Rocking Chairs
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Bentwood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Cane, Ash
Late 19th Century American American Colonial Antique Rocking Chairs
Fruitwood
20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Norwegian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
20th Century American Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1970s Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
20th Century English Victorian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
Late 20th Century Rocking Chairs
Metal
19th Century Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Cane, Chestnut
20th Century Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Beech
1950s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
19th Century Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Rattan, Wood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
1970s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Rocking Chairs
Beech
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Maple, Walnut
1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
2010s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Cut Steel
Mid-20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Naugahyde, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1970s German Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Early 19th Century Hungarian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Straw, Bentwood
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Ash, Beech
19th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Rocking Chairs
Nutwood
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin, Oak
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood, Cherry
Early 20th Century Unknown Other Rocking Chairs
Wood
1850s English Campaign Antique Rocking Chairs
Iron
Mid-19th Century German Belle Époque Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
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.