SmartMoney's Holiday Gift Guide

Photo courtesy of Crate and Barrel

If the idea of a staycation sounds ominously like a one-way ticket to cleaning out the garage, it may be that you're missing the crucial piece of chill-out equipment: a leather club chair. And while it may not come standard with a beloved pooch, cashmere throw and gin martini, it often ends up earning pride of place in front of the fireplace or big-screen TV. Sales of leather furniture have taken off in recent years, now accounting for a full quarter of the home furnishings market, but experts caution buyers to choose carefully, since much of that spike has come on the lower-quality end.

To avoid lemons, do more than just sit: Ask questions. The best chairs are constructed with a sturdy hardwood like maple and have padded strings in the seat for maximum support. Padding should be foam, feathers, or, ideally, something firmer like horsehair. Top-of-the-line leather, called "full grain," is less heavily treated than lesser skins, which lose their natural suppleness with over-processing. Bruce Goff, senior designer at San Francisco interior design firm Domus Design Group, recommends the pinch test; high-quality leather will quickly spring back into place, while a cheaper material will retain the pucker. Our pick, the Crate & Barrel Metropole Chair ($1,999) features "distressed" brown leather accented with nailhead trim -- traditional without being fussy. And the commodious mohair-covered seat is firm enough to be supportive, but supple enough to sink into with a happy sigh. Now, where's that martini?