La-Z-Boy Furniture Review: An In-Depth Look at an Iconic Brand
When it comes to furniture brands that have stood the test of time, few can rival La-Z-Boy. Since inventing the recliner nearly a century ago in 1927, this American company has furnished countless homes with its signature comfortable and durable chairs, sofas, tables, and more.
In this comprehensive La-Z-Boy furniture review, we‘ll take a closer look at what makes this brand so popular, the range and quality of products offered, key features, customization options, pricing, customer feedback, and how it stacks up to the competition. By the end, you‘ll have all the information needed to decide if La-Z-Boy is the right choice for your home.
About La-Z-Boy: An American Success Story
With humble beginnings in a garage in Monroe, Michigan, two cousins – Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker – set out to design a chair that both rocked and reclined. The result was a folding wood-slat porch chair that reclined, which they dubbed "La-Z-Boy." Little did they know this invention would evolve into an internationally recognized brand.
Fast forward to today, and La-Z-Boy has grown into a publicly-traded powerhouse with over $1.7 billion in revenue, 11,000 employees worldwide, and a product portfolio that goes way beyond just recliners. Yet despite this massive growth, La-Z-Boy still proudly manufactures most of its upholstered furniture in the USA at five facilities.
Some key facts about the company:
- Headquartered in Monroe, MI with 352 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores
- Generated $1.734 billion in revenue in fiscal 2022
- Holds over 200 patents on furniture designs and mechanisms
- Named one of Newsweek‘s Most Trusted Brands in America
- Consistently ranked as a leading recliner and sofa brand by Consumer Reports
- Over 1 million Facebook fans and 40k+ Instagram followers
So while the name La-Z-Boy may sound laid-back, this is a company that takes furniture very seriously – as evidenced by its long track record of success, innovation, and customer loyalty. Now let‘s dive into the actual products.
La-Z-Boy Furniture Products: Something for Every Room
One of the biggest advantages of shopping La-Z-Boy is the incredibly wide selection of furniture for practically every room in your home. While the brand may be best known for its recliners, it also offers a full range of sofas, sectionals, chairs, ottomans, tables, bedroom sets, mattresses, lift chairs, and more.
Some of the top categories and products include:
Recliners
The bread and butter of La-Z-Boy, the company continues to innovate on its classic recliner design with options like wall-hugger recliners, power recliners, high leg recliners, extra-wide, lift chairs, and rocking recliners. Top models include the Pinnacle, Astor, and Laramie.
Sofas & Loveseats
For any living room, La-Z-Boy has you covered with a wide array of styles from sleek modern to traditional, available in standard, duo, apartment, sleep, power, and rocking/reclining options. The Meyer, Reese, and Trouper are some of the most popular sofa collections.
Sectionals
To maximize seating in any space, La-Z-Boy‘s sectionals are designed for serious lounging and available in a range of configurations. Customer favorites include the Devon and Meyer sectionals that offer the coziness of a sofa with ample room to stretch out.
Chairs & Chaises
Beyond recliners, La-Z-Boy offers armchairs, chaises, accent chairs, office chairs, dining chairs, and ottomans to fit any design scheme. Standouts in this category include the Allegra chair and Bellamy executive office chair.
Bedroom
To outfit your bedroom retreat, La-Z-Boy crafts beautiful, timeless wood bed frames, dressers, nightstands, and benches. The Kinsley sleigh bed and Glendale drawer chest are two great examples of the woodwork and detailing.
Mattresses & Bedding
La-Z-Boy makes its own line of hybrid and memory foam mattresses designed for comfort and support, plus complementary pillows, sheets, and mattress protectors. The Relax & Revive memory foam mattress is a top choice with cooling gel for temperature regulation.
Dining Room
From classic to modern, La-Z-Boy furniture sets the scene in any dining space with wood and upholstered chairs, tables, benches, and barstools. The Sayer dining table beautifully combines solid wood and metal.
Outdoor
La-Z-Boy also brings its signature comfort outside with all-weather sofas, loveseats, sectionals, dining sets, and fire pit chat sets. The Peyton cushioned seating collection is ideal for any patio or deck.
