10 of the best armchairs Follow TelegraphPics on Twitter Receive updates every time we produce a new picture galleryIf your tired armchair just won’t cut it another year, get settled in with these ten options for great comfort and style in the living room. With most in the £500-1000 range, a good armchair should be seen as an investment. If matching your existing décor is a concern, go for a chair that comes with plenty of upholstery choices, or removable cushions you could change over time. Also look for a wood frame, a sprung seat and foam cushions that can hold shape over time. Guarantees, as ever, are a good reassurance that your chosen chair is robust. Finally, check delivery options carefully if you want to get your chair by a certain date. As with most large and bulky furniture, there can be long lead times as certain products are made to order. 1. John Lewis Mario Armchair: £889, John Lewis The strong silhouette of the Mario armchair is its stand-out feature – its flared arms and high back look particularly striking upholstered in an inky blue.
The chair’s hardwood frame is robust and man-made (John Lewis guarantee it for 10 years) and the comfortable cushions are a mix of foam and fibre. Dark wood legs and a coil-sprung seat raise the level of this chair’s quality too. 2. Oliver Bonas 1958 Armchair: £585, Oliver Bonas Oliver Bonas’s 1958 armchair is a fresh and light-hearted take on mid-century style and icons from this popular era can demand some eye-watering prices. The cushions stay in shape thanks to a foam core, and deliver on comfort with an inner layer of duck feathers. The covers are made from quality Designers Guild fabric in a rainbow of seven bright colours – from hot pink to cobalt blue. 3. George Home Natalie Armchair: £395, Asda The typical style of this armchair is one you’ll see in many versions – George Home’s Natalie chair makes a good stab of it for the price. It delivers on traditional charm with a wide seat, high back, pleated details on the arms and wooden feet with brass castors.
The chair has a wood frame and is handmade in the UK. Its soft upholstery fabric comes in six neutral colours. 4. Laura Ashley Burlington Leather Chair: from £750, Laura Ashley The granddaddy of armchairs on our list has to be the Burlington by Laura Ashley. Designed to “resemble a family heirloom” it has generous dimensions and comes in eight types of leather that will age naturally over time. To keep it affordable, the cushions have been filled with polyester fibre which requires regular plumping and turning. The sprung seat adds an extra level comfort. 5. Neptune George Armchair: From £910, Neptune Neptune’s George armchair has a balance of tradition and modernity that should make it at home in most interiors. Its boxy profile, mid-height back and low sunken arms are all contemporary updates to the familiar style. Upholstery fabric ranges from lightweight linens to tartan wools. The legs come in a choice of dark or pale oak. 6. Swoon Editions Merano Armchair: £579, Swoon Editions
The exacting right angles of this contemporary armchair by Swoon Editions are softened up by three cushions for back and sides. It has a sturdy birch frame and wooden legs, and has cushion covers that can be removed. With 32 fabrics including on-trend velvet and more traditional brushed cotton, there’s plenty of scope for making it your own. Delivery is free and takes 10-12 weeks. 7. Ikea Ekenäset Armchair: £150, Ikea Just as we got used to Ikea’s incredible prices, the Swedish furniture giant surprised us all with the stunningly bargainous Ekenäset armchair. A revamp of an original 1950s Ikea design, the chair has a laid-back style with birch frame and fixed cushions upholstered in grey fabric. It’s not the kind of chair you can sink into for hours, but a great compact piece for guests, bedrooms or those kitting out their first home. 8. Loaf Swagamuffin Armchair: £945, Loaf As with all Loaf’s sofas and armchairs, the Swagamuffin has exaggerated dimensions that give it a cosy and overly plump appearance.
Everything has been designed for comfort, including a deep seat and foam cushions wrapped in feathers. Curved arms and a buttoned back keep things refined. This chair has a wooden frame with a 10-year guarantee and it’s made in the UK. ’s most popular products is the Peggy armchair – which reminds us more of a cocktail or club chair with its retro looks. Its curved arms, cylindrical wood legs, shallow seat and slanted back combine for a petite but elegant chair that can be customised in a huge range of prints, patterns and textures. The frame has a lifetime guarantee and delivery takes four to six weeks. 10. Arlo & Jacob Wallis Armchair: From £685, Arlo & Jacob The name “Wallis” hints at the glamorous 1930s figure who could have influenced the design of this armchair. The high, fluted back is a nod to American member’s clubs of the era, but soft modern styling keeps the armchair from looking like an antique. All Arlo and Jacob products have a hardwood frame with a lifetime guarantee and are made by hand in Derbyshire.
