The Chair That Became My Favourite Spot in the House: My Honest Experience with the Lazy Chair with Ottoman Ergonomic Accent Armchair

I read a lot. Not as much as I’d like — I work full time and have a social life that competes with the reading pile — but enough that where I read matters. For two years, I’d been reading on my sofa, which is comfortable for watching television but not designed for extended reading sessions. The sofa doesn’t support your back correctly when you’re sitting upright with a book, and after an hour I’d find myself gradually sliding into a position that my back would complain about the following morning.

The Lazy Chair with Ottoman is the dedicated reading chair I should have bought two years ago. It’s been in my living room for seven months and it’s the spot I go to first every evening.

The Sofa Problem

The specific issue with reading on a sofa is that sofas are designed for a reclined, passive position — watching television, having a conversation, resting. They’re not designed for the slightly more upright, engaged position that reading requires. The cushions are too soft to provide back support in an upright position, the armrests are too low or too far apart to support your arms while holding a book, and the seat depth is often too great for comfortable upright sitting.

I’d been compensating with cushions — a cushion behind my back, a cushion under my arm, a cushion under my feet. The arrangement worked for about twenty minutes before something shifted and I’d have to rearrange. It was a low-level irritation that I’d been accepting as just how reading worked.

A proper reading chair — one designed for the upright, supported position that extended reading requires — was the obvious solution that I’d been putting off because I wasn’t sure where to put it and wasn’t sure it would make enough difference to justify the space.

Why the Lazy Chair with Ottoman Specifically

The ergonomic shaping was the specification I looked at most carefully. The Lazy Chair with Ottoman is shaped to support the neck, back, waist, and hip simultaneously — the four points that need support for comfortable extended sitting. The back is shaped to follow the natural curve of the spine rather than being flat, which is the difference between a chair that supports you and one that you have to support yourself against.

The foldable ottoman was the feature that made this a complete relaxation setup rather than just a chair. Reading with your feet up is significantly more comfortable than reading with your feet on the floor — it takes the pressure off the lower back and allows the whole body to relax rather than just the upper body. The ottoman folds for storage when not in use, which was important for my flat where space is limited.

The side pocket was the practical detail I hadn’t expected to value as much as I do. Phone, reading glasses, a bookmark, the remote control — all of the things that accumulate around a reading chair have a place. I no longer have to get up to find my phone or my glasses because they’re in the pocket beside me.

The removable, washable cover was the maintenance specification I needed. A chair that’s used daily needs to be cleanable, and a cover that can be removed and machine washed is significantly more practical than one that requires professional cleaning.

The steel frame rated to 180kg and the five-minute assembly were the practical specifications that confirmed this was a properly built piece of furniture rather than a flimsy flat-pack. I assembled it alone in about eight minutes, which is close enough to the stated five.

I found it in the Armchairs and Armchairs, Recliners & Sleeper Chairs collections, and also in the broader Chairs and Furniture ranges. It arrived four days after ordering.

First Evening — The Cushion Problem Solved

I assembled the chair on a Saturday afternoon and sat in it that evening with a book. The ottoman extended, feet up, back against the shaped support. I read for two hours without rearranging myself once. My back felt fine at the end of the session. I didn’t need any additional cushions.

That was the moment I understood what I’d been missing. Two years of reading on the sofa with a cushion arrangement that needed constant adjustment, and the chair solved the problem completely on the first evening.

Seven Months On — The Honest Verdict

Seven months of daily use. Here’s the honest report:

• It’s the most-used piece of furniture in my flat. I sit in it every evening — reading, watching something on my laptop, occasionally working from home when I need a change from my desk. The ottoman comes out for reading and stays folded for laptop work. The chair works for both.
• My back is better. The morning-after back complaints from sofa reading sessions are gone. Seven months of reading in a properly supportive chair and my lower back is in better condition than it was. That’s the most significant benefit and the one I value most.
• The PP cotton filling has held its shape. Seven months of daily use and the chair hasn’t flattened or lost its support. The filling is dense enough to maintain its shape with regular use.
• The cover has been washed twice. Removed, machine washed, replaced. The process is straightforward and the cover fits back correctly after washing. The dark grey colour hasn’t faded.
• The side pocket is used every day. Phone, glasses, bookmark. Everything I need while reading is within reach without getting up. This is a small thing that makes a real difference to the reading experience.
• I’ve read more books since buying it. Having a dedicated, comfortable reading spot has made reading more appealing and more habitual. I’ve read more in seven months than in the previous year. The chair is part of the reason.

The Difference It’s Made

I have a reading chair. That sounds simple. It’s changed how I spend my evenings. Having a dedicated, comfortable spot that’s specifically set up for reading — the right support, the ottoman, the side pocket, the lamp positioned correctly beside it — has made reading a more deliberate and more enjoyable part of my daily routine. I read more, my back is better, and my evenings are more satisfying.

If you’ve been reading on your sofa and accepting the back complaints as just how reading works, the Lazy Chair with Ottoman Ergonomic Accent Armchair is worth trying. Browse the full Armchairs and Chairs collections for more options.

Assemble it on a Saturday. Sit in it that evening with a book and the ottoman extended. Read for two hours without rearranging yourself.

Then wonder why you waited so long.

Simon Adeyemi is a data analyst and enthusiastic reader based in London. He has a reading pile that is always taller than he’d like, a flat that is slightly too small for everything he wants in it, and a chair that has become the best decision he’s made for his living room.