Lift Chair vs Recliner: What's the Actual Difference?

A Mobility Plus buying guide, family-run and Kiwi-owned since 2005.

Quick answer: A lift chair has electric motors that tilt the whole seat forward and raise you towards standing. A recliner reclines, and that is all it does. That one difference, whether the chair helps you get out of it, is what almost everybody is really shopping for. If you can still stand unaided and you simply want somewhere comfortable to sit, a manual recliner is the better buy and it costs less. If standing up is the hardest part of your day, you want a lift chair.

Both types sit in the same corner of our Putaruru showroom and from across the room they look almost identical. The difference is in what happens when you pull the handle, or press the button.

What actually makes a lift chair different from a recliner?

A recliner moves backwards. Pull the handle on the outside arm and the backrest drops while the legrest comes up. It is a very good chair to be in. It does nothing at all to help you get out of it.

A lift chair does everything a recliner does and then one more thing. Press the up button and the whole seat tilts forward and rises, so instead of pushing yourself up from a low seat with your knees and arms, the chair delivers you to a near standing position and you take the last small step yourself.

That is the entire difference. Everything else, the fabric, the number of motors, the zero gravity position, only matters once you have answered that first question.

One point of confusion worth clearing up: a powered recliner is still just a recliner. A motor that reclines the back is not the same as a motor that lifts the seat. If the description does not say lift, rise or stand assist, the chair will not help you up.

Do I really need a lift chair, or would a recliner do?

We tell people to buy the recliner more often than you would expect, and we mean it.

A manual recliner is the better buy if:

• You can get out of an ordinary dining chair without pushing off the arms.
• You are buying for comfort, an afternoon nap or a sore back, not for a mobility problem.
• Nobody in the house has had a fall, or a near fall, in the moment of standing up.
• Budget is tight and the difference is better spent on something else.

A lift chair earns its cost if:

• Standing up takes two or three goes, or a rock forward to build momentum.
• Somebody has to pull you up, or you avoid low chairs entirely because getting out is too hard.
• Knees, hips or shoulders hurt when you push up.
• There is a carer doing the lifting. Their back matters too.
• You are recovering from a hip or knee replacement and have been told not to load the joint.

If you are somewhere in the middle, be honest about which direction things are heading. A lift chair bought now usually gets used for years. A recliner bought now sometimes gets replaced in eighteen months.

The manual chairs we stock are the La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Rocker Recliner at $1,799.95, which reclines and rocks from a handle on the outside arm and locks steady when you want it still, and the La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Mobile Recliner at $3,199.95, which is the same chair on a wheeled base. Both come in iClean stain-resistant fabric in Charcoal, Twilight or Hunter, or in Flint PU, which is the option to choose if the chair needs to be wiped down rather than laundered. Spills sit on the surface instead of soaking in.

What do single, dual, three and four motor mean?

Motor count only describes how independently the parts of the chair move. More motors is not automatically better, it is just more adjustable.

• Single motor, three position. The backrest and legrest move together on one track. Four useful settings: lifted, reading, relaxing, napping. Fewer parts, fewer things to go wrong. The Pride C-101 at $1,795 is ours, rated to 147kg with a 51cm seat.
• Dual motor. Back and legs move separately. Legs up with the back still upright, or all the way flat. This is what "infinite position" means.
• Three motor. Adds tilt in space, which tips the seat and back together as one unit. That is how a chair reaches the zero gravity position.
• Four motor. Adds a powered headrest and powered lumbar on top of the back and legs. Genuinely useful if you sit for long stretches and want to change your neck and lower back position without moving everything else. The Theorem Mercer from $2,695 is a quad motor chair, and it is the smallest footprint we carry.

If motors are the thing you are stuck on, there is a longer walkthrough on our lift chair motors guide.

What does infinite position actually mean?

It sounds like marketing language. It is not, quite.

A three position chair stops at preset points because one motor drives both the back and the legs. An infinite position chair has a motor for each, so you can stop either one anywhere you like and combine them however you want. Legs elevated with the back upright for swollen ankles while you watch television. Back flat with the legs down. Anything in between.

In practice it matters most to people who sit in the chair for hours rather than minutes, and to anyone who needs their legs up for circulation but does not want to lie back to get there. The Pride LC-107 at $2,895 does this on a steel frame with a 51cm seat and a 51cm seat height, and the Infinite Position Power Lift Chair from $1,899.95 is the more affordable version, rated to 150kg with a 44cm seat.

What is a zero gravity chair?

Zero gravity is a body position, not a brand. Instead of the chair simply reclining backwards, the seat and back tilt together so your knees end up level with or above your heart, with your back at a gentle open angle.

The point of it is pressure and circulation. Your weight spreads across a much larger area instead of concentrating under your seat bones, load comes off the lower spine, and fluid drains out of the lower legs rather than pooling there. If you have swelling in the ankles by the end of the day, this is the position that helps.

It needs a third motor to do it properly. The Zero Gravity Electric Lift Chair from $2,099.99 has three motors and tilt in space, is rated to 150kg, and has a removable backrest which makes getting it through a hallway considerably easier. The La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Platinum at $4,299.95 reaches the same position with a twin motor lift and a one piece seat and back, rated to 160kg.

