A power reclining sectional is the largest, heaviest piece most people buy for a living room, and it has to plug in. Getting the configuration right before it ships saves a lot of frustration on delivery day. Here is how we plan one with customers in our Dallas showroom.
Start with the vocabulary
Learn these terms and the product titles start to make sense.
- LAF / RAF. Left Arm Facing and Right Arm Facing. The side is named as you face the sectional from the front, not as you sit in it. A "LAF sofa" has its arm on your left when you are looking at it.
- Bumper. An armless, chaise-like end piece that is usually shorter than a true chaise. A Natuzzi Editions Scacco Sectional LAF with Right Bumper, for example, has an arm on the left end and an open bumper on the right.
- Chaise. A longer, deeper end piece you can stretch out on fully. Chaises and bumpers occupy the same spot in a configuration; the difference is depth.
- Console. A narrow non-seating piece between two seats, usually with storage and often cup holders. HTL’s Cloud and Costa 6 Piece Sectionals with 3 Power Recliners both include a console, and the Austin 7 Piece Sectional Group adds an ottoman.
- Wedge or corner. The piece that turns the corner. It is usually a fixed seat, not a recliner, and it eats more floor space than it looks like it should.
Reading a configuration
Product titles in our catalog describe both the piece count and the number of motors. Incanto’s I873 Sectional with 6 Pieces and 4 Power Recliners means six modules, four of which recline. The I839 Sectional with 5 Piece and 3 Power Recliners is a step smaller. The Natuzzi Editions Lima 6 Seat Sectional with 3 Power follows the same logic. As a rule, the seats that recline are the ones with an arm or an open end; the corner and any middle armless seats typically do not.
If four people in your household want a recliner, you need four powered seats, not just four seats.
What "modular" means for you
Incanto builds its sectionals as modular systems. Each seat, corner, bumper and console is a separate module that connects to its neighbors. That has three practical benefits. First, the pieces come through a standard door and up a staircase far more easily than a one-piece sofa. Second, you can change the layout later, such as swapping the bumper from right to left after a move, by reordering a piece rather than replacing the whole set. Third, you can grow the sectional over time by adding a module.
Titles like I716 Sectional with Right Arm Facing and Left Bumper and I716 Sectional with Left Arm Facing and Right Bumper are the same modules in mirror image, so tell us which wall your TV is on and we will orient it for you. We go deeper on this in how to configure an Incanto modular sectional.
Measuring the room the right way
Measure the walls the sectional will sit against, then subtract for doorways, floor vents and door swings. Then account for three things a static sofa never asks of you.
- Recline depth. A power recliner needs room behind it to tilt back and room in front for the footrest to rise. Many modern wall-hugger mechanisms need only a few inches of wall clearance, but some need considerably more. Ask us for the specific clearance on the model you are considering and add it to your measurements. The footrest typically extends 18 to 24 inches in front of the seat.
- Walkways. Keep at least 30 to 36 inches of clear path on any side people will walk past, and remember that an extended footrest can block it.
- Coffee table spacing. Leave 14 to 18 inches between the sofa front and the table so the footrests can open without hitting it.
Tape the outline on the floor, including the chaise or bumper, and live with it for a day. That step catches more mistakes than anything else we suggest.
Power outlets and cords
Every powered seat needs electricity. Most sectionals run the modules off one or two transformers plugged into a wall outlet, with cords daisy-chained between pieces. Locate the nearest outlet before you buy. If the sectional will float in the room, you may need a floor outlet or a low-profile cord cover. Many models include USB ports in the arms or console, but the sectional still needs its own supply.
Make sure the outlet will not end up unreachable behind a reclining seat; a power strip mounted under the frame is often the cleanest answer.
Leather
Incanto builds Italian leather sofas and sectionals; Natuzzi Editions is the Italian-designed leather line of the Natuzzi Group. Leather handles the constant contact of a recliner well and wipes clean, which is why it dominates this category. Bring a swatch home before you match existing pieces.
Delivery day
A sectional arrives as many boxes, so re-measure the path from the door to the room and clear the space beforehand. Our team connects the modules and power, so keep the outlet accessible. Test every recliner before the installers leave and raise anything that looks off while they are still there. Details on service levels are on our delivery page.
FAQ
How far from the wall does a power reclining sectional need to sit?
It depends on the mechanism. Some modern designs need only a few inches; others need more to recline fully. We will give you the figure for the exact model, and you should add it to your room measurement before buying.
Can I change the configuration later?
With a modular system like Incanto’s, yes. You can reorder a piece to move the bumper or add a seat. Fixed sectionals are built as a set and are harder to change after the fact.
Do all the seats recline?
Usually not. Corners and some middle seats are typically fixed. Read the title: "6 Piece with 3 Power Recliners" means three of the six seats have motors.
Bova Contemporary Furniture is at 4490 Alpha Rd Ste 300, Dallas, TX 75244, near Addison and the Galleria area. Call or text (972) 716-9600, email Sales@Bovadallas.com, or stop in Mon–Fri 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 12pm–5pm. Ask us which Incanto, Natuzzi Editions and HTL sectionals are on the floor to try, and browse our sectionals collection, Incanto and Natuzzi Editions pages before you visit.