Rocking Chairs
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Iron
1920s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
19th Century French Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Upholstery
1960s Industrial Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
20th Century English Victorian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Faux Bamboo, Rattan
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cherry, Oak, Teak, Walnut
Early 2000s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cherry
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Oak
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Teak
1990s Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1970s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Straw, Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Ash
20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
Mid-20th Century Austrian Rocking Chairs
Cane, Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak
1960s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Rattan, Rush
20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Leather, Wood, Hardwood
1970s Scandinavian Arts and Crafts Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood, Pine
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Rocking Chairs
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
2010s Finnish Modern Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Oak
1880s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Rocking Chairs
Leather, Cane, Bentwood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak, Linen
2010s French Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel, Stainless Steel
1920s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Oak, Wicker
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Plywood
20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bouclé, Bentwood
Late 20th Century American Space Age Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Foam, Laminate, Wood, Bentwood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Birch
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Chestnut
1970s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
19th Century Tibetan Other Antique Rocking Chairs
Teak
2010s Dutch Modern Rocking Chairs
Resin
20th Century English Country Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1880s English Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
2010s Mexican Bohemian Rocking Chairs
Rattan
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.





