"Better" how? Comfort is entirely subjective and personal experience is the only metric that matters.
In this case "better" is not subjective. It is not merely a question of comfort either. The design, build quality, ergonomics, and intention of the early chairs align with Charles and Ray Eames's vision. The new Herman Miller versions are inferior. Period. Go to Herman Miller or Design Within Reach and sit in the chairs. Afterwards, seek out generation 1 and 2 chairs and you will immediately be able to see and feel the difference. To say that this is entirely a subjective is like saying that the cheap, plastic, Eames "replica" shell chairs on Amazon are as good as the original early fiberglass chairs that collectors covet.
@davidhunternyc Thank you, I appreciate all of that.
I own a 2nd gen set which I find uncomfortable. Seat post bushings wear, shock mounts dry out (lose resiliency and fail, often catastrophically), veneers fade or darken, leather breaks down, and the down/foam seat cushions do compress permanently over time with normal use. YMMV, but, despite the design/materials/construction quality, these things either wear out or require expensive, expert maintenance to remain useful in a normal household environment.
In some ways, the OP was right that these are as much luxury items as anything else. However, I still love mine for what it is; an engaging and groundbreaking design objet.
@tktoo2 Many if not most of these chairs that are 60 years old have condition issues. Like vintage cars there will be a point when repairs and maintenance become an issue and they must be attended to. I have seen chairs that are in a state of total disrepair and others with incredible original patinas. Yes, the original shock mounts will most likely have disintegrated at this point but there are many impassioned people out there who will fix them. If the feather casing is in good condition I wouldn't touch the feathers. Foam is easily replaced. For people seeking out vintage Eames Lounge Chairs and Ottomans many sellers would have addressed these issues so no further maintenance is needed. Obviously it's difficult to fix a darkened shell but more difficult to fix a shell faded by light. But still, look at the photo I posted above as an example of a gorgeous original rosewood shell with dynamic flaming. They are out there. There are many, many fine examples of these vintage chairs.
Again, David, I'm not arguing with any of that.
I did a lot of homework before buying mine, but with one glaring exception; I didn't spend enough time sitting in one. It's no surprise to me that some new owners of these sets, no matter the vintage, are disappointed. Hence, the "subjective" part.
P.S. Without a mirror, you can't see one square inch of that gorgeous figured rosewood when you're actually using these chairs!
I've been to DWR to check out the current batch of Eames Lounges. I must say, I was underwhelmed. They were comfortable enough-not terrific mind you-but okay. One thing I noticed was the way the cushions sat in the shells, they weren't lined up quite right. Also, the piping didn't meet at the edges of the shells properly. For something that was one or two grand this might be okay, but for an easy 6k, it should be really well built. I rolled the dice on a Chinese copy-its awesome. $700 USD and it's comfy, looks good and durable. I've got small kids (and a cat) so I'm not springing 6k on a piece of furniture just now. Eames Lounges look so nice, but my copy checks all the boxes.
@pnw_dragon, Your boxes may differ from others'. For me, it has nothing to do with the piping aligning perfectly or the money. Cute pets, though!
@john3333 Are you serious or are you doing the clown here?
That's too funny, but they forgot the Lay-Z-Boy.
@davidhunternyc Thank you, I appreciate all of that.
I own a 2nd gen set which I find uncomfortable. Seat post bushings wear, shock mounts dry out (lose resiliency and fail, often catastrophically), veneers fade or darken, leather breaks down, and the down/foam seat cushions do compress permanently over time with normal use. YMMV, but, despite the design/materials/construction quality, these things either wear out or require expensive, expert maintenance to remain useful in a normal household environment.
In some ways, the OP was right that these are as much luxury items as anything else. However, I still love mine for what it is; an engaging and groundbreaking design objet.
Obviously these chairs are 60 years old now. Of course the original shock mounts give out and need replaced. Careful conservation is required with most any chair. Perhaps I'm lucky to live in NYC because I see lightly used 2nd gen chairs from time to time. No fading of the wood. No chips. If you have a long in tooth lounge chair then perhaps you could invest in its future. It won't increase its value but if you plan on keeping it it's worth the upgrade. I have a bad back and I find sitting in the original supremely comfortable. No issues whatsoever. There are issues with every chair, even those ergonomic office chairs, with all of their whistles and bells. Perhaps the problems aren't the chairs but our bodies. We need to exercise regularly and most of us, me included, do not.
Bought my chair 10+ years ago in Edelman leather. It's always looked great, even with the beating it takes from children and pets. But I agree that it didn't come from the factory in super-comfortable form. I bottomed out the seat cushion foam every time (71", 190 lbs). I bought a 5/8" thick yoga mat in dense foam off Amazon ($25), cut a couple pieces and fit them in at the bottom of the foam. Now I bottom out against a dense yoga mat, which is much more comfy.
I've noticed that the seat cushions in the UK have much more dense foam than the seat cushions in the US. I think dense foam looks worse than the casual down look... but it suits my fat -ss better.
All in all, I love the chair. And Jason, you're probably driving your amazing-considerate wife mad. I share your super discriminating sensibility. But you're still driving her crazy. Go shopping for a beautiful bracelet or something.
After years of drooling on Herman Miller Eames Lounge chairs either at Design Within Reach when I lived in the US (recently moved -back to Europe) or AA Aiport lounges I finally bought a Vitra brand new one and like the original poster I'm utterly disappointed.
I only have one complaint but it's a big one: it's so uncomfortable. I believe it's due to the the hard foam filling that basically break the original design line of the "baseball glove fit" (as far as I understand it).
Someone else said it best in this thread, you sit higher, upright and the chair pushes the upper back forward. That was never my experience at the airport lounges or DSW with what I believe were Herman Miller versions. I have read somewhere because of European fire regulations the foam from Vitra is stiffer than the one from Herman Miller, no idea if that's true.
I'm sooo soo sad, these was my dream lounge chair =(. I have some hope that the foam needs to be "broken in" but at that price I expect they've filled the chair with foam that actually doesn't change over time.
So I'm now looking for filling replacement, thankfully there are some options to replace the foam with duck feathers (another several hundreds yey!) so I'll prolly try that in a couple of months if I still have back pain 10minutes after sitting in the chair.
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