I seriously need help. I seem to be the worst at picking out a comfy stitching chair. What do you all use and what do you recommend?
Remember, I have Oscar and Cooper. They’re usually sitting with me but they sit on the foot part of the recliner. They get up to go out, especially Cooper, at least hourly. I have to get up several times an hour to see what they’re into. So, it has to be something I can easily, and sometimes quickly, get out of.
Here’s what I’ve tried that didn’t work:
First we bought a small-ish recliner that swiveled and rocked. That was pretty much ok but once we got Oscar, every time he wiggled or sniffed, the chair moved so we ended up giving that to a friend.
Second, we got a love seat with an ottoman. The loveseat was not a recliner. After sitting in it for a while, my low back was hurting and I figured out that it was because the seat part of the loveseat was too long for my legs. There was about 3″ of seat left after the spot where my knees should have been bending. It became very uncomfortable after a while. That’s now in a bedroom.
Third, we got a loveseat that reclines and I checked it out to make sure the cushions weren’t too long. But, in less than a year, the back part of the seat (by the back) got smashed down and isn’t comfortable. Also, the handle that pulls the legs of the recliner out doesn’t put them down so I have to put my weight on it to put the legs down. That’s causing hip/low back issues again.
How hard can it be to find the perfect chair?
As you might imagine, Vince is not happy to keep buying furniture that doesn’t work. How do you go sit in a chair in the store for 5 minutes and decide that’s the chair for you to spend hours and hours sitting in while stitching? I need help!!
I brought down a breakfast room chair last night and I sat in that while stitching. Definitely not the perfect solution but I’m hoping if I sit in it a few days, my back will stop hurting.
Any suggestions/pictures of what works for you would be appreciated.
I’m thinking I want something rather firm – not necessarily plush, with a straight back and maybe a low footstool that’s a bit lower than the typical recliner leg might work. My uncle has a little glider that worked quite well for my stitching but I didn’t have the dogs with me. They are not going to be happy if they can’t sit right next to me or, at least my feet.
Thank you for any help!
Sandi says
I sit on one end of the couch. I have a footstool out in front for my legs to rest on. I have 2 pillows behind my back so I’m sitting upright. My two doxies can either lay next to me or on the footstool. I have a table next to me to hold my supplies. Hugs,
judy.blog@gmail.com says
That’s what I’m thinking I may have to end up with.
Cheryl says
I struggle with the same issues – we got my mom a lift chair (which makes us sound old!) and it has a much straighter back with good lumbar support and it also had a shorter seat. Only drawback is that it is pretty slow to put the foot rest up and down if you had to get up quickly. Was less than $1000. I use a chair and half with recliner but have the same issue of the back cushion not being supportive and smooshing down. I’ll be watching to see if there are any good suggestions!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Thanks. I will check those out. I wrote about this above but I did have an electric recliner and it was slow. The dogs will get under the foot part of the recliner when they’re doing something they know they aren’t supposed to be doing because even with a regular recliner, they know it’s going to take me a second to get it down.
Cinda Moulds says
Have you explored electric recliners where you can control how much they recline. I like to sit more upright with just a small bend at my knees and this type of chair gives me options. They are available with lumbar support also.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
The first one I bought was electric. Maybe they aren’t all like this but with the dogs, when they get into something, I need to be able to get it upright NOW and the electric one I had wasn’t nearly as fast as if I had a lever to put the legs down. Another thing I’m not sure about with a recliner is the dogs know I can’t get to them underneath it when the feet are up so any time they grab something they know they shouldn’t have or if they’re “playing” is getting a bit rough, they go under the feet of the chair and then I can’t put the feet down so I’m kinda leaning towards a chair with an ottoman. The one thing I KNOW is that if I choose something and then decide that’s not for me . . Vince is NOT going to be happy.
karen says
I gave up on a chair – I now have a couch – I sit with my back against the arm of the couch and my legs stretched out in front of me. I use a pillow behind my back. The dog fits nicely between me and the back of the couch – when Livie was still with us both dogs fit. I can swing my legs off the side and get up easily. The couch has very firm seat cushions.
vibrantamphisbaena264cc5fd29 says
Try a lift recliner. You don’t have to use the lift feature. They are firm, have nice, solid footrests which go up or down electrically, so no pushing. They are on a permanent slight recline so if you must set up straight they probably wouldn’t work for you, but it works for me.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I have never tried one of those. I’ll check them out. Thanks.
