarch's 3-seat power sofa keeps its centre seat "fixed". Palliser's Hastings adds power headrests and lumbar on a switch with USB charging. |
A power sofa raises the same questions as a power chair, and the answers on power cuts, battery packs and running costs carry over seat for seat.
Does the middle seat of a reclining sofa recline?
The middle seat of a reclining sofa often stays put. Seven of Ashley's 15 reclining sofa listings on Merit's site say so, in words like "remains stationary" or "stays fixed". Monarch and Cheers recline the end seats only. La-Z-Boy's page for the Pinnacle wall sofa describes handles for "the left and right legrests". The middle is still a full seat, with the ends tipping back on either side of it.
Where only two people recline, a reclining loveseat with a console between the seats is the other shape. Ashley's Frohn console loveseat starts at $799, the same as the Frohn sofa in Chocolate. The Barnsana console loveseat is $1,799 against $1,899 for the Barnsana sofa in Gravel, and 75 inches wide against 86.
With a reclining sofa, I'd sit in the middle seat before either end. On many of them it doesn't recline, and it's the seat someone in the family will end up in. Try it with both ends reclined, since that's how it gets used.
How much space does a reclining sofa need?
A reclining sofa needs space in three places: a gap behind it, room in front for the footrests, and a walkway past the open seats. La-Z-Boy's reclining sofa manual sets the gap. With the seat fully reclined, it asks for a gap of at least 2 inches from the top of the back to the wall. It also wants tables and area rugs placed so each legrest opens all the way without rubbing.
Wall versions are built to need less room behind, and a few of our listings put a number on it. The Barnsana needs 3 inches and the Hastings "about 4 inches". La-Z-Boy's wall sofas sit "inches from a wall", and Decor-Rest calls the M8508P a wall hugger without a figure. For those, ask us before ordering.
| La-Z-Boy sofa | Depth (in) | Sized for |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo | 40 / 64 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Ava | 44.5 / 65.5 | 5 ft 4 to 5 ft 9 |
| Brooks | 40 / 65 | 5 ft 4 to 5 ft 9 |
| Dorian | 39.5 / 67.5 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Emmons | 40.5 / 65.5 | 6 ft 3 and up |
| Finley, wall | 38 / 68 | 5 ft 4 to 5 ft 9 |
| Greyson | 39 / 66 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| James | 39 / 64.5 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Jay | 39 / 64.5 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Joel | 40 / 65 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Liam, wall | 39 / 65 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Morrison | 39.5 / 66 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Pinnacle, wall | 38 / 66.5 | 5 ft 4 to 5 ft 9 |
| Roman, 2 seats | 41 / 67 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
| Trouper | 42 / 65 | 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 2 |
Each depth pair is upright, then fully reclined, from La-Z-Boy's pages for the manual versions, and the heights are La-Z-Boy's sitter scale. That covers 15 of Merit's 26 La-Z-Boy reclining styles. Power versions differ slightly: the Pinnacle with power headrest and lumbar is 38.5 inches deep and 66 fully reclined. Open, the 15 grow 21 to 30 inches into the room. Two of the wall sofas grow the most, the Finley by 30 inches and the Pinnacle by 28.5. A regular La-Z-Boy sofa on our site takes only its depth, 36 to 42 inches.
Four more listings print a fully reclined depth. The Ashley Barnsana is 86 in wide and 41 to 67 deep, and the Palliser Hastings 87 in and 40.5 to 68. The La-Z-Boy Acadia is 84 in and 40 to 67.5. The compact Monarch 3-seat fits three seats in 68.5 inches of wall and grows from 35.5 to 63. All four grow 26 to 27.5 inches when open.
A reclining sofa in a 12 by 14 foot TV room
In a 12 by 14 foot TV room, the 81.5-inch Pinnacle wall sofa fully reclined plus its 2-inch gap takes about 68.5 of the 144 inches across the room. That leaves roughly 75.5 inches for the walkway and the TV, worked through in full in our small-room guide.
A reclining sofa, or a regular sofa and a recliner?
