From solid mid-century styles in beautiful leather and wood, to bold, boucle designs that can swivel, there’s a wide range of attractive armchairs to choose from online. Source your design with consideration, and the right armchair not only adds style to your decor, but can be the perfect place for a quick pick-me-up – it’s a spot to sip your morning coffee, provide solace on your lunch break or simply soothe after a long day.

In my round up of the best armchairs, there are options to suit both modern and classic room schemes that come in a range of shapes, sizes, colourways and materials to upgrade your home decor. I’ve included a selection of designs from online furniture brands including Next, Ikea, Dunelm, Swyft, Cult Furniture and Loaf, ensuring there’s something to suit every interior taste and budget.

The most eye-catching armchairs work well as stand-alone pieces and add an extra layer of style to your existing decorating scheme. You can choose colours and designs to complement the best dining chairs and best sofas too, whether they are contemporary or traditional.

Read more: Best wardrobes, reviewed by an interiors editor

The best armchairs for 2026 are:

  • Best overall– Habitat Dawson fabric swivel chair: £209, Habitat.co.uk
  • Best budget buy– Dusk Nyla accent chair: £198, Dusk.com
  • Best vintage armchair– Dunelm Jolene William Morris bird & pomegranate print velvet snuggle chair: £799, Dunelm.com
  • Best leather armchair– Next antique leather light tan sherlock highback armchair: £755, Next.co.uk

  • Best mid-century modern armchair– Swyft chair 03: Was £849, now £799, Swyfthome.com

  • Bestarmchair overall

  • Why we love it- Great value
  • Comfortable
  • Matching footstool available

  • It can swivel

  • Take note- The grainy fabric leans more towards a white/grey than a cream finish

The Habitat Dawson is the best armchair I tested thanks to its wide arms and a tactile tufted design. It can swivel 360 degrees and you can buy a matching footstool to match. I found the fabric relatively soft against the skin and its fixed foam seat is designed to hold its shape so there was no need to plump up the cushions.

The chair is simple to assemble as all the screws and fixing tools you need to put it together come in the box. I had to screw both arms on before use, which was a little fiddly, but not impossible when you know how. The chair and footstool then needed to slot into their swivel bases.

At 41cm, I found the low-slung chair a nice height to sit back in with feet up on the footstool. The padded cushioning is comfy, and as it can swivel I found it added to my relaxation as it meant I could gently turn and self-soothe from side to side while I was sitting and reading. It also makes it easy to turn to face a certain direction without getting up. Even though it comes in a pale finish, its micro-cord finish is grainy in colour, which means any potential spills or marks from long-term wear and tear won’t be really obvious.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H80 x W78.5 x D89cm
  • Materials:Polyester with metal feet

  • Assembly required:Yes

  • Bestbudget armchair

  • Why we love it- Simple and timeless wood and linen design
  • Classic mid-century-style design

  • Neutral enough to blend into modern or traditional schemes

  • Take note- The cushion is on the firmer side and may take some getting used to

Available in either a cream linen or blue stripe fabric, this wooden armchair is classic in design. The Nyla chair is very subtly angled, which makes it easy to sit back comfortably on its cushioned back. Its clean lines and minimalist design make it an easy piece to blend in with modern or more traditional styles. One looks great in an awkward corner of my room, but I think two facing each other with a small table in between would create a great set up for playing board games or reading while drinking coffee.

I like how firm the cushions are on this chair, which made me feel supported without sitting too rigidly. I think the cushions may get a little softer with time, but for now they feel firm and enticing. The cream linen fabric looks effortlessly stylish and I think would blend in well with most colour schemes. But if you want to add a touch of coastal chic to your decor, the blue stripe version is the way forward. I think the striped fabric would also be easier to keep clean and is less likely to show up every mark over time than the cream version.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H81.5 x W64 x D77cm
  • Materials:Rubberwood frame

  • Assembly required:No

  • Bestpremium armchair

  • Why we love it- Minimal plumping needed
  • It’s a generous size for one

  • Compact design

  • Take note- Its angular shape may be too modern for some schemes

  • Expensive

With its compact frame and pillowy bounce-back cushions, this armchair is designed for style and comfort. It has air pockets and feather-wrapped foam so that it’s low-maintenance and the cushions keep their shape well so there’s less plumping needed.

Its oak legs come in a choice of two colourways including light oak and dark oak. You can also have it upholstered in a choice of up to six fabrics such as a glossy velvet as shown here, a more sober ‘slubby’, which is a soft cotton weave, or an on-trend boucle. There are also 31 very specifically named colours to choose from including ‘cucumber sandwich green’, ‘quince jam red’ or, as I tried out here, a brooding ‘ink blue’.

