I’ve first seen it years ago on frasier and always told myself I’ll get one when I grow up. Well now I’m grown up and everybody’s crazy about them.

I know they look absolutely amazing in most settings, are they really that comfortable though? If so,

I don’t think I can afford an original, what replica did you buy ?

Thanks!

Hi, all. I’m in the market for a replica. Seems that there are a bunch in the $1k range, so that’s my cap. Were I to spend more, I’d get authentics. Any recommendation from someone who actually owns one?

First off, I own an original authentic 2018 Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman from Herman Miller, which I use to compare replicas to. I am attempting to find a replica that comes within 90% of the original for an office renovation.

At my own cost, I purchased the Manhattan Home Design version of this chair to see how close a $1400+ replica could come to the original. They even state in their product description "little to no discernible difference" from the original. Coupled with pretty solid online reviews, I figured they would be worth a try.

The chair arrived well-packed, however there were some oddities like a few rusty bolts, and the base was not polished well, so there was some staining/discoloration on the legs that could not be cleaned off. Not a good start, but I could probably have these parts replaced. Once assembled, the chair matches the overall dimensions of the original chair, however a couple of key differences were present:

1. the angle of the seat measured around 13 degrees (instead of the original 15)

2. the height of the back was about 1.5 inches too high, indicating the angle of the back also potentially being off, in addition to the seat angle - this was the first visibly discernible difference. Compared to the original Eames the Manhattan Home Design replica was more upright.

These two discrepancies lead to the seating angle being too far forward, and not leaned back enough. You can literally sit up straight in this chair with minimal effort, which is harder to do comfortably in the original.

While the (standard, non-aniline) leather was of good quality, it is much stiffer than Herman Miller's leather, which in itself is not a problem, but it does contribute to the stiffness of the cushions - which are the real deal-breaker here.

The "PU-Injected memory foam cushion" is very stiff compared to an original Eames cushion. There simply is no comparison, and it ruins the seating experience. Between the angle of the chair, and the stiffness of the cushions, this chair is not comparable to an original Eames at all. You are sitting too far forward on cushions that don't have much "give", so you cannot sink into the back of the chair to combat the already-off seating angle. The net result is you have to slouch down in the seat to have a feel that resembles the original, but the cushions are still too stiff, so you literally feel each section of the chair along your back.

If I were to rate an original Eames Chair as being a perfect 10/10 in all categories, the Manhattan Home Design version scores accordingly:

Look (ignoring the rusty bolts and unpolished base): 8/10

On first glance it really looks like the real thing, minus the back and seat angles being slightly off visually (and certainly off once you measure them). The main discernible difference in terms of an authentic look will be in the leg and stem hardware. This version has much thinner legs than the original, is of different material, and has different feet, etc. Anybody who knows the real Eames will easily spot this as a replica. The chair itself though is very very close, and you'd only know by the bolts, or if your eye could catch the seating/back angle being off.

Comfort/Feel: 2/10

The cushions are nowhere near as soft as the original, and the difference is jarring. It's simply not a comfortable chair. Perhaps with considerable break-in it could be, but there is also the angle issue. It in no way feels like the original Eames. It only begins to be comfortable when you slouch down in it, and even then you feel the cushions pushing back on you. No chair cushion should do that unless it is an intentionally stiff design, which the original Eames Chair is definitely not.

Construction (again, minus the rust/stains): 9/10

The actual construction of the chair is really well built, and close to the original in that regard. The veneer is good, but the finishing on the veneer is rough to the touch in some spots. I have no doubt the hardware, wood, and leather would last a long time. The construction of the cushions (with the velcro, and tabs, etc.) is really good (reminder: construction is not comfort), and very serviceable.

If you count the rust and stains against them, then this is more of a 6.8/10 (the rusty bolts aren't visible from normal positions, but the legs themselves obviously are).

Summary:

If you want the feel of a real Eames Chair, do not buy the Manhattan Home Design version. If you want the look of a real Eames chair, this is a reasonable option.

Please understand this is my personal experience. Perhaps other buyers get luckier and somehow have softer cushions and correct seating angles, but if this is the case then you really should never buy anything from these guys without sitting in it first (they have a showroom in NYC I think).

As it stands, I'm returning the chair, which (so far) has been a nightmare process which I won't discuss because it isn't pertinent to the quality of the chair itself.

