Manual recliners use a side lever and body weight to shift the back and footrest; they're the simplest mechanism, the least likely to need repair, and the cheapest to fix if something does go wrong. Power recliners use an electric motor (typically 12- or 29-volt, low-voltage and safe around kids and pets) controlled by a button, and often add power headrest and lumbar adjustment on higher-end models — convenient, but one more part that can eventually fail and typically isn't user-serviceable.
Standard recliners need 10 to 15 inches of clearance behind the chair to fully recline, since the whole chair shifts backward as it reclines. Wall-hugger (or "zero-wall") recliners use a different track mechanism that slides the seat forward as it reclines, so the chair can sit within 3 to 6 inches of a wall — worth asking for by name if floor space is tight.
Power motion sofas and sectionals put real ongoing electrical and mechanical demand on a component that's now part of a large, expensive piece — ask about the motor's warranty term specifically, since mechanism warranties are often shorter than the frame warranty on the same piece. A battery backup or USB charging port built into a power recliner's base is a genuine convenience, not just an upsell, if the chair will sit away from an outlet.
Sit in the chair, run the mechanism through a full cycle, and listen — a smooth, quiet motor and a lever that doesn't require real effort are better predictors of five-year reliability than the upholstery.