Best Recliner for Back Pain (2023) Reviews & Buying [Guide]

Last year I took my aunt shopping to find a good recliner chair. We spend a few hours testing a few popular models I got recommended.

Guess what?

They weren’t that good …

That’s not to say they weren’t quality products. Some models had fancy massage features built-in (generally, massage recliners are my favorite)  but …

It just didn’t work and feel comfortable with her sciatica pain.  She suffered from the pain for a while after getting out of her hip surgery.

I decided to investigate and put this guide for everyone interested.

That being said…

Ultimately, the best recliner for back pain is one that suits your individual needs!

My top favorite is the Kahuna Massage Chair LM6800 a feature-packed & for the most part pretty affordable massage recliner, but there are other recliners for all kinds of needs buyer’s guide below.

Compare, contrast, and choose ONLY the best for what you need.

10 Best Recliners For Lower Back Pain in 2023 Reviewed

I’m starting with my top pick:

1. Kahuna Full Body Recliner LM6800 – Best Massage Recliner for Back and Neck Pain

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The Kahuna LM6800 features a hybrid track design, with an ergonomic S-track that follows the natural curve of your spine and an L-track that prolongs this track all the way to your glutes and hamstrings.

This hybrid track, quite rare for affordable recliners, alleviates the pain of sciatica.

Although it’s a big chair, I love that the Kahuna 6800 features a space-saving design, so you only need about 3-4 inches from the wall for it to work.

Another advantage is the 3 zero-gravity seating positions. Zero-g means your whole body weight presses against the rollers so that you will get quite a penetrating massage.

Multiple zero-gravity positions entail that your legs will be lifted at three different angles from your heart level so that you can find a comfortable position too.

Courtesy of 3D body scanning, the Kahuna positions the rollers according to pressure points on your back to make sure you get a thorough massage.

Fortunately, you can also adjust the rollers yourself with the remote, as well as the massage area.

Another great feature of the Kahuna is the airbag massage it offers with 36 First Generation air cells at three intensity levels.

Although these types of airbags are less quality than Second Generation airbags, the air massage feels decent.

Regarding massage techniques, I couldn’t help but notice that the Kahuna features the basic ones, such as Kneading, Tapping, Combo, Rolling, and Shiatsu.

Still, these techniques are just what you need for back pain.

You can select the body part you want to massage courtesy of 5 pre-programmed massages, which you can customize with three intensity and speed levels.

I love how the Kahuna includes a zone massage option too so that you can stop the rollers on a fixed tender spot.

With back and calf heat, the heat therapy offered by Kahuna will unwind your sore muscles similar to a hot-stone massage, which is great for chronic back pain.

However, you can’t adjust the heating temperature or select the body area where you want to activate the heat.

Kahuna’s Yoga stretch function is vigorous enough to provide instant relief from chronic back pain, releasing the pressure from compressed spinal discs.

With dual rollers and airbags, the calf and foot massage offered by the Kahuna is very thorough.

This helps prevent back pain because pressure and knots on your feet and calves can lead to poor posture and subsequently to back pain.

The Kahuna 6800 features some user-friendly assets like the extendable ottoman, which makes this recliner best for people up to 6’4”, or the easy-to-use remote.

Summary: The Kahuna LM-6800 is the best chair to relieve back and neck pain.

2. La-Z-Boy Anderson Rocker Recliner – Best Chair For Back Pain Relief

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A very affordable chair, the La-Z-Boy Anderson Reclina Rocker looks like a piece of living room furniture, upholstered in a natural Sand fabric.

This recliner is assembled in the USA, it has a durable frame, and it’s designed to offer back and total body support in every position.

The patented La-Z-Boy technology for reclining is really useful, allowing your seat and back to move simultaneously or independently when you recline.

You can also recline the backrest without the leg rest, which you can activate with a side handle. However, the backrest could use a little more reclining for my taste.

There are three reclining chair positions for the leg rest, which you can adjust to fit your body type. And when you’re not using the recliner, this chair becomes a cool rocker.

I also like how comfortable this high-quality chair is, with a plush seat and padded armrests, but it’s quite small and narrow and therefore best for petite users.

Summary: This La-Z-Boy Anderson Reclina Rocker is a comfortable recliner for back pain and a rocker for back pain, but it doesn’t feature massage functions.

3. Cozzia Dual Power Recliner – 2^nd Best Chair For Back Pain Sufferers

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Made from faux leather and available in Black, Chocolate, and Ivory, the Cozzia Dual Power recliner can support users up to 400 pounds, so it’s stylish as well as functional.

The base is very sturdy too, made from beechwood, while the leather is high-grade bonded for extra durability. Besides, shipping includes curbside delivery.

