Flip Up Arms

How the Arm Works

Lift the shared armrest and the gap between two seats closes into a flat cushioned surface roughly the width of a loveseat. Drop it back down and you have two separate recliners again, each with its own cupholder and storage. Nothing detaches, so there is no panel to store in a closet and nothing to reattach incorrectly later.

Controls are arranged around this. The outer seats keep their recline controls on the inside of the armrest as normal, while a control wand sits between the seats to run the middle position. Folding the shared arm up does not disturb the recline settings on either seat beside it, so one person can be fully reclined while the surface next to them stays flat.

Whether It Is Worth It for Your Room

Two situations make this feature genuinely useful. The first is capacity: somebody turns up on movie night and the row is already full, and lifting one arm gives you a place to put them without owning a spare chair. The second is posture, since a flat surface lets somebody stretch out fully or fall asleep during a long weekend, which a fixed armrest simply does not allow.

It is worth naming the other side. A fixed armrest is firmer, gives every seat a clearly defined boundary, and plenty of households prefer that for daily use. If every seat in your room is effectively assigned to the same person every night, a standard arm will serve you better and opens up a wider choice of collections. Flip up arms earn their place in rooms that flex, where guest counts change and people actually nap.

Available Across Frame Sizes

The feature is not restricted to one standard frame, so you are not trading away size or comfort systems to get it.

• Diesel XS950. Pairs the hinged arm with a space saver footprint for tighter rooms.
• Turbo XL700. Power recline on a standard frame, the most straightforward of the group.
• Flex HR. Adds a power headrest, with diamond stitch detailing across the seat back.
• Azure LHR. Power headrest and power lumbar together.
• Vega LHR Max. Carries a 400 lb rating for big and tall use.
• Bliss LHR Massage. Adds heat and massage on top of the full recline set.

Planning the Row

The arm only folds between two seats, which means the layout decision is really about where you want the convertible position to sit. In a three-seat row that is usually one end rather than the middle, so the flat surface backs onto a wall rather than being flanked on both sides.

• Two-seat rows. The whole row converts, which is the simplest use of the feature.
• Three-seat rows. One convertible pair plus one fixed seat, best placed with the pair to one side.
• Four-seat rows. Can be specified with the fold in the middle, which behaves much like a centre loveseat when raised.

Row widths and reclined depths are on each product page, and our room measuring guide covers laying the whole thing out against your wall.

What the Arm Carries

The hinged arm does not give up the hardware a fixed arm would carry. Every collection here keeps the full set built into the arm itself rather than clipped on afterward.

• Commercial-grade cupholders moulded into the arm, the same detail used in real cinemas.
• USB charging on the power reclining models.
• Deep arm storage for remotes and controllers.
• LED lighted cupholders and base rail lighting across most of the range.
• Accessory docks for tray tables and wine glass holders on the outer arms.

Why Buy Flip Up Arm Seating From TheaterSeatStore

• Lowest price guarantee on every order.
• Free nationwide in-home delivery. Placed in the room, not the driveway.
• Commercial-grade arm hardware, hinged rather than removable, with cupholders built in.
• Warranty support handled here. See our warranty and care terms.

Financing is available. Read verified customer reviews, or call 888-602-7328 and we'll tell you whether the feature suits how you actually use the room.