Ever since the good old days of Blockbuster and video rentals in general. There’s not a single soul amongst us that hasn’t at least entertained the notion of having a homemade darkened cinema to sit back and watch from the comfort of our own home in the safety of our pajamas, a fresh bucket of popcorn and no judgement from the outside world for wearing whatever we want to wear. Understandably, not many of us have the money to afford such an appendage to our homes, so there must be a way of reconciling and creating the illusion of a cinematic experience in our own home.
How would one do this I wonder?
Well, since the screens are getting larger anyway, we thought it was best to have a look at the other appendage that people often have in their home, the humble sofa. There is a lot that can be ascertained from the notion of a sofa that can recreate the magical sensation of sitting in a darkened cinema. While we all have our opinions on the lockdown, one thing we can all agree on is that we miss going to the cinema (unless you have no heart.), so we found the top 5 recliner lounges that bring some sense of the cinema to you!
The Top 5 Best Recliner Lounges For Your Ultimate Home Cinema
#1 Loveness Leather Theatre Lounge – Desired Living
–         $3599
Desired Living has certainly set the benchmark when it comes to style, price, and cinematic authenticity. This beautiful ‘Loveness Leather Theatre Lounge’ set is simply put, the best on the market for cinematic style and quality assurance. The price alone is worth the price of admission, the lounge hosts a variety of uniquely cool features. Not the least of which being the colour, we are suckers for cool and retro vibes and this red ensemble brings us immediately back to the cinema. Of course it is all customisable from colour scheme to the number of chairs it holds.
The very cool and bonus point goes to Desired Living for including the technically marvelous in-built drink cooler in every seat – ensuring the cool stays cool.
Desired Living is well known for its versatile and above-average builds and this is no exception, the perfect mixture of applicable use and unique style is what brought this cinematic styled lounge to life for us. Not to mention their reasonable price for the level of quality you end up receiving, the issue that many competitors have with remaining high-quality is the price level.
This little ensemble piece is in the moderate price range for what you’re getting which is always a bonus in our book. They’re also remarkably easy to talk with in terms of customisation which was a great benefit for us personally.
When it comes to the ultimate lockdown cinematic parallel in the biz, this is your one and only.
#2 Chelsea Leather Recliner Corner Lounge – LoungeLife
–         $3249
The good folks at Lounge Life just have to throw the nostalgia at us with every chance they get it seems. Their classic look Chelsea Leather Recliner is a callback to the sleepovers we all used to have as kids. This is without a doubt one of the more affluent examples of the classic corner lounge we could find and it’s designed for entertaining. It’s not quite a cinema seat per se, but it certainly has all the trimmings of a classic sleepover movie night experience, which is its own comfort in times like these.
The low price is indicative enough of the quality you’ll be seated upon, that being said, the retro callback to our youths and the infinite positions to find oneself while lounging and watching a classic movie is enough of a reason to give this the runner-up position on our list.
It’s made with good solid timber, is completely customisable for colour which is nice, but lower marks due to the recliners being present in the end seats only, which is yet another call-back to the days of old where those were the best seats in the house for movie night. The sheer size of the lounge is also a massive factor for entertaining, as the 8-seats are spread and decent enough to ensure you’ll be enjoying your socially distanced guests adequately.
The site is rather well-crafted for what it is, they’re your classic designer look at a budget price which you can’t go wrong with if you’re looking for a little more quantity for your buck.
#3 Dutch Leather Theatre Setting – Domayne
–         $5999
Now we’re getting into the big leagues in terms of pricing with the Domayne exclusive Dutch Leather Theatre Setting. This decadent ensemble is reminiscent of the classic European style boutique cinemas with the price to back it up. The quality is apparent though, without a doubt one of the finer examples of upholstering on the list and with electric smoothness of the recliner is without a doubt a beneficial one and reminds us of the more Gold Class experiences from our youth.
While the quality is assuredly beautiful, we couldn’t get past the price tag for what you get to out it in the top spot but being so enamoured with the feeling and the genuine tensile strength of the material, it’s hard to skip over it.
Domayne is well renowned for their quality assurances and being one of the larger furniture distributors in Australia, they have a lot going for them in terms of competitive edge and price matching. Not to even mention their robust shipping policy and returns, they have a wide and eclectic collection of alternatives for your average lounge set up which is great for looking around and seeing what you find.
#4 Eastwood Recliner Theatre Lounge – Sydney Furniture Factory
–         $1999
Undoubtedly this is the one for someone on a budget, but without an issue with the quality in our eyes. The Eastwood Recliner Theatre Lounge from the Sydney Furniture Factory is not a bad lounge by any means, quite the contrary, for the price you pay you’re getting one heck of a good deal – especially when it’s on sale.
There is a certain degree of customisation available with this range of recliners with some nifty little features that are uniquely SFF. Not the least of which being the storage consoles present in each armrest which allow easy access for snacks and remote controls which will save many arguments on where the remote has gone.
The other decent features surrounding this nifty budget cinema option is the degree of quality of what you’re getting for the price you pay, while it may not be winning any design awards anytime soon, there’s an air of sophistication that cannot be denied from its presence, the ease in reclining is certainly a wonderful one.
SFF is well known for its determination for keeping the budget under control and consistently have sales, so if you’re a group of students or budget-savvy family member looking for the cinematic feeling without all the trimmings, then we can’t send you anywhere else.
#5 King Cloud III 3 Seater Smart Lounge – King Living
–         $9712
From the very low to the very high, the King Cloud III 3 Seater Smart Lounge from King Living is as regal and overly rambunctious as you can imagine. If you’re looking for the ultimate in decadence and overture, then look no further than this nifty number. Costing a cool 10 grand is one thing, you expect the trimmings to be plentiful, and admittedly they are.
Featuring stylish and premium quality leather, the recline goes into a more bed-like formation for ultimate comfort while watching your favourite flick, and the smart consoles are simply something else to behold. We just couldn’t get over the price for such an addition to the household when you could be utilising the money for a sweeter screen and a much more affordable recliner cinematic experience (see our number 1 for a good reference).
However, we have to give credit where credit is due, this is one delightfully decadent lounge and like looking at homes we cannot afford, one must have a gander at this beautiful display and enjoy it for what it is. You’re not paying the money for nothing of course, the features of smart pockets which can offer a surround sound experience or a side table at the flick of a switch is quite delightful, but again, we cannot justify the price unless you have the money ready to go.
Well, there you have it, your top 5 best recliner seats for the home cinematic experience, we’ve covered the very mundane to the extraordinarily luxurious, and everything in between. We know everyone has a different experience with this and will of course have your own opinions and biases – particularly with our nostalgic pick for number 2. In the end, whatever you decide to opt for, ensure you have enough left for the screen of your dreams and the sound system to go with it, a movie theatre is only as good as the silver in the screen.