This chair is easy to use, with a control center that features the “One Touch” zero gravity button.

By placing your knees a little above your heart level, this chair helps ease back pain because your weight won’t be supported by your back, but by the chair.

Another user-friendly feature is that the headrest and footrest are activated independently so that you can do all sorts of activities in this chair, like reading or TV watching.

Besides, lumbar heat therapy in combination with a back vibration massage will relax you and ease chronic back pain from compressed discs or after surgery.

Summary: The Cozzia Dual Recliner alleviates compressed disc pain, relieving spinal pressure, but it has no built-in massage programs.

4. Mac Motion Oslo Collection

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This manual recliner and ottoman are made with top-grain leather, that’s a quality, comfortable material.

The frame is made from a variety of hardwood for extra endurance, while the seat and back are cushioned with cored foam for extra comfort.

The headrest is adjustable so it can fit various body types, but remember that this is a chair with a small footprint that can only accommodate users up to 280 pounds.

However, I liked the 360ᵒ swivel which allows you to personalize the seat adjustment, while the contour-angled ottoman is also ergonomic and anatomically correct.

However, keep in mind that this best recliner is activated by a shaft with a knob, so it doesn’t recline smoothly between positions.

Summary: The Mac Motion Oslo Collection Recliner is an ergonomic chair that can help you find a comfortable position for your back, but it’s better for petite users.

5. Electric Shiatsu Massage Chair Recliner Stretched Foot Rest

This recliner chair from BestMassage has a few features that recommend it for treating back pain, like its massage techniques.

Shiatsu offers a vigorous massage with power rollers that should relax tense muscles.

Compression and Percussion help you gain more flexibility in your core, become more mobile, and improve posture.

Besides, the Recovery program is quite relaxing, while the other programs might seem a bit rough to hobbyist users.

This chair has an intelligent roller system which makes it quite flexible and allows the rollers to adjust depending on your sore spots.

Back and feet heat therapy alleviates sore muscles in these areas and also improves blood circulation, but with this chair the heat is minimal.

With 20 airbags, you get a decent air massage for your back, though.

With an S-track that follows the anatomical shape of your back, the BestMassage chair has a neck massage feature that relieves stress and improves posture.

The 11 signal test switch and holt sensor measure your height and adjust the massage intensity according to your weight.

While it’s always good to see automatic adjustments, it would also be great to have the option to make these adjustments yourself.

Summary: The BestMassage Shiatsu Recliner is great for neck massages and correcting bad posture, though it features just some basic functions.

6. Homelegance 9668BRW-1 Glider

This imported chair recliner from the Center Hill Collection is upholstered with bonded leather, which makes it look stylish enough apart from being easy to clean.

With traditional rolled arms and channel-tufted design, this chair looks great as living room furniture, not to mention there are a matching loveseat and sofa available from the same brand.

I liked that the reclining chair mechanism is activated with a lever, so it glides smoothly. It also reclines to an almost flat position, which is another plus.

However, getting the chair back into an upright position is a bit troublesome.

Design-wise; I missed a headrest and built-in massage programs or functions like zero-G or heat.

I also didn’t like the wobbly back cushions that aren’t attached together, so they move around quite a bit.

Summary: Comfortable living room recliner, this chair could use some head support too.

7. Flash Furniture BT-7862-BK-GG

This recliner set features a chair and a separate, matching ottoman.

The set looks stylish enough, but it would have been better for the ottoman to be attached to the chair so that you could find the best position for your back more relaxed.

The chair and ottoman are both padded, so they’re comfortable for your back and feet, while the armrests are plushly upholstered.

Besides, the padding is fire-retardant too, which makes the chair safe to use.

The swivel seat means you can find the perfect position for your needs, but unfortunately, this is a knob-adjusting recliner, so it doesn’t glide smoothly.

But while this recliner is small and easy to move around, it’s better for petite users.

Summary: The Flash Furniture BT-7862-BK-GG is a safe, comfortable chair with a matching ottoman, but it’s for petite users.

8. Flash Furniture MEN-DSC01078-BRN-GG Plush

This plush recliner from Flash Furniture is intended for bigger-sized users, but it’s actually ridiculously tall.

It’s a lever recliner, so it can smoothly transition from one position to the other, and best of all it can actually sit upright unlike other recliners on the market.

The seat, back, and arms are well padded, so the recliner is very comfortable, but there’s too much padding in the headrest for my taste.

The extra rocking feature makes it a good addition to your living room or even the nursery.

I like the upholstery too, it doesn’t make you sweat, because it’s a mixture of leather and polyurethane called LeatherSoft.

