Rocking Chairs
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century American American Craftsman Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Beech
2010s Dutch Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
Late 19th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Twig, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
1960s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1870s British Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
2010s Belgian Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
20th Century American Country Rocking Chairs
Slate
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary French Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
1990s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1960s Philippine Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Brass
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Canvas
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak
Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Oak
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
2010s South African Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Oak
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Teak
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
19th Century Tibetan Other Antique Rocking Chairs
Teak
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Beech
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Birch
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1960s Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Brass
Late 20th Century Slovenian Rustic Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Italian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Oak
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Silk, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Ash, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1990s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plywood
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.