Choosing that Perfect Rocking Chair

The first rocking chair was believed to have been owned by Benjamin Franklin some 250 years ago. In the early 19th century rocking chairs were made by shortening the legs of a normal chair and then placed it on a rocker. The reason for doing this was mainly because of economy, an adapted rocking chair cost as low as 50 cents as compared to $3.50 for a brand new one.

Although the rocking chair had been around for so long, it’s popularity however had hardly waned but in fact has become even more popular. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it believed to therapeutic to be seated on one. There are individuals who said that sitting on a rocking chair can actually take away their bodily pains.

The uses of rocking chairs are plenty, some examples are nursing, sewing, knitting. In its early days, rocking chairs are found mainly in the rural homes because they are deemed to be too plain for the formal parlor and rough on the expensive carpets of many urban homes.

Nevertheless, much has changed with advent of modern design styles and rockers have now become the seat of choice.

1. Popular Styles

There are many styles of rocking chairs to choose form:

- Windsor
- Ladder-back
- Shaker
- Boston
- Victorian
- Bentwood
- Wicker.

2. Modern Styles

Traditionally, rocking chairs were made from wood but modern day rocking chairs can also be found to be made of chrome, molded plastic and laminated cardboard. There are also rocking chairs in graceful ladder-back as well as woven-back designs in walnut, cherry, maple, oak, and hickory.

3. How To Choose A Rocking Chair

Always choose a rocking chair that can withstand the rigors of rocking. Such chairs must be made from handpicked logs that are not twisted and sawn into short sections along its grains. This is to ensure that the wood is strong and is less likely to get distorted over time. You should also make sure that the joints are tight.

Good rocking chairs are made by cutting tenons and mortises to hairline tolerances and using specialized sawing techniques for each component to minimize differences in expansion and contraction when the parts are joined. This is important because every part of a rocking chair moves together. Look for one with runners cut with bandsaw and mounted so that the center point of the radius is right in front of the user’s chin. This ensures a smooth and balanced rocking experience.

4. Quality is Important

Prices of rocking chairs ranges from reasonable to very expensive and usually stay in the family that bought them.

This kind of chair generally has no market values and do not sell well at auctions, it is more for heirloom values.

A chair that is skillfully crafted can cost as much as $1000 to $3000. Some contemporary handmade rockers can even go for tens of thousands of dollars.

Nevertheless, fear not, quality rocking chairs can also be bought for much less. You are still able to get a fine decent chair for a few hundred dollars. Here’s a tip in buying a rocking chair: try out the rocking chair first before buying it, make sure that the rocking chair is comfortable to sit in and that the table itself is durable.