This material is actually great for cleaning stains and for softness.

Although you need to do some assembly work yourself, it’s not all that difficult.

The real disadvantage is that you can’t recline the backrest and footrest independently.

Summary: The Flash Furniture MEN-DSC01078-BRN-GG Plush is a comfortable, breathable chair for tall users.

9. HomCom Massage Heated Recliner

This stylish-looking recliner is also very comfortable because it’s well-padded and upholstered with soft faux leather.

It can recline to 150ᵒ, which takes the pressure off your spine, but it’s difficult to use the armrest lever if you’re recovering from surgery.

Besides, it’s quite difficult to get the chair back into an upright position.

In terms of user-friendly features, the HomCom chair has an easy-to-use and handy-located remote plus two cup holders on the sides.

With its waist-heat, the HomCom can alleviate back pain and relax you at the same time.

Combine that with its eight vibrating massage motors that target your back, thighs, and calves, and your sore back muscles will unwind as fast as you can say “massage recliner.”

However, this rocking chair gets pretty noisy when you activate the heat/ vibrations.

Summary: The HomCom Massage Heated Recliner sports lumbar heat plus various vibration massages to treat back pain, but it can get pretty noisy.

10. La-Z-Boy Niagara Reclina Rocker Recliner

The La-Z-Boy Niagara Reclina Rocker Recliner is assembled in the USA, it’s comfortable, stylish, and doubles as a rocker.

The handle is easy to reach and smoothly reclines your back, without lifting the leg rest too.

In fact, thanks to the patented La-Z-Boy mechanism, the backrest and footrest can move independently or simultaneously.

However, the leg rest is fairly short, so this chair is better for petite users. Besides, when you release it, the chair makes a loud noise.

The frame is quite sturdy and durable, with the chair providing good overall support.

The reclining feature helps you take some pressure off your spine depending on where/ how bad your pain is.

With the three-position locking mechanism and adjustable tension feature, you will certainly find the best position to feel supported and comfortable.

I also like the stylish upholstery with detailed stitching. The wide pillow back is very comfortable, just like the plush chaise and sleek pillow armrests.

However, the headrest is placed a bit too far to the back, so you need to lean your head in a quite uncomfortable position if you don’t have the right body frame.

Summary: The La-Z-Boy Niagara Reclina Rocker Recliner is a sturdy, comfortable rocker and recliner, but it has no massage programs or functions.

11. RELAXONCHAIR MK-II Plus

The RELAXONCHAIR MK-II Plus is a feature-packed massage chair, with three stages zero-gravity to take the pressure off your spine, an L-track with rollers that get below your glutes to alleviate sciatica pain, and lower-back heating to release tense muscles.

Even the body stretch function is vigorous enough to release back pain, but the remote control is difficult to read in dim light, and the foot massage could be improved.

12. Divano Roma Furniture Classic Plush Power Lift Recliner

A silent, comfortable chair with an easy-to-use remote and a smooth recline, this Divano Roma Power Lift Recliner is a little small and needs more padding in the seating area.

13. Relaxzen Leisure Recliner Chair

A comfortable chair with soft, leather-like upholstery, the Relaxzen Leisure Recliner Chair features 8 vibration massage motors and 9 built-in massage modes, plus it can easily swivel and recline.

However, it could use some padding for the armrests.

14. Pulaski Power Home Theatre Recliner

The Pulaski Power Home Theatre Recliner is easy to recline, by just pushing a button.

Its faux leather upholstery makes this chair breathable so that you can enjoy its entertainment features, such as the USB plugs and laptop swivel tray.

15. Paisley Push-Thru Arm Recliner

This three-way recliner chair has a wood frame for durability and paisley polyester upholstery that makes it look stylish.

This recliner is comfortable and sports a flipper ottoman, but it sits quite high, and people recovering from surgery need help reclining it.

16. Esright

This recliner has all the bells and whistles, with heating, vibrating, and massage functions, as well as two cup holders and four storage bags.

On the other hand, it’s not a fixed recline chair, so you need to balance yourself to maintain a reclined position.

17. La-Z-Boy Duncan

With a smooth handle, durable frame, and great back support, this chair is easy to adjust so you can find the best position.

However, it’s quite loud each time you want to readjust your recline position.

What is a Recliner?

A recliner is an armchair that tilts back. It can be operated with a remote, a lever, a button, or a shaft with a knob.

The footrest can also be extended or lifted up, just like the backrest. Some recliners also double as rocking chairs, while others sport various massage functions or built-in programs.

Type of Recliners

It’s important to know which type of recliners there are on the market so you can choose one that can help with your particular needs.

Is a Stool Better Than a Chair?

