Are you having trouble moving a recliner? Do you want it to take apart and not be able to succeed? Then I’m sure this article will not disappoint you and you will know how to take apart a recliner.

It is a disaster when the time comes to move your furniture. Whether you move it from one room to another or to a new house it is always a tough job. The chair can be heavy and put your body at a risk of many body injuries by lifting it.

Specially back pain is the one that you have to avoid the most. That’s why you need the recliner to take apart and move it easily from places. By taking a part of the recliner you can carry the parts individually. Individual parts are not heavy to carry around and you can avoid body injuries.   

Unfortunately the modern recliner chair has a feature of a removable back. You can separate the back from the chair and carry it easily. Many possible methods can be applicable for different chairs.

Some may have thumbscrews or locking tabs. Some also open by clips. But the end result is the same. Back will be removed from the recliner. Here we will talk about how to separate and take apart a recliner. It will be easy for you to get the job done by following the below instructions.

necessary tools for aparting a recliner

Necessary Tools For Aparting A Recliner

For taking apart the recliner chair you’re going to need some essential tools. You need the proper tools for getting the job done. Perhaps you will find most of the tools in your home already. If not you can find these tools at your local hardware shops to buy. These are;

  • Screwdriver: It’s a common tool which can be found in every household. If you are lucky then you can find it at your home cause it is used for multiple purposes. You will need the screwdriver for talking out the screws and unlocking the joints or panels of your recliner chair.
  • Oil: You will need the oil for lubricating the joints to make it easy to move. It can make the joints free from rust and make your work easy. To simplify rusty nuts and taking screws the oil will play an important role. You can use spray or dropper to apply the oil where needed.
  • Wrench: In some recliner bolts are adjusted with screws. So for taking out the bolts you have to have a wrench by your side. You are definitely going to find this tool at your home, cause it’s used for many different purposes.

3 Common Types Of Backs

To take a part of the recliner first you have to remove the back from the chair. So there are 3 types of backs common for the recliner. They are:

Locking Tab or Catch:

The Tabs are mainly featured to securely hold the back into place. People can remove it by using their hand, but we recommend it to open it by using  the screwdriver cause it is easy to remove with a screwdriver. It makes the job easier and effortless.

On the other hand, Catches automatically locks into place, when the back of the recliner slides back on. Is’t very common for the Lazy Boy recliner.

Bolted on back:

Some of the recliner backs are secured by bolts behind although this is not common in recliners. The bolts are mainly held in place by securing the posts of the seat with the back of the recliner. Simply lift the panel exposing them and unbolt the back to remove it with a wrench. 

Locking levers:

This feature comes with metal ports connected on each side of the back of the seat. While leaning the back the brackets of the recliner chair slides onto those ports. These ports secure the back from detaching from the chair. They are situated at the middle back of the back and armrest. You need to flip the lever port to lock the back in an appropriate position for sitting comfort. You can lean back and forth by turning the lever for your own satisfaction.

So, you need to make sure that which types of back do your recliner contains. These types of features may work differently but removing the back of the recliner can be almost the same. If you want to remove the back then follow the instructions that are given in this article. You will easily learn how to take apart a recliner. 

process of disassembling the recliner

Process Of Disassembling The Recliner

Moving the recliner to another room or upstairs can be difficult for the weight of it. You can harm the wall or floors just by doing that. The safest way for moving the recliner to take apart the back and carry it. That way you can easily do the work without any damage to your recliner or harming your body. So let’s carry on to the step by step procedure;

Step 1:  At first you have to move the recliner chair to a place that has enough room to operate. Make sure to check the floor before moving the recliner to that spot. 

Step 2:  Accessibility is the main key of the work. You need to roll the recliner on it;s front to remove the back more easily. 

Step 3:  You have to locate the loop or hooking tape for removing the attaching fabric of the back side. Once you find the loop in front then remove the loop which is attached to the fabric or leather with the back of the recliner.

Step 4:  You need to be careful while pulling the fabric or the leather to remove away from your recliner chair. After removing the secured fabric or leather frame base, lift up the upholstered panel.

