We have a leather reclining love seat and love it. It is soooo comfortable to watch TV. It is the first piece of furniture that everyone wants to grab to sit on when my gang comes over. I also have a non reclining leather sofa. You can't put a coffee table in front, but we have an end table on each end that works out better. I would suggest you watch what kind of leather it is made of. You want top grain or full grain leather. Do your research. Some have a bonded leather calling it all different names and it is crap. In a short time it starts pealing. Some just tell you genuine leather, but not the type. Or the piece only has leather in the area you sit and the remainder is bonded leather or vinyl. I have been to furniture stores that kept on saying it was leather, but wouldn't verify what kind of leather. Run! Yes, good leather is pricey, but it lasts a long long time and only looks better and better as it ages. I never had a electric recliner, but I read they are prone to breakage.

Bradington Young is a great resource for motion furniture. They do an excellent job with their power sofas. They use only top grain cowhide everywhere. No bonded or other just genuine 100% top grain leather.

If you are looking for stationary you have many more brand options.

Omnia Furniture also has lots of power recline options at a little lower price point. You are correct anytime you have moving parts you do open yourself up for breakage years down the road. Motion pieces are also now available with battery power for households that free float the furniture.

I can make recommendations for other stationary good quality leather brands if you decide to go that route. It would be helpful to know your price point?

You mentioned they only use "top grain" cowhide. Do you mean full grain?

Most furniture (not all) is made with top grain. Full grain and top grain is different, but the two top best leathers to buy.

Top grain cowhide is what you want. This is the first cut of the hide. The second cut is a split and it is not soft and supple like the top grain and most often used for soles of shoes or belts for the garment industry. Although some lower end leather furniture manufactures do use that on the outside backs and sides and still call it all leather.

Full grain means the hides are left in their most natural state. The grain has not been embossed to hide blemishes or for a pattern like say crocodile look.

It's common folklore to assume that power motion recliners are more prone to issues. In reality, the mechanisms hold up better than manual units as they are not being kicked and shoved, the motor is easing them up - and down. Any recliner mechanism can be abused and damaged, the key is to always close the unit fully before exiting the furniture, don't let kids roughhouse in the units when they are "open", don't let anyone sit on the footrest, and when moving the unit, don't pick it up by the footrests. Also, use a surge protector on the outlet, mose electric issues are caused by power spikes and outlet protectors are $ 8 on Amazon. Avoid spilling drinks into the operating switches as well.

Dual recliner sofas are very heavy and hard to deliver. I would suggest if going Bradington Young (disclosure - I am a dealer for them) you buy them as modular units. They are MUCH easier to deliver (and for any subsequent future moves) and get into spaces that a single piece unit cannot fit into.

BY is made in the USA, there's a lot of value in their motion line of pieces in my opinion (bang for the buck).

Bonded, Bicast and Split leather are not desirable. Ideally, the leather you want is AA Grade Steerhide (male), because it stretches less than Cowhide (female) over time. All genuine leather is Top Grain, and within that segment there are two sub-categories; A) Top Grain is typically sanded and finished (pigmented) and is usually less costly B) Full Top Grain is uncorrected and aniline dyed and in the higher, more costly grades.

Is Bradington Young doing some recliners in fabric now? On just some products? They mention fabric on their web site but it is confusing.

Yes, Bradington Young recliners are available in both leather and fabric.