Skip to main content

Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Finnish, b. 1932

“I always look ahead, never back,” Finnish design legend Eero Aarnio has been quoted as saying. A leading innovator of modern furniture design, Aarnio has long embraced a bold, playful, confident and colorful style several steps ahead of his time.

For his 1954 entrance test for the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, Aarnio created a whimsical painting of a man reading a newspaper in a red, curved chair whose silhouette foreshadowed Aarnio’s Ball chair of 1963. That spherical seat skyrocketed him to design fame, and decades later, it is still recognized as one of the world’s most futuristic designs.

Born in 1932 to a house painter and a seamstress, Aarnio has always had a cheerful disposition and an independent spirit. He went his own way early on: After just two years at Asko, the big Scandinavian furniture company that originally produced his Ball chair, Aarnio established his own studio in 1962.

Over the next decade, the young visionary made an indelible mark on the world. Open-minded and entrepreneurial, Aarnio embraced the aesthetics, materials and technologies of the Swinging Sixties, working with a new generation of plastics and molding them into fluid, organically shaped, brightly hued forms.

Introduced at the 1966 Cologne Furniture Fair, the pod-like fiberglass Ball chair soon adorned the homes of movie stars and royalty, graced magazine covers around the world and was featured in films and ads. The groundbreaking seat originally came in orange, white, black, yellow and red and could be ordered with a telephone installed in it. Yet this designer of the future, as he was known in the 1960s, has always insisted that he didn’t deliberately seek to be associated with the decade’s sci-fi aesthetic.

“I had no intention to create either pop or Space Age design — as many people label my work,” Aarnio declares in one of the essays included in Eero Aarnio — Designer of Colour and Joy, a book jointly created by the Design Museum and publisher WSOY to accompany 2016’s “Eero Aarnio” exhibition.

The show featured a number of Aarnio’s objects, including his iconic Ball, Pastil (1967), Bubble (1968), Tomato (1971) and Pony (1973) chairs. These were joined by lesser-known seating and other objects like the rattan Juttujakkara, or mushroom, stool (1960); the sculptural Double Bubble lamp (2000), with which Aarnio first explored the possibilities of rotation-cast plastic; and the three-legged Rocket (1995) and Baby Rocket (2006) stools, both parts of a collection produced by Artek after Tom Dixon, the company’s creative director from 2004 to 2009, discovered the original piece in Aarnio’s kitchen.

“Aarnio expanded the whole idea of what constitutes furniture,” explained Suvi Saloniemi, the Design Museum’s chief curator. “His significance as a designer is crystallized in the liberation of form that he has introduced by discovering the properties of plastic as the material of a designer. His furniture is sculpture-like and eye-catching, but the pieces are always utilitarian at the same time.”

Find an extraordinary range of vintage Eero Aarnio chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.

9
1
to
9
1
10
1
1
9
1
1
9
1
1
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
10
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
10
6
4
4
4
10
10
73
43
36
31
30
Creator: Eero Aarnio
Iconic Eero Aarnio Silver Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Formula Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Formula chair is similar to the classic Pastil, with an additional backrest. It is the response to Eero’s own personal challenge to combine the sculptural elements of his earlier...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio Natural Leather Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a clear pedestal.’ It shares ...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Eero Aarnio for Asko Chair Orange Fiberglass Pastil or 'Pastille', Finland, 1968
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
An orange high gloss fiberglass 'Pastille' ('pastil' or 'Gyro') chair designed by Finish designer Eero Aarnio in 1968 for modern furniture maker Asko Oy in Helsinki, Finland. This vi...
Category

1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio Red Tomato Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero has always been drawn to the circular form and is perhaps best known for his designs ‘without edges’. The Tomato chair combines three circles on a ba...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio White Tomato Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero has always been drawn to the circular form and is perhaps best known for his designs ‘without edges’. The Tomato chair combines three circles on a ba...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio White Leather Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the Bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a clear pedestal.’ It shares ...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Iconic Eero Aarnio Black Leather Bubble Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968. According to Eero’s notes, the Bubble hangs from the ceiling because ‘there is no nice way to make a clear pedestal.’ It shares the same unique acoustics as the Ball chair, a little cocoon that shields off the outside world. The hanging Bubble chair...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Iconic Eero Aarnio Red Formula Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The Formula chair is similar to the classic Pastil, with an additional backrest. It is the response to Eero’s own personal challenge to combine the sculptural elements of his earlier...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio White Formula Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
The formula chair is similar to the Classic Pastil, with an additional backrest. It is the response to Eero’s own personal Challenge to combine the sculptural elements of his earlier...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Related Items
Iconic Eero Aarnio Yellow Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio Yellow Pastil Chair
Iconic Eero Aarnio Yellow Pastil Chair
H 20.87 in W 36.23 in D 12.6 in
Vintage Eero Aarnio Suspended Lucite Bubble Chair White Powder Coated Stand
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful vintage Eero Aarnio style suspended Lucite / Acrylic bubble chair with white powder coated stand, accompanied by seat and back white f...
Category

