What's in this collection
The recliner sofas here cover a range of sizes and formats. Straight sofas in 2-seater and 3-seater configurations are available, as are 3+2 sets for households that want reclining seating across two separate pieces. Corner recliner sofas bring the same function to a larger footprint, with end seats that recline independently and the corner section fixed.
Upholstery runs across fabric and faux leather. Fabric options sit in soft, practical neutral tones suited to family rooms. Faux leather gives a cleaner, wipedown surface that appeals to households with children or pets. Some sofas in this collection are cinema-style designs with fixed individual seating, a central console, cupholders and mood lighting built in. If the cinema format is your main interest, the cinema sofas page covers that style in more detail.
All models operate electrically. There are no manual recliner options in this collection.
Why electric rather than manual
If you've ever used an older manual recliner, the electric mechanism is a noticeable upgrade. A manual recliner requires you to push back with your body weight and often kick out a footrest lever simultaneously, which can feel clunky and takes a bit of coordination. Getting back upright typically involves a sharp forward motion to click the mechanism back into place.
An electric recliner does all of that with a button. You press it, the seat adjusts smoothly to wherever you stop it, and you press it again to return. You can stop at any point in between, which matters if you want to be slightly reclined while watching television rather than fully horizontal. The mechanism is quieter and more controlled than a manual equivalent, and in a living room used by the whole family, including children and older adults, it's easier for everyone to operate.
The one practical consideration with an electric recliner is the power source. Most sofas in this collection require a mains connection for the reclining function. This is worth thinking about in terms of where the sofa will sit in the room and where the nearest socket is. Check the product page for the specific cable routing before ordering, and if you need to plan socket placement in the room, it's worth doing that before the sofa arrives.
Space planning for a recliner sofa
A recliner sofa needs more clear floor space than a standard sofa of the same width, because the footrest extends into the room in front of the sofa when in use. How much space it needs depends on the model, but as a rough guide, allow at least 40 to 50cm of additional clear floor depth in front of the sofa beyond the standard seat measurement for each reclining seat.
This matters most when planning around a coffee table. A table placed directly in front of a recliner sofa at the usual distance of around 40 to 50cm will likely be in the path of the footrest. The practical solutions are to either position the coffee table further away than you normally would, use a smaller or lower table, or choose a table that can be moved easily. It's worth planning this before ordering rather than discovering it when the sofa arrives.
For corner recliners, the corner section itself is typically fixed and doesn't recline, so the space planning only applies to the two reclining end seats. If the sofa is going into a room where floor space is tight, this is worth factoring in.
Choosing between straight and corner recliner sofas
Straight recliner sofas in 2 or 3-seater formats suit rooms where floor space is limited, where a corner sofa would feel too large, or where the furniture layout doesn't accommodate a corner piece. A 3+2 recliner set gives everyone a reclining seat across two separate pieces, which can work well in an L-shaped room or a room where two sofas face each other.
Corner recliner sofas give more seating in a single piece and define a space in the room in the same way any corner sofa does. They tend to suit larger open-plan rooms or living rooms with enough floor area that the corner footprint doesn't crowd everything else out. The footrest clearance mentioned above applies on both reclining ends, so the planning consideration is doubled.
If you're comparing recliner options across both formats and materials, fabric sofas and leather sofas pages let you filter by material across the full range.
Spreading the cost
Finance is available on many of the recliner sofas in this collection, subject to status. Recliner sofas tend to sit at a higher price point than standard sofas of equivalent size, reflecting the mechanism involved. Spreading the cost over an agreed period makes it easier to choose the size and configuration that genuinely suits your household rather than scaling back on what you actually need.
Why buy from Shawcross
We're based in Manchester with a showroom where you can try the recliner mechanism before committing. For this type of sofa in particular, that matters. The smoothness of the mechanism, the seat depth when fully reclined, and the firmness of the cushioning are all things that are difficult to assess from a photograph. If the sofa is going to be used heavily for long evenings in front of the television, it's worth getting those things right before it's in your living room.
We deliver nationally across the UK and are happy to talk through which configuration suits your room layout, including how to handle the footrest clearance in tighter spaces. Get in touch at any point before ordering.
