Blog
Rocking chairs rock!
They are hard to resist, easy to love and a guaranteed family favourite once introduced to the interior: rocking chairs! After hard a long day, nothing is as relaxing as sitting down in your beloved chair, gently rocking back and forth.
A brief history
The rocker finds it’s origin all the way in the 18th century. They started as ordinary chairs with rockers attached by people in North America looking for some extra comfort while relaxing in their gardens. They reached England in 1725, which was the start of their worldwide succes. The first produced rockers were mostly made of wicker. Because of the new rocking element a lot of new creative designs where invented! Michael Thonet created the first bentwood rocker in 1860 and many other materials followed.
The healthy choice
Rocking chairs are special. Their seating experience is like nothing else! One of the reasons is that the chair rocks backwards untill the seater’s center of gravity is met. This allows the user to sit as relaxed as possible, even when there’s no actual rocking involved. Rockers have an amazing relaxing effect because of this and as we all know, it’s more important then ever to find a moment to have a moment to yourself in our current age where everybody is always busy. It has actually been researched and proved that a gentle rocking motion makes you more relaxed and has a very positive influence on the quality of your sleep. It’s the same effect as a parent rocking a child to sleep.
But wait! There’s more. Did you know that a rocking chair actually imrpoves your muscle tone? Rocking is an easy way to tone leg muscles. It won’t make a big difference for most of us, but for people who can’t handle weight-bearing exercises, it is a perfect way to strengthen the legs. People even experience rocking chairs as easing arthritis and back pains! It makes sense, because what would be a healthier way of sitting, than sitting on an ergonomic chair that allows you to move?
The stylish choice
Designers have experienced and embraced the versatility of rocking chairs for decades. Some of the most iconic pieces from midcentury design involve rockers! We all know the famous RAR chairs by Charles & Ray Eames, that we often have available as well. But there’s a lot more. What about creative children rockers? Franco Albini brought the history of rocking chairs back to the 20th century living rooms with his rattan design. Hans J. Wegner’s keyhole chair is one of the most famous midcentury rockers. Rockers come in all different shapes and sizes!
Find yourself a rocker and add a comfortable, beautiful piece of design history to your interior! Browse our rocking inventory now by clicking here!