I found this design provided a generous space to sink into. It’s hard not to relax when you sit on this armchair as the design is supportive and comfortable. The back pillow is plump around the neck, while the two arm cushions are thick and make it easy to relax your arms on either side.

I found the velvet easy to keep clean with a wipe of a lightly damp cloth, too – even when one of the kids had spilt a bit of their squash on the fabric. Crumbs showed up against the blue ink backdrop when scattered en masse, particularly when they kids decided to eat popcorn on it, but this was nothing a quick whizz round of the handheld vacuum couldn’t fix, before it was looking fresh and fabulous again. Overall, I think that with its timber frame glued and screwed in the traditional way, this armchair feels built to last.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H85 x W109 x D99cm
  • Materials:Velvet, twill, chenille, linen, boucle, slubby

  • Assembly required:No

  • Bestvintage-inspired armchair

  • Why we love it- Classic William Morris design
  • Comfortable and stylish

  • Sturdy structure, built to last

  • Take note- This classic style won’t suit contemporary decor

Upholstered in a plush velvet fabric with a statement William Morris print, this eye-catching armchair looks warm and inviting. Its print may not be as famous as William Morris’s much-loved ‘strawberry thief’ pattern, which now appears on everything from butter dishes to footstools, but I think it’s just as beautiful.

William Morris is celebrated for his intricate patterns, symbolism and love for nature and I think a bold fabric like this will instantly add character and charm to a room. Its green print that features leaves, birds and fruit certainly helped to soften the look of my open-plan kitchen area while bringing the outside in.

The armchair comes with scroll arms, pleated detailing and dark oak legs that enhance its English heritage design. It’s comfortable too, and has a roomy deep seat that I found easy to nestle into. The cushions aren’t too soft either, but have a supportive medium-firm feel with a structure that feels solid and built to retain their shape well over time.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H 87 x W100 x D96cm
  • Materials:Plush velvet with dark oak legs

  • Assembly required:Screw the legs on

  • Bestleather armchair

  • Why we love it- Classic design that will age well
  • Timeless styling suits most styles

  • Supportive high back

  • Take note- A little on the firm side, but supportive and this could soften with time

Get your deerstalker hat and pipe at the ready, as this ‘Sherlock’ armchair comes in nine colourways including the antique light tan leather finish, as shown here.

You can also choose from a darker leather, a black-and-white check chenille and a cool blue weave. I chose the light tan leather version because I think it’s neutral enough to blend effortlessly with most interior schemes, while adding a layer of warmth, colour and texture to a room.

There are two sizes to choose from: a regular high-back model and a larger high-back version. Both feature the same elegant design, complete with scroll-arm detailing, but the larger chair offers more generous proportions and is available in five material finishes. For example, it stands 117cm tall compared to 102cm for the regular version.

What I like most about this chair is its supportive high back, which provides excellent comfort for both the spine and shoulders. I could easily lean back and rest my head and neck while relaxing. The armrests are well positioned, and because the seat is a little firmer than I expected, it encourages good posture.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H102 x W85 x D88cm
  • Materials:Nine options for the regular version, five for the large version

  • Assembly required:Screw the legs on

  • Bestmid-century modern armchair

  • Why we love it- Attractive mid-century styling

  • Solid frame feels robust and comfy

  • Take note- It’s a streamlined design without a headrest

With its eye-catching glossy primed finish, the solid wood chair 03 is a piece you’ll want to position pride of place. Its mid-century-inspired wood frame is made from ash with a mid-tone stain finish. It features brushed-brass accents on each side that elevate the design by adding a sense of luxury. Meanwhile, it has upholstered back and seat hollow-fibre cushions for comfort.

The chair arrives fully assembled so there’s no need to spend time screwing on the legs or adding sides. The Swyft delivery team can even lift it out of the box and take the packaging away.

With its smooth and tactile sloped arms and ladderback frame, the craftsmanship here feels exceptional. I’ve seen similar versions online but the arms on the Swyft look noticeably different and are flatter at the ends. The shape of them gave me something to hold onto as I sunk back in the seat to read my book. While I chose this brooding maple leather finish to try as it looks great with most decor schemes, there are four other options to choose from including teal, vine, ivory and oyster – all look equally luxurious.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H83 x W77 x D54cm
  • Materials:Solid wood and maple leather

  • Assembly required:No

  • Bestoccasional armchair

  • Why we love it- Looks elegant
  • Feels smooth and tactile

  • Beautiful brushed gold accents

  • Take note- Seat is on the firm side

  • At 44cm, the pouffe is a little on the tall side

The cream velvet upholstery and brushed gold base on this decorative LPD Charles armchair and Lara pouffe add instant glamour. The armchair has elegant, clean modern lines and I think it’s a nice two-piece set for a corner of a bedroom or dressing room.

