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It’s funny how an iconic accent chair can wiggle its way into your heart—just think of the statement-making Arne Jacobsen or the Eames that graces your best friend’s apartment. Accent chairs are more than simple seating, they can shower a room in personality. No matter the tone of a space, there’s a special seat to help define it.
If you weren’t already aware, there’s an abundance of reading and accent chairs out there. And we’re talking an overwhelming amount: More than 50,000 results come up when you search “accent chairs” on Wayfair. Sure, they all look nice on a computer screen, but anyone who’s accidentally purchased an especially stiff chair to flank a set of coffee tables knows not to judge a piece of furniture by the professionally taken store photo. Here at Clever, we really wanted to sit and marinate to find the greatest options out there. So over the last three years we have rounded up 16 editors and 23 chairs, then reclined, assessed, scrutinized, and graded them. Keep scrolling to find out which chair styles made it to the top of our list.
Our top picks
Out of the 20-plus chairs we tested firsthand, not every model can make it to the winner’s circle section. Based on style and enthusiastic tester reviews over the years, we narrowed our list down to what we consider to be the accent chair cream of the crop. You’ll find reviews on most chairs below. That said, we firmly believe there’s a great chair out there for everyone, so feel free to peruse our honorable mentions as well.
- Softest chair: Castlery Ingrid Sherpa Chair, $629 from Castlery
- Most iconic reading chair: Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman Set, $6,895 from DWR
- Best nook chair: Saatva Logan Chair, $795 from Saatva
- Best slipcover chair: Sixpenny Neva Chair, $1,549 from Sixpenny
- Best midcentury modern–style chair: Castlery Desmond Arm Chair, $799 from Castlery
- Best chair for smaller spaces: Knoll Wassily Chair, $2,906 from DWR
- Best oversized chair: Serena & Lily Miramar Chair, $2,958 from Serena & Lily
- Best everyday chair: Maiden Home Dune Chair, $1,700 from Maiden Home
- Best chaise lounge: Knoll MR Lounge Chair, $5,154 from DWR
Softest chair: Castlery Ingrid Sherpa Chair
What could be cozier than the Ingrid? Made out of a 100% polyester teddy fabric, this Sherpa chair feels like sitting on a cloud. No matter your design aesthetic, AD contributor Jake Smith is confident that anyone can find a corner for this stylish seat. As if it couldn’t get any better, the Ingrid is also super easy to assemble and the price tag is one of the most reasonable on our list.
Most iconic reading chair: Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman Set
Furniture fads come and go, but the Eames Chair? That’s not going anywhere. The lounge chair was first made by iconic designer duo Charles and Ray Eames and debuted with Herman Miller in 1956. The two envisioned a 19th-century club chair when crafting it, and the result is this ergonomic and dramatically tilted swivel chair that looks like the best recliner and most luxurious office chair ever. “I wanted this chair to be bad,” tester Elise Portale said in her review. “The Eameses built the impossible: A chair that’s comfortable no matter how you want to sit in it.” Try to hate this timeless piece, we dare you.
Best nook chair: Saatva Logan Chair
You may know Saatva for their mattresses, but the brand’s newest living room furniture offering is nothing to sniff at. The Logan Chair is designed with a high level of craftsmanship that stands the test of time. Both elegant and eco-friendly, the transitional chair is “very satisfying” to sit in according to AD contributor DaVonne Onassis Bacchus. “I love a supportive seat,” he highlights in his review. Choose from creamy linen, taupe velvet, or a dark gray for color options that suit your space.
Best slipcover chair: Sixpenny Neva Chair
Sixpenny is known for approaching high-quality comfort with a natural, simple, cozy, and eco-friendly eye. That’s certainly the case with the Neva chair, which ditches the traditional wood frame in favor of an entirely slipcovered design reminiscent of something you might’ve sat in as a kid at daycare, but this time it’s way more chic. Underneath the slipcover, you’ll find three different layers of high density foam (for comfort and support) sandwiched between a mix of feather down and poly fill. The Neva silhouette is a best seller for the brand—it’s unassuming in a space, but its structured lines and plush cushions make it stand out as a great-looking and especially comfy reading chair for your living room or bedroom. Buy it in faux fur, linen, velvet, or canvas, all available in a variety of colors (and see which combinations will work with your space beforehand with the 12 fabric swatches Sixpenny lets you order for free). It’s also available as a sectional sofa (which, yes, we’ve also reviewed!) if you want to pair your living room chair with something more substantial.
Best midcentury-modern-style chair: Castlery Desmond Arm Chair
Castlery is a lesser-known direct-to-consumer furniture brand that strives to offer high-end and well-made yet fairly affordable furniture, and the Desmond chair is a testament to that. From the brass tipped legs to the deep rubber wood frame to the neutral-colored foam and fiber-filled seat, the Desmond is a classic midcentury-modern-esque piece that stylishly lends itself to most home decor aesthetics, and also functions as the perfect reading chair. The Desmond is available in cream fabric or leather can also be paired with a matching ottoman.
