Start With How You Actually Read

Most people choose an armchair the way they choose a coat: they sit in it for ninety seconds, decide it feels lovely, and take it home. Reading, though, is a marathon rather than a sprint. A chair that feels pleasant for five minutes can leave your lower back aching by chapter three, and the discomfort arrives so gradually that you blame the book rather than the seat.

Before you look at a single fabric swatch, spend a week noticing your reading habits. Do you sit upright with a hardback propped on your knees, or do you curl sideways with a paperback and a mug of tea balanced on the arm? Do you tuck one foot underneath you? Do you nod off after twenty minutes? Do you read by a window in the morning and under a lamp at night? The answers will point you towards a shape far more reliably than any showroom display.

Seat Depth and Seat Height: The Measurements That Decide Everything

Seat depth — the distance from the front edge of the cushion to the base of the backrest — is the most common reason a chair disappoints. Too deep and you slide forward to keep your feet on the floor, which rounds your lower spine and strains your neck. Too shallow and you perch on the edge with nothing supporting the backs of your thighs.

The rule of thumb is to leave roughly 5–8 cm between the back of your knees and the front edge of the seat. For most adults between about 1.65 m and 1.80 m, that means a seat depth of 50–56 cm. If you are shorter, look for 46–51 cm; if you are taller, 56–61 cm. Measure yourself sitting against a wall with your back flat and your feet on the floor — it takes two minutes and saves months of fidgeting.

Seat height matters just as much. Aim for a seat top 40–45 cm from the floor so your feet rest flat and your knees sit level with, or slightly below, your hips. If you like to tuck your feet up, a slightly lower front edge helps. And if you plan to read with a footstool — which I would encourage — keep it no higher than the seat itself, or it will tip your pelvis backwards.

Back Support, Recline and the Reading Slump

A reading chair needs to hold you in a position your body can maintain for an hour without complaint. Look for a backrest that rises to at least the top of your shoulder blades, and ideally one with a gentle lumbar curve around 15–20 cm above the seat. Flat backs encourage slouching; over-stuffed ones push your head forward.

Recline is a matter of taste. Somewhere between 100 and 110 degrees from vertical suits most readers — enough to take weight off the spine, not so much that you need to strain your neck to look down. A headrest should meet the base of your skull, not the middle of it; if it pushes your chin towards your chest, the chair is too tall for you.

Consider your cushioning in layers. A firm high-resilience foam base with a softer top layer keeps its shape better than a single deep squishy pad, which will develop a hollow where you sit within a year or two.

Armrests, Wings and the Small Comforts

• Armrest height: around 20–25 cm above the seat so your shoulders stay relaxed and your forearms rest naturally while holding a book.
• Armrest width: enough to rest a mug or a pair of glasses on, but not so wide that you have to lean sideways to reach them.
• Wings and high sides: genuinely useful in a draughty Victorian terrace or beside a window, and they help contain lamp light. They can feel enclosing in a small room, so try before committing.
• Footstool: a matching stool turns a good chair into a great one, particularly if you read for two hours at a stretch.

Fabric, Frame and Durability

An armchair built for long reading sessions takes a beating: elbows, shoulders, the backs of heels, and the occasional spilled tea. Look for upholstery with a Martindale rub count of at least 20,000 for general domestic use, and 25,000 or more if the chair sits in sunlight or a busy room. Tight weaves in linen blends, wool mixes and brushed cotton wear well and can often be spot-cleaned; loose weaves snag on buttons and jewellery.

Underneath the fabric, the frame matters more than the label. A kiln-dried hardwood frame with dowelled, glued and corner-blocked joints will outlast softwood held together with staples. Give a display chair a gentle shake — a sturdy frame stays silent, while a creaking one is telling you something. Removable, washable covers are a practical luxury if pets or grandchildren share the house.

Finally, think about colour with the room in mind. A deep green, navy or rust reads as a considered library choice and hides a multitude of sins; a pale cream looks wonderful until the first mug of coffee.

Try Before You Buy — and Plan Where It Will Live

Wherever possible, sit in the chair for at least fifteen minutes. Take a book. Read a chapter. Notice whether your lower back is supported, whether your neck aches, whether your feet stay planted.

Then plan its position. Reading light should come over your shoulder rather than from behind the page or straight into your eyes. Allow at least 30 cm behind the chair for recline and a clear route to a side table within easy reach of your dominant hand. Get those details right and the chair stops being furniture — it becomes the place where whole evenings quietly disappear.