Rocking Chairs
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century American Federal Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Romanian Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Beech
19th Century Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Rattan, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cherry
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Birch
1970s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Rocking Chairs
Mahogany, Teak
1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1980s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century American Native American Rocking Chairs
Reed, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
1960s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Textile, Teak
1950s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood, Paint
1960s Dutch Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
19th Century English Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Papercord
1930s American American Colonial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Iron
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Teak
1990s Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Mid-19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rush, Wood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
1920s Italian Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Bentwood
Late 20th Century Unknown Bauhaus Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bentwood
Vintage, New and Antique Rocking Chairs
The phrase “rocking chair” didn’t find its way into the dictionary until the mid-18th century. While most of the sitting furniture that we use in our homes originated in either England or France, the iconic rocking chair is a quintessentially American piece of furniture.
A Philadelphia cabinetmaker’s bill for a proto-rocking chair issued in 1742, which identified the seat as a “Nurse Chair with rockers,” is the earliest surviving evidence of this design’s humble beginnings. The nurse chair was a low side chair intended for nursing women, so giving it a soothing rocking motion made sense. Rocking chairs, which saw a curved slat affixed to the chairs’ feet so that they could be literally rocked, quickly gained popularity across the United States, garnering a reputation as a seat that everyone could love. They offered casual comfort without the expensive fabrics and upholstery that put armchairs out of many families’ budgets.
Rocking chairs are unique in that they don’t just offer a place to rest — they offer an opportunity to reminisce. The presence of one of these classic pieces stirs up our penchant for nostalgia and has the power to transform a space. They easily introduce a simple country feel to the city or bring the peaceful rhythm of a porch swing into a sheltered sunroom. Although craftsmen took to painting and stenciling varieties of the chairs that emerged in New England during the 19th century, the most traditional rocking chairs are generally unadorned seats constructed with time-tested materials like wood and metal. As such, a minimalist vintage rocking chair can be ushered into any corner of your home without significantly disrupting your existing decor scheme or the room’s color palette.
In the decades since the first rocker, top designers have made the piece their own. Viennese chair maker Michael Thonet produced a series of rockers in the middle of the 19th century in which the different curved steam-bent wood parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Mid-century modernists Charles and Ray Eames added wooden rockers to their famous plastic shell armchair, while Danish designer Frank Reenskaug opted for teak and polished beech, introducing pops of color with small cushions (a precursor to the bold works that would follow in the 1970s and 1980s).
No matter your personal style, let 1stDibs pair you with your perfect seat. Deck out your porch, patio or parlor — browse the vintage, new and antique rocking chairs in our vast collection today.
Read More
This Niko Kralj Mid-Century Rocking Chair Can Be Folded and Tucked Away
The 'King of Slovenian Design' is getting discovered anew, thanks to reissues of his sleek and inventive postwar designs.
How One Chair Rocked Its Way Into Hearts and History
The noted design historian explores the origins of the rocking chair, a quintessentially American piece of furniture that is still going strong after 300 years.