Rocking Chairs
2010s Asian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1820s Irish Primitive Antique Rocking Chairs
Pine
Mid-20th Century Peruvian Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Twig, Cherry, Bentwood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Beech
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century American American Craftsman Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
2010s Spanish Modern Rocking Chairs
Formica, Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
1960s American Victorian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
2010s Philippine Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech, Leather
1950s North American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1990s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
1960s Costa Rican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century American Late Victorian Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Velvet, Mahogany
Early 1900s French Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s Philippine Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s Philippine Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Bentwood
2010s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Rocking Chairs
Mahogany, Teak
Early 20th Century Adirondack Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Birch
2010s Spanish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 20th Century American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Cane, Maple
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
2010s Spanish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
20th Century Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
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.