A swivel chair is the perfect choice to add some style variation and elevate your interior space.
How to choose a swivel chair that fits your space and matches your lifestyle?
Below, we answer this question in detail so you can make an informed decision when purchasing a swivel chair.
What a Swivel Chair Adds to a Room
A swivel chair has countless aesthetic and functional benefits, such as:
- Connecting a sofa to a kitchen or a dining space, which is ideal for open-concept rooms.
- Offering a flexible seating option in a room where people can face more than one direction (watching the TV and chatting or having snacks).
- Being a laid-back alternative to stationary chairs, where you may lounge, read a book, or listen to classical music (especially if it’s a reclining swivel chair).
- Accommodating changing activities in a game room.
- Performing well in transitional areas, such as next to windows, in room corners, around a coffee table, or underneath an oversized floor lamp.
Measure Your Space Before You Fall for a Chair
Before searching the market for the prettiest or most functional swivel chair, measure the area where you plan to put it.
Swivel chairs come in a range of dimensions and rotation or reclining angles. You don’t want to end up with a chair that bumps into the walls, rubs against other furniture, or gets in your way as you move around the room.
Give the Chair Room to Turn
The minimum space that your swivel chair needs to have behind/around it is 24–28 inches. While this is somewhat a tight fit, it’s practical if you’re living in an apartment with limited space.
If you want more comfort, 30–32 inches is a good middle ground. Ideally, you’ll want 36 inches of clearance (or more) for better traffic flow.
Extra Clearance for Gliders and Recliners
Gliders and recliners need more space to comfortably lean back, maximizing your relaxation after a long, busy day. Swivel recliner chairs tilt back 120 to 170 degrees, while swivel rocking chairs move in an arc of about 17 to 30 degrees back and forth.
That’s at least 36 inches on all sides to account for the additional tilt.
Match the Swivel Type to How You Sit
The swivel type should work in parallel with your sitting position and what you typically do in each room. Swivel accent chairs, gliders and rockers, and recliners answer different needs and purposes that you must identify before picking a product.
Swivel Accent Chairs
Accent chairs command focus, preferred for a reading nook, a lounging area next to a window, or a house’s entryway paired with a console table.
In addition, they do wonders to break up the monotony of matching furniture sets, giving your room a desirable edge that draws the eye.
If you like to make a statement with your interior design choices, need extra seating in a multipurpose room, or want to fill an empty corner that could use a buffer, a swivel accent chair might be a wonderful idea.
Prioritize bold patterns, bright colours, or a unique form when picking out an accent chair.
Swivel Gliders and Rockers
Like to spend a lot of time reading, knitting, crocheting, or any other hobby that requires sitting in the same position for hours? A glider or rocker can easily become your favourite spot.
A swivel rocking chair takes your relaxation time to a whole new level, giving you the best of both worlds. A swivel rocker is best suited for a quiet bedroom corner, a home study, a personal library, or a cozy space in your family room.
Swivel Recliners
Lastly, recliner chairs provide much-needed neck and leg support without the constant movement of rockers or gliders for when you need a sense of calm.
A swivel reclining chair allows you to control the direction you’re facing while leaning back. You can turn it around to face a window with a view of the outdoors, find the right lighting for reading, or engage in conversation without leaving your reclined position.
Pick a Silhouette That Suits the Space
Another factor you should consider when deciding what swivel chair to purchase is to pick a form that matches the space you’re furnishing. A bulky, boxy silhouette doesn’t fit into the tight space of an apartment, especially with the chair’s rotating movement.
Instead, it works in a spacious, airy room, where furniture pieces can be laid out with plenty of breathing room between each chair, sofa, or table and the next.
A narrower, space-saving swivel chair design works beautifully in a small family room, bedroom, or entertainment room to allow for easy maneuvering around it.
Choose the Right Leather or Fabric
After settling on the swivel chair’s dimensions, type, and form, determine the right material that suits your lifestyle. Should you go for leather or fabric? And what should you consider when choosing either material?
Leather
Leather is a durable material for a swivel chair. It’s easy to wipe clean, doesn’t trap dust or animal hair, and ages incredibly well.
When shopping for a leather swivel chair, choose from full-grain, top-grain, or aniline and semi-aniline leather for longevity and an appearance that improves every interior space.
Leather swivel chairs look great in a home study, bedroom, family room, reading nook, and high-traffic areas. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight, next to heating vents, or as part of an outdoor deck arrangement to prevent peeling, fading, or cracking.
To keep your leather chair in tip-top condition, check out the La-Z-Boy leather-care guide.
Fabric
Fabric swivel chairs make more sense if you’re prioritizing coziness and softness over high durability. They’re more resistant to temperature changes than leather.
However, they degrade faster, trap dust, and require everyday cleaning and more maintenance.
Most accent swivel chairs come in fabric instead of leather, as the material allows for more variety in colours and patterns. Fabric options include velvet, linen, polyester, wool, and cotton.
One Swivel Chair or a Matching Pair
When does it make sense to buy a single swivel chair vs. a matching pair?
Get One Swivel Chair
- When you’d prefer an asymmetric layout to introduce a contrasting shape, texture, or colour.
- When there’s enough room for only one chair plus clearance area.
- When you need a single chair in a corner next to a sofa or a transitional space in an open-concept home.
Get a Matching Pair
- When the chairs are being used in a more formal, symmetrical design (on both sides of a sofa, a console table, a small round table, etc.).
- When framing a centrepiece, such as a large wall painting, accent wall, or fireplace.
- When you need a matching pair of swivel chairs to face a sofa, creating spatial balance.
Swivel Chairs at La-Z-Boy Greater Vancouver
On the hunt for swivel chairs in Vancouver? The collection at La-Z-Boy is worth looking at if you want a mix of high-quality materials, durable build, and incredible value for the price.
With various types and styles of swivel chairs to choose from, you’re bound to find one that matches your home’s design. Alma gives off a comfy vibe, Bellevue has a more modern look, and Midtown comes in the classic houndstooth print.
Opal offers a touch of curved elegance, while Reegan brings a lovely contemporary appeal to every room. And, if you want a swivel gliding chair to help you relax better, Roxie has your back (literally).
Swivel Chair FAQ
What is a swivel chair best used for?
A swivel chair is best used for:
- Connecting two parts of an open-concept living space.
- Placement in quiet corners for reading or doing other hobbies.
- Family rooms where you tend to shift focus from watching the TV screen to participating in conversation.
- Transitional areas in a home.
- Home offices, studies, and libraries.
How much space does a swivel chair need?
A swivel chair’s ideal clearance is 36 inches or more on all sides, although 30–32 inches can work out, too. If you’re dealing with limited space, the minimum distance you need for a regular swivel chair is 24–28 inches all around.
Swivel gliders or recliners need more space, ideally over 36 inches.
Are swivel chairs a good fit for small living rooms?
They can be a good fit for small living rooms if you make sure there’s at least 24–28 inches of space all around your chosen product. Also, to maximize space, the chair’s silhouette must be slim, not boxy.
Can a swivel chair also recline or rock?
Yes. Swivel rocking chairs and swivel recliners are widely available on the market to add more comfort and back and leg support to regular swivel chairs.
At La-Z-Boy, you can add a swivel base to any of our rocking chairs, either at the time of purchase or later on if you move into a space that needs more flexibility.
A reclining or rocking swivel chair fits well in a family room, entertainment room, home library, bedroom, and home office.