montanaclarks says
When we bought this house in Wickenburg, AZ, we were sitting in lawn chairs, propping our feet on overturned plastic bins–very uncomfortable. We found furniture, used but in like new condition–a reclining couch, a reclining loveseat and an electric recliner. Like you said, we sat on it 5 minutes in the guy’s house and said, “it will work.” The furniture is much too big for our smaller living room. The loveseat and couch are for taller people, the seat portion is too long making shorter people have to lean back farther–very uncomfortable. Mike and I are taller so we can make the couch work. I ended up putting the recliner in my sewing room and grumped about the loveseat and couch being too much big furniture in our living room. The recliner sold on Thursday and someone is coming to get the loveseat today. I will keep the couch for the time being but it’s going too as soon as I find something I like better–just don’t tell Mike! 🙂 We never buy new furniture and have found some great pieces used–I loved the furniture we had in the other house south of Tucson but we just didn’t want to move it–we are too old to be carrying heavy furniture. All that furniture in the Pearce house was used–not one thing was purchased new.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I would not mind good used furniture but we have no way to move anything and I’m going to push hard for Vince to let me get rid of the 35 year old sofa that we basically keep as a barrier for the dogs but it’s time to go. It’s SO hard to move and the furniture store people will haul it away.
JustGail says
“How do you go sit in a chair in the store for 5 minutes and decide that’s the chair for you to spend hours and hours sitting in while stitching?” You don’t!
The last time I bought a chair, after a short test to weed out many of them, I told the sales person “this will take a while!”, got out a book out and sat and read for about 1/2 hour in each contender (there was only 2 IIRC?). I’ve been very happy with the chair for quite a few years, until age has taken its toll on it. Maybe next time you go chair shopping, do a fast sort and if you find a couple of possible candidates, ask Vince “didn’t you want to stop at…” and give them a good long test with either book or stitching while he’s gone to that.
I use a separate footstool because I *hate* that when you put the foot rest up on a recliner, the seat back reclines a bit too. At least it does on the all ones I’ve tried. I do not want to recline even a bit when I’m stitching or reading. I’ve thought about getting one of those old fashioned foot rests (only a few inches tall) too. Sometimes my back and legs are not happy with either being on the floor or up on the ottoman, and seem to want something between.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I think you have the same issues I do. It’s the reclining back while I lean forward to stitch that is probably causing my back pain. I’m currently still using the reclining love seat but not reclining and using an ottoman for my feet. Maybe it’s me but it seems like if I get back rear end against the back of the chair so I’m sitting straight up, then the back of the cushion crushes down and I’m still sitting in a hole. Maybe I just sit too much!!
Karen Langseth says
What I have as an extra large chair and a half recliner. It’s slightly smaller than a loveseat, one continuous cushion like a recliner. Has room for my 24 pound furry friend to sleep comfortably while I’m doing a binding or crocheting. And very comfortable to take a nap in. It can hold two full-size adults when sitting space is needed when company is over(married couples love it). I was going to attach a picture but the comments don’t allow pictures that I can see.
Romonia says
I have the loveseat and footstool in this brand. Flexsteel (Thornton model) It has a shorter than normal seat depth. It works great for me. The link is for a store in Des Moines but I’m sure they are available most places in the Midwest https://www.homemakers.com/shop/living-room/sofas-and-loveseats/loveseats/flexsteel-thornton-smoke-loveseat/713066.html
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Thank you. There should be Flexsteel around here so I’ll look for that one. It looks like something that might work.
RuthW in MD says
Here’s an FYI: Years ago, when my husband was having back problems, he went to some kind of furniture store for handicapped people and met with someone who checked ergonomics – which is to say, the salesman made certain that the chair was the right height, the arms supported the hands in the proper computer typing form, the back supported the head, there was lumbar support, a recline feature, etc. He still uses both chairs, 30 years later.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Nice info. Thanks. I’m not sure we have a place like that near here but for the amount of time I spend sitting and stitching, I may check out Tulsa and Kansas City and see what I can find. I had no idea there were such places.
JustGail says
totally off the wall idea – a seat out of a car. Before you laugh *too* hard, hear me out…
The seat back would be totally adjustable from totally upright to reclining almost flat. Depending on how fancy of a car it’s from, you can raise & lower the seat hight & angle, adjust the back support, the seats aren’t usually too deep for short legs, head rest for naps, seat warmer, the fabric wears like iron, save settings for 2 people (or 2 activities)…
Lack of arm rests and rather ugly are the only 2 drawbacks I can think of.
Wouldn’t it be nice if chairs had all those adjustments?!?
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I could see how it would work nicely for stitching . . but I’m probably not going to try that in the family room, even though it is in the basement. We do have a little sitting area off the downstairs bedroom and I’m not ruling the idea out for that spot. Now that you mention it, my car seats are much more comfortable than anything we have in the house and considering that my car is going on 18 years old, I doubt I’ll find a chair that lasts me that long. Something to think about and great thinking on your part!