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Designed for hours of use, reading chairs are cushioned to provide maximum comfort. From sacks to recliners, there are a variety of chairs on the market that you can use for reading. To help you select the right one for your reading nook, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best reading chairs on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.
Top 5 Reading Chairs
- Most Portable: Milliard Cozy Chair
- Best Armchair: BELLEZE Accent Chair
- Best Recliner: GDFStudio Macedonia Fabric Recliner
- Best Papasan Chair: OSP Home Furnishings Wicker Papasan Chair
- Best Bean Bag Chair: Chill Sack Bean Bag Chair
Most Portable
Milliard Cozy Chair
- $99.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 16.17 pounds
- 265-pound weight capacity
- Made from metal and faux fur
- Available in several cushion colors
What Customers Are Saying
Pleased customers said that this chair was easy to disassemble and store, offered enough back support, and had comfortable padding. However, customers who weren’t happy with this chair said that its legs broke under too much weight and that its small size couldn’t accommodate taller adults.
Best Armchair
BELLEZE Accent Chair
- $199.95
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 44.8 pounds
- 330-pound weight capacity
- Made from wood and linen
- Available in several cushion colors and patterns
What Customers Are Saying
This chair received positive reviews for being sturdy, elegant, and easy to clean. However, customers who left negative reviews claimed that this product was poorly designed, making assembly difficult.
Best Recliner
GDFStudio Macedonia Fabric Recliner
- $245.99
- $294.16
- 16% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 69 pounds
- 300-pound weight capacity
- Made from wood and polyester
- Available in several cushion colors
What Customers Are Saying
Those who were satisfied with this recliner said that it was durable, soft, and simple to put together. However, some customers said that it was too narrow and provided insufficient padding.
Best Papasan Chair
OSP Home Furnishings Wicker Papasan Chair
- $159.64
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 29 pounds
- 200-pound weight capacity
- Made from metal, resin, and polyester
- Available in several cushion and frame colors
What Customers Are Saying
Those who left positive reviews for this chair said that it had a comfortable cushion, a sturdy frame, and a stylish design. However, those who left negative reviews said that it sometimes broke after minimal use. Others claimed that it was too small for taller or larger individuals.
Best Bean Bag Chair
Chill Sack Bean Bag Chair
- $164.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 55 pounds
- Made from memory foam and suede
- Available in several cushion colors
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers liked that this chair was made from soft material and small enough to fit in most rooms. Those who left negative reviews for this product claimed that its colors sometimes transferred to the floor, leaving stains. It didn’t hold as much weight as customers anticipated either.
Buyer’s Guide
The below factors explain the defining features of a reading chair to help you choose the right one for your home.
Type
Some common types of reading chairs include:
- Bean bag
- Recliner
- Arm
- Saucer
- Papasan
- Club
- Egg
Determine which type of chair is most comfortable and aesthetically pleasing for you before making your selection.
Material
Reading chairs can be made from a number of materials, including:
- Leather
- Polyester
- Cotton
- Silk
- Nylon
- Mesh
- Plastic
- Wood
- Metal
Plastic, wood, and metal are usually used for the frame, while softer materials are used for the seat. When it comes to a reading chair, the number one priority should be comfort followed by durability.
Size
If your chair is too small, you won’t be able to fully relax and concentrate on your book. If you’re an average-sized individual, it may be easier to find a reading chair that you fit in, but for taller or heavier people, checking a chair’s dimensions and weight capacity is essential before purchasing it.
The size of your chair is also important in ensuring that it fits in your home. If you’re purchasing a reading chair for a bedroom, reading nook, or playroom, you may have limited space.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a chair good for reading?
A good reading chair should have back and neck support and a cushioned seat for maximum comfort.
Is using a reading chair better than reading in bed?
While popular, reading in bed can cause neck and back strain if you don’t use a pillow and headboard for support. Using a reading chair gives your body support without using these additional items.
What is the best type of reading chair for children?
Bean bag chairs make an excellent addition to a reading nook. Other popular options for kids include egg- or bowl-shaped chairs and saucer chairs. These chairs usually come in vibrant colors and busy patterns to add a splash of fun to your child’s room.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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