The use of rechargeable batteries to power electronic motion furniture has morphed to constantly increasing levels every time we study the numbers.  Not only do these handy little accessories eliminate the need for close proximity electrical outlets, they provide ideal back up in the event of a power outage.  We anticipate this trend will continue as we approach 75% of all our motion furniture now shipping as power product.

However, we see a need to further educate Retail Sales Associates and consumers as to realistic anticipated battery life – the time between overnight charges.  When we first began providing batteries as a way to sell power furniture without regard to available electrical sources, we were selling exclusively one-motor, power reclining motion products.  Testing was easy.  We hooked up a recliner to a fully charged battery, put a counter on the open and close cycles and let them run all the way down.  Results fell very neatly into a tight range of about 250 to 300 open and close cycles before recharge.  But let’s think – today we have a variety of product that have as many as six motors (motion sofas with two power recline motors, two lumbar motors and two head tilt motors) and two USB ports.  Guess what?  The batteries need a charge more frequently.  Especially if the consumer is using the battery-powered USB port(s) to stream videos or if they are charging phones or tablets.  We must realize that, in the former case, streaming data is a very power-hungry operation and in the latter, we are seeing one battery charging another. 

Next, we must distinguish between trying to estimate the number of days between charges or the number of open and close cycles.  These are two very different ways to measure, especially when you mix in use of the USBs.  Most consumers will be far more tuned in to how many days the batteries last, rather than usage cycles.  They can count days much easier.  They generally have no clue about open and close cycles.

Here is a graphic, produced by our Research and Development Department, that summarizes our test results on virtually all of our power products offered today.  Please use these estimated times when describing battery life to your customers.  And instruct them to carefully follow usage directions included in the carton.

Last thought – but a significant one.  We know many retailers are using our batteries on a variety of other supplier’s power products.  We make no claims about how our batteries will perform on a competitor’s power unit.  We have done ALL our testing on OUR products, no one else’s.  Several critical factors can, and logically do, affect battery life when you move from one supplier to another.  You will see totally different electrical component systems, using different power controls, transformers, junction boxes, USB ports and motors.  All of these impact battery life.  Mix in the very critical factor of mechanism spring tension on the wide variety of motion furniture on the market today and unless testing has been thoroughly done on specific units, there is NO way to estimate battery life.