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Eames Plastic Armchair RE RAR with Upholstery, Sea blue RE, With full upholstery, Sea blue / dark grey, Black, Basic dark/dark maple

by Charles & Ray Eames, 1950 — from CHF 789.00
Vitra Eames Plastic Armchair RE RAR with Upholstery

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Eames Plastic Armchair RE RAR with Upholstery Sea blue RE|With full upholstery|Sea blue / dark grey|Black|Basic dark/dark maple

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CHF 1’004.00 *
Available within 6-7 weeks
(standard delivery time)
3% advance payment discount*: CHF 973.88 (Save CHF 30.12)

The compact rocking chair RAR with upholstery by Vitra is similar to the classic Eames RAR rocking chair, but comes either with seat upholstery or fully upholstered, and thus has minimally adapted dimensions, adapted dimensions necessitated by the statics of the iconic rocking chair. The Eames RAR chair, short for Rocking Armchair Rod Base, belongs to the legendary family of the original Eames Chairs by Vitra and achieves a new comfort thanks to its upholstery. The RAR by Charles & Ray Eames is a chair full of accents: an organic plastic seat shell meets pleasant fabric, while the metal base is contrasted with rockers in warm wood tones. And thus the RAR with seat upholstery is a rocking chair full of contrasts, yet contrasts which combine to make the design classic a harmonious, elegant piece of living room furniture. Since 2024 Vitra has manufactured the Eames Plastic Chair seat shells from resource-saving recycled material.

Details

Product type Rocking chair
Dimensions

Dimensions in millimeter

Seat height with upholstery: 40 cm
Seat height with full upholstery: 38,5 cm
Colours Seat shell, new colours 2024
17 Emerald RE
92 Citron RE
85 Cotton white RE

Seat shell
12 Deep black RE
56 Granite grey RE
48 Forest RE
34 Mustard RE
43 Rusty orange RE
03 Poppy red RE
41 Pale rose RE
11 Pebble RE
24 Light grey RE
23 Ice grey RE
04 White

Seat cushion / full upholstery, Hopsak
66 Nero
05 Dark grey
77 Nero / forest
73 Petrol / moor brown
22 Navy blue / dark grey
82 Ice blue / moor brown
23 Nero / ivory
80 Warmgrey / moor brown
88 Cognac / ivory
65 Coral / poppyred
19 Mustard / dark grey
18 Mustard / ivory
16 Yellow / ivory
87 Ivory / forest
86 Mint / forest
20 Green / ivory
81 Ice blue / ivory
79 Warmgrey / ivory

(Further Hopsak colours available on request)
Piped seam


Frame and rockers
Coated basic dark
Dark maple

Chrome plated
Yellow maple

White
Dark maple

White
Yellow maple


Please note that wood is a natural material. Every base is unique and due to the influence of UV-radiation the colour pigments in the wood change during use.
Material Upholstery: molded polyurethane foam, fabric Hopsak (100% polyamide)
Frame: Round steel, chrome plated or powder coated
Rockers: Maple, stained and varnished
Seat shell: dyed-through polypropylene (white) or dyed-through RE plastic (all other colours)

Please note:
The RE plastic employed for the Eames Plastic Chair seat shells is composed of granules of recycled plastics from the German "Yellow Sack" packaging recycling system and approx. 10% fibreglass material to achieve the necessary rigidity. The familiar colours of the seat shells do not change as a result of this material change. However, with the lighter seat shell colours tiny pigments of differently coloured granules may be visible upon closer inspection. These pigments do not represent a defect, but are a feature of the new sustainable material. Below is a comparative example of the colour "ice grey" in high magnification - the new material is on the right.
Variants RAR without upholstery available separately
Care To clean the plastic surfaces a soft, damp cloth and a mild, neutral detergent are recommended. Dust and dry dirt can be simply vacuumed. For the treatment of stains, please use a damp cloth and a mild, neutral detergent. Professional cleaning should be done in the assembled state using upholstery foam or a mobile washer-extractor.
Awards & Museums Permanent collection, MoMA, New York
Sustainability The Vitra Eames RAR Plastic Rocking chair is:
100% recyclable
contains up to 14% recycled material

Vitra conform to:
ISO 9001: 2008 (Quality management systems)
ISO 14001: 2004 (Environmental management systems)

Since the beginning of the production year 2024 the Eames Plastic Chair seat shells have been been manufactured from a recycled material, the so-called RE plastic. RE plastic material consists of granules of recycled plastics from the German “Yellow Sack” packaging recycling system. This new material is not only recycled but 100% recyclable, In addition its production generates significantly lower climate-damaging emissions and requires less energy.

