Benefit for health
This piece of furniture has a beneficial effect on the human body. It acts as:
- Medicines. A person who suffers from insomnia simply needs a rocking chair to relieve stress and prepare the body for sleep.
- Trainer. Due to smooth movements, people train their vestibular apparatus in a chair. This will help when flying on an airplane, in a car, or in sports. Also, when performing movements, the muscles of the legs and back are trained.
- Prevention of senile dementia.
- Has a general strengthening effect. Steady rocking helps strengthen the immune system and is also good for the gastrointestinal tract and heart. It relieves back pain.
In addition, the rocking chair will serve as an excellent aesthetic addition to the interior of the room. This is the dream of many people, so choosing it as a gift will give you a storm of positive emotions.
Rocking chair - features and purpose
Despite the large number of varieties, all rocking chairs share common features:
- Comfortable stay. At the end of the working day, allow yourself to relax all your muscles, and at the same time your nerves;
- Calming effect. An ideal solution for people with increased mental activity. Effectively fights insomnia and stressful conditions;
- Feeling of comfort. You can enhance it by placing a chair near the fireplace. Based on an involuntary memory of childhood;
- Compactness. Takes up no more space than a standard chair. At the same time, it can be foldable;
- Versatility. Suitable not only for home, but also for outdoor recreation (garden, veranda, cottage);
- Helping a mother with her infant. You don’t have to carry a capricious baby in your arms. It is easy to lull him to sleep while sitting in a rocking chair;
- Can be used by people of absolutely all age categories;
- Stability and reliability. Able to withstand heavy loads without the risk of tipping over;
- All models provide only one swing option - forward/backward;
- The presence of comfortable long armrests will allow you to relax as much as possible.
There are rocking chairs for home use, as well as in the form of garden furniture. They may differ in the following points:
- Soft seat. In garden furniture it is either completely absent or removable. Home options are often made in the form of classic soft chairs with permanent padding;
- For the street, more neutral materials are chosen as the main ones. The main criteria are resistance to water and ultraviolet radiation. The wicker rocking chair will have to be carried under the roof;
- It is not advisable to place outdoor rocking chairs on soft ground or grass. During the swinging process, the base may get stuck. Need a hard platform. The best options are a gazebo or veranda;
- Garden options can be intended for several people at the same time. Such variations are called swinging lounge chairs. The home option is always purely personal.
Material selection
Furniture stores offer a wide selection of chairs to suit different tastes and budgets, so which models of rocking chairs should you pay attention to first?
It is important that the furniture is made from high-quality environmentally friendly materials. Some models are made by hand, which has a positive effect on quality and uniqueness.
Based on the general style of the house or room in which you plan to place a rocking chair, you can take a closer look at wooden, wicker products, and they are also made from rattan and metal.
Folding models are ideal for a small garden. Prices for such products may vary significantly.
History of rocking chairs
It has not been definitively established who first came up with the idea of creating a rocking chair. According to one version, the idea belongs to Benjamin Franklin, who filed a patent for its invention in the 18th century.
The British have a different opinion. In their opinion, the chair was made by a local craftsman. This hypothesis is confirmed by the earlier appearance of models with runners in the Old World, and the stages of its improvement are visible.
The Swedes, in turn, attribute the authorship to their craftsmen.
Be that as it may, the rocking chair immediately won the hearts of many, and remains just as popular to this day.
Knowing what products are available with a rocking function, it is much easier to make a choice. It is important to correlate the dimensions of the model with the area of the room and user parameters, test the chair for comfort, evaluate the build quality and reliability of the materials.
Folding option
This product weighs little, it can be folded literally with one hand and put away. Takes up minimal space. However, such an item carries only a functional load, without an aesthetic component. The cost of this chair is significantly less than its competitors.
Rocking mechanism
This moment plays not the least role. Standard rockers on runners can have different lengths of the arcuate part. It will determine the forward and backward tilt limits.
Designers are so inventive that they are ready to deviate from the usual standard. For example, on sale you can find the following model: Ellena 05/22 B Matte, where the mechanism is a wide spring. It is capable of rotating around its axis.
