The Science of Seating

My arse has been very busy over the past couple of months auditioning dozens of different recliners and couches for the job in my HT.

Being 6'3" is a bit of a problem when it comes to HT recliners as 95% of them don't have a high enough back to support your head when in the reclined position, which puts a lot of strain on the neck as it has to hold up your head for the entire movie.

After an exhaustive search of almost every furniture store in Sydney, I found the following leather recliners that fitted the basic criteria of being suitable for my height:

Moran Galaxy HT Recliners (score 6/10)

• very comfy
• very bulky, huge armrests and storage cabins
• too expensive ($8k for just 2 seats)

Natuzzi Cinema System (score 7/10)

• very stylish and funky, looked like it was a prop in the Jetsons
• great build quality and very comfy
• has massage and motorised options, though the massage option wasn't as comfy for normal sitting as there was less cushioning.
  
• too expensive (over $10k for 4 seats without the massage or motorised options)

Plush Telecast (score 7/10)

• very comfy
  
• dubious build quality (made in China). Felt cheap, looked average.
  
• has motorised option on the single seat recliners
• limited choice of very bland colours
• the metal frame sat directly on the floor, which would have scratched the hell out of my beautiful hardwood floorboards
  
• relatively inexpensive (around $5k for 4 seats + another $600 for two motorised actions)

Topform Nouveau recliners (score 8/10)

• extrememly comfy
• attractive styling, although for some strange reason, my wife didn't care for their styling
• great Aussie-made build quality
• long wait time for manufacturing & delivery
• very expensive, about $2000 per seat

La-Z-Boy recliners (score 8/10)

• extremely comfy, the most comfortable of the lot
• outdated styling, looked like grandma & grandpa chairs. There was one or two styles that I thought were acceptable, but none were what you'd call stylish
• available in 3 different sizes to suit different people (his & hers sizes)
• also comes with rocking chair functionality, which I don't like
  
• reasonable pricing (about $1000 per seat)

Pegar Denver recliners (score 9/10)

• extremely comfy, almost as good as the La-Z-Boys
• great Aussie-made build quality. Uses flat springs and quality cushioning, as well as good quality leather
• optional adjustable headrests similar to those in cars. These headrests did a better job of keeping my head in a relaxed movie-watching position than anything else
• styling is a little boxy, but still reasonably stylish
• good choice of leather options and colours
• beautiful, wide timber feet so they won't scratch the floorboards
• optional timber "swivel tables" on the armrests are much nicer than tacky cup holders.
• reasonable pricing, about $6200 for 5 seats in higher grade leather including 3 headrests and 2 swivel tables
  

In the end, the decision was quite simple, I put my order in for the Pegar Denver in a "Shiraz" colour, which is a very deep burgundy. The configuration that I ordered was a 3 seat row of HT recliners with headrests, as well as a separate 2 seat non-reclining couch. They should arrive in about 6 weeks.

I received plenty of useful feedback from AnthonyC on the DTV forum who has also posted some pics of his HT which feature these recliners. Click this link to go to Anthony's thread containing his photos.

UPDATE:
The picture to the left is the seating configuration that I have gone for.