In search of the perfect comfy armchair

Good, well-made armchairs are like old friends: comfortable, reliable and supportive. They can also be with you forever; constructed using traditional methods and filled with natural materials, they can be handed down through the generations and reinvented in a new fabric each time.

According to Amanda Barrett, of furniture-maker George Smith, the ideal shape, size, height and level of support are subjective. ‘We often get asked what makes the most comfortable armchair, and it’s not a question we can answer; the only advice I can give is to try as many as possible.’

Two key elements to look out for are the suspension system and the fillings. Both will determine how weight is distributed, a factor that will significantly affect comfort. The team at George Smith hand-stitch double-cone springs, which are evenly placed across a base of webbing.

Antique dealer and designer Max Rollitt believes that the ultimate in comfort is the Howard chair, which enjoys a mythical reputation among designers and dealers.

First conceived by Howard & Sons in the early 19th century, it included a sprung seat with a loose feather cushion on top and an integrated feather pillow sewn onto the back, which is also sprung. Its design has been reinterpreted ever since. ‘It matures with time as the springs soften and the feathers loosen,’ says Mr Rollitt.

In traditionally made armchairs, horsehair (plaited in tight curls and baked with rubber into springy sheets) envelopes and cushions the springs. Next, a layer of cotton felt is added to provide comfort. Seat cushions are hand stuffed with a mixture of duck and down feathers (or foam, if more support is required).

Another vital factor is the geometry that determines the ‘rake’ or angle of the back, as well as the angle and depth of the seat. The latter will depend on the height of the most regular occupant; those with longer legs will need a deeper seat and vice versa. ‘It comes down to how you want to sit,’ says Mr Rollitt. ‘There are other armchairs that are much more rigid. Often, these have more sculptural forms, such as a wing armchair, library chair or Windsor chair, which give more support to the spine.’

Interior decorator Joanna Plant has devised an alternative approach; her Heathfield armchair refines and exaggerates the original form of the Howard chair, becoming ‘less polite and a little more louche’. It has a pronounced rake, pitching the sitter backwards into a pillow backfilled with down, as well as a feather-and-down duvet that sits on top of the springs and under the cover. The seat has extra depth and the chair is scaled up.

However, Ms Plant believes that a search for the ultimate armchair should begin by looking at the frame. ‘It all starts with a solid hard-wood frame that is dowelled and screwed and will last a couple of lifetimes. It’s why people pay such huge amounts for the old Howard chair frames — this is where the value is.’