The 24 Best Reading Chairs for Peak Literature Consumption

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Once upon a time, a reading chair referred to something specific. Like, a chair in the house actually made for—and dedicated to—reading. I can't fact check if they all belonged in dimly lit secret libraries, but in my head they certainly did. Now though, the concept of a reading chair is pretty loose. It's more like an accent chair with a purpose. The purpose which is, of course, reading.

The thing that turns a regular old accent chair into a reading chair, is that it's not purely for display. You're not putting it in the corner of the room no one goes into, and that serves no purpose. No, this chair might be in a corner, but it's the comfy corner that has a floor lamp and quiet energy. It might have a higher back or wider seat for optimal comfort during long bouts of sitting. It's comfortable, of course, but not so comfortable that you are tempted to lie down and take a nap. You gotta stay awake, for the sake of the literature.

Here, we've rounded up 24 of the best reading chairs at every price point, from a few budget picks, some middle-of-the-road choices, to some straight-up investments, which, even if they're not part of your journey right now, will serve you well for inspiration on that future home library they'll one day live in. Just wait.

Laurel Armchair

We love The Citizenry for making hand-crafted, high-quality pieces. The Laurel chair is round-barrel design that's made in North Carolina. This leather choice will seamlessly blend into any room, and you can even choose between maple and walnut wood. It'll last you for years to come.

Coastline Lounge Chair

Sundays makes a cozy, beachy chair that is begging to be read in. The back curves into the low arms, making it feel soft and inviting. Get it in a range of neutral colors, spanning from a light off-white to black. Add on a matching ottoman in the same color with your choice of a small or large size. If you're keeping this reading chair in a bedroom, there's even a bed to match.

x Athena Calderone Le Tuco Shearling Accent Chair

Shearling furniture is having a moment, and we expect that moment to last. Who wouldn't want to sit in something this soft and cozy looking? The chair is pricey, but it's construction and top-notch materials (solid oak feet, hardwood frame, and pure shearling) make it an investment piece. It's unlike any other reading chair you could scoop up in the best way.

Mardones Lounge Chair

Cb2's camel brown velvet chair is the kind of piece you design a whole room around. It's cool curving and soft cushioning were made to be dramatically strewn across while reading for hours on end. The seat is a comfy 22.7 inches deep, ideal for long bouts of sitting. Choose this classic camel brown or from 18 other color and fabrics, including velvet, shearling, and boucle.

Howell Upholstered Accent Chair

Call us basic, but we love a basic chair. This one has a comfy feel, but a cool coastal look to it that'll blend right into any space. There are a few light neutral options for the colors, but they tend to sell out, so secure your favorite while you can. Add a contrasting pillow or comfy throw and call it a day (of reading).

Park Armchair

Our favorite is none other than a cozy and plush choice from Albany Park. The brand's customizable options come in polyester fabric, velvet, and leather with options for gold or black legs. You can add on a matching ottoman, too, making the wide seat (45 inches across, to be specific) into a full personal couch.

Madison Armchair with Ottoman

If you want the full reading experience, then you need an ottoman in addition to your chair. This set has that cool mid-century modern style that will never go out of style. Light gray, comfy but not "I'm stuck in here" comfy. Easy.

Vesper Lounge Chair

This newly released lounge chair is for the newspaper/magazine reader who just needs something cool and simple and doesn't dominate a space. Keep it simple with just the chair itself with a fabric, fabric and wood, or leather and wood frame, done up in olive green or navy fabric. Or, you can get a whole set up going on by adding a matching pillow and ottoman.

The Bond Chair

This chair is like the high-fashion of chairs with a dramatic frame that is purely for the vibes. It's really a modern design but done in leather, it still feels soft and welcoming. The pillowy construction feels as squishy as it looks with down-filled cushioning and a roomy seat.

Accent Chair

Amazon has some low-key great budget home options that aren't the kind of sterile choices that other cheaper places offer. Come here for a pricey bouclé dupe. The seating is perfectly fine for some bouts of reading and that soft bouclé adds texture to the room.

Lenola Upholstered Accent Arm Chair

Exhibit B: Amazon's plethora of velvet seating. This one's arms have a geometric detail to them that makes it a strong double as both a reading and accent chair. The gold hardware and luxe green velvet fabric are the least stuffy reading combination you could get.

