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The 25 Best Reading Chairs From Eames to Ikea

A collection of the best reading and lounge chairs you can find on the internet, at every price point and in every style.

10 best reading chairs gear patrol lead full Design Within Reach

By Will Price and Tyler Chin

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The reading chair is a funny classification because it’s not really official by any furniture standard. When we talk about reading chairs, we mean seats that promote relaxation, security and protection from the demands of the world outside your book (including the harsh demands of gravity).

You could say the reading chair is the evolutionary high point of sitting down. A good reading chair is one you can stay in for hours and hours, poring through detective novels, newspapers or websites like this one. You could even watch TV in a reading chair — we’re really not sticklers about the term. It’s possible you have one already — one that you’ve been carrying with you move after move after move. But if you don’t, here are some more than worthy options.

Products in the Guide

What to Consider When Buying a Reading Chair

As already mentioned, “reading chair” isn’t really a classification of furniture. Go to any of our listed brands’ websites and you’ll be hard-pressed to find any section for reading chairs. But even if there’s no hard and fast definition of reading furniture out there, it still helps to know what you’re looking for. And the chief thing to consider when buying a reading chair is its comfort level. You’ll be using this chair for reading, which means sitting mostly still, potentially for hours. You’ll want something that’s comfortable to sink into but is also supportive enough that it won’t wreck your back. You’ll probably want to be able to curl up a bit to get comfortable, so size is important — but be mindful of your space so you don’t end up with something too large. Finally, you’ll want a fabric that you like the feel of, whether you prefer the suppleness of leather, the softness of bouclé or just need something to hold up against abuse from your pets.

The Best Reading Chairs

The Poäng is four decades old, and it’s one of the few early Ikea designs to enjoy popularity throughout every stage of the Swedish dorm outfitter’s long history. How has it lasted so long? While it’s not the standard of design excellence, it’s cheap, lightweight, good-looking and easy to care for — a much sought-after and unfortunately rare set of attributes.

  • Frame: Plywood
  • Upholstery: Cotton-poly-viscose-linen blend fabric
  • Dimensions: 26.75″ W x 32.25″ D x 39.38″ H

Combining a blue upholstered seat with a walnut-finished frame, this accent chair is just that —an accent piece. Plus, the curved arms nestle your arms as you curl up to a good book.

  • Frame: Solid wood
  • Upholstery: “Linen-like” fabric
  • Dimensions: 28.5″ W x 32″ D x 31.5″ H

It’s plush, it’s inviting and it’s under $250. Find comfort in the Donham chair, especially knowing you got a good deal on a great chair.

  • Frame: Solid & manufactured wood
  • Upholstery: Polyester
  • Dimensions: 28” W x 31” D x 34.5” H

Target makes some really good furniture options at decent price points. Its Threshold brand is one of its top-selling furniture brands, and a recent collaboration with Studio McGee, behind the Netflix show Dream Home Makeover, makes it an even more worthwhile shop. The Elroy has super thick cushions, and its fleece construction makes it even more comfortable to relax in.

  • Frame: Plywood & solid wood
  • Upholstery: Polyester
  • Dimensions: 31.5″ W x 30″ D x 32″ H

Thanks to its faux leather construction, this armchair is affordable for most people — and it even comes with a complementary ottoman. Akeem can sit up at a 90-degree angle and recline all the way back to lie flat. We also like that it has a side pocket to hold your stuff, and Wayfair throws in a free suede pillow.

  • Frame: Solid wood
  • Upholstery: Faux leather
  • Dimensions: 29.52″ W x 33.46″ D x 37: H

Whenever a chair wants to call itself an “accent chair,” it’s usually wrapped in silky velvet. The Arlette chair follows suit. The mixed materials — wood, velvet and iron — come together to make a chair worth adding to cart.

  • Frame: Wood and iron
  • Upholstery: Polyester
  • Dimensions: 27.5″ W x 23″ D x 19″ H

Urban Outfitters surprisingly carries a lot of velvet chairs. This retro, ’70s-inspired armchair features an interesting structural design, so this reading chair doubles as an accent piece.

  • Frame: Iron and plywood
  • Upholstery: Velvet
  • Dimensions: 29.1″ W x 31.5″ D x 31.5″ H

Article’s curvy, deep=set reading chair carries with it the relaxed and slightly weird vibe of the ’70s and ’80s. It’s also covered in bouclé, which serves up a tidy opportunity to present some texture contrast in your living room. Or you could buy a sofa that looks exactly the same. It’s your living room.

