Swivel Chair vs. Swivel Power Recliners: Which One is Right for You?

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Are you looking for something that’ll add a new spin to your living room design? Look no further than a swivel chair. 

Swivel chairs are an excellent addition to any space for various reasons. Not only do they offer a stylish touch when paired with complementary accent pieces, but they also provide the convenience of staying at the center of activity without having to leave the comfort of your seat.

At La-Z-Boy, we have many swivel chairs to choose from, including swivel recliner chairs. However, with the latest introduction of swivel power reclining chairs, some individuals may be wondering how these new swivel chairs compare to the existing selection. 

Do swivel power recliners have more versatility than regular swivel? Are they customizable? And what are the prices of these new additions? This article aims to provide clarity regarding the distinctions between the new swivel power recliners and traditional swivel chairs, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages.

In this Article…

1. What is the Price Difference?
2. What Are the Custom Options Available?
3. How Comfortable Are Swivel Chairs?
4. Is the Movability the Same?
5. What About Reclining?
6. Pros and Cons Breakdown

What is The Price Difference?

One of the bigger differences between a swivel chair and a swivel power recliner is the fact that prices are different depending on which one we’re talking about. Let’s take a look at both individually and compare.

When comparing the price of a regular swivel chair, you can tell that the cost is lower than a swivel power recliner. This is due to the fact that power furniture will be more expensive than manual furniture most of the time. 

This also doesn’t include customizable options available, which can bring the price up even more. 

That being said, if you’re trying to not spend too much money on a swivel option, a manual swivel chair might be more suitable for you.

To learn more about the comparison between Manual and Power Furniture, take a look at this article.

What Are the Custom Option Available?

Leading to the next biggest question, what are some of the customization options available when comparing both swivels? 

To begin, regular swivel chairs are able to become great accent pieces with the customization between fabrics and leathers. Designer's Choice chairs, for instance, offer the flexibility to change fabrics on swivel chairs without a significant increase in price.

What’s more, you can also customize the colour of the wooden swivel base to match any kind of aesthetic you wish. 

With swivel power recliners, however, there are many different customization and upgrades to choose from. These customization can be as small as changing the height of your swivel base or can be as big as adding an adjustable headrest & lumbar support or heat & massage. 

While swivel power recliners may have more options available, it is important to remember that the cost of these customization options will increase the price of your furniture item, so choose wisely!

How Comfortable Are Swivel Chairs?

While it is possible to upgrade a power swivel recliner to a greater extent compared to a manual swivel chair, the question remains: which one provides superior comfort? The answer to that question is a little more subjective.

The comfortability of a furniture item depends on how you sit on the chair, and the functionality of the frame itself. For example, a swivel chair might be more favourable for someone who loves to sit upright and have their feet off the frame, for easy access to swivel around.

If you enjoy elevating your feet and your seating position, you may find that both options could be equally suitable for you.

But what about back pain or someone that has mobility issues? Well, swivel chairs might not be the most favourable for those with mobility issues–mainly because of the swivel base not being stationary–but, swivel power recliners can help those with back pain more than manual swivels.

This is due to the inclusion of upgrades such as adjustable headrests, lumbar support, and heat and massage features. Both of these options are known to help reduce the stress of chronic back pain and relieve tension in joints and muscle relaxation.

Is The Movability the Same?

When selecting different swivel chairs, it might be safe to say that these chairs, in fact, swivel! Who would’ve guessed? But the real question is how much can they move around.

Well, that’s where things aren’t as obvious. With any different swivel chair, there will be a change in how the chair moves. With regular swivel chairs, for example, all of our selections can move a full 360 degrees around the swivel base. 

This means you can utilize an open space much more easily with this furniture piece than having a stationary chair. Nicole Sollychin, one of La-Z-Boy Hunt Club’s design consultants, says that she has a swivel chair at home and uses it a lot. 

“I mainly use my swivel chair to do laundry! I swivel from one side to pick up clothes and fold them, and then swivel to my couch and put them there when I'm done,” She says.

While laundry folding is one of the many tasks you can do with any chair, swivel or stationary, swivel chairs offer more manageability when it comes to multitasking. 

Swivel power recliners, however, have slightly different characteristics. While they still offer versatility in terms of focus areas, their swivel range is limited to 165 degrees. 

This restriction is in place to prevent the power cord from tangling around the swivel base. As a result, swivel chairs generally have greater lateral mobility compared to swivel power recliners.

What About Reclining?

It’s no surprise that swivel power recliners have the ability to recline. After all, they aren’t called swivel power recliners for nothing.

But what about regular swivel chairs? Can they have the ability to recline too? Well, not really. Swivel chairs may have the upper hand moving left and right but limit you to a singular seating option. 

You can, however, add a swivel base to any of La-Z-Boy’s rocking recliner selections, which casually leads you to the option of considering a power option. What’s more, swivel manual recliners can still swivel a full 360 degrees like our other swivel chairs. 

But that’s not the point of this section. We’re discussing swivels and their ability to recline. Yes, both manual and power-swivel chairs have the ability to rock and recline. Unfortunately, swivel power recliners can lose their ability to recline if there is a power outage.

Although there are rechargeable battery packs you can get at La-Z-Boy, these battery packs still need to be plugged in to recharge after a certain amount of time. You can learn more about these Rechargeable Battery Packs, with this article.

Swivel Chair vs. Swivel Power Recliner: pros and Cons Breakdown

What's Next?

You now have a clearer idea of the differences between swivel chairs and power recliners. We hope this article will guide you in making the right choice! 

As you continue learning about swivel power recliners, you may find our review article about Swivel Power Recliners helpful! 

You can also start shopping by visiting one of our local showrooms located in Ottawa or Kingston. You can also schedule a visit online before coming in.

Our design consultants are always eager to lend a helping hand. Take advantage of our interior design services to see how our furniture could fit into your home design. 

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