Rocking Chairs
Early 2000s Balkan Organic Modern Rocking Chairs
Ash, Plywood
Late 20th Century Slovenian Rustic Rocking Chairs
Wood
Early 1900s American Adirondack Antique Rocking Chairs
Hickory, Pine
Early 20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Rocking Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal, Chrome
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
1960s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cane, Bentwood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s Dutch Bohemian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1940s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Beech
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Rosewood
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Oak
1950s Norwegian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
1950s American Country Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Unknown Victorian Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary American Rocking Chairs
Mahogany, Teak, Cherry, Maple, Oak, Walnut
1960s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
Early 2000s Belgian Post-Modern Rocking Chairs
Plastic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Lucite
2010s European Rocking Chairs
Upholstery
Early 20th Century Italian Campaign Rocking Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
Leather, Oak
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Industrial Antique Rocking Chairs
Metal
1920s Vintage Rocking Chairs
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Bamboo
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
Early 2000s New Zealand American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Wood, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
Wood
20th Century American Country Rocking Chairs
Slate
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
19th Century Antique Rocking Chairs
Ash, Elm
Early 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Rocking Chairs
Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Rocking Chairs
Cherry
Late 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
19th Century American Victorian Antique Rocking Chairs
Maple, Velvet
20th Century American Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Mahogany
1960s Mexican Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Lucite, Cotton, Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Teak
1940s Scandinavian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bamboo, Cane
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.





