Are you on a quest for a truly comfortable lounge chair?

Finding something comfortable to sit on for more than a few moments is surprisingly dificult. Most sofas are too hard, most chairs have backs to high/low/rigid, beanbags to too hard to get in and out of and they make too much noise when you move around. So we've done a bit of legwork for you and have some suggestions for chairs you really can spend an evening on watching telly.

By Kay Hill
Big Husk chair by Patricia Urquiola for B+B Italia, from Chaplins

The problem with a lot of chairs is that the backs are either too straight or too reclined and low, which don't make for the most relaxed position for watching TV or reading. The largely recyclable contemporary pillowy Big Husk swivel chair by Patricia Urquiola for B+B Italia comes with a footstool and is perfect for a night in front of the box. It is a bit on the pricey side at around £2,800 but boy is it comfortable

It’s dark and cold outside, there are lots of comforting repeats on the telly, and you’re too full of mince pies to feel like moving. What do you need? The perfect lounge chair to cradle you in comfort while you disappear into the Sky Christmas channel. Here is a baker’s dozen plus one of the most eco-friendly on the market.

1. C1 Recliner by David Colwell at Sable & Ox

David Colwell started making eco-friendly furniture 30 years ago, long before the rest of the country had woken up to the issues. His aim was to create furniture that would move to suit the body and be made of the most sustainable materials available. His C1 Recliner is made from steam-bent ash, a process that uses young trees which are often thinned out and destroyed. The wood is used while green so it doesn’t have to be kiln dried since the steam-bending process seasons the wood at the same time, using much less energy. The upholstered pad, which is designed to be used on both sides and replaced when worn out is made from unbleached linen. The recliner has three positions so you're guaranteed to get comfortable, and it also folds flat should you want to clear the hearth for a game of Twister. C1 with foot stool around £1,500. Colwell also takes eco-friendly design commissions, contact him through Sable & Ox.

2. Husk armchair by Patricia Urquiola for B+B Italia

Urquiola had comfort and the environment in mind when working on this chair. Several versions are available, with standard, large or very large cushions, and a headrest for maximum snoozability. The whole chair swivels on its base and there’s even a footstool so you can put your feet up. B+B Italia wanted the chair to contain materials that could be recycled and components put together in a way that meant the materials could be easily disassembled. The moulded shell is made from Hirek resin, which has a large proportion of post-industrial waste plastic in it, and is also 100 per cent recyclable.The frame is steel, the legs are oak or lacquered wood, the padding is recyclable polyester and the cover comes in a huge range of choices, including wool felt, or naturally tanned leather. From £1,918, available at Chaplins.

C1 steam bent ash recliner and footstool by David Colwell, around £1,500 at www.sableandox.co.uk
Iconic Eames' Lounge chair and ottoman by Vitra is 65 per cent recyclable and uses 24 per cent recyc
Eco-friendly Coach chair by Jean-Marie Massoud for Saint Luc has a shell made from a flax composite
The Bert chair by Higgs & Crick has a walnut frame hand-made in Cornwall and Bute wool upholstery. A
The beautifully made George high-backed wing chair by Whitehead Designs of Long Eaton. www.whitehead
Sumptous one and a half person Rosetti chair, made in UK by The Odd Chair Company, from £2,400. www.

3. Coach chair by Jean-Marie Massaud for Saint Luc

Most mid-century furniture with this kind of Eames' influenced curved shell was made from fibreglass, a material that doesn’t biodegrade and is difficult to recycle. But the new Coach lounge chair and foot stool by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud for French company Saint Luc has a bodyshell made from a bio-resin reinforced with filaments of Normandy-grown flax, giving it the same strengths as plastic reinforced with glass fibres but none of the drawbacks. The fully biodegradable shell was developed by a French automotive engineer who found that the bio alternative used just a tenth of the energy in its manufacture than fibreglass. The base is made from recyclable stainless steel and walnut wood and the upholstery is in materials made from natural fibres including flax. Price on application

4. Eames Lounge Chair from Vitra

Widely deemed to be one of the most comfortable pieces of seating ever made, the Eames Lounge chair and footstool from Vitra is, alas, too expensive for most of us at around £6,000 for the two. So start saving, or keep your eyes peeled for second-hand ones which do come up from time to time on Ebay or in vintage furniture shops. Chairs are made in the EU and use 24 per cent recycled materials and are 65 per cent recyclable - but the odds of anyone fortunate enough to own one taking it to the recycling centre are nil. Available at design stores including Vitra, Heal's and Conran Shop.

5. Bert chair Higgs & Crick

With a backrest made at the perfect angle for relaxing while watching TV, the Bert chair from newcomer luxury brand Higgs & Crick is definitely worth buying if you can fund it. Unveiled at this year's 100% Design show in London, it's ergonomically designed to be incredibly comfortable, with a back that's not too high nor too low, and not too upright or too slanted. And Deco editor Abby Trow has sampled it and vouches enthusiastically for its credentials. Bert is made to order by expert craftspeople: the walnut frame is hand-made in Cornwall and the upholstery is made in Dorset. Choose Bute wool fabric for a sumptuous eco comfort. Bert chair around £3,500higgsandcrick.com. 

