Unbiased Review: Leather Pottery Barn Recliner 2 Years Later
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 2 years ago, and I’ve never been so happy to lose a battle over furniture with my husband.
I’m constantly asked about how we’ve liked these recliner chairs as we have lived with them the past couple of years. So we’ll dive into our brutally honest, unsponsored review.
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.
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.
How to Choose a Good Recliner Chair
Everyone’s opinion will differ, of course, because everyone’s style, comfort preference, and way of living is different.
When furniture shopping, consider the following for the perfect recliner chair:
- Aesthetically pleasing – a chair that won’t disrupt the decorating style in your room
- Comfort – considering how the chair feels in sitting, reclining, and lying positions
- Ease of use – fits into your lifestyle needs with features like a swivel, rising, power, or stationary
- Longevity – selecting quality upholstery made of a performance fabric or top grain leather that will last versus an upholstery that stains or damages easily
- Price – often recliners are priced to “get what you pay for”; consider if price or quality matters more to you and where you can compromise on your budget or features you want in a chair.
Why We Chose a Pottery Barn Leather Recliner
We bought the Tyler Square Arm Down Blend Churchfield Camel Leather Recliner without Nailheads because it ticked all of those boxes for us. Our recliners were delivered in July 2021.
- Low profile so they look like armchairs rather than recliners when in the upright position.
- Comfortable with soft yet supportive down blend cushions you can sink right into.
- High quality materials of top grain leather and down blend for super longevity.
- Classic design with clean lines that will stand the test of time and fits into many interior design styles.
I wanted 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.
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.
We bought these leather recliners ourselves, and my opinions are unbiased about them.
Pottery Barn Recliner Pros
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. The moment we tried it out, we knew it was perfect.
Supportive, Soft Cushions
The down blend cushions are so soft that allow you to sink in with just enough support. I highly recommend visiting a local Pottery Barn store so that you can try them out in person before deciding to purchase.
Soft Leather
The leather feels like butter! We chose the color Churchfield Camel, which is a warm, caramel brown made of 100% top grain leather.
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 look more like accent chairs with the square legs.
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.
Chair 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 team 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.
Pottery Barn Recliner Cons
Wear Over Time
Leather Patina
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 11 year-old and 5 year-old kids 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, so they do show signs of use.
But we also knew they would show signs of life and have a rich patina over time. We’re okay with that.
Maintenance Tip: To increase the longevity of your leather and improve its appearance with wear, use a leather protector care kit every 1-6 months, depending on how often you sit in your chairs.
Cushion Sagging
Over time, the cushions can start to look a little frumpy.
Because they are down blend, the seats need some fluffing from time to time and have a softer feel. But the upside is down blend cushions tend to last longer than regular foam cushions because they are higher quality. Even with down, they still have great cushion support.
Limited Reclining Features
There are only 3 positions on this particular Pottery Barn recliner. If you like to have complete control of your recline, this one might not be the best choice.
Power Recliner vs Manual Recliner
If you want a wide variety of reclining positions, 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. It’s hard to keep in a fully reclined position sometimes without a bit of extra force.
Size
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.
UPDATE: Pottery Barn now makes size options for a Tall Recliner (41″) and an Extra Tall Recliner (45″).
The standard size isn’t at all a problem for us, but the size could be a deal breaker for others. Robert and I are both about 5′ 7″ and our heads just rest on the back of the chair.
They’re also really heavy so it’s hard to move furniture.
High 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 currently costs $1,999 for one chair (at time of this posting).
These recliners were a splurge for us, but the down blend cushions and top grain leather make them worth the price due to their longevity.
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.
Warranty
Please note that the biggest negative of all is Pottery Barn does not offer a furniture warranty. Pottery Barn does, however, offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
Furniture companies like La-Z-Boy, on the other hand, have a lifetime warranty that covers mechanical parts, spring assembly, and frame parts for recliners.
The reason we chose Pottery Barn is because I much prefer the style of their recliner designs, and so far, after over 2 years, we’re still happy with the quality.
