Ever since the perfect picture of an American home was presented with Bing Crosby relaxing in a recliner, the recliner has become one of the most popular items in the living room. However, the recliner didn't start out as we know it today. Although most of the documented history of recliners began in the 1920s, the first recliner may have been produced a long time before that. Some sources claim that chairs which allow people to recline with the feet off the floor (making it similar to recliners) appeared during the 18th century.



A recliner, or motion chair as some people call it, was initially just a folding wood-slat chair created by two 'Ed's - Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker who left secure jobs to start their own furniture business. Edward was a woodworker employed by the Weis Manufacturing Company while Edwin was a farmer. On a visit to Edward's place, Edwin found different gadgets - band saws and shaping machines - and was immediately interested. The people of Monroe thought that they were both crazy. Later on, it turns out that the townspeople were the ones who were crazy for doubting them. The previously named Kna-Shoe (a combination of their surnames) company had changed its name later to the Floral City Furniture Company, after Monroe's nickname as the "Floral City". After a naming contest much later on, the company became La-Z-Boy which is what it is known by today.

The first upholstered recliner was created after an important customer refused to purchase one of their recliners since it was only a seasonal porch item. The customer suggested upholstering their recliner and marketing it as a year-round piece. The cousins did so and the upholstered recliner was created in 1929.

Around the same time that the first recliner was introduced, a craftsman named Jacob Popkin wanted to create comfortable, quality furniture that can be sold at a fair price. With this goal in mind, he went and founded Berkline in Springfield, Massachusetts. The company had expanded in 1937 to Morristown, Tennessee and this has become their headquarters ever since.

Nowadays, Berkline is part of a family of furniture brands that includes BenchCraft, a major manufacturer of upholstery and Natural Elements, a leading line of elegant island-inspired furnishings for the entire house. The combination of Berkline furniture and BenchCraft furniture has made it one of America's Top Ten Manufacturers.

Recliners, like cars, have evolved from manual to automatic. Before, you had to pull a lever or push a button then lean back and the recliner will lock in two or three places of choice. Modern Berkline recliners and loveseats are now automatic and do all the work with the use of an electric motor. The PowerRecline feature of the Berkline Chandler reclining sofa, for example, allows the user to recline effortlessly and can be stopped at any position, while the TouchMotion option offers the ease of reclining at an infinite number of positions by a single touch. There are other relaxing motions that come with different Berkline recliners. Such as the Rock-a-Lounger design feature which allows you to rock or recline or the Swivel-Glider that offers a gentle back-and-forth motion. There's also a swivel that allows the user to adjust the chair in a 360 degree manner.

New design features also allow recliners to fit smaller rooms and give more flexibility in decorating the living room. The Wallaway feature, for example, allows the furniture to recline with only inches of wall clearance. There are also hidden storage compartments that remain out of sight while not in use making the recliner look neat and without clutter. Compartments for remotes and magazines seem to be common as well as cup holders for convenience.