There are models in which the swing mechanism is located above the legs firmly standing on the floor. These are super fashionable and modern gliders.
They are silent, can be placed on any floor, and have an adjustable backrest. They have a small swing amplitude, and because of this, lovers of the classics may not like it when it comes to a gift.
There are also massage chairs that will help you truly relax and take care of your health.
Upholstery and decorative elements
The fastening parts of the structure (screws and bolts) must be tightly screwed. If the model involves upholstery with decorative elements, take a closer look at the quality of the fittings.
The upholstery in a good chair fits snugly to the frame, does not bulge or bunch up. For some models, we recommend choosing a soft mattress or pillow separately for greater comfort. If necessary, you can easily remove and wash them.
For office rocking chairs, upholstery made of natural or artificial leather is used. The color scheme is very diverse, so choose an option that matches the interior of your office. Most often, models of dark shades are chosen, because... This color is calming and the boss likes it.
Do it yourself
All you have to do is go online to find a photo description of how craftsmen make rocking chairs themselves. The most accessible material for a craftsman is wood.
There are such “Kulibins” who know how to make a rocking chair even from improvised material - cable spools.
You can choose a simpler drawing, find materials: planks, plywood, fabric, fittings. The creation will perfectly decorate a dacha, veranda, loggia, and a person will receive satisfaction from the result of the work.
Development of the idea
In the 19th century, the history of the rocking chair was continued in the work of the German carpenter Michael Thonet, the inventor of the “Viennese chairs,” who organized the continuous production of household items from bent wood. He significantly improved the design and made it accessible to buyers from most social classes.
In the mid-20th century, designers from around the world gave the classic shape of a rocking chair a modernist twist. Significant innovations were the replacement of runners with rings by the Italian Antonio Volpe, as well as the production of a comma-shaped sample by Cesare Leonardi from a single piece of plastic.
Rocking on a chair not only calms and relaxes. It has been scientifically proven that this pleasant activity helps normalize heart rate and blood pressure, relieves headaches, and improves concentration.
What to look for when purchasing
Before you buy a rocking chair, it is important to know about all the nuances. Visit furniture fairs and shops. The chair should be soft and comfortable for the neck, back, and legs.
Weight and the ability to frequently rearrange the item. Wicker models weigh 7-10 kg. They can be rearranged without problems. Glider chairs are heavy - 20-25 kg, so they cannot be handled so easily.
Manufacturer. If we are talking about an expensive model, then this criterion plays an important role. Impex, La Redoute, VolgaStyle are well-known brands with a large assortment of armchairs.
Step. A very convenient element that can be either part of the product or a separate part.
Armrests. Comfort also depends on the material that covers them.
Backrest height adjustment and physiological bend. It is important that the backrest comfortably supports the head and neck. Otherwise, what kind of complete relaxation are we talking about? There are gliders on sale with backrest adjustment up to a lying position.
Use for feeding a baby. Mothers will find it comfortable to breastfeed their baby in a rocking chair. A comfortable positioning of the body will help distribute the load on the spine.
Convenience. The most important thing is comfort. You can sit in a comfortable chair after a hard day at work and forget about your problems.
Accessories. All components of the object must be connected with strong and high-quality nails, staples, and self-tapping screws. The quality of the furniture directly depends on this.
Chair model
How to choose a chair model that's right for you? First, decide where it will stand. Manufacturers offer a wide range of rocking chairs for the garden, cottage, office and apartment; each model has its own characteristics that should be taken into account when choosing a product. There is no universal option, so be guided by your own preferences and requirements of the rooms where the chair will be used.
Before buying a rocking chair, be sure to test it in action and evaluate the degree of comfort: a well-designed product does not creak, the armrests correspond to the length of an adult’s arms, you should feel maximum relaxation in it. Other tips that we introduced you to in the previous article “How to choose chairs for your home” will also help you choose a rocking chair. The main advice for adults is that the furniture purchased should be comfortable and last for many years.
