One of the most overlooked factors or features of leather chairs and recliners is what I have coined “the slick factor”. The slick factor is a measurement of how slippery a piece of leather furniture is. I used to be a valet attendant and I parked luxury automobiles by the hundreds every day. There were certain vehicles that when you hopped into the driver seat you literally slid right to the back of the leather seat. It felt like your rear end just fell into the chair. This is a feature not common to many leather automobile seats. It is also a feature that is difficult to find in the current leather chairs and sofas.
My only theory as to why it is not present in many leather chairs and recliners is because it is something that is not actively manufactured. I do not believe that the designers consider this factor when upholstering furniture. As a consumer and customer however it is a very important factor. If you are like me and you love this feature it can be frustrating trying to find a sofa or recliner that achieves this and also boasts the other features you want in your chair or sofa.
Next time you are in your favorite leather furniture store, pay attention to the slickness factor of the pieces you are trying out. Also, in order to accurately test this feature of the chair, you must be wearing clothing that promotes the slick factor the best. If you are wearing any kind of corduroy clothing, or any other kind of clothing that is thick or bunchy, you will not slide as much. Try to wear tight fitting clothing like cotton shirts. Even regular denim jeans tend to promote sliding quite well. Another great test is to wear shorts because you can test the slickness factor on human skin. Assuming you are not sweaty at the time, your dry skin should also slide across the leather surface very nicely. If you're the kind of person who enjoys sinking into a puffy leather chair, you may also appreciate the feeling of sliding into the comfort zone of a leather chair or recliner.
The only advice I can offer you in your hunt for slippery leather chairs and sofas is that that harder upholstery tends to have a higher percentage of slippery surfaces. The sofas with puffy cushions tend to not slide as much as the padding engulfs your body parts. The tighter and harder style chair is your best chance of slippery greatness.
Finally it should be pointed out that not all slippery chairs get the click factor right. In some instances the slipperiness will be so severe that upon reclining, instead of your rear end sliding into the comfort pocket, you will continue to slide all the way off the chair until your head is where your bottom should be. Make sure to test your sofa or chair before purchasing. These factors can only known if you personally sit in them. It is very subjective. So be weary before you purchase furniture online before trying it out in person, even if it is a trusted brand you have had good results with in the past.
