The concept of a rocking piece of furniture goes back thousands of years, an example exists from the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum. However, these examples were mainly for rocking and soothing babies, it wasn’t until the early 18th Century that the principle was applied to chairs.
There is a common misconception that Benjamin Franklin was responsible for the invention of rocking chairs but in reality he would have been a bit young and on the wrong continent when they first started appearing in England circa 1725 being as he was an American teenager at the time.
Early models were simply rockers attached to normal chairs but in the intervening three centuries, many different designs, mechanisms and materials have appeared. Steel, wood, plastic, leather etc are all found in different rocking chair designs.
The three main types of rocking chair motion
The fundamental distinction in rocker-world is how the chair achieves its movement.
- The traditional rocker. This is the familiar two-bits-of-curved-wood approach where the chair’s contact with the floor is at one point on each side and the motion is achieved by rocking back and forth along that arc. Great for outdoor use, indoors they have the limitation of needing clearance so the movement doesn’t cause impacts with other furniture and the runners can cause damage to floors.
- The glider. The seat is mounted on a stationary base using hinges and a fixed track or a swing mechanism, which allows it to rock back and forth in a linear motion. Unlike the other types, the angle of the chair seat doesn’t change which makes them safer and need less room to rock. Tends to be used in contemporary designs and therefore be at the more expensive end.
- Spring rocker. Basically the platform and the base of the seat are attached by a spring mechanism which facilitates the rock. Sometimes the movement is limited to two dimensions but sometimes 360° all round motion is possible depending on the design. Can need even more clearance but doesn’t damage flooring and is often accompanied by a recline feature.
Different rocker styles
As with all furniture design types that have been around for centuries, the rocking chair has many different styles, here are some of the more popular ones.
- Bentwood. This approach uses a process invented in the mid 19th century where wood is bent into shape while wet and it then sets in the desired shape when dried. This obviously lends itself to the traditional curved runner rocking chair and lots of designs have been produced over the years.
- Boston Rocker. The quintessential antique wooden rocking chair that springs to most people’s minds whenever they’re on the subject. Known for its high back with a broad, scrolled top rail (often stenciled with fruit or flower designs), a deeply curved, solid wooden seat and a spindle back.
- Peter Cooper designs. Prolific in the mid 19th Century, made from steel or wrought iron, these minimalistic designs incorporated the rocker curve into the frame rather than attaching separate pieces to the legs.
- Shaker Rocker. Known for total simplicity, elegant proportions and devotion to functionality. A four-slat ladder-back design with seats woven from rush or cotton tape is a typical feature.
- Wicker. Using versatile and malleable materials woven over a frame gives this type of chair scope to take many forms. A light, airy appearance makes them ideal for sun porches and patios.
Ultimately, your choice will likely reflect the space you have chosen for your rocking chair be it indoors or outdoors, contemporary or traditional.