At 44cm, the footstool is a little higher than I anticipated but it’s versatile and solid enough in structure to be used as a seat or small side table, too.

To assemble the chair, the leg frame needs to be screwed on, and this was easy to do with the screws in the box and instructions clearly explained. While the chair is clean and angular in design, the smooth upholstered fabric finish softens the look and provides an enticing seating space in which to relax. To soften up the frame a little at the base of the spine, I suggest adding your favourite scatter cushion, but if you prefer something a little more firm and formal I’d keep it just the way it is.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H76.5 x W67.5 x D75.5cm
  • Materials:Cream velvet with brushed gold frame

  • Assembly required:Yes

  • Beststatement armchair

  • Why we love it- Looks eye-catching
  • Novelty design

  • Bold green and silver finish looks modern

  • Take note- It’s not that comfy if it’s not fully inflated

Designed by Mikael Axelsson, this chair is one of the standout pieces in IKEA’s 10th IKEA PS collection – a series dedicated to exploring innovative design ideas while keeping them accessible and affordable. The 2026 collection features more than 40 products created around the theme of “playful functionality”, and this inflatable easy chair certainly embraces that concept.

In fact, it was so playful that I enlisted the kids to help put it together. The chair comes with a chrome-plated metal frame that requires some basic DIY skills to assemble, although the instructions are straightforward enough to follow. The kit also includes a pump, making it easy to inflate the two air chambers housed within the seat and backrest – this is the part the kids jumped at the chance to do while I sat back and watched.

I found that the more the chambers were inflated, the more comfortable and supportive the chair became. While it is undeniably an eye-catching design and an instant conversation starter, I see it more as a statement piece that adds personality to a room rather than an armchair where you’ll want to lounge for a long time. In short, I think its appeal lies as much as in its novelty and visual impact as it does in its comfort. It’s not too pricey either.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H70 x W73 x D84cm
  • Materials:Cotton, polyester, viscose material, steel, chrome-plated frame, polyurethane foam, synthetic rubber

  • Assembly required:Yes

  • Bestswivel armchair

  • Why we love it- Modern, stand-out design
  • Smooth-rotating swivel design

  • Cushioned and comfy

  • Take note- It’s a bulky piece of furniture so you’ll need space

This armless lounge chair features a rounded back and generously proportioned square seat cushions with a subtle upward curve, creating a cocooning shape that’s easy to sink into.

Despite the lack of armrests, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it felt. The supportive design encourages good posture while still providing plenty of comfort, ensuring an inviting spot to sit and relax. The design is unfussy too, which I think adds to its appeal.

What I particularly like here is the chair’s vintage-inspired aesthetic. The walnut-effect swivel base lends the chair a distinct mid-century character, while the mustard upholstery adds warmth and personality. It's also available in an earthy green shade, but for me, the mustard fabric works especially well against the walnut finish, enhancing the chair's retro appeal and helping it stand out as a stylish accent piece.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H81 x W84 x D86cm
  • Materials:Walnut-effect metal swivel base and ochre-mustard yellow polyester fabric (also available in green)

  • Assembly required:Yes

  • Bestretro-style armchair

  • Why we love it- Contemporary modular design
  • Earthy colour finishes

  • Soft and cushioning

  • Take note- Retro style won’t suit all schemes

Taking inspiration from vintage Italian design, the Lorena armchair has a curvaceous, organic shape and soft cloud-like cushioned structure. The material it’s upholstered in is made from recycled PET yarns, which means its kinder to the environment too.

I found this chair relatively lightweight enough so that I could position it in my living room myself. Its frame is refreshingly basic in structure, but the overall design still manages to look luxurious. While it doesn’t have arms to rest on, the seat is wide and generous and the shape of the back makes it easy to recline gently without feeling stuck. I simply love the shade of the rust red finish, but think the green and paler fabric makes the chair look equally timeless and stylish.

Key specifications

  • Dimensions:H76 x W85 x 98cm
  • Materials:Soft rust red velvet, also in speckled stone and olive green
  • Assembly required:No