If you have had a good experience with these guys, do let me know. Perhaps my chair was a fluke. I will report my other experiences with replica chairs as they come up, for the good of the community.

I know posters will say go through search, but it made me confused. Sohnne, CurverK, Imus, etc. What are your thoughts on buying a new dupe? Are they really all the same? The Black Friday deals are almost upon us (and thus, almost over) and some definite deals are to be had. PS, I know over on the hermanmiller sub they'll essentially laugh at me, but I really can't justify paying 6-10k for this chair, wonderful as it is.

For years, I have tried to convince my wife to allow me to put an Eames chair in the corner of our family room where we set up our Christmas Tree in December. She has never been a fan of the style and thought it was crazy to spend a small fortune on a chair. This year, after taking down the tree, I purposely left the corner where I had envisioned my dream chair empty. She thought the empty corner looked too bare and I brought up the idea of putting a chair there. Well it must have been an after Christmas miracle because she reluctantly agreed to allow me to make my vision come true as long as I didn't have to steal money from the kid's college fund to make it happen.

After a few days on Facebook Marketplace, I became the proud owner of the ugliest, most beat up Plycraft chair that $300 could buy. My idea for the Plycraft is to refinish it with a fabric that matches the other furniture in the family room. Of course, this is to lessen the blow to my loving but annoyed wife. When I brought the chair home, I jokingly set it up in the corner that will become it's future home. That's when something strange happened. I started to sit in the chair at night when I would hop online to look at fabric and research the restoration. I actually really enjoyed sitting in the corner. I was close enough to the family to be engaged but far enough away that I didn't get bothered by three people watching different TikTok videos at the same time. The dog would even come sit next to me when he needed a little break from the chaos.

After a few days of having the awful 70's chair in the family room, it became time to relocate it to the basement where it's complete restoration has begun. I wedged myself back onto the couch between two kids, my gorgeous wife, a dog and a crazy mother in law. They would all tease me and ask if I missed my chair. Of course I missed my chair! It was the only place where I could find a few moments of solitude while keeping up the rouse of being an engaged father and husband.

I knew that I needed to find a temporary fix to my chair problem. You see, I often start projects and they end up taking months or even years to complete. In hindsight, this is probably why my wife agreed to the Plycraft restoration in the first place. If I didn't put something back in the corner soon, I would lose the real estate to a blanket ladder or something of the sort. That's when I remembered reading on this very forum that someone purchased a relatively inexpensive Eames replica on Temu.

I spent a few days reaching out to various Temu sellers asking about their chairs. I was looking for a tall, "widened and enlarged", black aniline leather chair with slide on cushions. After going back and forth with a few companies, I settled on the most expensive Eames knock off that Temu had to offer. It met all of my requirements outside of the slide on cushions which for this model are secured by Velcro. I mean, who's really going to rip the cushions off Dad's chair anyway? The best part, the chair was only $607.

About the Temu chair:

- The dimensions, while not exact, are similar enough to the genuine chair, at least for me. The armrests seem a little enlarged but are comfortable.

- I'm no leather expert but the chair looks, feels and smells like real aniline leather.

- The construction is pretty solid and it only took about 45 minutes to unpack and assemble by myself.

- The chair looks to be the same chair that many of these online sellers are advertising at a much higher price. Curver K sells an extra large chair (not their ultra premium) that has very similar specs and is more than twice the price. FoxyModern uses the same stock photos (different background).

- The only negative thing that I can note is that the headrest cushion seems to stick out farther than I would like. Some reviewers of similar chairs have noted that this uncomfortable. In my opinion, it would be more comfortable if this wasn't the case. After sitting in the chair for a few days it feels like the headrest cushion has become softer and this is less noticeable. I believe this to be more of a "break in" issue than anything else.

I honestly didn't expect this to be so long. I love the Temu chair and think it's worth your consideration. Not sure you'll find anything better for your money. For $607, I have my dream chair, a little place for solitude and annoyed my wife. Totally worth it.

BTW... The Plycraft chair is also pretty awesome. I hope to post progress of the restoration as it starts to take shape.

Best of luck to all in their knockoff hunt. Happy to answer any questions about this specific chair.

Purchased this today from a gentleman who inherited it from a good friend. The cushions are filled with feathers, thinking early 60’s possibly.