When we talk about using a stool to help patients during their recovery from colorectal surgery, we mean something more than a stool to help your patient get from one spot to another. In fact, a stool can be so much more. It can support your patient’s body weight and a fraction of the time it would take for a person to get from a chair. This allows for greater comfort, more freedom of movement, and faster postoperative recovery. You also don’t have to wait for your patient to get up from a stool before you can help them with something else.

The stool also frees up your patient to explore their new surroundings in a way that their current abdominal support and mobility prevent. In some situations, you might find your patients trying to move on their own, with or without your help. If that happens, you’re going to have a patient who’s happy and content. This is where it all starts. Some patients with surgery might have trouble with their stool while they’re recovering. You might see that your patient can lift their leg, but their side pushes forward and forces their bottom to tip back. You might be able to make small adjustments to the stool to address this, but you can also be strategic about the type of stool that your patient has. A good stool is a firm, narrow and deep. When it sits in a patient’s lap, it forces their abdomen up and back.

Best Sofa For Lower Back Pain

Here it is:

Fjords 855 Loen Large Leather Recliner – Stressless Sofa

The Stressless sofa is quite expensive, but it has some worthy features, like the Fjords Active Release system with amazing neck support.

Besides, this is an ergonomic, supportive recliner that can easily be adjusted.

This recliner helps you relax, improve blood circulation, alleviate back pain, and correct poor posture.

With cold cure-molded foam that pads the seat, backrest, armrests, and footrest, the Stressless Sofa is very comfortable, supportive, and durable.

Featuring gliding mountings, the recline position is established by your body weight, which means you have to push into the backrest if you want to be at a lower decline.

However, this recliner is stylish as well as functional, though it lacks massage programs.

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Things to Consider When Selecting Recliner For Back Pain

There are many factors to decide whether you’re getting a quality recliner, such as:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it OK to Sleep in a Recliner Every Night?

Many of us become fixated on everything, and for some of us, there’s just nothing more important than sleeping on a daily basis. Everyone has their own sleeping schedule, and for some, it can be a battle to switch off their brain and get some well-deserved sleep. But perhaps more importantly, when you get your body into this daily pattern of daily sleep, it’s pretty easy to let things slide.

Because the thing with sleeping in is that you’re aware that you’re not getting enough. You’re aware that you’re getting in bed later and later. But for many of us, our sleeping schedule is set in stone and because we don’t switch our brains off, we still become incredibly tired. However, there are some things that you can do to make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, and that your sleeping time isn’t falling by the wayside. As a parent, it’s hard to let go of things and become more relaxed.

Where To Buy?

Many online websites or offline retailers sell recliners, so it’s best to buy one from a trustworthy source, with good shipping options, reliable warranties, and convenient return policies.

Websites like Amazon are the best in that regard, especially because you can read user reviews or compare different recliners.

Otherwise, offline retailers allow you to test various recliners to see what suits your body type best.

Best Recliners for Back Pain

The next time you have surgery, ask the anesthesiologist to place you in a recliner during your operation. Doing so may improve the outcome of your surgery. In one study, patients in recliners showed significantly less bleeding and swelling in the head after surgery than patients in standard hospital chairs. The recliner patients had only 2.5 percent of the general recovery rate.

To see whether reclining can truly be an advantage, Johns Hopkins researchers examined the records of 200 cardiac bypass patients. The researchers also conducted a computer analysis of the data and found that the reclining patients had an overall recovery rate of 83.8 percent, compared to 64.3 percent for conventional patients.

What are the Highest Quality Recliners?

For this purpose, we have gathered up five quality recliners for you. All of them are of exceptionally good quality. These are truly recliners that are built to last a lifetime. They all are extremely comfortable. What more can you ask for? Enjoy. If you’re in the market for a new recliner that offers extra comfort, or even custom-made recliners, you should know that these are the most comfortable types of recliners.

Floor Chair Recliners – The most comfortable type of recliner available, these recliners come with cushioned and supportive support for the lower back. They also offer a great view of the TV, and they’re best for the larger audience in your home. The floor chair recliner also has the advantage of allowing the family members to choose a reclining option that is most comfortable for them. Sports Chair Recliner – If you’re a big fan of the sport, then you should be a fan of the sports chair recliner.

Final Verdict

A Shiatsu massage chair with all the bells and whistles that can help ease chronic pain, the Kahuna LM6800 is my top choice.

However, the other recliners I’ve discussed above have their merits too.

I also hoped I’d answered all your questions regarding recliners for back pain, how they work, and how you can choose one that suits your needs.

If you want to discuss things further, you can ask me about the best recliner in the comment section below!