Elroy Accent Chair

Also good for all forms of home decor: Studio McGee's collections with Threshold at Target are always strong choices. This accent chair has a deep base and propped up pillows that make it look more interesting than your standard reading chair. It comes in a few lightly colored linen fabrics, like this cream or dark gray, along with tan and cream shearling options.

Viv Grand Swivel Chair

The West Elm swivel chair is roomy enough to sit crosslegged comfortably for hours. It swivels 360 degrees and it's roomy with a 33.8-inch seat depth. It's so inviting that it's bound to make you actually read in it. Choose from a variety of colors and fabrics, and add-on features like stain-resistance and high-durability.

Lucia Wing Chair

Wing chairs are also great, offering a little more side support for sitting in and a cooler shape for looking at. Like many West Elm pieces, you can get this chair in nearly any color or fabric combination you could dream up, and they all look good. It's a little Italian, little mid-century, very good for reading in.

Elmont Accent Chair

For reading seating, you can't go wrong with this simple, well-priced accent chair with its medium back and easy arms. It's a comfy 30 inches wide, made with a neutral linen fabric and black metal frame. If you like the feel but want something smaller, there are 25- and 27-inch options, too.

Floria Velvet Chair

It's fine if you never shop at Urban Outfitters for clothes, but you are missing out if you aren't looking at their furniture. Everything is slightly retro without ever feeling old, like this velvet reading chair that can and will become the whole personality of the room you put it in. It deserves your reading time and attention.

About A Lounge 92 Armchair

If you love sleek and minimal decor, go Scandinavian. The modern, yet simple style will complete any space. The super high back, super low seat, and wing-shaped arms make it look infinitely more different than your standard reading chair without doing too much—in fact, by barely doing anything at all.

Reya Loveseat

Want something that is basically a sofa? Then behold this wide, and extremely cozy chair from Soho Home. It's 51 inches wide and 43 inches deep, ideal for sitting upright, crosse-legged, or dramatically draped over the arms. It's pricey and made to order (so can take a minute to ship) but the solid beech legs, soft foam, feather-wrapped core make it worth every penny and second of waiting.

Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

The crème de la crème of all reading chairs is non other than the Herman Miller Eames Chair, of course. It's a real splurge, but something that you'll (hopefully) have forever. The quality looks good, sure, but the real test is all in the feel. It's solid frame construction feels substantial and solid, with a perfect cushion ratio for being semi-productive in it.

Auburn Chair

West Elm's Auburn chair is exactly the kind of reading seat you can put in room that already has most of its design choices set. It's cool but doesn't take away attention from other standout pieces. It's especially great for building out, if you have a space you're putting more than one chair in. Get it in this easy gray fabric or about 1 zillion other color and fabric options.

Irving Recliner

For something a little more classic, a Pottery Barn brown leather recliner is a piece for the ages. Choose your preferred size: 38-inch recliner, 41-inch tall recliner, or 43-inch extra tall recliner. You can personalize your color and fabric, but we're partial to any of the deeper leathers for that full reclining club chair feel.

Jack Upholstered Armchair

For a reading chair that will not be misconstrued as frumpy, a cool orange velvet is the way to go. The minimal, sturdy metal black frame keeps all the focus on the retro velvet. The seat is a standard 20 inches wide by 20.5 inches deep, and it comes fully assembled.

Paris Leather Chair

If you're looking to level up your reading chair game, Room & Board's beautiful leather Paris chair is elevated but comfy—not one of those pieces that's too good to use. You can style it to your liking with these standard legs or a swivel bottom, and add on a regular or pedestal ottoman. Choose from a few colors the brand keeps in stock, or you can choose from over 30 colors that are made to order.

Amber Swivel Chair

Going for a spin in a swivel chair is a peak childhood memory for some and, with this chair, a peak adulthood memory, too. This one comes in both a neutral grey or bold yellow. It's simple, doesn't take up too much space, and is perfect for facing away from the rest of the room when you're not trying to see the people you live with.

You Might Also Like

• Kid Cudi Is All Right

• 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks