How To Stop A Recliner From Sliding On Carpet

After placing your lovely recliner in the room, one thing you may never expect can happen: it keeps sliding on the carpet. We understand how annoying it could be! 

Don’t be agitated! We will show you a few ways to keep a recliner from sliding on the carpet in this post. We are sure you can fix it in a breeze.

1. Replace the carpet

The main reason why your recliner keeps sliding is since the carpet can’t provide much friction to the chair. 

Choosing a heavy-duty and deeper carpet could be a great idea to ensure the stability of your furniture; however, it would be costly if your carpet is not worn or outdated.

If you think this solution is not so practical for you, don’t worry, we have prepared other solutions.

2. Use a rug pad underneath

rug pad

Instead of replacing the carpet, placing a rug pad underneath could be a cheaper solution to keep the recliner or other piece of furniture from sliding.

The rug pad could increase the friction of the carpet, and it is inconspicuous. One thing worth mentioning is that you should pay attention to the materials of these rug pads.

Most rug pads on the market are made of PVC. While it could be a temporary and low-price option, it would release toxic chemicals and crack easily over time.

A rubber rug pad is a better alternative. The natural material is safer and long-lasting. It can cost a little bit more than the PVC pad upfront, but you can save more money in the end.

3. Affix furniture grippers

furniture feet gripper

Attaching furniture grippers on the recliner legs is one of the most popular and practical ways to stop sliding on the carpet. 

You can easily find these grippers online or in the local hardware stores. The materials used to make these products often include plastic, silicon, and cork. A good rule of thumb is that don’t buy a furniture gripper made with the same material as the chair legs.

Please make sure the textured and non-sliding sides face the carpet and attach them to the legs one by one.

Note that it is essential to check the quality of these grippers and ensure they will not discolor your lovely carpet.

You can also try to DIY your own furniture grippers if you are a handyman or just want to save more money. Cork or other types of softwood can work in most cases.

4. Use chair leg caps

If you don’t like the idea of affixing something onto the recliner legs permanently, using chair leg caps could solve your problem. 

Fitting the leg caps onto the recliner legs is just like wearing socks on your feet. You will be able to choose from a myriad of options available in the market, and we are sure you can get some that could blend seamlessly with your style preferences. 

The bottoms of these caps that face away from the legs have felt furniture pads which increase the friction to the carpet.

If these caps are worn out, you can easily replace them with new ones and they are low-price. 

5. Keep the carpet clean

clean the carpet

Sometimes all you need to do to prevent your recliner from sliding is a thorough cleaning. The dust and debris could make the carpet become slippery, let alone the carpet is a natural pet hair and dust bunny magnet.

Put on your vacuum and clean out these annoying particles. It is possible that the friction that a clean carpet offers is enough to keep your chair in place. Even if it is not working, it will benefit your overall health anyway.

6. Add more accessories

A recliner can move around if you open and close it frequently. It would be acceptable for most users if you only need to adjust it once a week. To reduce the chances of standing up and sitting down, you have to make the users feel comfortable.

A throw or a pillow would be a good accessory to improve the comfort level and let you stay for longer. They can provide good support for your head and back and keep you warm while taking a nap. 

Adding an end table is also a sensible idea. You can put your drinks and smartphones on it so that you can get them without standing up from time to time. 

However, we don’t encourage a sedentary lifestyle, and it still is a temporary solution as you are likely to get tired in the end.

Which solution suits you best?

We offer 6 different solutions to help you stop recliners from sliding on the carpet. You may wonder which one you need to choose. 

If you live in a rented house and only plan to stay for a few months or years, then you can opt for affixing recliner feet grippers or leg caps. It could be cost-effective. 

For those who are just planning to renew your house, replacing a new carpet that has better friction would be a better option. 

No matter where you live, regularly cleaning the carpet is a good habit to prevent falls,  increase friction and stay healthy. 

Conclusion

Having a recliner that keeps sliding on the carpet can drive you crazy. Luckily, there are a few ways to solve this problem. Use furniture feet grippers or chair cap legs are always the go-to solutions, but you should be careful to prevent these products from discoloring and damaging your carpet.

For those who plan to renovate the house, replacing a heavy-duty carpet would be a good idea as well.

Photo of author
Rachelle is the founder of Best Chair Finder. She is a fanatic of home improvement, and as an engineer, she knows well about each chair's mechanism. You can find her story on the About page.