Best everyday chair: Maiden Home Dune Chair
A stellar design from Maiden Home, one noteworthy quality of the Dune chair that reviewer and digital design editor Zoë Sessums found was its height—which she felt made her sit with better posture. The neutral look also makes it especially versatile for most home styles. And if you feel concerned about how a high quality chair like this would fare in a home, worry not. The chair can get covered in a number of performance fabrics that are resistant to stains and spills, and you can purchase slipcovers whenever you want to change things up. We’ve tested several pieces from Maiden Home over the years (including the Dune Sofa) and turn to the brand for contemporary silhouettes with a laidback polish.
Best chair for smaller spaces: Knoll Wassily Chair
As tester, contributor Erika Owen, writes in her review, you probably already know about the Wassily chair, even if you haven’t sat in it yourself. Inspired by a bicycle frame and first made in 1925, it’s stylish and especially ideal for a Scandinavian-style home while still staying durable and practical. Plus the negative space of the chair means it won’t feel like it takes up as much real estate in your home. It’s a true icon of modern design, but you might want to keep it away from kids and pets.
Best oversized chair: Serena & Lily Miramar Chair
Lila Allen, senior editor of AD PRO, really put the Serena & Lily performance fabrics through the ringer when it came to her Miramar Chair. To test its stain-resistant claims, she boldly poured a full mug of coffee on the Miramar and watched it simply…disappear. (Okay, more accurately it beaded and rolled off with the assistance of a paper towel.) Performance aside, the Miramar gives big chair energy, which Lila claims was her favorite part of the experience, allowing her to sit in all of her “crisscross applesauce” glory. She also praised its firm and supportive construction, though she warned it might be better suited for large spaces.
Best chaise lounge: Knoll MR Lounge Chair
If you’re looking for a chair that floats more into reclining territory, then the MR Lounge chair is right up your alley. Described by Rachel Fletcher as the “Birkin bag of chairs,” this design classic offers beautifully crafted and ultra plush leather that curves in just the right way to mold to your body. Its longer profile lends itself to larger homes with big spaces that allow the piece to spread out. Plus, the premium leather will positively perfume the air while you’re luxuriously suspended in space.
Honorable mentions
As previously stated, there are endless scrolls of great chairs out there that might be better suited for a particular purpose (statement piece, occasional chair, something for seasonal use) or personality than a more everyday chair you’ll want to live with for years to come. Those chairs deserve love too, and we’ve tested a great selection that we stand by, from funky fiberglass space-age styles to iconic silhouettes you might not want to get wet (looking at you Wiggle Chair).
Anthropologie Havana Leather Chair
Most cowboy-esque
We all know and love Anthro Living. Just like its clothes, the massively popular retailer’s home decor and furniture section features a plethora of vintage and cozy-looking products that help subtly (or boldly) to make a statement. This leather accent chair in particular lends a Western vibe to a space with its removable top grain leather upholstery that attaches to the armrest with saddle-like buckles. Although it’s not strictly a recliner chair or rocker, the over 15-inch high back and 19-inch deep seat offers enough real estate to sit back and relax. It’s a great option for an office chair or comfortable reading chair for leaning back with a good book.
Uma T4 Chair
The It girl
This seat takes the phrase accent chair to heart. The Uma T4 modular chair keeps things fun, quirky, and distinct with a shape straight out of your favorite campy, futuristic space film and eye-catching colorways while also staying supercomfortable—so comfy that it left our associate digital features editor Rachel Davies typing in all caps. If you need something groovy and unlike any other chair you’ve ever seen, look no further for the future focal point of your living room.
Audo Copenhagen Knitting Chair
The actually MCM chair
While certainly larger in person than our tester anticipated, this Knitting Chair from Copenhagen-based design brand Audo provides “midcentury modern at its very best,” according to contributor Dan Howarth. The construction of the seat feels low and relaxed, while not venturing too far into feeling too reclined. Looking for something more minimalist? Skip the sheepskin and go for a classic leather. While it’s not the most ideal for small spaces, Dan notes that it could fit right into the living space of a midcentury-modern- or Japandi-style loft.
Knoll Womb Chair
Best chair to cocoon in
What do you get when an American architect directs a Finnish American designer to create a chair that feels like a “basket full of pillows”? The Womb Chair. Made by Eero Saarinen in 1946, the comfort level of the Womb Chair is right in the name—think of any verb that’s associated with sitting in a chair, add “like a baby” to the end of it, and that’s what the feeling of sitting in the Womb Chair is meant to be. Sure, on a purely surface level, the overall design and aesthetic is pretty simple. It is the sensation of actually sitting in this chair that’s helped it maintain its place in the canon of iconic chairs. You can practically feel yourself slowly lowering into the seat just by looking at it.
