I am finally at the point of purchasing seating for my home theater. I have decided on Berklines with either model 088, 090, or 45004. Regardless of what model I choose, I will have to decide whether to get them in a manual or motorized version. This what I have gleaned from this forum so far:

Manual
Advantages - cheaper, quicker to get to desired recline position than motorized
Disadvantages - do not have fine control over how far to recline

Motorized
Advantages - fine control over how far to recline
Disadvantages - more expensive, takes longer to get to reclined position than manual

Any thoughts?

manual - cheaper
motorized - more expensive.

Enjoy.

Not a good idea to post the same question in multiple forums.

Everything I read and heard about Berkline is to get the motor. However, I went and tried some at a local store and feel the manual is "fine". Is it idea? Probably not. But it is fine and would not detract from the chairs.

I'm still looking at the 088's. But don't really like leather (I know, kind of weird). So prices for fabric are pretty reasonable. Adding motors would at 40%-50% to the cost. Not worth IMHO. Now if you are getting the highest end chair with the highest end leather, then you would only be adding 15%-20% to the cost, and seems like a better deal.

I'd find a local store and just try it.

Not a good idea to post the same question in multiple forums.

Why not? His question fits either forum. He will get more opinions from people that may not make it to this thread or the other one. Many people do this. Stick to being a proud grandmother and not a moderator :rolleyes:

Everything I read and heard about Berkline is to get the motor. However, I went and tried some at a local store and feel the manual is "fine". Is it idea? Probably not. But it is fine and would not detract from the chairs.

I'm still looking at the 088's. But don't really like leather (I know, kind of weird). So prices for fabric are pretty reasonable. Adding motors would at 40%-50% to the cost. Not worth IMHO. Now if you are getting the highest end chair with the highest end leather, then you would only be adding 15%-20% to the cost, and seems like a better deal.

I'd find a local store and just try it.

I was majorly anti-leather until I sat in the Berk's higher end leathers. Now I am somewhat of a convert.

As far as power or not...what it boils down to is your budget and if/where you want to cut corners. I decided that if we were going to get chairs we were just going to bite the bullet and get exactly what my wife and I wanted.

The other thing to keep in mind on power recline is that isn't something you can change. If you get them you won't regret it, but if you get manual will you say to yourself "man, I shoulda done power" every time you sit down? I would have.

agreed with Jonnio, it basically boils down to budget.

Now keep in mind members have a choice between the number of powered and non powered chairs, it does not have to be all one or the other. In other words for example one orders say 4 chairs for their theater/media/family room, one can have one chair with power recline (the favorite seat) and the other three chairs manual recline. If one orders two rows of 3 seats, the front row could be powered, the back row could be manual. So many possibilities so budget becomes less of an issue.

It then becomes more needs versus wants based on individual preferences which is a nice choice to have.

I would definately go powered and I'll tell you why. The Berkline chairs recline farther back than an average recliner making you lay almost at a 180 degree angle (completely flat), the problem with this in a manual recline is that it takes me (6'2 175pounds) 2 good pushes just to get the thing fully reclined. I tried different models at the furniture store and this was the case for all of them. If you are lucky enough to be able to push it back all the way to the fully reclined in one push it is still somewhat "clunky" in how it has to be pushed, and you gotta think....this is a home theater...top of the top...motorized heaven is so much better :). Anyways, just my 2 cents. I personally own the powered.

The Search features works wonders as this has been a topic answered several times. Either way, I'll add my 2c.

Go with the Powered. Sure you might have sat in the manauals at the store and thought "these will be fine," but when you have to sit in a chair for 2+ hours, you tend to get a little ancy and want to move around. The manual recline only has a couple of FIXED positions. Anything in between would have to be balanced by your weight. The powered chairs allow you to recline in any number of postions and can be adjusted with a few clicks of a button. Sure its adds price to the chair, but it'll be some of the best money you spend for your theater!

When air conditioning for cars first came out my dad said "why would you need that if you can just roll down the windows?"
When Color TV came out he said "why bother? there is nothing on worth watching"
He never learned to use a computer or e-mail but complained when I didn't write often enough.

I have powered seats, Satellite Programming, and Broadband cable, but you know what? sometimes there still is nothing on worth watching.