You will also see this called Trendelenburg. Same position, clinical name.

What is a wall-hugger, and how much room do I need behind the chair?

A standard recliner or lift chair pivots the backrest down and back, so the top of the chair swings towards the wall. You need clear space behind it or the chair will not fully recline.

A wall-hugger works differently. As the back goes down, the whole seat slides forward on its base, so the top of the backrest stays roughly where it was. That is what lets a wall-hugger sit close to the wall, typically needing only 15 to 30cm behind it rather than 40cm or more.

Be careful here, because it is a term that gets used loosely. What you actually want is the manufacturer's published wall clearance figure for the specific model, not the label. We publish it where we have it: the Pride LC-358XL needs 48cm behind it and is 100cm wide overall, which is a genuinely useful pair of numbers when you are deciding whether it fits between the window and the heat pump. For the models where we do not publish a figure, ring us and we will get it from the supplier before you order rather than after.

Two other measurements worth taking while the tape is out: the narrowest doorway the chair has to come through, and the width of the space it will live in. Most of our chairs are between 76cm and 100cm wide.

Lift chairs and recliners compared

Everything below is on our site now. Prices are NZD and include GST.

If you want to filter all of this by seat height, lift height and room needed, our compare lift chairs table puts every powered chair side by side, and the lift chairs range page groups them by what people actually need them for.

What if the chair needs to move around the house?

This one comes up in care settings and in homes where somebody spends most of the day in the chair and needs to be moved to the window, or out of the way.

The La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Mobile Recliner is a manual recliner on a wheeled base with central braking and a track lock, so it rolls where it is needed and parks securely once it gets there. Safe working load 120kg, 50cm seat width, 55cm seat height, overall 830 x 960 x 1100mm. It does not lift you towards standing, so if that is the requirement this is not the chair. What it does solve is the chair that has to be repositioned by one person without dragging it across the carpet.

Can a lift chair be funded in New Zealand?

Sometimes, yes. Mobility Plus is a registered vendor with Enable New Zealand, ACC and MSD / Work and Income, and we provide formal written quotes for occupational therapists at no charge, itemised the way the funder wants them.

Worth knowing: funders assess need, not comfort. A powered lift chair can be considered where standing is genuinely unsafe or impossible without help. A recliner bought for comfort will not be funded, and we would rather tell you that up front than have a quote knocked back. There is more detail on our Enable lift chair funding page and in our WINZ and ACC funding guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a lift chair and a recliner?

A recliner drops the backrest and raises the legrest. A lift chair does that too, and also tilts the entire seat forward and upward to bring you towards standing. The lift function is the only real difference. A powered recliner is still a recliner if the motor only reclines it.

Is a lift chair worth it if I can still stand up on my own?

Usually not. If you can get out of a dining chair without pushing off the arms, you are paying for a motor you will not use. A manual recliner will be more comfortable per dollar. Buy the lift chair when standing takes more than one attempt, hurts, or needs someone else's help.

Do lift chairs recline all the way flat?

Dual motor and infinite position chairs do, because the back and legs move independently. Single motor three position chairs recline to a napping position but not fully flat, since one motor drives both parts on a fixed track. Check the motor count if lying flat matters to you.

How many motors does a lift chair actually need?

Most people are well served by two. Single motor suits someone who wants simple controls and mainly needs the lift. Three motors add the zero gravity tilt for pressure relief and swollen legs. Four motors add a powered headrest and lumbar, which is worth it if you sit in the chair for hours at a time.

What is a wall-hugger lift chair?

A wall-hugger slides the seat forward on its base as the backrest goes down, so the chair can sit close to the wall and typically needs only 15 to 30cm behind it. A standard chair swings the backrest towards the wall and needs more. Always check the published clearance for the specific model rather than relying on the label.

Can a recliner be wheeled around the house?

Yes. The La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Mobile Recliner is a manual recliner on a wheeled base with central braking and a track lock, rated to a 120kg safe working load with a 50cm seat. It moves easily and parks securely, but it has no powered lift, so it is a comfort and repositioning solution rather than a stand assist one.

Do lift chairs still work in a power cut?

The ones we stock with battery backup do. Chairs including the Pride range, the Infinite Position, Heavy-Duty and Zero Gravity models have a backup battery so the chair returns to the seated position if the power goes out. Check the listing before you buy, because not every lift chair on the market has it.

Can I get a lift chair funded in New Zealand?

Possibly. Enable New Zealand, ACC and MSD may contribute where a powered lift chair is needed because of a disability or injury, and you will generally need an occupational therapist assessment and a formal written quote. We are a registered vendor with all three and provide quotes free of charge. Comfort recliners are not funded.

Still deciding? Have a sit in one

The honest answer to most of this is that you will know within thirty seconds of sitting in the chair. Our Putaruru showroom is open by appointment if you would like to try a lift chair and a recliner back to back, and delivery is free NZ-wide on most of the range.

If you are buying for a parent and cannot get them to the showroom, ring Kellie on 022 022 9956 or email info@mobilityplus.co.nz. Tell us how they currently get out of their chair, their weight, and the width of the space the chair will live in, and we will tell you which one fits, including when the cheaper option is the right one.

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