6. Rosetti chair by The Odd Chair Company

A wonderfully sumptous one and a half seater, the best-selling Rosetti by UK manufacturer The Odd Chair Company is made from sustainable wood, horse hair, coconut fibre and feather and down filling..no nasty polyeurethene foams in this. It can be made in dimensions to suit the user, so taller people can request a higher back for example, and customers can choose their fabric. It's great for snuggling up with a child or for sprawling in as you watch a film. From £2,400.

7. George chair by Whitehead Designs

The traditional wing chair design never goes out of date simply because it is so comfortable to sit in - especially if you decide to have 40 winks after dinner, when your head can loll comfortably against the wing. The George chair is made in Long Eaton in Notts by family-run Whitehead Designs using traditional upholstery skills, and its frame has a 25-year guarantee so you can bargain on it having a long lifespan. Even when it does start to wear out, the company offers a recover and/or rebuild service to bring it back to its former glory. So it could, in theory, take you from your Telly Tubby watching days right through to Last of the Summer Wine. Frames are made from sustainably-sourced beech and oak, stuffing is bio-degradable duck feather and down, and as customers can choose their own fabrics you can specify a sustainable textile such as wool, linen or hemp. George chair from £1,180 plus fabric. whiteheaddesigns.com

Fair trade J armchair by Trunk is made from reclaimed teak , £385
1960s Folke Ohlsson lounge chair for DUX, wool upholstery, fully restored, POA at Chase & Sorensen
Sink into this cocooning Odeon leather chair from Leather Chairs of Bath. £1,795
Bloomsbury Garden Swivel Chair, reupholstered in grey leather, vintage Danish, from Jay & Co. £895

8. Vintage Danish lounge chairs from Chase & Sorensen 

Perhaps the most eco-friendly decision is to buy second-hand, a choice that requires zero use of new resources. But you don’t have to scour the small ads or the deepest recesses of Ebay to find a piece that has real design style – Chase & Sorensen has done the work for you. The company specialises in original Scandinavian modern furniture from the 1940s to the '70s, which it sources directly from Denmark and sells from its two East London stores and via its website. You'll find a good selection of comfortable armchairs, including this gorgeous 1960s' Folke Ohlsson for DUX lounge chair, upholstered in wool with beech wood frame. POA Chase & Sorensen

9. Upcycled vintage Danish chair by Jay & Co (formerly Out Of The Dark)

Jay & Co is based in Wolverhampton and is run by now TV celeb Jay Blades. It's a social enterprise that trains young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to recycle, restore and revamp to very high standards salvaged furniture - the added boon being that unwanted furniture becomes hugely desirable again and doesn't end up in landfill. Product obviously changes frequently but you'll find on the charity’s website has a good stock of pieces with a nice '50s-'70s vibe - including this now smart vintage Danish chair which was reupholstered in a lovely grey leather. Vintage G-Plan furniture is also available. Chair £895. Jayand.co

10. Odeon chair from Leather Chairs of Bath

With a name like the Odeon, you just know this chair is going to be sumptuously comfortable to watch your favourite movies in. It has a great mid-century shape, reminiscent of the old cinema seats, while supporting the shoulders for extra relaxation. Each chair is hand-made, deep coiled spings set in sustainable beech wood frames, while the leather is dyed in the UK using only vegetable dyes£1,795.

11. J Armchair from Trunk 

Trunk believes that good design, ethical business practices and reasonable prices should be part of the same package. The firm has a series of small workshops in rural villages in Indonesia and India where fair wages go directly into the local community, rather than gathering people to work large factories. Most of its furniture is made from reclaimed teak, which was commonly used for house building in Indonesia but becomes a waste product when buildings are demolished. Lots of smaller bits of teak are left after Trunk's tables and wardrobes have been built, so it came up with a comfortable armchair designed specifically to find a use for those smaller offcuts. The result is the J Armchair which has modern Scandinavian styling. The upholstery fabric is sustainable natural linen, although unfortunately cushions pads are foam - however as each piece is made to order there is always room to request a more eco material such as feather/down or latex (although these would make the product more expensive).

J Armchair, £385. trunkhome.co.uk

 

 

T-Shirt chair by Maria Westerberg from is made from upcycled fabrics. mariawesterbergdesign.com
Sink in comfort..Helmsley chair from Sofas & Stuff

12. T-Shirt chair by Maria Westerberg 

Not a squidgy chair you sink into, but the back has the right incline to make this a chair to relax on if you like to lie low with your feet out. And the award-winning T-Shirt chair is super eco as it comprises a thin recyclable powder-coated steel frame that is padded with fabric cast-offs - which could be old T shirts or curtains. The chair won a Green Furniture Award for its unusual and very comfortable design. Swedish designer Westerberg's original prototype used the T-shirts of 40 friends woven through the metal frame, but now it's in production by manufacturer Green Furniture Sweden which recycles the colourful fabric left-overs from sofa production. Alternatively, you can buy just the frame and use your own cast-off clothes to make the upholstery. Upholstered T-shirt chair £850, frame only £370, bespoke in colour you choose £1,200. www.mariawesterbergdesign.com

13. Helmsley armchair from Sofas & Stuff

Sink into this one and half seat chair from Sofas & Stuff. Chair has a traditional hardwood frame, can be upholstered in a choice of fabrics (go for wool or linen to be really eco), with feather filled back cushions. Handmade in the UK. Around £1600.