Most office chair choices come down to one of three jobs: a desk you use every day, a meeting table, or a reception area. Start with the job, then choose the back height and upholstery.
Adjustable chairs for a desk. The EA117, EA119, EA217 and EA219 each list swivel, a tilt mechanism that can be held upright or left to recline, and a seat that rises and falls through 11 cm. They suit a desk you sit at daily, or one shared by people of different heights.
Fixed-height chairs for meetings. The EA108, in leather or mesh, and the EA208 list swivel only, with a fixed 46 cm seat. Their product pages describe them as boardroom, conference and visitor chairs, so they sit naturally around conference tables.
A lobby chair for waiting areas. The ES104 is built from three leather cushions with leather-covered arms, and at 25 kg it is heavier than any chair in the table below. Its product page presents it for executive and lounge-style spaces, so it suits a reception corner or a private office. For softer seating in the same kind of space, see our modern lounge chairs.
The six office chairs below share a frame type and comparable specifications. Back height is worked out from each chair's overall height and seat height.
Chair | Back above the seat | Seat height | Listed functions | Upholstery | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EA117 | 37.5 cm | 45.5 to 56.5 cm | Swivel, tilt, height | Leather panel | 18 kg |
EA119 | 60 cm | 45.5 to 56.5 cm | Swivel, tilt, height | Leather panel | 20 kg |
EA217 | 36.5 cm | 49 to 60 cm | Swivel, tilt, height | Sewn-on leather pads | 19 kg |
EA219 | 57.5 cm | 49 to 60 cm | Swivel, tilt, height | Sewn-on leather pads | 21 kg |
EA108 | 37 cm | 46 cm, fixed | Swivel | Leather or mesh panel | 17 kg leather, 15 kg mesh |
EA208 | 36 cm | 46 cm, fixed | Swivel | Sewn-on leather pads | 20 kg |
Two checks before you order. First, measure the seat height you sit at now and make sure it falls inside the chair's range. Second, none of these specifications lists armrest height, so if the chair needs to slide under a desk, ask customer support for that measurement first. Browse modern desks to plan the pair together.
The chairs in the table come in two constructions. On the EA108, EA117 and EA119, a single panel of leather or mesh is stretched between the aluminium side frames. On the EA208, EA217 and EA219, padded cushions are sewn on over the same kind of frame.
The two follow the order in which the designs appeared. Charles and Ray Eames introduced the cast aluminium chair with a stretched seat in 1958, originally as outdoor seating for a private house, and added sewn-on cushions in 1969. You can see more of their work in our Charles Eames furniture collection.
The padded chairs sit higher. The adjustable padded chairs run from 49 to 60 cm, against 45.5 to 56.5 cm for the panel chairs. That is 3.5 cm higher at both ends of the range, so the panel chairs give shorter users more room at the bottom.
The padded chairs weigh a little more. Each adjustable padded chair is 1 kg heavier than its panel equivalent, and the fixed padded chair is 3 kg heavier than the leather panel version. Footprints are otherwise close: 57.5 to 58 cm wide and 58 to 62 cm deep.
Mesh is the lightest option. The mesh version of the EA108 weighs 15 kg and is cleaned with a duster and a light vacuum, while the leather chairs list a dust cloth and leather cleaner.
The EA117, EA119, EA217 and EA219 all list a seat that moves through 11 cm. The panel chairs run from 45.5 to 56.5 cm and the padded chairs from 49 to 60 cm. The EA108 and EA208 have a fixed 46 cm seat. For any other chair on this page, check the seat dimensions in its product specification before you order, as they are listed chair by chair.
On the EA117, EA119, EA217 and EA219, yes. Each specification lists a tilt mechanism with a static upright or recline setting, so you can hold the back upright for typing or let it move when you lean back. The EA108 and EA208 list swivel only, with no tilt, which is why their product pages present them as meeting and visitor chairs.
On the chairs compared here, the high-back versions rise a little over 20 cm further. The top of the back sits 57.5 to 60 cm above the seat on the EA119 and EA219, against 36.5 to 37.5 cm on the low-back EA117 and EA217. Seat ranges stay the same within each pair, so the choice is about back support and look, not seat height.
Mesh needs the least care. The mesh EA108 is cleaned with a duster and a light vacuum. The leather chairs list a dust cloth and a leather cleaner, and their product pages advise applying a leather conditioner occasionally. Mesh is also the lighter choice, at 15 kg against 17 kg for the same chair in leather.
Only a simple fitting is listed. The leather chairs give top-to-base assembly, and the mesh EA108 describes fitting the base shaft into the seat. No tools or further steps are described. Assembly is not included as standard, but customer support can arrange a quote if you would rather not fit the chair yourself.
Plan for roughly 58 cm by 62 cm for the chair itself. The chairs compared here are 57.5 to 58 cm wide and 58 to 62 cm deep, with the high-back chairs the deepest. Add room to swivel and to push back from the desk, and measure the gap under the desk if you want the chair to tuck in when not in use.
Each chair in the table above, and the lobby chair, lists commercial quality in its specification, with a cast aluminium frame and chrome plating. If your workplace sets its own seating requirements, ask customer support for the full specification of the chair you are considering before you order, so it can be checked against them.
Charles and Ray Eames introduced their cast aluminium chair with a stretched seat in 1958 and the version with sewn-on cushions in 1969. The panel chairs here follow the first design and the padded chairs the second. The dates come from design history records; individual product pages may give other years.
Each chair's product page shows its current lead time and its warranty terms. Check the page for the exact chair, upholstery and colour you want, because both are set product by product. If you are furnishing several desks or a meeting room at once, customer support can confirm timings for the whole order before you buy.
No. These chairs are not manufactured by or affiliated with the original designers or associated parties, and we claim no rights in any third-party trademarks. They are reproductions in the style of mid-century office seating, with full specifications on each product page. You can browse more seating across the site in our designer chairs collection.
