Best recliner for sciatica issues

Have you tried Stressless? They have a pretty extensive dealer network, including Raymour & Flanigan, so you should be able to try one before committing to purchase.

I'd like to know too.

My husband swears by an Ekornes Stressless reclining chair with detached ottoman. Make sure you can safely get out of whichever recliner you choose and that any controls are comfortably accessible. I have a Flexsteel recliner because, for sure, I’d trip over the Stressless ottoman.

We have an automatic Flexsteel recliner. The ones with you hips flexed to 90 degrees don't solve my pain problem.

With a hip replacement coming up, it was recommended I get a lift chair. I found one used and in almost new condition on Facebook Marketplace's listings for the town I live in. Yes, they are very expensive new. I paid $200. But I had to figure out how to get it home. A friend with a pickup helped as did two male cousins who happened to be visiting. The chair offers a Zero Gravity setting. The brand is Ultra Comfort. I don't know what model it is.
I'm a fairly tall female and for me it is too short from the seat to the head, so when I lean back, the head rest is too low. But for short-term use, during recuperation, it will be just fine. If I decide I want a lift chair as I age, I'm learning a lot about what to look for, just like you are doing.

I have a Golden brand lift chair with zero gravity which is great for back pain. I bought mine used over 12 years ago. It is as good still as the day I got it. These chairs come in different sizes and styles. If you can go to a showroom so you can try some out. My husband needed one years later and got a much larger chair with adjustable lumbar support and works very well for him. I would never switch to another brand after our experience with Golden chairs. Mine had taken me through two knee replacements, a hip replacement and a shoulder replacement. I use CPAP to sleep and just had MOHS surgery on my cheek. The headgear rests right on the incision so I cannot sleep in bed. My Golden lets me once again get a good nights sleep. I slept in it once for over 6 months with a broken arm then replacement surgery. Good luck finding the chair that gives you great comfort.

I've purchased mine used and I'm using it as an opportunity to learn what to look for in a lift chair. Pay attention to the distance from the seat to the head support. My glasses require that I watch TV in a fairly upright position, much more upright than the chair control offers under the "TV" setting, plus the head support is too short for my torso. So make certain you get a chair that fits your body and also fits how you plan to use it. Fortunately, I'll go back to my regular favorite chair once this hip replacement is resolved, or else I'll get a lift chair that really fits me.

Thank you for your mention of Golden brand lift chair. I'll look for where they are sold; they aren't sold where I live.

I found this off a web search but don’t take my word for it, do your own investigation because a recliner is the WRONG type of chair for sciatic pain.
“Sciatica sufferers can try several positions to minimize the pressure on the affected sciatic nerve. You can sit comfortably by keeping your feet flat on the floor, sitting with your back all the way to the rest of the chair, maintaining an open hip angle, and using a lumbar support or seat cushion.”

I’ve tried nearly every model of Stressless chairs and couldn’t find one that suited me. I’m a shorter (5’ 2”) woman and the biggest problem was the adjustable neck pillow didn’t go low enough to actually provide cervical support. I’m going to head to a store called Relax the Back to try out the chairs they sell. They’re hideously expensive but worth it to me if I can read and watch TV without discomfort.