How To Choose The Perfect Rocking Chair

Rocking chairs are arguably the most comfy chairs available in the markets. Now if only picking the right one was as easy as well. Simply hopping over to the store and choosing the first rocking chair that catches your eye is definitely not the right way to pick one. So what is?

How To Choose A Rocker

1. How big should the rocking chair be? The size can only be judged by physically sitting in one. The height of the seat should be such that your feet are not dangling from the chair, neither are they completely bent at the knee when using the chair. What you want is for your legs to just about reach the floor. The width of the seat will affect your comfort. Make sure you arent stuck tight in the seat but there is some room to wiggle and shift positions. However, there shouldnt be that much room that your hands cannot reach the side rests comfortably.

2. Where will the rocking cair be placed? The answer to this question will determine what type of rocker you need. For instance, if the chair will be placed in a bedroom, you need it to be decorative as well as comfortable. If the fireplace is where the chair will go, then you can expect to spend hours in it. In such cases, extra padded chairs and those with cushions will serve you best. For outdoor locations such as patios, porches, lawns etc, you should buy a chair that is approved to be used in wet weather conditions.

3. Pitch of the rockers: The curved rocker at the bottom of the chair is what makes it so unique. The motion of the chair as well as its safety when using it depends on the pitch of the rockers. To test the pitch, sit in the chair and rock forward and backward. If the motion is not jerky and feel is smooth, the pitch is correct. Another thing to look at is that there should not be any danger of the chair tipping in the front or back. If you feel like you cannot recline completely as the chair will fall backwards, then the chair's pitch is off.

4. Range of motion: Does the rocker have a smooth back and forth motion? Are you able to keep it going for a couple of minutes with a single push, or do you have to push the chair every few seconds? The answers to these questions will determine whether the chair is right or not. Obviously you want to choose a rocker that has a smooth and continuous motion.

5. Personal comfort: A rocking chair may look very comfortable and may come highly recommended by others, but if you do not feel right when using the chair, or if you have even the slightest bit of hesitation as to its comfort factor, then you should look at another chair. What may be comfy for someone else may not necessarily be the same for you. So essentially, go with a rocker which not only look right and is well made, but which also feels like the one.

6. Do you have small children in your home? You may wonder why this matters when it comes to choosing a rocking chair, but the safety aspect of a chair depends on this answer. For instance, if you do have kids in the house, then there is the fear of their little toes getting caught under the rockers if they are not careful. In such a situation, you will be better off buying a glider instead of the traditional rocking chair. However, if there arent any kids in your home, then safety is not a primary concern and you can thus go in for the regular rocking chairs with their unique curved rockers.

Rob Barnes writes for My Rocking Chairs, a consumer guide dedicated to helping you find the perfect rocker, from styles like swivel rocking chairs to brands like Stickley rocking chairs.

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