  • Frame: Solid wood & plywood
  • Upholstery: Polyester bouclé
  • Dimensions: 34″ W x 34″ D x 31″ H

Rivet is one of Amazon’s in-house furniture brands and it’s vaguely mid-century modern. Amazon says that the pieces are “sure to turn heads,” which isn’t really true. The North End accent chair does the opposite — it’s the ideal corner reading chair for those who would rather keep it low-key, and there’s not a damn thing wrong with that.

  • Frame: Solid wood
  • Upholstery: Stain-resistant polyester
  • Dimensions: 38″ W x 35″ D x 34.6″ H

It’s hard to resist the appeal of mid-century modern design, especially when you can get that aesthetic for under a grand. The Polaris chair comes in over 10 colors to match whatever interior design you’re going for.

  • Frame: Solid wood
  • Upholstery: Polyester
  • Dimensions: 31.88” W X 34.64” D x 31.88″ H

When you think about a reading chair, you may conjure up a tall, wide chair that takes up an entire corner of a room. They don’t have to be that. West Elm’s Book Nook chair is built for those of us without the square-footage to accommodate other options on this list. A simple wheat-colored upholster job covers a compact, pleasantly priced wood-framed chair. Plus, the armrests dip just enough to keep your elbows rested and a book squarely in front of your face.

  • Frame: Solid & engineered wood
  • Upholstery: Bouclé or performance velvet
  • Dimensions: 26.5″ W x 31.5″ D x 32.3″ H

Despite its square shape, Castlery’s Pebble armchair has rounded off, soft edges to make it feel less imposing. And once you sit in it, you’ll realize it’s just as soft as you thought it’d be.

  • Frame: Solid wood & metal
  • Upholstery: Poly-blend fabric
  • Dimensions: 35.4″ W x 34.6″ D x 32.3″ H

West Elm’s Carlo chair references the mid-century modern furniture zeitgeist, but isn’t the exact same chair that’s been reproduced by every manufacturer under the sun. Looking at the chair from the front, it’s much deeper and more narrow than it appears, imbuing it with a kind of sneaky coziness. West Elm also offers different fabric, color and leg options.

  • Frame: Solid & engineered wood
  • Upholstery: Boucle, Canvas, Twill, Chenille, Linen, Velvet or Basketweave
  • Dimensions: 28″ W x 36″ D x 34″ H

In case you hadn’t heard, bean bag chairs are back and better than ever. Leading the charge is innovative modern furniture stalwart Floyd, whose aptly named Squishy Chair brings sustainability to the form with an exterior made from 100% post-consumer polyester and a repurposed foam fill composed of foam offcuts from sofa and mattress production.

  • Frame: N/A
  • Upholstery: Recycled polyester
  • Dimensions: 42″ W x 46″ D x 38″ H

A chair you can sink into. Industry West is a newer furniture maker putting out riffs on many design eras. This one is mid-century modern, and is made from a walnut frame and a pair of cushions.

  • Frame: Solid walnut
  • Upholstery: Leather or fabric
  • Dimensions: 29.5″ W x 33.8″ D x 29.1″ H

Regardless of how you feel about goop as a brand, there’s a lot to love about this chair that CB2 co-designed with Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness brand (and named after the actress-turned-mogul). It’s soft, it swivels and it’s covered in a nubby fabric that’s more affordable than true wool bouclé.

  • Frame: Solid & engineered wood
  • Upholstery: Poly-blend bouclé
  • Dimensions: 34″ W x 32.5″ D x 29″ H

According to its designer, the Saic chair “traces the shape of the human body and allows you to become totally immersed in the chair.” The ergonomic design cradles your body, creating a safe space from the outside world. As great as the chair is for immersing yourself into a book, it works just as well to rock you to sleep.

  • Frame: Plywood & solid wood
  • Upholstery: Wool, velvet, bouclé, twill, linen or plain-weave fabric
  • Dimensions: 32″ W x 36.75″ D x 40.5″ H

Burrow’s club chair shares a lot of DNA with its sofa, which is one of our favorite ones you can buy on the internet. It’s easy to assemble, offers up an absurd level of customization, is priced well and, on occasion, goes on sale. Its style is plain, and that’s the point — the brand doesn’t make statement pieces, they make pieces that blend into what you already have.

