Rocking Chairs
2010s Finnish Rocking Chairs
Metal
Early 2000s Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Sheet Metal
2010s Finnish Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century Philippine Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Oak
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Silk, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
2010s Philippine Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Other
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Abalone, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Mohair, Wood
2010s Italian Rocking Chairs
Wood, Beech, Maple
1970s European French Provincial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Fruitwood
19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak
Late 20th Century Spanish Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Wood
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 2000s Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Sheet Metal
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Silk, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Teak
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
Early 2000s Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Sheet Metal
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Spanish Rocking Chairs
Wood
2010s South African Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Teak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Teak
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Oak
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
2010s French Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak
2010s Danish Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Cane, Foam, Rubber, Wood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
Early 20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
2010s Philippine Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
2010s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Birch
19th Century English George III Antique Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
2010s Italian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal, Iron
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.