Wiggle Side Chair by Frank Gehry
Most distinct shape
“When you hear ‘cardboard furniture,’ the idea of luxury likely doesn’t come to mind, but I truly believe any space would be instantly elevated with the Wiggle Side Chair,” said reviewer and commerce editor Audrey Lee. Inspired by a pile of cardboard and constructed using the same material, Frank Gehry’s luxe Wiggle chair functions as the perfect compact statement piece that will slot right in next to a library bookshelf or stand on its on in an ultramodern space. It holds up surprisingly well over time (though you’ll probably want to keep food and drinks away from it) and you can purchase a stool with it if you want a matching ottoman.
BenchMade Modern Uncle Sal Chair
The chair-and-a-half
If you’re looking for a large-scale chair, you can’t beat the Benchmade Modern Uncle Sal. Our reviewer noted that it’s more like a chair and a half coming in at 35 inches wide and 39 inches deep. This seat can fit you and your pup or kiddo easily while making a stylish statement. Available in 90+ fabric options you can go as bold or neutral as you’d like without sacrificing comfort.
HAY Chisel Lounge Chair
Best chair for visitors
Described by senior commerce editor Rachel Fletcher as “a lovely little lily pad of a seat with a slight recline,” HAY’s Chisel Lounge chair is especially ideal if you’re in need of some extra seating that doesn’t compromise on character or space. Rachel found she could easily move the Chisel around her apartment throughout testing. With no seat cushion (unless you go for the upholstered option), it’s certainly not a reclining chair meant for you to spend hours on—but the wood softens the modern design just a bit and allows it to inject plenty of personality into a space.
Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen
Best shape
Material and color aren’t the only ways to make a statement. You can also do it through shape, like the Egg Chair by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen. This modern interpretation of a wingback chair was first created by Jacobsen in 1958 for the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) Royal Copenhagen Hotel in Denmark. It was manufactured in Poland by Fritz Hansen, which continues to produce the chair today. “I felt nothing but sturdy support to back me up while lounging for hours,” said our tester Collier Sutter. “I definitely won’t be taking any lengthy naps in this chair, but each time I retreat to my living room, the winged lounge chair is still shockingly inviting to nestle into with a cup of tea in hand or to curl up into with a good book.”
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Sixpenny Neva Swivel Glider
The glider in disguise
The raw edging along this glider gives it an effortless vibe—the petite size is perfect for tiny nurseries or small corners of the home. If you are using it in the nursery, get excited: The slipcover is easy to remove and machine washable—a major plus for our contributor Shoko Wanger, who said in her review, “I’ve always been drawn to the casual elegance of Sixpenny’s slipcover furnishings and liked that this piece seemed particularly well-suited to a smaller space. Our son’s room is tiny and oddly shaped, so its more compact frame was appealing. I also love that the slipcovers are removable and washable—essential with a small child!” You can also swap the slipcover out for a new color if you decide to switch up your room’s color palette at any point (there are more than 40 fabric options).
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Article Abisko Velvet Lounge Chair
The accent chair for couples
Ok, ok, it’s a bit bigger than your usual accent chair but sometimes the space calls for it. Throw yourself into the crease of this almost-chair-and-a-half, which can comfortably fit two people who are open to getting a little creative. Choose between two rich colors: pacific blue or yarrow gold. This one is best shouldered up to a side table in a neutral color, or right in front of the TV (it’s even comfy enough to replace a small sofa in a tiny place).
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Castlery Xander Leather Swivel Armchair
The chic swivel
A little bit midcentury (top-grain brown leather!) and a little bit Space Age (metal base!), this swivel can spin 360 degrees and looks so statuesque doing it. There’s something about the negative space between the chunky body and puddle-like base that’s a bit unexpected—and you’ll feel like you’re floating when you settle into this cushy chair.
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West Elm Desmond Chair
The one that will become an heirloom
The number of fabric options for this tubular design is almost overwhelming, but remember that this is as close as you can get to building a custom accent chair without doling out some of your life savings. It’s not often that you find an armchair that can take away the attention from even the most design-forward couches, but the material mixing (we love the metal frame) is certainly eye-catching. The slouchy design only adds to the charm—it’s the kind of chair you’ll want to give a nickname.
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Bay Isle Home Destrie Rattan Accent Chair
The hard worker
Stop stealing dining chairs from the dining room when you’re playing host—this is a serious upgrade, both in style and function. The rattan inlays are timeless, and the silhouette manages to keep its breezy charm despite a hard-lined black frame. Drop it in a corner underneath a lamp to finish up your reading nook or tuck it next to your closet for a mirror selfie cameo you’re making outfit decisions. It definitely won’t become home to a mountain of clothes; it’s too pretty for that.
