Recliner Construction Springs Forward

by: Michael O'Brien

From mattresses and sofas to chairs and recliners, when it comes to quality construction, the spring is the thing. No matter how fine the fabric or how well built the frame, a poor choice of springs can drastically reduce the usable life of a recliner or sofa. Poorly made recliners are characterized by cheaply made motion mechanisms and poor spring support. When looking at how a recliner is constructed, it is important to look beyond the fabric and the foam.

Before steel springs were introduced, upholstered furniture design relied on a different type of construction then we see today. Since fabric on frame furniture first appeared, many different materials have been used to create seats and backings. Early fabric furniture used webbing that would woven in a cross hatch or lattice pattern. The webbing was made from a variety of materials including burlap jute, hemp or similar fiber material. The lattice weave is strong but only as strong its attachment to the frame of the chair and the material used.

These fiber-based materials, while strong, would eventually weaken with age. A rather robust industry sprang up around furniture recovering and replacing the seat webbing was usually part of the restoration process. It is not uncommon to find older fabric on frame furniture that uses a combination of fabric webbing and coils springs in the seat. The coils would be laced together with jute twine and cotton batting, foam or other padding would be placed on top. Over time the lacing weakens, allowing the coils to shift out of place causing the seat to fail.

In the late 1800’s, metal springs began to appear in a variety of fabric furniture pieces, railroad seats and carriages seats. The two most common types of springs used in furniture manufacturing include zigzag springs. Zigzag or sinuous springs are made from heavy steel spring wire. The spring wire is heated and formed into a continuous series of “S” shapes. The several factors affect the stiffness of a sinuous spring including the thickness of the spring wire. After being cut into the proper length, the springs are attached to the frame using specially-designed metal clips.

Once attached to the furniture frame, the springs are often cross tied to add stability and keep the springs from shifting laterally. The springs are then covered with foam padding and fabric creating what is commonly referred to as a seat deck.

Heavy Duty Recliners

A growing segment of the recliner market is in what are commonly referred to as big man, heavy duty and plus size recliners. In addition to a specially designed recliner mechanism, a properly constructed heavy duty recliner may feature a combination of spring materials. As with any type of chair, the seat deck of the recliner must support more weight than the arms, back and head rest of the recliner.

While some heavy duty recliners are built with sinuous springs, others use a drop-in coil spring assembly under the spring seat deck. Drop-in coil springs distribute weight more evenly and are supported by the recliner mechanism and frame box. This gives drop-in coil springs a big advantage over sinuous springs. The small metal clips used to attach the sinuous spring to the recliner frame are often held in by a single screw and often fail at the point where the spring is attached to the frame. Sinuous springs are still used in the seat back of the recliner.

When shopping for heavy duty or big man recliner, look past the style and the color and get to the heart of the chair. Remember, the springs are the thing.

About the Author

Michael O'Brien is Staff Writer for HeavyDutyRecliners.com