Herman Miller makes the original Eames lounge chair and ottoman in a variety of leather colors with coordinating woods for the shell. Vitra, a Swiss maker of modern-style furniture, was authorized to produce the furniture using the original Eames specifications to distribute overseas. However, there are plenty of replicas (detailed copies) and reproductions (close copies) on the market. If you’d like to know how to tell if your Herman Miller chair is real and how to spot an authentic Eames chair from a replica or reproduction, learn to look for telling details.
An authentic classic size Eames lounge chair should measure 31.5 inches from the floor to the top of the headrest. (There’s a tall size, too.) Many copies will be several inches to 10 or more inches taller than an original. The front seat edge will be about 15 inches above the floor, but note that some copies have that same measurement.Measure the distance across the arms and from front to back. Each of these areas will be 32.75 inches in an authentic Eames lounge chair. Deviations from these measurements can indicate that your chair isn’t authentic.
Two other important details on the shell can help you determine whether or not a chair is a genuine article:
There should be no exposed screws in the three molded plywood shells that make up the outer body of the chair.Look at the number of layers of plywood that were used in the construction of the shells. Vintage chairs have five layers, while modern versions have seven. Look for the number of layers on the edges of the chair.
The original Eames chair (not the ottoman) also should be able to swivel 360 degrees.
