The best reading chairs should invite you to spend the day in true comfort. Of course, your chair should make a visual statement, but no one wants a crick in the neck or a sore lower back after a day of immersing yourself in your latest fiction obsession. As every avid reader knows, you can’t judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for reading chairs. Sure, the professionally shot images online may look enticing, but comfort and durability are two qualities you can only discover firsthand.
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A welcome addition to any living room, our top picks are cozy enough to curl up in yet supportive enough not to require adjusting your sitting position every few minutes or scrambling for the nearest lumbar pillow. Based on both style and enthusiastic reviews from our team of editors over the years, we narrowed our list of the best reading chairs down to what we consider to be the true cream of the crop. From an oversized silhouette that doubles as a sleeper chair to a small-space-friendly velvet armchair, our top picks mix the best affordable (yet still stylish) pieces with historical design icons worth the investment. Keep scrolling to find out which chair styles made it to the top of our list.
Best Slipcovered Reading Chair
Sixpenny is known for approaching high-quality comfort with a natural, simple, cozy, and eco-friendly eye. That’s certainly the case with the Neva chair, which ditches the traditional wood frame in favor of an entirely slipcovered design reminiscent of something you might’ve sat in as a kid at daycare, but this time it’s way more chic. Underneath the slipcover, you’ll find three different layers of high-density foam (for comfort and support) sandwiched between a mix of feather down and poly fill. The Neva silhouette is a bestseller for the brand—it’s unassuming in a space, but its structured lines and plush cushions make it stand out as a great-looking and especially comfy reading chair for your living room or bedroom. Buy it in faux fur, linen, velvet, or canvas, all available in a variety of colors (and see which combinations will work with your space beforehand with the 12 fabric swatches Sixpenny lets you order for free). It’s also available as a sectional sofa (which, yes, we’ve also reviewed!) if you want to pair your living room chair with something more substantial.
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Best Reading Chair for Posture
This slim silhouette doesn’t sacrifice comfort thanks to foam-filled cushions and performance velvet upholstery. With subtle piping around the arms, an attention to detail ensures the budget-friendly chair has an elevated look. Because the entire frame is upholstered, feel free to lean at any angle without hard edges in your way. It’s ideal for smaller living rooms or bedroom corners as it’s only 29 inches wide and less than 35 inches deep. Unlike other, more lounge-ready chairs on this list, Article’s Winslow chair offers a more upright seat. You won’t be able to lie back or stretch out, but the firm cushions ensure a productive reading session, not one you’ll have to worry about falling asleep during. An accompanying lumbar pillow ensures your spine is always supported.
Best Swivel Reading Chair
For those looking for flexibility in their seating, opt for a swivel reading chair. Great for larger living rooms or open floor plans where you may need to turn to face guests or a television, a swivel chair offers versatile seating options. The Balboa swivel chair from Pottery Barn is almost completely customizable in order to best suit your space with three sizes—petite, standard, and grand—two cushion fills, and dozens of upholstery materials and colors. The trending barrel-back design supports you while enveloping you more than a square or rectangular design might. Designed to last, the engineered wood frame and no-sag steel sinuous springs ensure a comfortable reading experience for many years to come.
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Best Oversized Reading Chair
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Whether you prefer to spread out by yourself or would like a place for you and your little one to read together, Sabai’s Eclipse chair is the perfect oversized reading chair to bring into your space. Known for their sustainable manufacturing and recycled upholstery, Sabai prides themselves on their sustainability efforts. If your chair is ever damaged or broken, the brand offers replacement parts (like cushions, legs, and slipcovers) to get your piece back to new. Our producer, Lauren Arzbaecher, tested and reviewed the brand’s Essential Corner Sectional and praised the ease of assembly and cozy yet supportive cushion fill. “True to their mission to make lasting furniture to prevent waste, this sectional feels very high-quality,” Arzbaecher says. “The upholstery feels durable and tightly sewn into the seams, so that the fabric won’t bubble or pull away from the cushions easily. For the first week or so, the seat cushions did feel a bit firm, though they’ve softened as time has gone by.” Padded arms make this seat ultrasuitable for reading, while a myriad of colorways and piping options give you a custom furniture feel at a fraction of the cost. We’re particularly partial to a contrasting piping color to level up the chair’s simple design—just look at the bright red against the baby blue upholstery. As a bonus, this chair doubles as a sleeper—the cushions fold out to create a twin-size bed.