A reclining sofa suits a room where two or more people recline at the same time. A regular sofa with a recliner beside it suits a household where one person reclines and the rest sit, or where furniture moves between rooms. In both makers' examples below, the reclining sofa costs less and gives two reclining seats instead of one.
One reclining sofa
Two reclining seats in one frame, with a fixed middle seat on many of them. Everyone faces the same way, and the ends need their full reclined depth. It's one heavy piece to carry: Ashley's Tulen reclining sofa is $1,549 and weighs 177 lb. At La-Z-Boy, the Pinnacle reclining sofa is $1,699.
A regular sofa and a recliner
One reclining seat plus a full sofa. An Ashley Stonemeade sofa and its matching Stonemeade recliner, both in Nutmeg, come to $2,098. At La-Z-Boy, a Pinnacle recliner at $1,599 with a regular sofa at the middle price comes to $3,198. Those are two lighter pieces, 154 lb and 90 lb for the Stonemeade pair, and the chair can move rooms later. The pair needs more wall, plus a gap behind the chair, which a wall hugger chair keeps small.
A room that seats the family side by side, facing one TV, leans toward the reclining sofa. A room with a second wall free for a chair, or a staircase that makes one heavy piece hard, leans toward the pair. The La-Z-Boy prices are the listed ones, which may be for another version of each style.
Reclining loveseats and reclining sectionals
Reclining loveseats and sectionals follow the same rules for space, weight and warranty, with fewer or more seats. Merit's site lists 43 reclining loveseats. La-Z-Boy has 23 of the 43, and on 11 styles the loveseat is listed exactly $50 below the matching sofa. Ashley has 14, nine of them with a console, and Monarch's two-seat power loveseat is 49.5 inches wide. Two-seat reclining loveseats get a guide of their own.
Reclining sectionals on our site are built from pieces. Four La-Z-Boy sectional listings come from its reclining styles, the Ava, Colby, Finley and Pinnacle. Two carry a price, $599 for the Ava and $849 for the Pinnacle. A sectional costs the sum of the pieces chosen, and the sectionals we list say what each piece is.
Getting a reclining sofa through the door and home
Getting a reclining sofa into the house comes down to its weight and the narrowest opening on the way in. The La-Z-Boy sofas in the space table weigh 185 to 217.5 lb in their manual versions, by La-Z-Boy's pages. Power adds more: the Pinnacle goes from 192 lb to 223 lb with power headrest and lumbar. On our own listings, the Acadia weighs 268 lb and the Monarch 3-seat 154 lb.
La-Z-Boy's manual also covers backs that fit onto the frame and lock onto brackets, and says some styles come with the backs already installed. Ask us which way the sofa you like arrives. The same manual has two lines for whoever carries it: secure the mechanism before lifting, and never move the sofa by the mechanism, legrest, handle or reclining back.
Among sofa mistakes, the one Rubeena and I name first is a doorway or an elevator left unmeasured. The door and stair measurements come before the order, and a reclining sofa's weight makes a tight landing harder.
From Merit's Duncan store, it's $150 across the Island, assembly included, and pickup at Duncan is free. For the Gulf Islands, the Duncan store can say whether yours is one we reach. Those are the Duncan store's terms, so ask the Port Alberni or Campbell River store for theirs.
Lead times depend on the maker. Ashley usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Decor-Rest, Best and La-Z-Boy sofas and loveseats take 8 to 10. Each is ready for pickup or delivery once it arrives, and for Cheers, Monarch or Palliser, ask us. Any special order, reclining sofas included, takes a 24% deposit.
Reclining sofa warranties: the mechanism, the motor and who fixes them
A reclining sofa's warranty has more lines than a regular sofa's. The mechanism and any motor get their own terms, and at La-Z-Boy, Ashley and Decor-Rest the motor's term is the shorter of the two. The first three rows are the makers' published terms, checked in September 2026. The last row is as printed on our Monarch listings.
| Maker | Mechanism | Motor |
|---|---|---|
| La-Z-Boy | Lifetime on parts, 1 year of labour | 3 years on parts, 1 year of labour |
| Ashley | 5 years on Ashley's warranty page, with labour and shipping in the first year only | 1 year |
| Decor-Rest | 3 years, parts only in years 2 and 3 | 1 year, fully covered |
| Monarch | 1 year limited | |
Five of our 15 Ashley reclining sofa listings print a single 1-year line, so ask us to confirm the term on the one you choose. La-Z-Boy and Ashley each send a claim back through the store that sold the sofa. At Merit we back the maker's warranty: we order the parts and see the repair through. Accidental damage isn't covered, whether a stain, rip, tear, cut or burn.