Since June 1st 2019 Vitra has been operated a take-back program: Eames Fibreglass Chairs and Eames Plastic Chairs that are no longer required can be returned to Vitra.
Warranty 24 months

Register product and secure extended manufacturer's warranty of 10 years
Accessories Suitable Seat Pad for Eames Armchairs and Leather Seat Pad by Parkhaus Berlin or Seat Dots by Vitra
Product family Eames Plastic Chairs


Product datasheet Please click on the picture for detailed information (ca. 5,4 MB).

Popular versions

FAQ

?
Should the answers to your questions not be found here, our service team can be contacted Mon-Fri, 9 am - 5 pm and Sat, 9 am - 5 pm via 031 981 40 67.

How much weight can the RAR support?

The chairs are tested to 110 kg. If the user is heavier, the wear and tear on the components increases. However not only the user's weight plays an important role in the wear on the chair, also the sitting habits of the user are important. If, for example, you regularly drop heavily into the chair, or use the armrests to help you stand up, you experience high, if localised, stress which may be greater than the burden of a "static" very heavy user.

What is the wood color of the Vitra Eames RAR rockers?

The rockers are stained and varnished maple. It is possible that "Special Editions"offer alternative rockers. Should any be available these will be displayed in our shop.

How is the Eames RAR seat height measured?

The seat height is determined according to the European standard EN 1335-1. This states that the chair be clamped in a special tester and loaded with a weight. The dimensions are then determined in the loaded state. The seat height being measured at a position defined by the standard and when in the load bearing state. The stated seat height cannot be measured with a conventional measuring device, rather is a normalised comparison value so that different chairs (for example, with and without height adjustment, or with varying thickness of seat cushion, etc.) can be compared with one another.

How do I recognise an original Eames RAR Plastic Chair?

On the underside of the seat shell, the material marking PP indicates the polypropylene used for the shell, a seal certifies the safety of the chair and a sticker indicates the place of manufacture and serial number. In addition, Vitra always supplies the original fully assembled.

Why a 2019 colour update for the Eames RAR?

The new colour palette allows for more possible combinations and offers a broader spectrum of different colour shades with the delineation into "Natural Tones", "Mid Tones" and "Bright Tones".

Please click on the picture for detailed information about the New Vitra update Colors 2019 (ca. 2,9 MB)

Design Story

The Eames RAR is always an eye-catcher with its discreet rockers

The Design

If one had to select the greatest furniture design classics of all time the Eames rocker and the other plastic chairs would have to be included. Designed in 1950 by Charles and Ray Eames, the RAR and the other Eames chairs were the first collection of plastic chairs to be produced in series. The one-piece design with its anatomically formed seat shell builds the ideal bridge between exclusive aesthetics and homely charm: Design meets comfort. The Eames RAR rocking chair series features the different coloured Eames A-shells fastened to wire frame set on maple rockers. The Eames side chairs, armchairs and rocking chair RAR were created in 1948 in context of the "International Competition for Low Cost Furniture" from the MoMA New York. All the chairs in the collection are all-purpose chairs characterized by extremely high variability - they are, for example, available in a mix of bases, seat shells and colours - and are compatible for a wide range of situations ans uses, both domestic and commercial.

Production

Thanks to their dogged and successful experiments with new materials Ray and Charles Eames created the first ever serially produced plastic chairs. Fibreglass reinforced polyester resin allowed completely new flexible forms, and in the specific case of the Eames RAR the so-called A-shell. In addition to its ease of use, the material has a pleasant feel and was also affordable for the masses. Originally all Eames Chairs were made in the USA by Herman Miller,the production in Europe and Asia only beginning once Vitra acquired the licenses in the late 1950s. In 1993 ecological considerations regarding fibreglass meant that Vitra ceased production of the Eames RAR and other plastic chairs; only resuming in the 1999 when the recyclable, yet just as malleable, material material polypropylene became available. At the same time Herman Miller also stated using polypropylene.

The Eames RAR, like the other Eames chairs, is assembled in Germany.


The Vitra RAR rocking chairs in Scandinavian shades

Designer

Charles and Ray Eames

Charles and Ray Eames were one of the more unique teams in the history of the furniture industry. In a joint career spanning over 30 years the pair created a small universe full of beautiful things. Aside from the famous Eames furniture designs they also created a unique collection of films, photographs, graphic works, and accessories. Charles and Ray Eames met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art know where Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen were working on their preparations for the "Organic Furniture Competition" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the young art student Ray Kaiser

was appointed to assist them. A year later Charles and Ray married. Thus beginning not only a strong personal relationship, but also a very productive professional partnership as designers, architects, graphic designers. All-rounders ... In short, a trained architect and painter who studied together and created an oeuvre that revolutionised so much. Including Eames RAR and other plastic armchairs. Charles Eames died at 71 on August 21, 1978 in Los Angeles, Ray Eames exactly 10 years to the day later, aged 76 years.

