There are two main types of reclining chairs: motorized and manual. Motorized recliners use a lever or button to adjust the footrest. The footrest either flips up or slides forward, depending on the design of the chair. Manual recliners are a little more old-fashioned. Manual recliners are manually operated, which means you have to physically lift the footrest or headrest and lean back in order for the footrest to go up, or lean forward for the headrest to go down.