La-Z-Boy Furniture Quality & Construction
Of course, having an extensive product catalog means little if the furniture isn‘t well-made. Fortunately, La-Z-Boy has a longstanding reputation for quality, durability, and attention to detail in both its frames and fabrics.
La-Z-Boy recliners and sofas are built on all-wood frames made from kiln-dried hardwood materials like oak or maple that resist warping or cracking over time. Critical joints are reinforced with corner blocks, dowels, and heavy-duty metal screws and brackets for added strength and stability.
Reclining mechanisms are subjected to rigorous testing to ensure smooth operation and long-term reliability. In fact, La-Z-Boy is so confident in its construction methods that most products are backed by a limited lifetime warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship.
When it comes to fabrics, La-Z-Boy offers over 900 options, many of which are performance fabrics that resist staining, fading, and wear. This includes the company‘s own iClean™ fabrics designed to repel spills and make cleaning easier. Leather upholstery is sourced from top-grain hides for a buttery soft feel that only gets better with age.
Cushions play a big role in overall comfort, and La-Z-Boy uses only premium high-resiliency foams that bounce back and hold their shape. You can even upgrade to ComfortCore® cushions with seven layers of zoned, wrapped coils that provide targeted support as you sit.
All of these quality materials and building techniques add up to furniture that lasts. It‘s not uncommon to find La-Z-Boy chairs or sofas still going strong after 10+ years in homes with kids and pets putting them to the test daily.
La-Z-Boy Furniture Customization Options
While you can always find ready-to-buy La-Z-Boy furniture at authorized retailers, one of the best parts of the brand is the ability to customize many pieces to your exact preferences. When ordering direct from La-Z-Boy, you can personalize:
- Fabric: Choose from hundreds of colors, patterns, and materials including iClean performance fabrics, leather, and more
- Finish: Select light, medium or dark wood finishes for exposed legs or bases
- Cushions: Pick your ideal seat cushion from standard, ComfortCore, or memory foam options
- Features: Add upgrades like power controls, headrests, lumbar support, or charging ports
- Accents: Include optional accents like nailhead trim or contrast welt
- Configuration: For sectionals and modular pieces, decide your ideal layout and components
La-Z-Boy design pros in stores or online are available to help guide you through the customization process so you get exactly the look and feel you want. Custom orders typically take around 8-10 weeks for delivery.
La-Z-Boy Furniture Pricing
As you might expect for higher-end furniture, La-Z-Boy‘s prices tend to run a bit steeper than budget-oriented brands. However, many customers feel the quality, warranty, and customization are well worth the investment.
Recliners start around $400 for a basic model and can go up to $2,000+ for power lift chairs in upgraded leather. Sofas generally range from $1,000 to over $4,000 depending on the configuration and options. Sectionals and bedroom sets can hit $5,000 or more.
While certainly not cheap, La-Z-Boy frequently runs promotions that can knock 30% or more off regular prices. Holiday weekends, end-of-season clearance events, and special financing deals all provide ways to save if you shop strategically.
Additionally, La-Z-Boy stands behind its products with a full slate of warranties, some of which last a lifetime, so you can have peace of mind that your investment is protected. Regular maintenance like vacuuming and annual professional cleaning can also help extend the life of your furniture.
La-Z-Boy Customer Reviews & Ratings
To see how actual buyers rate their La-Z-Boy furniture, we analyzed thousands of verified customer reviews from multiple third-party sites. The brand enjoys mostly positive feedback with common themes of:
- Exceptional comfort, particularly for La-Z-Boy recliners and sofas
- Impressive durability that holds up to daily wear and tear
- High-quality materials and construction that feel substantial
- Extensive fabric and customization options to get the perfect look
- Responsive customer service for ordering and delivery questions
- Professional and helpful design services in La-Z-Boy showrooms
Customers frequently describe La-Z-Boy furniture as classic, comfortable, well-made, and worth the price. Phrases like "you get what you pay for," "built to last," and "still looks great after years of use" come up often in reviews.
Any negative reviews tended to mention inconsistent wait times for made-to-order items, some variation in fabric appearance from swatches, or preferences for a firmer/softer cushion than what was selected. Fortunately, La-Z-Boy seems to actively monitor and respond to complaints to find a resolution.
