A back is high when it rises far enough above the sitter's shoulders to reach the head. The chair's own height, measured floor to top of back, is the number to look for, and it is the one most product listings bury.
The chairs in this collection fall into three groups by height, and it is worth being straightforward about which is which:
If head support is the reason you are looking, the first two are the ones to compare.
For chairs chosen on how they hold you rather than on back height, see modern lounge chairs. For the broader range, modern armchairs.
Eames 670 | Bugsy | Egg Chair | OX Chair | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
From | GBP 614.50 | GBP 674.50 | GBP 884.50 | GBP 864.50 |
Height | 82 cm | 94 cm | 102 cm | 102.5 cm |
Width × depth | 87 × 87 cm | 78 × 77 cm | 81 × 80 cm | 104 × 98 cm |
Seat height | 42 cm | Not published | 40 cm | 42 cm |
Weight | 29 kg | 18 kg | 35 kg | 37.5 kg |
Frame | Plywood shell, cast aluminium legs | Moulded foam, aluminium base | Foam over fibreglass shell, cast aluminium base | Leather and cashmere over frame, stainless steel legs |
Upholstery | Italian leather | Fabric, stain-resistant | Wool or leather | Wool, Italian or premium leather |
Movement | 360° swivel, 15° recline | None | Tilt and swivel | None |
Assembly | Top to base | Basic assembly | Feet only | Feet only |
Lead time | 12 to 16 weeks | 12 to 16 weeks | 12 to 16 weeks | 12 to 16 weeks |
Also in the grid:
The OX Chair is as wide as a small sofa. At 104 cm across it is 23 cm wider than the Egg and 26 cm wider than the Bugsy, despite being only half a centimetre taller than the Egg. It needs a wall, not a corner. Wegner designed it in 1960, and it returned to production in 1989.
Weight tracks construction, not size. The Bugsy is 18 kg because it is moulded foam on an aluminium base. The OX is 37.5 kg because it is a frame, upholstery and a steel base. That is a two-person lift against a one-person one.
Only two of the four move. The Egg tilts and swivels; the Eames swivels and reclines. The Bugsy and the OX are fixed. In a room where the chair needs to turn towards a conversation or a television, that narrows the choice immediately.
Only one piece is in stock. The Child Egg dispatches in 48 to 72 hours. Everything else takes 12 to 16 weeks.
This catches people out, and the distinction matters.
A high back chair has a tall backrest that supports the head. A high seat chair sits the user further off the ground, usually to make standing up easier.
The adult chairs here have seats from about 37 cm to 45 cm, from the Shell Chair at the low end to the Falcon at the high end, and the Bugsy publishes no seat height. None of them is sold as a high seat chair. If rising from a low seat is difficult, the seat height figure on the product page is the number to check, not the back height.
Back height is what draws people to these chairs. Width is what causes the problem.
The four chairs compared above run from 78 cm to 104 cm wide, a 26 cm spread. The Bugsy fits comfortably beside a sofa. The OX Chair at 104 cm takes the space of a small two-seater and needs a wall to sit against. Measure the gap the chair has to fill before falling for the silhouette.
Depth is close to width on most of these, 77 cm to 98 cm, so allow room to walk past as well.
A chair that swivels can face a conversation, then a window, then a television, without being dragged. A fixed chair is placed once.
The Egg and the Child Egg tilt and swivel. The Eames 670 swivels through 360 degrees with a fixed recline. The OX and the Bugsy do neither.
Only the Child Egg is held in UK stock. Everything else takes 12 to 16 weeks, so if the chair is for a specific date, order well ahead. Each product page shows its own estimate under the Add to Cart button.
Assembly is light: feet only on the Egg, the Child Egg and the OX, basic assembly on the Bugsy, simple assembly on the Shell Chair, top to base on the Eames, and the Falcon arrives assembled.
For coordinating seating, see sofas.
A high back armchair has a backrest tall enough to reach the head and neck, not only the spine. In this collection the tallest adult chairs, the OX and the Egg, stand at about 102 cm. The extra height changes what the chair is for: it suits reading, watching something, or sitting for an extended period rather than perching briefly.
The tallest pieces in this collection are the OX Chair at 102.5 cm and the Egg Chair at 102 cm, both measured floor to top of back. The Bugsy is 94 cm, the Eames 670 is 82 cm and the Shell Chair CH07 is 79 cm. The overall height is the figure to compare, and it is listed on every product page.
No, and the difference matters. A high back chair has a tall backrest for head support. A high seat chair sits the user further off the ground to make standing easier. The adult chairs in this collection have seats from about 37 cm to 45 cm, and none is sold as a high seat chair, so check the seat height on each product page.
The Egg Chair is Arne Jacobsen's 1958 design, made for a Copenhagen hotel lobby, with a shell that curves around the head on all sides. The Mobelaris reproduction is 81 cm wide, 80 cm deep and 102 cm high, weighs 35 kg, and both tilts and swivels on a brushed cast aluminium base. Every chair here is a reproduction: its product page states it is not manufactured by or affiliated with the original designer.
The OX Chair is Hans Wegner's 1960 design, which returned to production in 1989. It is the widest chair in this collection. The Mobelaris version measures 104 cm wide by 98 cm deep by 102.5 cm high, with a seat at 42 cm, weighs 37.5 kg and stands on stainless steel legs.
Several names describe overlapping things. A wingback has panels projecting forward at head height. A fireside chair is a high back with a firmer, more upright seat. A lounge chair sits lower and deeper. The pieces in this collection are modern high backs rather than any of those traditional forms.
For long sitting, often yes, because a back that reaches the head gives it somewhere to rest. For short sitting or for getting in and out easily, not necessarily: the adult chairs here have seats from about 37 cm to 45 cm. Comfort depends on how long you intend to sit, not on back height alone.
More than its back height suggests. The four chairs compared on this page run from 78 cm to 104 cm wide and from 77 cm to 98 cm deep. The OX Chair at 104 cm takes roughly the floor space of a small two-seater sofa. Measure the gap the chair has to fill, and allow room to walk past.
Some do. The Egg Chair and the Child Egg tilt and swivel on a cast aluminium base. The Eames Lounge Chair 670 swivels through 360 degrees and has a fixed 15-degree recline. The OX Chair and the Bugsy are both fixed. Check the specification on the individual product page before ordering.
The Child Egg Chair is held in UK stock and dispatches in 48 to 72 hours. Everything else in the collection takes 12 to 16 weeks. Each product page shows its own estimate under the Add to Cart button, and timings are confirmed by email once the order is placed.