Overall Pottery Barn Tyler Recliner Chair Review
All in all, we are really pleased with our decision to buy these recliners. I will say movie night at our house has never been sooooo comfortable!
(By the way, you can see our brutally honest review of the Samsung Frame TV here too.)
Here is how the recliners looked in our living room after 1 month.
And here is how the recliners look in our living room after 2 years.
Do you have a recliner you absolutely love?! Tell me your recs or personal leather recliner reviews 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.
More Product Reviews for Your Living Room
Frequently Asked Questions
According to Forbes, the top rated recliner brands are West Elm, Pottery Barn, Latitude Run, Raymour & Flanigan, and Ashley Furniture. La-Z-Boy is top rated by Consumer Reports.
Quality recliners last about as long as sofas: 7 to 15 years. Leather chairs can last up to 20 years, especially ones made of heirloom quality leathers.
Power recliners usually last longer than manual recliners because of their gentle, controlled movements that create less wear on the mechanisms over time.
Your review came at a perfect time.
We just received a cloth recliner from Ashley. To begin with my elderly aunt has a lot of health problems & a Physical Therapist from home health evaluated her & her environment & recommended she get rid of her glider. He gave us guidelines on getting her a new chair based on her small frame & current physical problems as well as possible future limitations.
Following his advice we looked online then went to a few stores & ended up getting a higher seat with an electric control that makes it easier to get in & out of—-it is not a power recliner, she had one of those that was just way too big.
You are so right about making sure furniture “fits” the physique & needs of each person.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with your furniture buying as well as your home redos.
Your home looks lovely & light yet cozy.
Those new reclines are beautiful.
I have a La-Z-boy recliner that I just love. And it is over 20 years old, but in like new condition. I’m not sure what kind of fabric they used to make that recliner, but it is very nice. Not sure just when my second husband bought that chair. The one thing I would never do is buy leather or vinyl furniture again. I had a vinyl couch many years ago and it was miserable in the heat and humidity because the vinyl wanted to stick to me if I did not use a sheet or blanket between me and that oh so hated couch…
We were VERY close to going with La-Z-boy recliners! That was our second choice if we changed our mind on the PB ones.
I’m sorry, but I have to tell you, your white glove service wasn’t so great. The back legs of your recliners are on backwards. I checked by looking at Pottery Barn website to verify. 😉
Oh jeez, I just saw that too! Legs on backwards! Also, if these chairs are a few weeks old and already sagging cushions, they’re not going to look great in a year and will look 20 years old. I also don’t like the flap in the back when in the reclining position. For the hefty price, I think Blesser could have done a lot better. I don’t like these chairs at all.
My husband used to have one of those big puffy recliners that I totally disliked. When it broke he went shopping for another and we found the Ekornes Stressless Reno Classic recliner and ottoman. It’s untraditional in the way it looks and works but is the best recliner he has ever had. It was pricey but you pick your fabric or leather color (we too went with a caramel leather). We’ve had it for 10 years and looks like the day we bought it. The dogs also claim it ?
Your recliners look great! It’s so nice to be able to put your feet up without having to have ottomans/footstools. Also nice if you don’t feel well and want to recline but maybe also watch tv; sometimes it more comfortable to recline than to lie down completely on a sofa, especially if you want to have a drink handy next to you. I believe recliners for sure need to be sat in first. I am 5’4” and my husband is 6’ and long legged, and he definitely needs a higher seat than I do. We got him a new Smith Brothers leather recliner last year that he loves! Mine is an older microfiber that looks like distressed suede and they complement each other well as the colors are similar in tone and both have antique brass nail heads. Trying to remember the brand name of mine, thinking it’s Flexsteel. Mine is a power recliner and I don’t like having the cord show or how long it takes to lower the chair, but it’s sooo cozy! It’s five years old and still in great shape! New to Smith Brothers in recliners but we have had a sofa for several years and know they are great quality.
When my husband and I bought 2 recliners our nephew said, “you know you’re getting old when you buy matching recliners!”. Welcome to the world of the elderly, lol ! ?
Haha! I’ll just say we’re getting wiser. 😉