Historical Context

The 1950s in the United States were, as in Europe, years of upheaval. Following the war years nations, communities and individuals sought to reorient themselves, sought new values, new principles, new rules for the new realities of the new world. In concrete terms that principle meant building new relationships to culture, consumption, production and living. The Eames furniture beautifully reflects the spirit of the young, ambitious America of the 1950s. Charles and Ray Eames developed for their plastic armchairs a new manufacturing process, a process which enabled the chairs to be mass produced and a price ??affordable for a majority of Americans . With the combination possibilities of the different bases Charles and Ray Eames created an all-purpose chair family which responded to the new requirements for flexibility and multi-functionality in furniture design. With the RAR rocking chair and the other members of their plastic chair family Charles and Ray Eames had a decisive influence on the development of modernism throughout the second half of the 20th century.

Eames RAR. Source: Design for Use, USA catalogue

Manufacturer

On a taxi ride through New York Willi and Erika Fehlbaum spotted a chair in a shop window. It was an Eames chair. And the beginning of a beautiful friendship. That was in 1950 and after some negotiations with the manufacturer of Eames furniture in the United States, Herman Miller, the Fehlbaum's young company Vitra acquired in 1959 licenses for the production of Eames furniture in Europe and Asia. As the only licensed manufacturer of the original Eames designs Vitra is today Ambassador of the ideas of Charles and Ray Eames. The Eames archive being entrusted to Vitra and not the Eames family or Herman Miller. But not just the Eames' furniture is important to and for Vitra, the influence of the pair remains

From time to time there are special editions of the Vitra RAR - here in the RAR Limited White Edition with white seat and ivory base

alive in many, subtle, ways. When, today a decisions is required, the standard Vitra approach is to ask: "What would Charles and Ray do?". In addition to the legacy of the Eames Vitra manage a vast collection of new and established design classics by the likes of, for example, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, Verner Panton, Antonio Citterio and Hella Jongerius. In addition, with the Vitra Campus, Vitra Design Museum and VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein Vitra are important curators of contemporary art, design and architecture.

Finally available with full upholstery: The RAR rocking chair by Charles & Ray Eames

The cosy blanket makes the RAR even more comfortable

The Vitra Eames Shell Chairs: An Overview

Eames Plastic Chairs

Vitra Eames DSR
Dining Height Side Chair Rod Base

Vitra Eames DSR

Vitra Eames DSX
Dining Height Side Chair X-Base

Vitra Eames DSX

Vitra Eames DSW
Dining Height Side Chair Wood Base

Vitra Eames DSW

Vitra Eames PSCC
Pivot Side Chair Cast Base on Castors

Vitra Eames PSCC

Vitra Eames DSS-N / DSS
Dining Height Side Chair Stacking Base

Vitra Eames DSS-N / DSS

Vitra Eames DAR
Dining Height Armchair Rod Base

Vitra Eames DAR

Vitra Eames DAX
Dining Height Armchair X-Base

Vitra Eames DAX

Vitra Eames DAW
Dining Height Armchair Wooden Base

Vitra Eames DAW

Vitra Eames PACC
Pivot Armchair Cast Base on Castors

Vitra Eames PACC

Vitra Eames RAR
Rocking Armchair Rod Base

Vitra Eames RAR

Vitra Eames LAR
Lounge Height Armchair Rod Base

Vitra Eames LAR

Vitra Eames DAL
Dining Height Armchair La Fonda Base

Vitra Eames LAR

Eames Fiber Chairs

Vitra DSR Fiberglass
Dining Height Side Chair Rod Base

Vitra DSR Fiberglass

Vitra DSX Fiberglass
Dining Height Side Chair X-Base

Vitra DSX Fiberglass

Vitra DSW Fiberglass
Dining Height Side Chair Wood Base

Vitra DSW Fiberglass

Vitra DAR Fiberglass
Dining Height Armchair Rod Base

Vitra DAR Fiberglass

Vitra DAX Fiberglass
Dining Height Armchair X-Base

Vitra DAX Fiberglass

Vitra DAW Fiberglass
Dining Height Armchair Wooden Base

Vitra DAW Fiberglass

Vitra RAR Fiberglass
Rocking Armchair Rod Base

Vitra RAR Fiberglass

Vitra LAR Fiberglass
Lounge Height Armchair Rod Base

Vitra LAR Fiberglass

Eames Wire Chairs

Vitra DKR Wire Chair
Dining Height K-Wire Shell R-Wire Base

Vitra Eames DKR Wire Chair

Vitra Eames DKX Wire Chair
Dining Height K-Wire Shell X-Base

Vitra Eames DKX Wire Chair

Vitra Eames DKW Wire Chair
Dining Height K-Wire Shell Wood Base

Vitra Eames DKW Wire Chair

Vitra Eames DKR Wire Chair Checker
Dining Height K-Wire Shell R-Wire Base

Vitra Eames DKR Wire Chair Checker


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