Rocking Chairs
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s Italian Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Teak
1960s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Teak, Acrylic
20th Century Mexican Rocking Chairs
Bronze
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Oak
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
20th Century Rocking Chairs
Rattan
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Iron
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Oak, Polyester
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Birch
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Walnut
Late 18th Century American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown American Colonial Rocking Chairs
Textile, Rush, Wood
1960s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Textile, Teak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Papercord
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Late 20th Century European Rocking Chairs
Wicker
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Teak
1890s American Late Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
2010s Israeli Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
Mid-20th Century Romanian Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Beech
20th Century Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Wood
1990s Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1960s Dutch Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane, Bentwood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1930s American American Colonial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
Late 19th Century American Federal Antique Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1990s Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Foam, Walnut
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Polyester, Teak, Acrylic
1950s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1970s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Israeli Rocking Chairs
Cotton, Polyester, Teak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass
2010s Israeli Modern Rocking Chairs
Acrylic, Polyester, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Rocking Chairs
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.