Recliner chairs
The internal mechanisms in recliners can pose a hazard if they are not properly secured and covered.
A recliner is an armchair or sofa that can be adjusted into a reclining position with the back of the chair lowered and the footrest extended.
They can be operated manually with a push backwards, a lever at the side of the chair, or with an electric remote or built-in buttons.
Risks and injuries
Never leave young children unsupervised around recliner chairs, the mechanisms are strong and can cause serious harm.
Young children between 6 months and 5 years old have been injured and died in accidents involving recliner chairs. These incidents usually occur during unsupervised use or play, on or around a recliner chair.
Recliners can cause:
- head or body entrapment (when a child inserts their head or limbs into a gap that closes when the chair is moved into the upright position)
- finger entrapment and cuts (when fingers are caught in the metal mechanism)
- suffocation
- death.
Safety first! Parents and carers should discourage young children from playing on recliner chairs and handling the bracket mechanism.
Safety requirements
There are no mandatory safety requirements for recliners in Australia, however please take our advice into consideration:
Reduced gaps
Recliner chairs should not have gaps of 95mm or more, as it presents a risk of head or body entrapment. Chairs supplied for design reasons with gaps of 95mm or more must use methods that eliminate such gaps, such as completely covering any possible gaps with upholstery or using a crossbar that reduces the size of gaps when the chair is in the reclined position.
No finger entrapment hazards
A recliner bracket should not grab a child’s finger or toe with sharp edges or scissor action as the footrest retracts.
No cavity hazards
When the footrest is extended, the recliner should not have a cavity with a depth of 200mm or more.
Safety information included
Consumers should be supplied with safety information in a brochure or swing tags on the chair.
In addition, a permanent warning label should read:
- Do not allow children to play on the chair.
- Always leave the chair in an upright and closed position after use.
- Keep hands and feet clear of the mechanism.
- Only the occupant should operate the chair.
The wording ‘CAUTION’ in the American Furniture Manufacturer’s Association Guideline for recliner chairs is also acceptable.
There are no penalties for not complying with these guidelines, however, NSW Fair Trading can recall recliner chairs or issue a public warning if an injury occurs.
Your consumer rights
As a consumer, you have the right to expect that the goods you buy are safe.
Australian Consumer Law requires safety standards to be met before certain goods are sold. These standards include:
- the way the good is made
- what it contains
- how it works
- the tests it needs to pass
- whether any warnings or instructions need to accompany it.
Penalties
The penalty for individuals is $2.5 million.
The penalty for a body corporate is the greater of:
- $50 million
- if the Court can determine the value of the 'reasonably attributable' benefit obtained, 3 times that value, or
- if the Court cannot determine the value of the 'reasonably attributable' benefit, 30% of the corporation's adjusted turnover during the breach turnover period for the contravention.
How to report a product safety concern
If you become aware of an unsafe situation or item, whether or not anyone has been injured, you can:
- alert the supplier about the issue
- report the matter to Product Safety Australia.
Making a complaint
When making a complaint, you should include:
- details of the issues you are experiencing
- copies of any correspondence that shows how you have tried to resolve the matter.
How Fair Trading will handle your complaint
Your complaint will be reviewed to determine the most appropriate resolution. This may include:
- providing you with information to help resolve your complaint
- recording the complaint issues to assist in future compliance programs, or
- contacting the other party to try and resolve the dispute.
You can lodge a complaint:
Online
If you cannot resolve your matter, submit your complaint by using our form.
By mail
Post your complaint form and documentation to:
NSW Fair Trading
PO Box 972
Parramatta NSW 2124
Ask a question
If you are unable to find the information you need, you can call us between 8:30am to 5pm on Monday to Friday. You can also use our form to make an enquiry.
Be a savvy consumer
Buying a recliner
While there are no mandatory safety standards for recliners in Australia, however we recommend you follow our advice:
- Buy a chair that doesn’t have gaps (when in the recline position) of 95mm or more. Chairs with larger gaps risk head or limb entrapment. If the chair does have larger gaps, can they be completely covered by upholstery?
- Does the recliner have protection against finger entrapment? Make sure the mechanism is enclosed and shielded so little hands don’t get caught.
- Is there a cavity hazard when the chair is in the recline position? If there is a space under the chair 200mm or deeper, there is a risk a child can crawl in, get stuck and injure themselves.
- Does the chair include safety information, an instruction manual and warnings? Ask the retailer.