The 10 Best Recliner Slipcovers
This wiki has been updated 34 times since it was first published in January of 2017. Whether you have a recliner that's seen better days or you're looking to protect a perfectly good one from damage, check out these slipcovers. They are available in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and materials to suit any chair, decor, and style preference, and they can ensure rowdy kids, careless guests, or four-legged household members don't destroy your favorite napping spot. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Easy-Going Microfiber
2. Marksign Furry Buddy
3. Easy-Going PU Leather
Editor's Notes
January 13, 2021:
It may come as no surprise that recliner slip covers isn't exactly a fast moving category that sees a lot of breakthroughs in design and technology from year to year. Because of that, we didn't have to make too many adjustments during this update and continue to stand by the majority of our recommendations. That being said, the Easy-Going Microfiber is a new addition that we feel many people will like. Its microfiber material is not only very durable, but also extremely soft, both of which are properties that are super important in a chair that is purpose made for relaxing and that will probably see a lot of use. We also replaced the Turquoize Suede Anti-Slip with the Turquoize Jacquard, as we just felt the former looked too similar to the Maytex Reeves 4100509 and didn't see any reason to keep both of them.
April 18, 2019:
Depending on your household and habits, your chair could face all sorts of risks of damage each day, so we accounted for that in our selections. If shedding and unruly pets are your main issue, then you'll like the Marksign Furry Buddy, since it keeps liquids (like urine) from making their way onto your actual furniture, and is difficult for curious animals to move around. The Hill Points Industries Sofa Shield is another great pick for households with plenty of pets, as hair doesn't cling to it. If it's a tired and lifeless-looking room you're trying to combat, then the Tikami Stretch, the Great Bay Home Patchwork, and the Madison Day Break have you covered, each of which will cheer up a space with their decorative prints and/or eye-catching colors. If your old chair has become worn down over the years and isn't quite as comfortable as it used to be, but you're not ready to give it up, add the Great Bay Home Modern Velvet Plush or the GPD Link Shades, which are both nicely padded to give your chair that luxurious feel back..
4. Great Bay Home Modern Velvet Plush
5. Tikami Stretch
6. Maytex Reeves 4100509
7. Great Bay Home Patchwork
8. Turquoize Jacquard
9. Hill Points Industries Sofa Shield
10. Link Shades Heavy-Duty
Why You Should Invest In A Slipcover
The alternative would be to get the chair reupholstered, which would give you that like-new appearance, but this is often prohibitively expensive.
You love your recliner. Of course you do. It’s easily the most comfortable piece of furniture in your home, rivaled perhaps only by your bed. And between the two, you may sleep equally well in either of them. Your recliner is the seat that gets the most ideal placement in your living room, with a glare-free view of the television and plenty of space to kick back and stretch out.
That means that you probably spend a fair amount of time in your recliner, and all that getting up and sitting down causes a lot of friction that can slowly wear away at your recliner’s fabric. Not only will this make your seat more unsightly, it can also have a negative impact on your comfort level, especially if the abrasion creates holes through which some of the seat’s stuffing can escape. As such, an investment in a recliner slipcover can help safeguard your favorite seat from degradation over time.
Of course, if you already have a decent amount of damage to the surface of your recliner, or if one too many spills have occurred during your dinner time in front of the boob tube, you might need a slipcover to help hide any damage to the surface. The alternative would be to get the chair reupholstered, which would give you that like-new appearance, but this is often prohibitively expensive. The slipcover, by contrast, is both extremely effective and rather inexpensive. What’s more, if you damage or stain the slipcover at any point in time, it’s significantly easy to replace.
A good slipcover can also allow you to keep your precious recliner, even if you or someone you live with decides that it’s time to redecorate. A massive overhaul of your living room decor is liable to involve a significant amount of new furniture. If the pattern on your recliner‘s fabric were to clash with this new look, you might be forced to sacrifice the chair and replace it with something less comfortable just to suit the new style. With a slipcover, you can ensure that your throne maintains its rightful place as the centerpiece of your daily relaxation, while still pleasing the fashion forward among you.
Choosing A Cover For Your Recliner
When it comes time to actually pick a slipcover for your recliner, the most important thing is to make sure that the cover that you’re interested in is compatible with your recliner model. Nothing would be more frustrating than to argue with your spouse over which cover best suits the style of your living room, only to win the argument and have an ill-fitting cover arrive at your home. The “I told you so,” remarks would echo on for days. For these purposes, you will likely want to break out your trusty measuring tape to ensure that you get a cover that will fit snugly. Too tight, and you might not get it to stay in place. Too loose, and you could easily snag a foot on it, or tear it when reclining.
If you end up with a slipcover that blocks your access to that mechanism, you may have a hard time getting comfortable.
In addition to fit, you want to make sure that the cover you choose allows you ready access to whatever reclining mechanism is built into the chair. Many slipcovers for recliners boast slots through which the reclining lever can reach, allowing you to easily recline and upright yourself as needed. Some recliners utilize different methods, however. These may include buttons or switches of some kind, the placement of which may be rather different than that of a standard lever. If you end up with a slipcover that blocks your access to that mechanism, you may have a hard time getting comfortable.
The material out of which your recliner slipcover is made is also rather important. Smart shoppers will look for something hypoallergenic, as well as something that has a bit of natural or applied water resistance. This will not only help protect the cover itself, but it will also help protect the recliner underneath, so that if you spill anything major you can simply yank off the cover and your precious chair will be mostly unharmed. Abrasion resistance is equally important, so you know your cover will last.
Some slipcovers also have additional features, one of which may be the thing that tips your decision between one or another. These include things like pockets for pillows at the top of the recliner and additional storage on the sides for things like magazines, remote controls, or tablets.
A Brief History Of The Recliner
Like many species in the animal kingdom, we humans like to take a load off every once in a while. This relaxation takes many forms, but the seat is one of the most reliable of them, presumably because of the built-in padding many of us have on our backsides. Despite this padding, however, we’ve long looked for a way to make sitting more comfortable. The long and storied history of our relationship with chairs is a testament to that fact.
Later, in the 1920s, a pair of American cousins begin work on a wooden reclining chair that they would eventually patent in 1928.
The recliner, however, is a more recent addition to the chair family. Evidence of these only really dates back to the mid-1800s, and like many innovations, this one seems to have been born at war. In France, around this time, some military leaders were treated to a kind of reclining camp chair when in the field. These chairs had the ability to serve as seats, beds, and even chaise lounges.
Later, in the 1920s, a pair of American cousins begin work on a wooden reclining chair that they would eventually patent in 1928. This patent laid the groundwork for a revolutionary kind of chair and a revolutionary kind of company, as the cousins went on to found Lay-Z-Boy in the years to come.
Recliners continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, gaining prominence in people’s homes and on people’s televisions, as shows like All In The Family featured a recliner that no one but the man of the house was allowed to sit in. Today, recliners are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with everything from built-in beverage holders to automatic massage capabilities among their features.
A wandering writer who spends as much time on the road as in front of a laptop screen, Brett can either be found hacking away furiously at the keyboard or, perhaps, enjoying a whiskey and coke on some exotic beach, sometimes both simultaneously, usually with a four-legged companion by his side. He has been a professional chef, a dog trainer, and a travel correspondent for a well-known Southeast Asian guidebook. He also holds a business degree and has spent more time than he cares to admit in boring office jobs. He has an odd obsession for playing with the latest gadgets and working on motorcycles and old Jeeps. His expertise, honed over years of experience, is in the areas of computers, electronics, travel gear, pet products, and kitchen, office and automotive equipment.