Is an expensive recliner actually worth it?

Sometimes — and the spec sheet tells you when. The money in a premium recliner buys the mechanism (rated cycles, metal versus plastic linkages), higher-density seat foam that survives daily use, and a real warranty with a service network behind it. If the chair is your every-evening seat, those things pay for themselves. If it furnishes a guest room, a direct-to-consumer value recliner delivers most of the comfort for a fraction of the price. Judge the mechanism warranty and foam density, not the leather smell.