Best Library Chaise
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For those who prefer to sprawl out while reading, we recommend a chaise longue for ultimate comfort. And really, what’s more glamorous than a chaise? This cocoon-like option from Crate & Barrel has a curved, almost sculptural design that welcomes you to sit down and relax—no pillow fluffing required. Upholstered in a high-pile chenille, the chaise’s oversized shape is slightly overstuffed—with layers of high-resiliency foam and memory foam seat topper—to give that pillow-like effect.
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Best Patterned
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Commerce market editor Kate McGregor has had this chair for more than six months, and loves it even more now than she did when it arrived. The chair has an upright quality that makes it better for reading or nights spent conversing with friends and family than it is for watching movies or lounging around. “Friends who have sat in this chair during parties and movie nights say that they appreciate the anti-sink-down quality and grown-up aesthetic,” she says. “My one qualm, as someone who never sits in one position for longer than a few minutes, is that the arms aren’t tall enough to lean on—but they are ideal for supporting my elbows as I knit for hours on end after work.” Covered in a 100% cotton weave, the tan and black pinstripe isn’t a performance fabric, and McGregor notes that it feels more durable than linen or suede.
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Best Leather
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“This accent chair is made for lounging,” says senior commerce editor Nashia Baker. Rejuvenation’s barrel-backed Claude leather chair is ideal for those who still want a bit of support and structure in their relaxation. “The cushioning has a bit of give, as the foam-filled seat sinks in ever-so-slightly as I relax, and it then bounces back to its original form,” Baker says. “I’ve truly sat in this chair for hours at a time and never felt my body go numb like it would sitting on a stiff, hard seat.. The leather upholstery easily wipes clean, and Baker hasn’t noticed any major staining or scratches in the time that she’s owned this seat. The curved back kind of hugs you, and the arms are the ideal height for resting elbows on as you’re hanging out. This versatile chair is neutral enough to suit a traditional design style, and can be amped up with a patterned throw or pillow to look at home in a more maximalist environment.
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More AD-Approved Picks
What could be cozier than the Ingrid? Made out of a 100% polyester teddy fabric, this Sherpa chair feels like sitting on a cloud. No matter your design aesthetic, AD contributor Jake Smith is confident that anyone can find a corner for this stylish seat. As if it couldn’t get any better, the Ingrid is also super easy to assemble, and the price tag is one of the most reasonable on our list.
You may know Saatva for their mattresses, but the brand’s newest living room furniture offering is nothing to sniff at. The Logan Chair is designed with a high level of craftsmanship that stands the test of time. Both elegant and eco-friendly, the transitional chair is “very satisfying” to sit in, according to AD contributor DaVonne Onassis Bacchus. “I love a supportive seat,” he highlights in his review. Choose from creamy linen, taupe velvet, or a dark gray for color options that suit your space.
Castlery is a lesser-known direct-to-consumer furniture brand that strives to offer high-end and well-made yet fairly affordable furniture, and the Desmond chair is a testament to that. From the brass-tipped legs to the deep rubber wood frame to the neutral-colored foam and fiber-filled seat, the Desmond is a classic midcentury-modern-esque piece that stylishly lends itself to most home decor aesthetics, and also functions as the perfect reading chair. The Desmond is available in cream fabric or leather can also be paired with a matching ottoman.
Contributor Lila Allen really put the Serena & Lily performance fabrics through the ringer when it came to her Miramar Chair. To test its stain-resistant claims, she boldly poured a full mug of coffee on the Miramar and watched it simply…disappear. (Okay, more accurately, it beaded and rolled off with the assistance of a paper towel.) Performance aside, the Miramar gives big chair energy, which Lila claims was her favorite part of the experience, allowing her to sit in all of her “crisscross applesauce” glory. She also praised its firm and supportive construction, though she warned it might be better suited for large spaces.
How We Chose These Reading Chairs
When scouring the internet for the best reading chairs, we prioritized the quality of the furniture above all. We considered the comfort levels, durability, assembly, and even the shipping and delivery options when choosing which models would make the cut and give our readers all the knowledge they need to make an informed purchase. In preparation for our annual Seat Week, we tested the Pierce & Ward Slipper chair from West Elm and Rejuvenation’s Claude Leather chair to see how they would hold up against kids, pets, dinner guests, and coffee spills. The rest of the chairs on this list were tested by editors and contributors over the years. In addition to real-life reviews, we ensured these pieces were built with high-quality materials like solid wood frames and performance upholstery to serve as an indicator of how these products would hold up over time.
