Our Brutally Honest Review of Our Tyler Pottery Barn Recliner
A brutally honest, unbiased review of the Tyler Pottery Barn Recliner, its pros/cons to consider, if it’s worth the money, and why it’s not for everyone.
Our living room got a new addition in the form of Pottery Barn recliners a month ago, and I’ve never been so happy to lose a battle over furniture with my husband.
Rug | Coffee Table | Recliners | Lamps | End Tables | Fan | Sconces | Tree | Basket | Statue Planter | Pillow | Blanket | Fireplace Screen | TV
For four years, we stuck with our IKEA Stocksund chairs that served us well, but as comfortable as they were for the inexpensive price tag (they were great as far as IKEA goes), Robert had been dying for a recliner from Day 1.
We chose the Tyler Square Arm Down Blend Churchfield Camel Leather Recliner without Nailheads.
I wanted to wait a few weeks to share about them to give us time to break them in and see how they held up against our rough and rowdy bunch before completely formulating an opinion on them. There are some things we love about these Pottery Barn recliners and some things we’re not so keen on.
RELATED: You can see more of our favorite modern recliner chairs here.
So if you’ve ever had the Tyler recliners on your wish list, I broke down our totally unbiased, brutally honest review in a pros/cons list.
A Brutally Honest Review of Tyler Pottery Barn Recliners
The Pros
1. Comfort
- This recliner is legitimately the most comfortable high-leg recliner I’ve ever sat in. We were able to “test drive” the Tyler recliner in the Pottery Barn store and the moment we tried it out, we knew it was perfect. The down blend cushions are so soft that allow you to sink in with just enough support.
- The leather feels like butter! We chose the color Churchfield Camel, which is a warm, caramel brown made of 100% top grain leather.
2. The Sleek Design
- I love that the high leg design with the tailored clean lines make these chairs look modern and don’t scream “I’m a recliner!” the second you walk into a room.
- They’re not bulky unlike many other recliners out there so they don’t take up nearly as much space but are still roomy enough to be comfortable.
3. The Delivery
- I have heard of others not having the same experience as we did, but our white glove delivery service couldn’t have been better. The delivery guys showed up on time on the day we scheduled, set up our recliners, double checked everything with us, and went on their merry way. No issues. It’s possible ours was so smooth because we live near a major furniture hub in the Charlotte, NC area, so if you live far away from a distribution facility, your experience may differ.
The Cons
1. The Wear
- If you are a perfectionist, do not get these recliners. This is one of those chairs that requires you to embrace scuffs and natural wearing of leather. Our 8 year-old and 2 year-old have not been easy on the leather, despite us setting rules with them that they are not to horseplay on them or eat/drink on them. Our Yorkie mix dog hasn’t been gentle on them either. But we also knew they would show signs of life and patina over time. We’re okay with that.
- The cushions can start to look a little frumpy. Because they are down blend, the seats need some fluffing from time to time.
2. Limited Reclining Features
- There are only 3 positions on this particular Pottery Barn recliner, so if you like to have complete control of your recline, this one might not be the best choice. However, there is a power version that provides more versatility with that.
- You need a little bit of arm strength to force the seat back into recline since it is a push back style without a hand lever (again something the power recliner version can resolve). If you’re looking for a recliner well suited for someone elderly or very little strength, I’d steer clear of the manual one.
3. The Size
- This isn’t at all a problem for us, but the size could be a deal breaker for others. Robert and I are both 5′ 7″ and our heads just rest on the back of the chair. For anyone taller than 6′, the height of the chair back could be an issue. Thankfully, most brick and mortar stores carry this chair so you can try it out in store before buying.
4. The Price
In the end, this is definitely one of those you-get-what-you-pay-for kind of furniture purchases. For this specific Pottery Barn Tyler square arm recliner we chose, it cost $1,649 for one chair. These recliners were a splurge for us, but the down blend cushions and top grain leather make them worth the price.
However, Pottery Barn runs sales very frequently and typically the best time to buy is during the Buy More, Save More sale for 25% off.
Overall Pottery Barn Recliner Review
All in all, we are really happy with our decision to buy these recliners. I will say movie night at our house has never been sooooo comfortable! The girls cuddle up in them, and we are certainly breaking them in quickly.
We are getting a replacement for our sofa (that has caused back problems for Robert) with two matching sofas hopefully next month, so the recliners will move to facing the fireplace when those arrive for ample TV viewing. (By the way, you can see our brutally honest review of the Samsung Frame TV here too.)
Do you have a recliner you absolutely love?! Tell me your recs in the comments so we can keep this post going as a helpful resource.
That yummy warm leather does make it feel a touch more like fall in here, which I love. And really, it might be the only fall decorating we do this year with all of the construction still happening in the front of the house.
