Good thought, Moni. I was just thinking that maybe Sue's recliner mechanism is bent or defective -- something a handyman could fix.

on amazon there is a Standers easy chair lift that fits on the handle of many recliners. Might be worth trying. $23.84 and free shipping with prime.

I got a recliner a few months ago and I told my son I thought there was something wrong with it and it needed adjusted or something because the lever was too hard for me to pull up on to put the footrest down.
He showed me that if I push down on the footrest with my legs while pulling on the lever it works very easily.

there are a few extensions that fit on the handles that make it much easier to reach and pull and push. In fact lazyboy makes one for theirs that is extra long which you can purchase to change it out.
Stander Lever Extender
Recliner Lever Extension
La-Z-Boy Updates Their Handle

the cheaper end of an extension (that is, if such would be what it needed) is a piece of pipe. On some chairs, plastic pipe (plastic equals light weight) will do the trick.

You put it over the handle, and now have a longer piece for pulling the foot rest up, and thus, it is much easier.

Thanks everyone for giving your thoughts on this as well.

Moni

Moni, Thanks for the offer, but I don't have that kind of camera. I don't even have a cell phone.

Reading on down in the replies I see mention of a chair lifter that I had checked on previously, but felt very iffy about. Raven listed some links that I'm going to follow.

I do know that you have to push down with your legs while using the lever. That is very hard to do, at least for me. When my DS was home at Thanksgiving, he put a piece of pvc pipe on the lever and I tried that for a while, but it really didn't help.

Side note, I've been planning to order a couple things through Amazon. I'm going to check out Raven's links and I think I'll add one of the lifters to my list, if it is returnable.

Thanks to all of you for your replies, and even more for your concern. KT rocks!

Sue

Sue, did you try out the chair in the store? If not, they surely should have suggested you do so! I think I would call them again, tell them your situation, (how old you are??) and ask sweetly if they can help you. You never know, and shame on them for not being more helpful!

Sue, I visited a friend today. Her and her hubby got new recliners. She complained, she can't make hers go back/recline.

It doesn't have a handle.

I sat in Bills chair. Easy peacy... and I could not figure out her problem.... then I sat in her chair, YIKES, I could not get it to recline either.

Liz and I changed the chairs out... and her chair now sits in Bills place. :)

I wonder, how long it will take to get that chair fixed now. LOL

Moni

Sjerin, yes, I tried the chair out at the store. I have to admit to being extremely tired by the time we got there; it was the 4th store we had been to. I wanted to check out the 5th, and last one before I decided; there was nothing there I wanted. Interesting that Wall Huggers must be on a decline. So back to number 4. I sat down, reclined and was very comfortable. I decided to get the chair, and the clerk lowered the foot and we did the paper work. They put the chair into my DD's SUV. BTW, their delivery charge is $75. I am about 5 miles from the store. Something else I learned is the chair comes in 2 pieces.

I learned very quickly that I couldn't use the lever with out straining my shoulder. Here is where I am to blame: I did not know that the store is a All Sales Final store. I've never bought anything there.

When I went to talk to them I was reminded about the ASF, and was told I should have noticed the signs which I saw then are wrapped around some very tall floor to ceiling posts. The person I talked to is one of the owners, and she said there was nothing she could do, because now it is a used chair, etc,etc. So I still have the chair, which I sit in, but don't recline in.

This afternoon my DGD and her DH stopped by and they said they would put the chair on Craig's list and see if it will sell. If it does, I'll loose some money, but that is the way the ball bounces sometimes. They also brought me cupcakes. I can drown my sorrows in sugar!!

Oh, sjerin, I'm just a young thing . . . 89, until June.

Moni, I'm loving your story about your friend's chairs. Hers doesn't have a handle? Does it have a round place on the side that you push? While I was shopping, I learned that now some recliners rock, swivel, glide, have a massager, and a remote. Let us know the end of that story; should be a good one.

Sue