7 Tips For Choosing A Rocking Chair

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Do you sometimes wish that your favorite TV chair could also be a rocking chair? Is there a new baby in the family that you want to you can sing to sleep in your arms while sitting yourself comfortably? Does your idea of unwinding after a long day's work include reading a book by the fire in the winter or contemplating the outside scenery in the summer?

American fondness for rocking chairs

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. Many Americans either own a rocking chair that has become a family member or think of buying one.

Rocking chairs began to appear in the late 1700s when someone ingeniously thought of adding skates or rockers to the bottoms of adult furniture, similar to a child's rocking cradle or rocking horse.

Since then, owning a rocking chair has become a distinctly American preoccupation, with most Americans, including some of America's famous presidents, showing a great fondness for their rocking chairs - whether they be the elegant American designer Sam Maloof's creations with the elongated, curved runners or the homely white wicker rocking chair that usually has been with the family for more than 30 years.

But how do you choose a good rocking chair? Below are some tips on selecting the right rocking chair for you.

Tips on how to choose a rocking chair

1. The first thing to ask yourself is where to put your rocking chair. If indoors by the fireplace or the family room, you can choose a cushioned or timber rocking chair made of light maple or yellowish oak. Or, if outdoors in your garden or front porch, you can select a sweetly-scented cedar, painted Brazilian cherry wood, or teakwood durable enough to withstand the elements.

2. A critical priority in rocking chairs is comfort. Rocking chairs have been used for therapeutic purposes - John F Kennedy's rocking chair being a famous example. It is said that President Kennedy found hours and hours of relief for his bad back from this Appalachian oak rocker, which has a steam-bent curved backrest and woven seat made of Malaysian rattan.

Answering the following questions may help you judge whether the rocking chair you choose will give you the level of comfort you need.

- Does the rocking chair provide seating comfort and support?
- Is the chair set low enough for comfortable elbow support?
- Are the armrests wide enough to rest your arms and provide the right balance?
- Do the seat and back offer both firmness and flexibility?
- Do the seats slant downward to fit the whole back while supporting the lower back?

3. Is the rocker pitched correctly? In layman's terms, does the rocking chair provide a smooth and even rocking motion without tipping, even when you are reclining? Or does it feel like you are about to flip back while rocking? Does a single push keep the rocking chair rocking for a few minutes, or does it stop after only a few seconds?

4. Was the rocking chair constructed using techniques proven to result in more robust and durable rocking chairs that can withstand everyday use? These techniques include construction without glue, interlocking joinery, and the famous Maloof technique of using seven laminated strips of wood to strengthen each of the long, elegant skis used in his rocking chair designs.

5. What style of rocking chair will fit your decor? Do you want an upholstered rocking chair, or do you want to see the timber's natural woodgrain enlivened by an oil finish? Do you want a charming white wicker chair or casual rattan? How do you want the back of your rocking chair - traditional ladder back horizontal slats, vertical slats, or woven cane? Do you like it stained, oiled, varnished, or painted?

6. How much do you want to spend on your rocking chair? Whatever your budget, there seems to be a rocking chair for everyone's fancy - whether its the $20,000 Sam Maloof with a two-year waiting list for the ultimate in rocking chair experience or the vintage white wicker rocking chair you've just bid successfully on eBay for $20, or somewhere in between.

7. And last but not least, do you want your rocking chair shipped to you assembled, or are you handy with tools and don't mind making it yourself if you can save some money?

I hope these tips will make it easier to find the rocking chair that's just right for you - whether you're the couch potato looking for a more comfortable seat in front of your favorite TV sitcom, the delighted parent of a newly-born baby, or the urban worker trying to relax in the evening after dinner with a book or the quietness of the night by the front porch.