The Eames lounge chair is classy, while replicas are cliché. I don’t know anything about modern replicas, but my favorite vintage replica of the big three (Selig, Plycraft, Charlton) is the Charlton. It’s big, it rocks (unlike the real Eames) and it’s sturdy as hell. There seem to be a dozen online stores selling replica Eames lounges, and they all vary in price even though they appear to be selling the same Eames chair.
Many of them use the same images. The metal base on both the ottoman and the chair itself is durable and puts a strain on the chair, as are the brackets on the back of the chair (again probably aluminum on other brands, which reduces costs). All replicas come from various factories in China, and then US companies label them as often as possible. Unfortunately, I missed the window of opportunity to continue the discussion as I was actively looking for a comparable replica myself.
I’ve wanted a replica of the Eames chair for a while (about 6 years) and, as I said in the original post, I’ve been actively researching for the last 3-6 months and shopping over the last 3 weeks. I found out that the cheapest versions are from China (I’ve found many on Amazon, eBay, and other websites), but quality control was minimal or nonexistent. People are always looking for a cheap prize and the Eames chair is well known in the furniture world. You can even see it in the post you linked — the OP only ever posted about replica chairs and every glowing review in this post is from an obvious shill. While I have great respect for Charles and Ray Eames and wish I could buy an authentic Herman Miller chair, I have a variety of other priorities that take precedence over my admiration for mid-century furniture.
This quality is maybe even better than the original Eames chair, and if I had to opt for a side-by-side with an original, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference (or I’d choose the Cantoni version). So yeah, it’s great to buy an Eames lounge chair replica instead of the real one, because guess what? They are ALL replicas unless Charles Eames actually did it himself. I’ll try to answer questions about this version, but I think this chair is of the same standard, if not better, than a licensed Eames chair. I had the pleasure of seeing an authentic Eames chair in person and I must say that the Cantoni version is carefully constructed.
The armrests are reinforced with curved steel plates, which provide excellent support that other replicas don’t seem to show. Then I got a strange email back MHD that the item I ordered was out of stock, but linked me to a page that wasn’t on the website of an identical Eames replica, but was listed at double the price, and said they could give it to me for the same price instead. A lot of knockoffs are of pretty good quality depending on what you buy, but the Eames Lounge is different.
References:
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Product on saleClassic Charles Eames Lounge Chair And Ottoman Replica Tan Brown Leather – Walnut Normal BaseOriginal price was: €1.099,00.€759,00Current price is: €759,00.
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Product on saleClassic Charles Eames Lounge Chair And Ottoman Replica White Leather Rose WoodOriginal price was: €1.085,00.€729,00Current price is: €729,00.
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Product on saleCharles Eames Lounge Chair And Ottoman Replica – Black – Walnut wood – elephant BaseOriginal price was: €1.097,00.€929,00Current price is: €929,00.