Question:

Hi Jeff, I am interested in a reclining sofa & loveseat set (doesn’t matter if it’s manual or power) and for my budget right now I’m down to Steve Silver Bogata & Ashley Rotation.

I’m really concerned about reviews on reclining sofas & loveseats as it seems none really hold up over time. Which of these two brands would you hold in higher regard? Thanks,

Jon.

August 17, 2020

Answer:

Steve Silver supplies generic reclining furniture made in Asia. Ashley makes similar quality products in both Asia and the U.S.

• Both of these companies offer big bulky furniture that is designed to look and feel plush and comfortable when new in the showroom.
• Inside the furniture (where you can’t see or touch) every possible cost has been cut with no regard for extending the furniture’s lifespan beyond a very limited time.

The biggest problem with reclining furniture in this price range (assuming you avoid bonded leather) are the non-removable seat cushions. They will wear out (lose their resilience and comfort) within 3 – 5 years on average and there is no way to replace them at a reasonable cost.

• If your furniture is used more than average or your family includes anyone over 250 lbs. it may wear out even sooner.

The good news is that there is a new category of reclining furniture that has started appearing at some stores. These are hybrid recliners with exposed high legs and removable (replaceable) cushions.

I don’t think that either Ashley or Steve Silver has any of these in their stores yet, but Southern Motion’s Elevate collection should be available at a retail store near you.

High leg reclining furniture with removable seat cushions is also available through LaZBoy and other national brands.

The new high leg reclining sofas are significantly more expensive (most are up at the $2000 – $2500 price level.) But they should last more than twice as long as the two sofas you are looking at (and most other reclining sofas in the $1000  – $1200 price range you have been looking at.)

The lowest cost high leg reclining sofa with removable seat cushions that I could find was this one at Wayfair for $1225. This is an import with a quality similar to Steve Silver, but the cushion cores can be replaced at a reasonable cost when they do wear out.

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