Cover for theater seat controls

[trkester]

Has anyone come up with any ideas for covering the light, massage, heat controls on the Thomas Payne theater seat recliners? I have only had our Reflection 1 week and most every time I get out of the seat I turn something on. Those of us 60 and over like to use armrests to help get out of chairs not to mention the dogs resting their chins on the armrests.

I don't want to prevent use of the cupholder but want to somehow cover the controls and remove the cover when I need to use them. I'm thinking of a thin cupholder sleeve with a 1/2-3/4 inch ring on the top that would slide into the cupholder and cover the controls. Before I search high and low for just the right size plastic pieces and glue, I thought I would see if anyone else had any solutions.

Or perhaps just wait til the controllers fail like I have seen in so many posts while doing my searches. 😁

[Superduty]

Unplug them.
Or, mine have a red button that lock the controls. I always leave the lock on to stop from Turing them on.

[sgrol60]

My grandkids kept playing with mine. The plug was pretty close to the floor in the back of the couch making it a pain to unplug and plug back in. I put a small toggle switch on one of the wires and mounted it just below the back of the sofa out of sight but easy to reach. So far grandkids haven't figured out why they no longer work.

[TyeeMan]

Don't your chairs have the red lock button? As Superduty mentioned, push the lock button and your controls are locked out. The lock is still a push button, but it takes more effort than just touching it to actuate it.

[boyscout]

Don't your chairs have the red lock button? As Superduty mentioned, push the lock button and your controls are locked out. The lock is still a push button, but it takes more effort than just touching it to actuate it.

In defense of @trkester the red button is just another button in the controls, so it is as easy to inadvertently turn off the control lock as it is to inadvertently turn other things on.

If Thomas Payne does any customer research here (and where better?!) then I hope they'll consider making the lock a two-button thing... press Lock and something else simultaneously to lock the controls.

[Zoom1950]

Unfortunately my 320 MKS does not have the red button switch to turn it off. I will come up with my own switch.

[Gimpyknee]

It was a moderate physical challenge, but I got behind them with a "christmas tree" light extension cord - it has an inline power switch. The cord runs from the wall outlet up between the chairs, the switch is discreetly tucked at the back of the center armrest, then run back between the chairs to the floor and the chairs plugged in. Simple click to power the chairs up, or ensure they stay off.
I picked it up at my local hardware store, not Amazon, but this is basically the one I used: non-affiliate, non-revenue link

[trkester]

No unfortunately mine don't have lockout. The idea of a power strip with a switch will work but is my last resort. I did make a preliminary device but it needs a little refinement. It's 1/4" Baltic birch plywood cut to the exact shape of the plastic ring of the cupholder and controls with holes cut for each button. It can just be attached over the existing with double back tape. The 1/4" drop to push a button should prevent accidental pushes while not being too much to stick your finger in the hole to touch the button.

That's the general idea anyway.

[Zoom1950]

I think I am going to switch the low voltage line with slide or toggle switches in the center console. I already have any connectors and switches I need and therefore I would not be splicing any wires. If I do this I will post pictures and diagrams.

[Zoom1950]

No unfortunately mine don't have lockout. The idea of a power strip with a switch will work but is my last resort. I did make a preliminary device but it needs a little refinement. It's 1/4" Baltic birch plywood cut to the exact shape of the plastic ring of the cupholder and controls with holes cut for each button. It can just be attached over the existing with double back tape. The 1/4" drop to push a button should prevent accidental pushes while not being too much to stick your finger in the hole to touch the button.

That's the general idea anyway.

Sounds like that will work very well also!