:)

Plus the weather is nice outside, too nice to be indoors. But when it comes time to kick back, relax and enjoy the show the powered versus non powered debate will continue. It's a very personal choice, simply put go with powered chairs if you believe you will need it now or someday and if the budget will allow for it. At least in the "main seats". Then one cannot go back and say "I wish i would have".

If your heart is set on manual recline but thoughts are popping in and out of your head because your reading this thread go with your instinct, best way to achieve that is to demo the chairs. Then the decision is much much simpler...if you think someday you will wish you would have then definitely go powered. Instinct is telling you to go powered in this case.

If you like the manual recline after a demo (which many do) but are thinking back to this thread and saying "should I go powered" as recommended by many on the forum even though you like the manual recline then the small expense to go motorized may not be a priority for you. Different strokes for different folks.

If your heart is set on manual recline but thoughts are popping in and out of your head because your reading this thread go with your instinct, best way to achieve that is to demo the chairs. Then the decision is much much simpler...if you think someday you will wish you would have then definitely go powered. Instinct is telling you to go powered in this case.

Make sure that when you demo the chairs you spend more than just 5-10 minutes sitting in them. When you push the button on the manual recliner, and the chair goes in the first reclining position you will find that it is extremely comfortable and you would probably spend most of the time in this position. But as it was mentioned in one of the previous posts watching the movie for several ours is not the same thing, and you will definitely want to readjust your chair once in a while. The power recline will give you indefinite control over your chair...

I ordered mine as manuals having discovered over the years that having an infinite number of choices means that I'll just have a harder time finding the one that is actually comfortable. ;-)

After sitting in 5 different chairs yesterday, 3 manual and 2 motorized, I found that the ability to stop the recline at any position and stay there with no effort on my part was the biggest selling point of the motorized option.

Keith

The manual recline only has a couple of FIXED positions.

Why are there only a couple of fixed postions? Is there a reason other then to get you to by the motor version?

Sdallnct,

Why are there economy and first class seats in the airplane? is there a reason other than getting more of your money?

:)

Now keep in mind members have a choice between the number of powered and non powered chairs

I would at least get the seat you will use with the power option. Then it will only cost you for one seat.

Only 2 reasons not to get motorized.
Price.
Needing electrical outlets.

As far as power or not...what it boils down to is your budget and if/where you want to cut corners. I decided that if we were going to get chairs we were just going to bite the bullet and get exactly what my wife and I wanted.




what a life we live. where we are cutting corners if we dont put in electric recliners... :)

Why not? His question fits either forum. He will get more opinions from people that may not make it to this thread or the other one. Many people do this. Stick to being a proud grandmother and not a moderator :rolleyes:

I know that people do this, I have done it myself on a few selected occasions. I did not say or imply that is it forbidden or something, just not in general a good idea. I say this because some newer members come on and ask the same question in every forum they can find.
Funny I have seen others make similiar comments in other threads and no one Jumped down their throat about it.
Or maybe you only make comments of that kind to grandmothers?
Wouldn't be biased would we? :(

I demo'ed the powered Berk's, and they weren't enough of an advantage for me to want to trench up concrete to get a recessed electrical outlet to my seating location. Not to mention that the time it takes to get in to the reclined position was annoying.

None in my family, ranging from my 65lb son to my 200lb self, has any trouble managing the manual 090's.

(And I second the comment about being a self-appointed mod... some subject matters straddle forum topics. If you want to start chiding people for something that doesn't fit with your ideals of forum usage without bothering to even offer any feedback on the OP's question, be prepared to take some heat in return.)

I demo'ed the powered Berk's, and they weren't enough of an advantage for me to want to trench up concrete to get a recessed electrical outlet to my seating location.

I didn't want to go digging either so I ran a cord. Inside a cordmate:

http://www.wiremold.com/www/consumer/products/corduct/images/grey.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/DSC00985.jpg

Only 2 reasons not to get motorized.
Price.
Needing electrical outlets.

The one's I looked at the motor was enclosed so there wasn't an easy way to replace it when it died so I went manual.

Walkin,

It is actually very easy to replace the motor - two pins hold the actuator, and it takes 2 minutes to replace it ....

Walkin,

It is actually very easy to replace the motor - two pins hold the actuator, and it takes 2 minutes to replace it ....
Can we assume that a motor can be installed when finances allow to a manual recline chair?

No, the manual recliners cannot be modified into the powered ones...