Overall, La-Z-Boy enjoys an excellent reputation with many customers furnishing their entire homes with the brand‘s products. The recliner selection and customization options are especially well-regarded among buyers.
Comparing La-Z-Boy to Other Furniture Brands
Within the landscape of furniture retailers, La-Z-Boy is positioned as an upper-middle-range brand in terms of price and quality. It‘s a step above entry-level names like Ashley Furniture or IKEA, but not quite as exclusive or expensive as high-end brands like Ethan Allen or Restoration Hardware.
Some of La-Z-Boy‘s closest competitors include:
- Bassett Furniture – Known for customizable sofas and sectionals with a focus on style
- Raymour & Flanigan – Another large furniture retailer with a wide selection of mid-priced sofas and more
- Pottery Barn – Offers modern farmhouse and classic designs but no customization
- Flexsteel – Also makes durable furniture in the USA but a smaller product range
- Crate & Barrel – Focuses more on modern/trendy designs geared towards apartments
Where La-Z-Boy really distinguishes itself is in its signature recliner designs, customization options, and interior design services. Few other brands can match the fit, fabric choices, and functionality of La-Z-Boy chairs. The free design assistance is also a nice perk for those who want professional input.
Where to Buy La-Z-Boy Furniture
La-Z-Boy furniture is primarily sold through the company‘s network of branded stores and authorized retailers. There are over 350 dedicated La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries and 550+ independent dealers located throughout the US, Canada, and over 60 other countries.
These showrooms provide the ability to see and test out seating in person, with many offering free design services to help customize your ideal configuration and look. You can use the store locator on the La-Z-Boy website to find your nearest retailer.
Alternatively, the full line of La-Z-Boy products (minus some store-exclusive items) is available to order directly from the brand‘s e-commerce site. This is a great option if you know exactly what you want or have already visited a showroom.
However, the site does make it easy to customize designs with detailed product photos, 360-degree views, and free swatches delivered to your home. Customer service reps are also just a phone call or chat away if you need ordering assistance.
La-Z-Boy FAQ
We‘ve covered a lot of ground in this La-Z-Boy furniture review, but here are a few other common questions about the brand:
Q: Does La-Z-Boy offer free shipping?
A: La-Z-Boy offers free local delivery for in-stock items from stores or free shipping for online orders over $999. For other orders, standard shipping fees apply.
Q: What is the La-Z-Boy return policy?
A: Most ready-to-buy items can be returned within 30 days for a full refund or exchange, while custom orders may be subject to a restocking fee. Check your location‘s exact policy before purchasing.
Q: How long does La-Z-Boy furniture take to be delivered?
A: In-stock items can often be delivered within 2 weeks, while custom orders typically take 8-10 weeks or more. Your estimated delivery timeframe will be shared after ordering.
Q: Is La-Z-Boy furniture easy to clean?
A: Many fabrics are treated with stain-resistant finishes, including iClean performance fabrics. Follow the included care tag instructions and consider professional cleaning every 1-2 years.
Q: Can you finance La-Z-Boy furniture?
A: Yes, qualified buyers can finance their purchases with the La-Z-Boy credit card, subject to credit approval. Special financing deals are often available.
The Bottom Line
After taking an in-depth look, it‘s clear that La-Z-Boy has earned its reputation as a leading furniture brand for both quality and comfort. With an impressive range of products for every room, durable US-made construction, helpful customization options, and strong customer service, the company offers a lot of value for the price.
While La-Z-Boy may be best known for its legendary recliners, it‘s really a one-stop shop for furnishing your entire home in a cohesive way. And with design assistance available online or in stores, the process of finding your dream sofa or sectional is easier than ever.
Although the upfront cost may be higher than some lower-tier furniture brands, La-Z-Boy‘s 90+ year history and lifetime warranty are testaments to the long-term value provided. With proper care and maintenance, these pieces can stay in your home for decades.
Of course, comfort and style preferences can be subjective, which is why it‘s always recommended to visit a La-Z-Boy showroom to actually sit in and experience the furniture for yourself. But based on everything we‘ve seen in this review, La-Z-Boy is absolutely a brand worth considering for your next furniture purchase.