For longer cover, we offer SmartOne from Zucora. A plan runs up to five years from purchase, sends someone out to do the repair, and covers the electronics in power recliners. A power reclining sofa is covered the same way, since the plan works on anything we sell.
Who a reclining sofa suits, and the cons for everyone else
A reclining sofa suits a household where two or more people put their feet up in the same room, with the depth to open the seats. These are the cases where it's the wrong buy or needs a second look, several of them in the makers' own words.
- Someone short on strength, with a manual sofa. La-Z-Boy's manual says bringing the back upright and closing the legrest takes "adequate strength". Its legrest also has to open to the third position before it closes, or the mechanism can be damaged.
- A house with small children. Ashley says children shouldn't play on or operate motion furniture. La-Z-Boy asks that only the person sitting work the sofa, with children and pets kept clear of the moving parts.
- A room without the depth. If the fully reclined figure plus a walkway won't fit, a regular sofa takes only its own depth.
- A sitter the sofa doesn't fit. For us, size comes before style: both feet should reach the floor flat, and the head should rest on the back for a nap. La-Z-Boy's seat depths on these sofas run 20 to 23 inches, and the scale column above is the place to start.
- Someone who dislikes the look of a recliner. La-Z-Boy's duo sofas, the Bennett and the Colby, are built in a rolled-arm sofa style, and La-Z-Boy says the Colby has "the unexpected power to recline". Each is $2,499 on Merit's site.
- A home where the power goes out often, with a power sofa. La-Z-Boy mentions a battery pack on four of its reclining sofa listings, and Decor-Rest offers battery backup on the M8508P and the M38500P.
Where the reclining sofa figures come from
- La-Z-Boy, Sofas and Modulars operating instructions (safety, 3-position legrest, backs, placement guide), checked September 2026.
- La-Z-Boy, Pinnacle Wall Reclining Sofa and Pinnacle Power Wall Reclining Sofa w/ Headrest and Lumbar, checked September 2026.
- La-Z-Boy's pages for the other 14 sofas in the space table: Apollo, Ava, Brooks, Dorian, Emmons, Finley, Greyson, James, Jay, Joel, Liam, Morrison, Roman, Trouper, checked September 2026.
- La-Z-Boy, Parts and Warranty Information (reclining mechanism and electrical parts), checked September 2026.
- Ashley Furniture Industries, Warranty Information (recliner mechanisms, electrical components, motion furniture and children), checked September 2026.
- Decor-Rest, M8508P Sofa Suite, 2786 Sofa Suite, 2456 and 2900 Sofa Suite, with Decor-Rest's warranty, checked September 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live sofa, loveseat, sectional and recliner listings, read October 16, 2026, for counts, prices, sizes, weights, features and printed warranties.
- The Duncan owners' delivery, deposit and warranty terms, from their written answers of September 16, 2026, and Michael's lead times by maker, October 2, 2026.
Sitting in reclining sofas in Duncan or Port Alberni
Before driving in, phone the store and name the reclining sofas you're weighing, so we can say which of them can be sat in there. The Josey, Hastings and Monarch listings each say they're on display at our Duncan store, but displays change, so a call saves the trip. Try each one with both ends reclined and someone in the middle seat. Bring the room's length and depth, the door widths and a photo of the wall with its outlets. Nobody will follow you around, and going home to measure again before deciding is normal.
The Duncan showroom, 107 Ingram Street, keeps 9 to 5 hours Monday through Saturday, and you can ask for me by name there. Merit's Port Alberni showroom is at 2935 Third Avenue, open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 5:30. The full sofa collection is on the site, with La-Z-Boy on its own page. The rest of the recliner guides sit together, and so do the sofa guides, sectionals included.