  • Frame: Solid wood
  • Upholstery: Leather
  • Dimensions: 33″ W x 35″ D x 34″ H

This Hay armchair wraps your body like an egg carton wraps an egg — and that’s to say it keeps you safe and secure. It has a fairly compact body, and you can choose from a number of upholstery fabrics, colors and leg finishes.

  • Frame: Steel and solid wood
  • Upholstery: Wool, leather, polyester, various wool blends
  • Dimensions: 34.75″ W x 32.25″ D x 39.75″ H

The Hem brand is the ideal marriage of high-end design and the online marketplace. Its furniture is beautiful, made with premium materials and designed by some of the brightest creative minds in Europe (it’s based in Stockholm); but it’s also much quicker about shipments, ease of assembly (and disassembly) and customer service than many brick-and-mortar design outlets. The Hai chair epitomizes this. A blend of mid-century shape and contemporary lines, it arrives fully built. It also comes in six colors with the option to add an ottoman.

  • Frame: Steel
  • Upholstery: Wool blend
  • Dimensions: 34.3″ W x 34.3″ D x 39.4″ H

In a memo sent to eventual co-founding partners Maurice Blanks and Charlie Lazor, John Christakos described an early vision of Blu Dot as follows: “I am still leaning towards smart design for middle-class America. The Shaker thing with the nineties twist, babe.” A couple decades later and the trio’s company has done just that — luxe design that doesn’t get stuck in the rhythms and pomp of luxe design. Available upholstered and in leather, the New Standard lounge sports wide arms, a loose cushion and wiry splayed legs. It’s essentially a throne for regular people.

  • Frame: Solid wood and steel
  • Upholstery: Leather, acrylic blend or polyester blend
  • Dimensions: 40″ W x 35″ D x 32″ H

The leather club chair is about as classic as it gets. Room & Board’s offering is more minimal than most — it can be dressed up or down and it looks good with furniture from almost any era. Room & Board also offers free design consultation, white glove delivery and makes the vast majority of its furniture in the US. Prepare for the sickest patina of your life.

  • Frame: Solid wood
  • Upholstery: Leather
  • Dimensions: 28″ W x 32″ D x 32″ H

One of DWR’s best sellers is this original design that you can’t get anywhere else. Unlike most other reading chairs in this guide, the Vala is a recliner, and a stealth one at that. When not activated, it looks like your typical stylish modern lounge chair, but a simple lean into the back of the chair will send you into relaxation mode — perfect for a quick nap between pages.

  • Frame: Metal
  • Upholstery: Leather, wool blend, polyester or pebble weave
  • Dimensions: 31.25″ W x 61.75″ D x 39″ H

“This is the ability to select among the unlimited possibilities and return considerable richness to the world.” That’s how Today Show co-host Lee Meriweather captured Charles and Ray Eames’s ability to make old things new at the release of the Eames Lounge Chair in 1956. If there were a Tolkien-esque “one chair to rule them all,” it would be the Eames’s transcendent lounger. The 20th century’s answer to the 19th century’s club chair was designed to neutralize pressure on the lower back and mimic the look of a baseball mitt (leather folds included). It is unquestionably the most recognizable piece of high design ever conceived on American soil. The chair is made today in much the same way it was in decades past, but nowadays you get to pick leather colors, upholstered cushions, wood veneer finishes and more.

  • Frame: Plywood & aluminum
  • Upholstery: Leather, mohair, cotton-poly blend or acrylic blend
  • Dimensions:33.5″ W x 37.75″ D x 33.25″ H

On the off chance that you have both a massive budget and consider the Eames Lounge to be too common, there is the Egg Chair. Like the Eames chair, it’s an iconic 1950s creation by one of the trailblazers of mid-century modern design — in this case, Arne Jacobsen. The Danish designer originally created the Egg Chair — along with the also-iconic Swan Chair — for Copenhagen’s stylish SAS Royal Hotel in 1958. It’s since appeared in countless films and publications, and will definitely make you feel a bit like Dr. Evil when sitting in it, but no chair envelops you quite like the Egg Chair.

  • Frame: Fiberglass, steel & aluminum
  • Upholstery: Leather, canvas, wool and a near-endless array of textiles
  • Dimensions: 33.9″ W x 37.4″ D x 42.1″ H
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