Vitra Eames Plastic Chairs

The seat shell of the Eames Plastic Chair over time

In the 1940s Charles and Ray Eames experimented with materials such as plywood and aluminium to realise the idea of a seat shell moulded from a single piece for an industrially produced chair, but the attempts did not yield satisfactory results. Looking for alternative materials, the two came across fibreglass-reinforced polyester resin, which offered several advantages: it can be freely moulded, is very strong, has a pleasant feel and is suited to industrial production in large numbers. It was the first time this then-novel material had been used in furniture manufacture.
Since 1999 the shells have been made from polypropylene, which can be recycled as a single material type.

Plastic chairs in series production

After the prototypes had convinced with their design and function at a Museum of Modern Art competition in New York in 1948, the first chairs by Charles and Ray Eames with seat shells went on sale in 1950 – the first series-produced plastic chairs in the world. Today they are available in a wide variety of combinations.

The wide range of models

The chairs by Charles and Ray Eames also established modularity in seating design: the various side chairs and armchairs, with and without armrests and in different upholstery versions, can still be combined with a wide range of bases in different materials to create ever new configurations. There are few limits to the range of configurations: vivid colours, full upholstery and seat pads in high-quality fabrics, metal and wood.

New seat height

Average body height has changed since the 1950s. The new seat height is therefore 43 cm; the classic height was 41 cm. Our customers receive the new version.

Black Edition

Timelessly elegant: the whole chair in black. That is the Black Edition. The RAR black with black rockers and a black seat shell is an eye-catcher.

How to recognise original Vitra Eames Plastic Chairs

Vitra originals differ in several respects from the replicas and reproductions offered on the market, even though the design may look identical at first glance.

One indication of an original is the clean workmanship and the material used – this applies to the base as well as the shell. You can identify a replica by the materials used and the finish of base and seat. The base of the Wooden Base versions is made of maple and ash. Inexpensive reproductions often use other timbers, for example beech for the legs. Rough machining and burrs are another sign.

The clearest mark of an original is the labelling on the underside of the seat shell: Vitra marks every chair with a serial number and place of manufacture.

At the pro office shop you receive exclusively