20th Century Mid-Century Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Acrylic, Lucite

Vintage Fiberglas Pastil Schaukelstuhl Von Eero Aarnio Für Asko Egg Chair, 1960
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Lübeck, DE
Finnischer Knall Orangener Pastille-Sessel aus Fiberglas von Eero Aarnio für Asko, 1967. Der Pastille-Sessel ist eher ein Kunstwerk als ein einfacher Sessel oder Schaukelstuhl. Er wu...
Category

1960s Space Age Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Eero Aarnio for Asko Arm Chair Red Fiberglass Pastil "Pastille", Finland, 1960s
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Telgte, DE
Eero Aarnio for Asko chair red fiberglass Pastil "Pastille", Finland, 1960s A red high gloss fiberglass 'Pastille' ('pastil' or 'Gyro') chair designed by Finish designer Eero Aarnio...
Category

1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Eero Aarnio Vintage Blue Pony Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Dronten, NL
Rare, playful and iconic Pony Chair by designer Eero Aarnio in original blue fabric. The Pony Chair was designed by the Finnish designer in 1973 and has been a staple of contemporary...
Category

1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Eero Aarnio Vintage Blue Pony Chair
Eero Aarnio Vintage Blue Pony Chair
H 31.89 in W 44.89 in D 20.87 in
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio White Pastil Chair
Iconic Eero Aarnio White Pastil Chair
H 20.87 in W 36.23 in D 36.23 in
Minimalist Steel and Leather Lounge Chair Rocker by Vivian Carbonell
By Vivian Carbonell
Located in Miami, FL
The 'Sway' lounge chair is a minimalistic interpretation of a rocker, cradle and/or hammock with an elegant and structured appeal. It is formed out of one solid steel plate and comes...
Category

2010s American Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Steel

Eero Aarnio for UPO Armchair, Finland 1970
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Red plastic frame with brown upholstered seat. Small crack on underside of chair. Does not affect stability.
Category

1970s Finnish Space Age Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Plastic

Space Age V.S.O.P. Cognac Chair by Eero Aarnio for Asko Finland
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1960s. Classic space age design by Eero Aarnio. Fully refinished with new lacquer and new mustard boucle upholstery. This piece was tagged prior to refinishing, but our refinisher...
Category

1960s Finnish Space Age Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Bouclé, Lacquer

Iconic Eero Aarnio Pink Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio Pink Pastil Chair
Iconic Eero Aarnio Pink Pastil Chair
H 20.87 in W 36.23 in D 36.23 in
Iconic Eero Aarnio Orange Pastil Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verify the measurements, ergonomics and rocking ability. ...
Category

2010s Finnish Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Iconic Eero Aarnio Orange Pastil Chair
Iconic Eero Aarnio Orange Pastil Chair
H 20.87 in W 36.23 in D 36.23 in
Ikea White Rocking Chair, Lounge Chair, Model Axvall by Niels Gammelgaard, 2002
By IKEA, Niels Gammelgaard
Located in Schagen, NL
From the PS series Ikea produced this lounge/rocking chair, which was designed by Niels Gammelgaard. The chair features a (off) white enameled metal base with elastic cords creating ...
Category

Early 2000s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Previously Available Items
Pair of Very Early Pastil Chairs by Eero Aarnio for Asko, 1967
By Eero Aarnio, Asko
Located in Munster, NRW
They call it the "swinging sixties" – but everything was "pop" then. from music to graphic design, from fashion to furniture. and the finnish designer eero aarnio presented two icons...
Category

