7 Best Recliner Chairs for Back Pain

Chepstow Riser Recliner Chairs

Living with back pain can significantly affect your quality of life, making it essential to find effective ways to manage discomfort and support your posture.

As a leading UK manufacturer of high-quality recliner chairs, Repose is dedicated to designing and manufacturing chairs that combine comfort, style, and expert craftsmanship. We offer a wide range of recliner chairs designed to meet the unique needs of those suffering from back pain.

Whether you're looking for enhanced lumbar support, adjustable reclining positions, or a bespoke design, this guide will help you make an informed decision to improve your back health and overall comfort.

Why Recliner Chairs Are Beneficial for Back Pain

Recliner chairs alleviate back pain as they offer support for the body. This is because recliner chairs help distribute weight more evenly, reducing pressure on a person’s lower back and spine. Elevating your legs on a recliner chair minimises the tension between your hips and lower back and encourages blood flow to your back muscles to relieve discomfort.

Additional benefits of recliner chairs:

  • Posture support
  • Relaxation
  • Comfortability
  • Increased blood circulation
  • Stress reduction
  • Improved mobility

Key Features to Look for in a Recliner Chair for Back Pain

Quality of Material & Cushions

When looking for the ideal recliner chair for those with back pain, another key element to look out for is the material of a recliner chair.

Here are some important considerations when selecting the right material:

  • Quality
  • Ease of cleaning/maintenance
  • Durability
  • Hygiene
  • Comfortability
  • Application

We offer a wide variety of fabrics from standard domestic fabrics to leather and healthcare fabrics.

Our healthcare, hospital and care home recliner chairs have multiple fabric choices available including Vinyl fabrics, VP Range and Healthcare fabrics. All health care fabrics are waterproof, Anti-MRSA, Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal, Crib 5 and bleach-cleanable fabrics. All cushions are removable for the cleaning process too.

Our residential/home care recliner chairs are made with the finest domestic fabrics, sourced from various suppliers.

Each of our recliner chairs has different cushioning options that can be tailored to your requirements. From waterfall cushions to removable cushion options, foam lateral cushions and more. We have plenty of versatile cushion designs to explore.

Lumbar Support Features

The lumbar region is the five vertebrae of the lower spine, situated between the sacrum and diaphragm. Lumbar support helps to maintain the natural curve of your spine as well as improves posture and prevents back pain for those who are seated for long periods of time.

Adjustable Recline Mechanism & Controls

Customising seating positions for those with low mobility back pain is vital as it reduces pain and pressure on joints and improves circulation. Chair controls ensure the user can alter the chair to their needs, which also promotes independence.

Top 7 Recliner Chairs for Back Pain by Repose

Repose combines comfort, style, and expert craftsmanship to create chairs tailored for those who suffer with back pain. We recommend the following recliner chairs for back pain:

Chester

Snug, comfortable, and made to measure, the Chester riser recliner chair is a great option for those who suffer from back pain.

This chair offers the following benefits:

  • Large choice of fabrics available
  • Dual or single motors available
  • Option to add accessories
  • Wide range of chair sizes to suit your comfort
  • Removable back cushion
  • Soft fibre filled back with lateral support

Chepstow

Expertly designed, the Chepstow riser recliner chair uses deep lateral cushions to gently hold the back in a comfortable central position.

This chair offers the following benefits:

  • Choose from a large choice of fabrics and colours
  • Made to measure
  • Dual or Single motors available
  • Accessorise your chair with various options
  • Choose your comfort options

Soft fibre-filled back with lateral support, which can be useful for those who have limited trunk control or balance. It can be useful for those with early stages of neurological conditions such as MS or a Stroke survivor

Chatsworth

Made for support and relaxation, the Chatsworth riser recliner chair features firm foam lateral cushions that support your sides and back.

This chair offers the following benefits:

  • Choose from a large choice of fabrics and colours
  • Made to measure
  • Dual or Single motors available
  • Accessorise your chair with various options
  • Choose your comfort options
  • Deep soft fibre-filled head cushion which provides neck support
  • Multiple chair sizes to suit your size and weight

Lateral support in the midline trunk alignment of the chair makes it ideal for people who have had a stroke or who are early to mid-stages of neurological conditions.

Rimini

One of our most popular chairs is the Rimini riser recliner chair. This classic chair is tailored for luxury and comfort, providing three deeply soft cushions to support your head, neck, and the full length of your back.

