Comfortable chairs you can read books in

[ska invita]

I find it hard to read books, and the biggest barrier for me I think is somewhere to sit comfortably in doing so.
At the moment I do most of my reading on the train commuting....its not ideal.
At home the most comfortable reading 'chair' for me is in bed ....also not ideal
My sofa should be okay but for some reason it feels really uncomfortable to sit there with a book so I never do it.
I'd like to read more but I feel like a good armchair might be the missing link.

Where do you read at home and any other tips for making it a comfortable position so you don't get distracted after 2 minutes
Pictures welcome!!

 

[Epona]

I don't have an armchair, but it strikes me that the ideal for reading is to get one with arms that are the right height for you to rest your elbow and part of your upper arm on, which will help you and make it low effort to hold a book at a comfortable position for reading. I know some people can read with a book on their lap, but my neck wouldn't stand for that (And my lap is almost always occupied by a cat anyway. I don't think he'd be terribly amused, although I can sometimes get away with resting a paperback on him while he's asleep )

So I think the ideal is probably going to be different depending upon ones height/torso length/arm length, so probably worthwhile to try a few out in an actual shop if that makes sense

 

[Elpenor]

Something like this I think

A Parker knoll arm chair, this one was from eBay

Had a very old one that I think an old housemate had found in a skip, but not sure what happened to it. Was very comfortable to sit in

 

[Epona]

Or an old Chesterfield, brown leather with a patina through decades of use.

It would probably be obligatory to wear a smoking jacket and smoke a pipe while sitting in it though

 

[smee]

I like a squishy, deep sofa and lots of cushions to make a sort of nest to rest my arms on/lean against. But I like to be fully on the sofa - either cross legged or legs stretched out.
We have an old chesterfield armchair and partner will sit in that to read but he’s a legs over the edge/feet on floor sort of sitter. The arms on that are good for resting your elbows on though.

 

[metalguru]

Reading books on the kindle app on my phone has completely ruined reading physical books for me - and possibly my eyesight. Holding a book feels unusually awkward these days.

I still love large scale art and photography books - but they are often so difficult to manage to balance, I end up reading them laid flat at a table or desk.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Ekornes stressless

Three thousand pound chairs you can find on Facebook for 80 quid

https://shop.stressless.com/en-gb/recliners/stressless-mayfair/p/000000000001731315?pid=1731315094154511

I’ve got a super random collection of 8 of them

First experienced on high end Norwegian survey vessels.

Love em

 

[ska invita]

I don't have an armchair, but it strikes me that the ideal for reading is to get one with arms that are the right height for you to rest your elbow and part of your upper arm on, which will help you and make it low effort to hold a book at a comfortable position for reading. I know some people can read with a book on their lap, but my neck wouldn't stand for that

i think youve hit the nail on the head with this
arm rest to book to neck position is the issue
arm rest probably needs to be quite high
and comfortable , not too laid back not too upright chair position

googling best chairs for reading book just comes up with nice looking chairs that blatantly dont work for reading

 

[Silas Loom]

This is another reason why paperback-sized e-readers and tablets are much better than lumps of glued tree pulp. Staying foetally in bed with the device resting on its side is by far the lowest-effort way to consume content.

 

[pbsmooth]

I’ve been looking for something similar. I think a high back quite upright armchair with good light behind you.

 

[ska invita]

yes i have an ereader also, but i want to read in the day time and not in bed and i do sometimes want to read a physical book.

 

[hitmouse]

Hmm. I sometimes read in bed, sometimes on a hard wooden chair in my kitchen, sometimes on a very knackered wooden chair in my garden if the weather's nice, sometimes on the bus or in a park. I suppose the comfiest non-bed reading thing I sit on is probably a chair in a cafe sometimes? Not sure how much help any of this is.

 

[ska invita]

Hmm. I sometimes read in bed, sometimes on a hard wooden chair in my kitchen, sometimes on a very knackered wooden chair in my garden if the weather's nice, sometimes on the bus or in a park. I suppose the comfiest non-bed reading thing I sit on is probably a chair in a cafe sometimes? Not sure how much help any of this is.

you're young and hardy though

 

[pbsmooth]

Something like this maybe. But you need to sit on it first I think, to state the obvious.

STRANDMON wingback chair and footstool, Tallmyra chenille, dark green - IKEA

STRANDMON is a timeless wingback chair with modern comfort. The armchair has a soft embrace and the footstool gets your feet up. 10 year guarantee.

www.ikea.com

 

[bellaozzydog]

Does anyone else’s hands and forearms go numb after even quite reasonable amount of time holding a phone of a book up to read it

 

[Elpenor]

Something like this maybe. But you need to sit on it first I think, to state the obvious.

STRANDMON wingback chair and footstool, Tallmyra chenille, dark green - IKEA

STRANDMON is a timeless wingback chair with modern comfort. The armchair has a soft embrace and the footstool gets your feet up. 10 year guarantee.

www.ikea.com

I had one of those. Sold it in the end, not that comfy, the sitting position at a funny angle as it slopes down.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I want this, and will own it one day, just need a) a suitable room and b) a spare thousand pounds or so.

 

[ska invita]

Something like this maybe. But you need to sit on it first I think, to state the obvious.

STRANDMON wingback chair and footstool, Tallmyra chenille, dark green - IKEA

STRANDMON is a timeless wingback chair with modern comfort. The armchair has a soft embrace and the footstool gets your feet up. 10 year guarantee.

www.ikea.com

is that called a wingback? you get lots of old chairs like this style in care/assisted living homes...the ones Ive sat in there have seemed quite uncomfortable...a bit too upright

 

[iona]

My mum has a nursing chair (like a rocking chair but instead of rocking it glides) and matching footstool that one of the very rich families she used to work for was going to throw out. When she has visitors we fight over who gets to sit in it. Best chair ever.

 

[ska invita]

My mum has a nursing chair (like a rocking chair but instead of rocking it glides) and matching footstool that one of the very rich families she used to work for was going to throw out. When she has visitors we fight over who gets to sit in it. Best chair ever.

oh yeah i love a rocking chair...had a proper wicker one when i was very young but even those very slightly rocking armchairs are great...and i know the gliders you mean too... i like the idea of this

 

[iona]

oh yeah i love a rocking chair...had a proper wicker one when i was very young but even those very slightly rocking armchairs are great...and i know the gliders you mean too... i like the idea of this

The height of the arm rests is pretty perfect if you're holding a book instead of a baby too

I saw a similar one outside a charity shop years ago and I'm still annoyed I wasn't able to get off the bus right then to buy it.

 

[Sweet FA]

I like a good poäng.



They now come in black with a footstool/rocking chair versions etc etc:

 

[iona]

I like a good poäng.

View attachment 452170

They now come in black with a footstool/rocking chair versions etc etc:




View attachment 452172View attachment 452173View attachment 452174

Never understood the love for these. Sorry but they're hideous.

 

[Sweet FA]

Well I think they're really comfy so there.

 

[bellaozzydog]

I like a good poäng.

View attachment 452170

They now come in black with a footstool/rocking chair versions etc etc:




View attachment 452172View attachment 452173View attachment 452174

I’ve broken more than one of those

 

[Elpenor]

I’ve broken more than one of those

I have never dared sit in one of them

 

[zedr]

Got a knackered one of these and its ideal for me. Has just enough bounce to keep me awake whilst reading.

 

[Sweet FA]

They're supposed to be good for 17 stone/110kg...

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I would snap it like a dried twig