Most recliner chairs have a tension control that is used to adjust how easy or how difficult it is to tilt back.
The more you use the chair, the looser this knob typically becomes and you’ll need to tighten it up again. Here are some steps on how to adjust recliner tilt-back tension:
Steps on Adjusting Tilt Back Tension on an Electric Recliner
Step 1. Find the recliner’s adjustment knob near the front of the chair. It should be located below where your feet go up, but on top or to one side of how you adjust how far back the seat is from flat against the backrest (usually it will have a “Tilt-Back” label).
Step 2. Turn clockwise to tighten the knob. This will make it more difficult to recline and easier to stay in a seated position.
Step 3. Turn counterclockwise to loosen how hard it is for your chair’s backrest, which makes leaning back easy but staying upright harder.
FAQ: My recliner has lost its tilt-back tension!
Fixing this is a quick and easy process.
Step 1. Remove the recliner’s back cover (usually by pulling it off or detaching with clasps).
Step 2. Locate how the tilt adjustment knob is attached to what you can see of the chair arm, usually some sort of pulley system that attaches from where your feet go up on the chair to how the back of your seat is on its recline.
Step 3. Find how it’s attached and loosen or tighten as necessary (turning clockwise tightens, counterclockwise loosens).
Step 4. Put the cover back where it belongs when you’re done!
What Cause Electric Recliner Tension to Loosen?
Many things can cause the tension of an electric recliner to loosen.
#1. People often change how they use their chair after owning it for a while, so they might have leaned back differently in the past or sat forward more recently and this has changed how much slack is present in the system.
#2. The weather can cause how the tension is. If it’s cold and dry, there will be less slack in the mechanism than if it was hot and humid outside.
#3. Sometimes people forget to tighten or loosen their chair as they should, so this can lead to a loosening of how much pressure is on your back.
How to Prevent Wear and Tear on a Recliner
There are a few things that can be done to help prevent wear and tear on your recliner.
#1. Make sure the back of your chair is pushed up against something like an armrest or couch before you lean back, so it doesn’t scoot away from where you want to put it.
#2. Try not leaning too far back in the chair. If you’re reclining so that your feet are actually off of the ground, it could cause some damage to how long your chair lasts because there’s more tension on how it is put together.
#3. Try using a throw pillow or lumbar cushion for extra support when leaning back and make sure they don’t overhang the arm of the chair.
#4. For power recliners, it’s important to make sure you push down on how much tension is being used to prevent too much pressure from developing over time and causing wear and tear. You can do this by pressing a button that says “tilt-back” or something similar with your foot before leaning back. The control panel on how to adjust the back tension will also be near a power recliner.
#5. For recliners that are not electric, you can use screws or washers to tighten how much pressure is being put onto how they’re attached.
This could take some trial and error but it’s important for keeping your chair how you want it to be. When the chair is tight, make sure that the back and armrests are level with one another to prevent injury when leaning or sitting up.
What Causes Electric Recliner Tension to Tighten?
Many things can cause the tension of an electric recliner to tighten.
Sometimes people forget how tight their chair is set, and this leads them to pull on it more than they should be, which creates less slack in how much pressure there is on your back.
The weather can also play how much slack is present in the system. If it’s cold and dry, there will be less slack than if it was hot and humid outside.
One of the biggest reasons why people have problems with how tight their chair is set has to do with how often they use it. This doesn’t mean you have to use it for hours on end each day, but if you only sit in your chair a few times per week, there will be a slacker than someone who sits in theirs every night.
How to Clean a Recliner
Step 1. Cleaning a recliner can be challenging, but not impossible. The best way to do so is with water and vinegar or mild detergent soap that’s diluted in warm water.
Step 2. The first step is to unzip the seat cushion from the back of your chair, remove any pillows or other objects that are inside it and then take a damp cloth to wipe down the inside of the seat.
Steps 3. Optional, but if you have pets or children who tend to make messes on your chair, you’ll want to put them in place now. Place an additional cover over the seat cushion.