Step 5:  You must continue removing the secure fabric until you find the mechanism of the recliner chair. 

Step 6: After finding the mechanism which was secured behind the fabric you have to look for a metal tab.You can see the metal tab pointing downward. If you don’t find any tab then search for thumb screws which should be located somewhere near the lowest point and below the armrest of the recliner chair. 

Step 7:  You will need a standard slotted or flat headed screwdriver to remove the screws. So after finding the screws you need to turn them anti- clockwise to take out the screws.If the screws are rusty then apply some oil to lubricate it. Put them in a safe location to find them quickly while installing the recliner again. If the screws are adjusted with bolts then you must use a wrench to open the bolts and take off those screws.

Step 8:  And If your recliner features the metal locking tab then just hold and press the tab firmly forward while you continue pulling the bottom of the chair upwards to unlock the mechanism securely. If your finger is not reaching the tab then you can use a flat headed screwdriver or a pinch to get the job done.

Step 9: After that the mechanism should be unlocked. Then you can safely pull the back upwards straight direction to remove the back of the recliner.

Step 10: You can move the back side to side and shake it if you have any difficulties removing the back from the bracket of the recliner. If there is any friction, work it will slowly help you remove the back of the recliner.

And just like that your recliner is now movable, since you take apart the recliner, you can carry the back and the body pretty easily. They are not so heavy while separated from each other. So, if you follow these instructions correctly then you can easily learn how to take apart a recliner. 

Don’t sit on the chair before reassembling the back for safety reasons.

Some Important Tips

If you want to take apart the recliner safely and easily then you have to follow these rules step by step. But there are some special tips which will make your job more efficient. These rules play a very important role while taking apart a recliner;

  • Before starting the operation make sure to move the recliner to an area that has enough room for it. 
  • Check the floors if it is equal for four legs of the recliner before moving to that place. Unequal places can make the process much harder for you.
  • You have to look for the dripping oil while applying it on rusty screws or bolts. Always wipe the extra oil.
  • You can use an old newspaper or towel on the floor to prevent it from being slippery. 
  • To promote weight distribution make sure to keep your recliner on an equal surface before removing the back.
how you are going to reassemble the recliner after moving it to another place

Re-assembling The Recliner

Incase if you are wondering how you’re going to reassemble the recliner after moving it to another place. Do not worry any more. You are also going to learn to reassemble the recliner here in this article. If you follow these rules then you’re definitely going to succeed in this job. So let’s get started;

  • At first take the back and slide it across the bracket of the recliner. Make sure that the back is between those armrests. The back of the recliner should be set into the bracket of the body.
  • In order to alienate the locking brackets with the ones that are located in the body of the recliner, lift the back at a slight angle if necessary.
  • Now you have to lower the back onto the body and make sure that the brackets are fully engaged with it. 
  • You can verify whether the back is fully engaged or not by standing behind the back and try to wiggle it right and left. If one or both sides of the bracket come out from it you can be sure that the back is not properly engaged. In this case you have to disassemble it again and repeat the process correctly in order to set the back to the recliner body. Continue following the previous step until you get it right.
  • If the previous step has been done correctly and the bracket of the back has been engaged correctly, then you need to take a flat headed screwdriver and push the locking lever all the way down. In this way the back bracket will be locked with the body and it will secure the back with the body of the recliner. 

Now the back of the recliner is placed in the sequre and proper position, you can use it again. If you fail to reassemble the recliner then you should call the professional to handle the work for you. 

Final Thoughts

The recliner is specially for relaxing your body after a long day of work. You must have a recliner in your house for experiencing comfort. For that reason you might need to move the recliner wherever you feel comfortable. 


But moving can be hard for the weight of the recliner that can make health at risk. To avoid these risks you need to understand how to take apart a recliner and make it easy to carry anywhere you like to place it. It’s not that hard to take apart the back of your recliner.

You can attach and detach the back of your own. So I hope that you’ll successfully get the job done by following these step by step guides. Hopefully you won’t have any trouble taking apart your recliner.