1970s Finnish Space Age Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Pair MCM Red Polystyrene Original Pastil Rocking Chairs by Eero Aarnio for Asko
By Asko, Eero Aarnio
Located in Topeka, KS
Fantastic vintage Mid-Century Modern red polystyrene original Pastil ergonomic rocking chairs by Eero Aarnio for Asko, a pair. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that these are vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. The bottom of each chair has some scratches from use. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa,1960s. Now THIS is SPECTACULAR SEATING!!!!! We have a pair of bright red Eero Aarnio Original ergonomic rocking seats designed and manufactured in 1967!!! Ok folks… we have a SERIOUS gamer in-staff… We’ll call him “Randy” who had the pleasure of testing out the comfort of these ergonomically appealing chairs… and let me tell you… this guy “Randy” is the Real Deal… an O.G. (Old Skool Gamer) and he KNOWS his stuff!! And his professional gaming opinion on these chairs is that they are very comfortable and “great for gaming!” The arm position aesthetics are comfortable for clutching and moving your game controller and they’re nice and low to the ground so they’re easy to jump out of while you’re screaming at the television and your gaming buddies on the other end of your headset! LOL! They are also comfy while leaned back, holding a book, and reading or just sitting back and lounging. The chair oscillates and rocks in all directions and they are one of the only chairs designed by Eero Aarnio which he designed to be suitable for indoor or outdoor use. They are comprised of bright red polystyrene and believe it or not… this chair can float on water! We do not recommend floating down the river while sitting in these beauties but if for some unfortunate reason you should endure a flood in your home, you don’t have to stop playing your game! At least until you lose power… HAHAHA!! Seriously, the design and materials are just that good and sustainable. As a matter of fact, in a 1968 article by the New York Times they reported the design as “an ideal design for the human body.” If you have a game room, this pair of chairs is a MUST, but they will also be fantastic in the living room across from the sofa, in the family room for a fun spot to rock the grandkids, or out on the back patio or lanai. They’re radically red, ridiculously comfortable, “Randy” approved, and THEY ROCK!! Eero Arnio is above all an innovator and creator of some of the most recognizable and most loved furniture of the twentieth century. He and his family lived in Lauttasaari which is a small island adjacent from Helsinki, he has a laboratory there where he spends time drawing and designing. He is best known for his iconic Ball Chair, Bubble Chair, Pastil, Pony, and Double Bubble. He designed the original Pastil chair in 1967 and in 1968 he received the American Industrial Award for the chairs comfortable shape and unique aesthetic. Mr. Aarnio himself believes that the design and ergonomics are so good that they don't need cushions. The New York Times also reports that "Pastil has the ideal design for the human body. Asko was purchased in 1999 and is now known as The Indoor Group Ltd. His best-known projects were transferred in 2016 to a newly founded Finnish company managed by design entrepreneurs but the “iconic” pieces sell with an “Eero Aarnio Originals” label. Asko was founded in 1918 by cabinetmaker Aukusti Asko-Avonius as the Lahti Joinery Factory. Asko worked with Finnish Production and Design Company and well-known designers in the mid-20th century including Ilmari Tapiovaara, Tapio Wirkkala, and Eero Aarnio. Asko acquired ABB Cylinda in 1988 and changed their name to Asko Appliances and in 2014 Asko Appliances AB moved the head office to Lidkopping, Sweden. They continue to produce high quality, durable products with innovative solutions. This is an AWESOME pair of ORIGINAL Eero Aarnio Pastil...
Category

Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Polystyrene

Eero Aarnio Space Age Pastille Vintage Red Fiberglass Armchair, 1960s, Finland
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Vienna, AT
Eerio Aarnio space age vintage organic red fiberglass armchair or rocking chair or patio chair Pastille for Asko, which was designed 1960s Finland. It features a rocking motion in a ...
Category

1960s Finnish Space Age Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

White Leather Bubble Chair by Eero Aarnio
By Eero Aarnio
Located in New York, NY
Bubble chair (with white leather cushions) Designed by Eero Aarnio Authentic, licensed original. $4950 Cushions are brand new. The Bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 19...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

White Leather Bubble Chair by Eero Aarnio
White Leather Bubble Chair by Eero Aarnio
H 41.34 in W 40.56 in D 35.44 in
Eero Aarnio White "Pastille" Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Dronten, NL
Designed in 1967, one year after he had designed the Pastil chair Eero Aarnio received the American Industrial award for this chair. The New York Times wrote about the ball chair and...
Category

1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Vintage Bubble Chair in Great Condition by Eero Aanio 1960's Italy
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Original bubble chair by Eero Aarnio with its original stand. Single owner purchased in the 60's shows hardly any scratches on surface or in the lucite. Has two cushions that are not...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Materials

Metal

Pair of Gyro Chairs by Eero Aarnio
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of bright orange Gyro/Pastille rocking chairs designed by Eero Aarnio.
Category

1970s Finnish Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Aarnio Pastille Chair
By Eero Aarnio
Located in Dallas, TX
Vintage Eero Aarnio Pastille or Gyro chair for stendig. Repainted in high gloss limousine black. Gorgeous!
Category

1960s Finnish Vintage Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs

Aarnio Pastille Chair
Aarnio Pastille Chair
H 22 in Dm 36 in

Eero Aarnio rocking chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Eero Aarnio rocking chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Eero Aarnio rocking chairs, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 1 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 9 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original rocking chairs by Eero Aarnio were created in the modern style in finland during the 21st century and contemporary. Prices for Eero Aarnio rocking chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,700 and can go as high as $5,931, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,469.
Questions About Eero Aarnio Rocking Chairs
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    Whether or not Eero Aarnio Ball chairs are comfortable or not is largely a matter of personal opinion. When the chair debuted in 1966, the New York Times reporter who saw it at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne suggested that the seating on display was "designed more for laughs than for comfort." However, the distinctive chair brought Aarnio instant commercial success. Today, many people still find the inviting foam-filled fabric seat inside its molded-fiberglass orb to be as comfortable to sit on as it is pleasing to the eye. Shop an assortment of vintage Eero Aarnio Ball chairs on 1stDibs.

Recently Viewed

View All