For an armchair you can really relax in, the high-backed Mario armchair from John Lewis is top for comfort. In a neutral colour, its timeless style should see you through even as your interior tastes change. is rated highly by customers for its reasonable price and good quality.Curl up with a book in our pick of the 10 best comfy armchairs Friday 6 March 2015 Last modified on Tuesday 20 September 2016Curling up with a good book is a pleasure that few of us get to enjoy in this hectic, always-on, perpetually-connected, 24-hour-news-cycle world. Readers rarely can take the time to savor the words of great minds, or even just enjoy the mental saccharine of popular brain candy books; be they trashy romance or outrageous thrillers. Worse, even when we get to finally sit and relax with our favorite tome, too often discomfort can spoil the experience, leaving us happy with the literature, but suffering from the tortuous pain of a bad reading chair.If you’re one of the bibliomaniacs out there who is developing bad posture from the wrong sitting apparatus, perhaps we can be of assistance with the 18 best reading chairs.
Minimal Expense: Seeing is believing when it comes to the POÄNG series of furniture from IKEA. Deceptively cheap, it’s easy to dismiss these pieces, but once you try out the bentwood frames in your choice of rocker or standard, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the comfort, and downright shocked at how elegant they look in person. Made in your choice of fabric or leather, there’s no downside to be had. [Amazing setup by Katy at TheCleverBunny]Dauntless: Don’t think, just sit. This chair virtually calls out to passers-by to come and relax. Sock arms, wedged legs, and a semi-attached pillow; it comes in sleeper varieties if you expect company, or you can simply enjoy the standard flavor in your choice of customizable colors.At the Abbey: Perfect for John Bates to rest his weary leg, the Chesterfield armchair harkens back to 18th century England, but it’s far from archaic. Rolled arms and deep button tufting add style to any home, and the feather and deep foam cushions will give any rump a pliant rest for reading.
Just Like Mom’s: A little more rigid than most of our favorite reading chairs, this has a relaxed yet ready feel. The ‘50’s cut might make it seem a little dated, but once you throw your legs over the side and dig into a volume, it’ll feel like home in moments.Dorm Dreams: Wrapped in velvet or phur, you can get multiple covers for every occasion, then mold The BigOne into whatever shape suits your home and your reading style. At 8 feet in diameter and sitting 3 feet off the floor, this is the throne of beanbag chairs.Post-Modern: Behind the sharp angularity of the Oculus is a deep seat with very gently sloped arms that puts you in a comfortable power pose, cradling your back and neck. From Hans J. Wegner, the Oculus is good for minimalists who prize plenty of padding.American Custom: There’s few things more American than a recliner, but they’re not typically good for browsing through a book. Using a leverless fabric body with walnut legs, the Dalton’s clean lines can go anywhere, taking the option to lay back or go bolt upright along with it.
The Professor: Slung low and deep, the Churchill feels more like sitting in a cigar and whiskey bar than in your house, but once you’re enveloped in the plush leather and the plump cushioning, you’ll be eager to stay for as long as it takes to finish all of Narnia’s Chronicles.Flower Child: Capturing the essence of the summer of love, the Sling uses suspended webbing to give you a sense of sitting on air with just enough structure from the hardwood lines to add in a feeling of solidity and security.Traditional: Crafted in the same way for 30 years, the Rocker is made out of hand-stretched saddle leather that has been vegetable tanned to perfection. When seated, the chair draws around the reader thanks to mortise and tenon joints. The result is a perfect fit for every person.Body Sculpture: The curves of the LC4 are meant to mimic that of the human body so as you rest on it, you are smoothly and naturally supported. The only challenge is not falling asleep while you dig through Proust’s dense prose.
Throwback: Vintage 60’s style in plenty of eye-popping colors, the yasmin is low and deep, putting your back and shoulders at the right angle for reading without straining your neck or ruining your décor. The teacup shape can be tiring, so add in an ottoman, or just get up and move on occasion.A Little English: Inspired by the English club chair, Ray and Charles Eames use molded plywood to create a frame that is comfortable and rustic, but also soft and supple. Like a favorite baseball mitt, it’s heaven for long sitting sessions.Privacy Perch: When you plant your backside into the Majestic, you’ll feel like peasants should bow and scrape before you. Volute scrollwork lines the exterior while the wings and immense back prevent anyone from reading over your shoulder.Matched Set: An homage to the 1970’s, you’ll find yourself flopping onto these again and again merely because they beg for you to do so. Use one alone or combine them to create your own little book nook, the brown leather and tight stitching might be the only good thing to come from the Disco Decade.Patio Perusing: Part of Harry Bertoia’s 1952 wire collection, this Chaise is intended for reading by the pool or out on your terrace.