This chair offers the following benefits:

  • Choose from a large choice of fabrics and colours
  • Made to measure
  • Dual or Single motors available
  • Accessorise your chair with various options
  • Choose your comfort options
  • Complimentary furniture available
  • Waterfall back cushion
  • Removable back cushion

C-Air Bespoke Pressure Care Recliner Chair

Our C-Air bespoke pressure care recliner chair is built to an individual’s specific requirements. This is one of our most popular chairs as it combines excellent pressure management features with a variety of options that can be selected by a client or healthcare professional. With made-to-measure options and multiple design choices available, this product is completely bespoke.

This chair offers the following benefits:

  • Made-to-measure options
  • Optional seat depth adjusters and removable arm
  • Dual or single tilt in space or standard dual motors
  • Standard fixed waterfall cushion or an option to choose from a range of seven removable and interchangeable back cushion styles.
  • There are up to nine removable and interchangeable seat cushions, each option being designed with different postural and pressure management qualities.

Madison Rise Recliner Porter

The Madison rise recliner chair comes with all the benefits of a health recliner chair but with the extra versatility of large lockable castors to enable the person sitting in the chair to be moved around.

This chair offers the following benefits:

  • Dual Tilt in Space motor - enables pressure and posture management options
  • Independent backrest and leg rest movement
  • Rise function for ease of standing
  • Seven removable and interchangeable back cushion styles
  • Eight interchangeable and adjustable pressure management seat cushions to adapt to different users.
  • This chair can be easily adapted over time for changing conditions or new users, giving greater longevity of usage.
  • Optional sliding footplate and seat depth adjustment as well as other accessories.

Haven Air Chair

The Haven Air Chair is a suitable chair for those with back pain due to its unique adjustable air pressure cushioning in the lower backrest, seat cushion and leg rest. This feature is aimed at delivering significant pressure management.

This chair offers the following benefits:

  • Air cushions in the backrest, seat cushion, and leg rest help to evenly distribute weight.
  • Choice of either a dual or single tilt-in-space mechanism
  • Great postural control
  • Range of fabric options

How to Choose the Best Recliner Chair for Your Needs

Assessing Your Specific Back Pain Requirements

If you suffer from back pain, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor so that they can give you a physical exam. A physical exam will most likely consist of the following:

  • Examining your spine and posture to look for changes in the bony structure.
  • Asking you to bend or lift your legs to determine how movement affects your pain.
  • Testing your reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation.

Your doctor may also do X-rays, blood tests, MRI or bone scans to try and determine the cause of the pain.

Once you have a diagnosis and learn of your specific requirements, it will become much easier to understand what to look for in your recliner chair.

Customisation Options

At Repose, we have been creating bespoke, made-to-measure healthcare and recliner chairs since 1999. We provide a wide range of customisation features to suit each individual’s needs such as:

  • A plethora of colours to choose from
  • Wide variety of fabrics
  • Removable cushions
  • Single or dual motor options
  • Optional accessories such as high wear area cover, seat depth adjustment, headrests, removable arms, different armrest resigns, heat and massage systems, and many more. Please note that these optional accessories vary depending on the chair.
  • Safety devices
  • Pressure management

Measuring Your Space and Budget

Another important consideration for choosing the best recliner chair for you is considering the application of the chair. Not only does the chair have to fit your/your client’s needs but it also should fit the space that it will be living in. Will the recliner chair be in your home, a care home or a hospital?

Make sure to measure the chair and the space you wish to situate the chair. Please also note that there needs to be enough room away from the wall for the reclining action.

Some recliner chairs can be funded by the NHS but eligibility and waiting times may apply. You can find out more on the NHS website in their guide: Household gadgets and equipment to make life easier.

If you have any concerns about sizing and budget make sure to get in contact with us.

FAQs for Recliner Chairs for Back Pain

No, a recliner chair provides pressure relief on your joints and spine and therefore, it helps alleviate back pain. However, if you don’t move around enough throughout the day, it can lead to stiffness and some circulation issues. You can avoid this by making sure that the recliner has been adjusted to your specific requirements.

Here are some more helpful suggestions if you are uncomfortable in your recliner chair:

  • Does the recliner support your body’s natural curves? If it does not support your body’s natural curves then you can adjust the headrest to support your neck or the leg rest so that you can allow your knees to bend 90-120 degrees.
  • Have your legs been elevated? Elevate your recliner to help increase blood circulation.
  • Are you hunched forward? Try to avoid poor posture such as having your shoulders rolled in or knees higher than your hips.
  • When was the last time you stretched? A simple and easy way to avoid muscle stiffness and improve circulation is to do some gentle stretches before and after napping or after long periods of sitting.

All of our recliner chairs are made with these considerations in mind, giving each person the most comfortable experience no matter how unique their requirements are.