Children can be at risk when the chair is in the reclined position.
When this occurs, there can be an open gap created between the seat of the chair and the leg rest. When the recliner closes, children can become entrapped in this gap and suffocate. This is especially true for older recliner chairs with mechanisms that are worn and require little pressure to open or close. Recliner furniture should be left in the closed position when not in use. Older chairs whose reclining mechanisms open and close more easily due to wear, should be repaired or discarded to avoid possible accidental death or injury to young children.