We Found the 9 Best Reclining Sectionals for Every Family Movie Night

Though we were happy to scour the internet for the best reclining sectionals, Helmuth highly recommends trying them out in person whenever possible. "Even if you can return it, it's bulky and super cumbersome to do so," Helmuth says, alluding to those who just purchase the couch online without ever testing it. It's even better if you can have multiple family members test the sectional out because people need different kinds of support. Whoever will be sitting on the sectional should get a say in the final purchase. Helmuth shares that when she was shopping for her sectional, she and her husband had different sentiments about the designs they tried. "All the decision-makers whose comfort you deeply care about should be sitting on these things and weighing in [with their opinions]," she advises.

Colors and Styling: Like any sectional sofa you'd purchase for your home, styling is a crucial part of having it blend well with your space. Goerzen recommends layering with pillows in the corners or adding a decorative throw blanket. You can even experiment with the color of the sectional itself, from a rust-orange tone to an olive green or even some trendy neutrals. "I would choose a colorway that's reflective of your style palette with the rest of your home," Goerzen says. "There are a lot of great options, from bolder [hues like dark green and navy] to more neutral [shades] to on-trend weaves."

Design and Fabric: When it comes to the fabric of the sectional itself, look for sleek and tailored cushioning to minimize that bulky silhouette. "I typically advise folks to go for a softer fabric like chenille, maybe even something with a texture, over a leather," Goerzen says. "I think the leather can run that more dated aesthetic." It's still possible to have a sophisticated leather sectional in your home, however. Focus on the silhouette to keep the elegance. Don't neglect how the arms of the sectional look, either: slimmer ones are your friend. "Something about the roll arm combined with the reclining sectional feels heavier, kind of blockier at home, [whereas] the clean lines, I think, are what really elevate the look and feel [of a sectional]," Goerzen says.

Since reclining sectionals tend to be a very large piece of furniture, it's important to think about how it fits into your floor plan before you purchase one. Goerzen says a great starting point is to physically tape off the dimensions of the sectional to see how much space it'll take up in your home. "As you're taping it off, I would consider what size coffee table you have," Goerzen says. "Where is the reclining portion relative to your coffee table or anything else in front of it? [You're] just making sure that you're not having something that's really finicky every time you look to recline." If you have to reorganize your living room every time you want to lounge, this defeats the purpose of relaxing. As a rule of thumb, Goerzen says you'll want to have at least three feet of space in the walkway sections around your reclining sectional for optimal traffic flow. Between the reclining sectional and the coffee table, there should be about 18 inches of space. Make sure to measure the space behind your sectional, too. "A lot of people don't allot for space behind the sectional for the piece to actually recline," Helmuth adds. "They tend to be deeper than normal sofas, so you have to have the space to accommodate."

"This is going to be a family space," Helmuth says. "I know there's going to be spills. Everybody's going to be watching their movies. Often these [couches] have drink holders inside them, which is a recipe for disaster." Keeping a reclining sectional clean can be as simple as using a lint roller to collect blankets and clothing fibers. For more messes that build up over time, though, Goerzen recommends using a Dyson vacuum with a detachable arm and a pill remover once a month. "They are truly the best thing to keep the sofa looking like it's brand new again," Goerzen says. "I probably use mine once a month just to quickly go over the pills and remove those. It never damages the sofa."

Reclining sectionals can make for an extra cozy family movie night, so it makes sense that Goerzen typically weaves them into family rooms or basements while designing. Helmuth says to be extra thoughtful when purchasing a power recliner, however. They typically require electricity, so a cord will need to be plugged in, which can make things tricky if you want your sectional in the middle of the room. "If you have a really large basement or a really large family room or TV room, and you don't have center outlets in the floor or if you don't have in-floor outlets, there's going to be wires that you're going to have to walk over," Helmuth cautions.

As longtime shopping editors, we have spent quite a few years covering all things home, including furniture, and have interviewed countless interior designers about what makes a product worthy in your space. We have written about every couch and sofa topic under the sun, from the best Chesterfield sofas to the best down-filled options, so you can trust we've done our research when it comes to buying the best reclining sectionals. For this story, we spent hours combing through reviews and ratings and used our design eyes to pick out the most beautiful reclining sectionals on the market right now for House Beautiful readers.

We also chatted with a few interior designers to get their thoughts and advice on the subject. For this story, we consulted New York-based interior designer Betsy Helmuth and Heather Goerzen, director of content and design at Havenly. Helmuth is the owner of Uploft Interior Design, where she focuses on affordable interior design and runs an academy to teach aspiring interior designers. Meanwhile, Goerzen has a background in advertising and interior design. At Havenly, she combines her strategic storytelling with an impeccable eye for style to produce content for the brand.