That said, as more and more of them enter the secondary market it is important to look for the signs that some may attempt to sell them as originals, even attaching labels in some cases. FREE Shipping by Amazon. Amazon's Choice for Eames Office Chair. The codes of the High Back Soft pad can be found here: A decade on from the successful launch of the Eames and Herman Miller's Alu Group series, the Soft Pad was born in 1968, adding new choices to the business or home office. SOHO Soft … The first generation High Back Soft Pad Chair sitting on the 4-star Universal Base with castors. Bare in mind too that HM didn't begin to use them until 2015 and many of the copies pre-date it. All the Alu Group, including Eames High Back Soft Pad Alu Chair, have one thing in common; multiple model numbers and codes spanning the decades destined to confuse buyers and sellers alike in years to come. For the Alu Group and the High Back Soft Pad Chair we decided to consider the changes of base as the main generations that help us to age and authenticate. The Eames Soft Pad range mirrored that of the already existing 'ribbed' Alu Group chairs and the High Back was available alongside Low Back options as well as a Lounge Chair and a Recliner and Ottoman. Like the Ribbed Alu Group Chairs, sagging or damage in these areas is especially difficult to fix because the material is machine stretched between the parts. The High Back Soft Pad remains on this base today and has never been out of production. More Buying Choices $140.48 (12 used & new offers) SOHO Ribbed Management Office Chair (Black) 4.5 out of 5 stars 62. There was some dimension tweaks too in the 70's before an entire change of base shape in 1985. $249.99 $ 249. Early High Back Soft Pad Executive Chair in Red Leather on 4-star base (image courtesy of D Rose Mod), 1970's Herman Miller Catalog Page detailing the High Back Soft Pad workplace chairs EA419 and EA420, Rear view of a later type High Back Soft Pad Chair with black frame, note the red adjuster knob, Light Tan Leather version of the High Back Soft Pad Chair on the 5-star 2nd gen base (Image courtesy of CIrca Modern), View of the High Back Soft Pad from the rear top facing down giving a nice view of the overall frame (Image courtesy of D Rose Modern), Vintage early 1970's Herman Miller catalog picture of the Soft Pad High Back Chair, View of the High Back Soft Pad Chair underside, base and Torsion Bar system for tilt and adjustment (Image courtesy of D Rose Modern), A mid 2000's Herman Miller Catalog page featuring the Alu Group as a whole. The first generation of the Soft Pad High Back Chair released in 1969 had the Universal base with 4 lateral legs and was only available in Black Leather to begin with. It has also been the source of great inspiration for chair and office chair design over the years. Always check that the tilting mechanism is in good working order and the the height adjuster has not seized into place. There … Condition is always an important factor in any collectors or vintage market, whatever the object of ones attention tends to be. The most important place to check is the seat and back underneath the pads themselves. EA117 and EA118 were released as an executive top of the range version which also had a height adjustment and tilting mechanism. The super comfortable chair was also fitted with arms as standard and was very much the pinnacle of the Soft Pad range. Just always bare in mind that such work always costs. pieces that you won’t want to miss, Sell your Eames vintage furniture on the Released as part of the Alu Group in 1969, the Eames High Back Soft Pad Alu Chair was designed to be a top of the range executive option with full tilting and height adjustment as standard and available in either castors or floor glides. The second generation of base arrived in 1985 with a change in shape. Your review * Name * Email * Related products. Unlike the Low Back chairs, the High Back Soft Pad was only released in the 'executive' variant with full tilting mechanism and with arms. The base could be fitted with either castors or glides. All Eames Soft Pad High Back Chairs will have original. It goes without saying of course that these older earlier generation chairs are much rarer too that those of the 80's on that found a huge workplace market and were therefore produced in much greater numbers. Estimated years 1968-1985 and 2011-Present, The second generation High Back chair on the 5 star Universal Base and castors. The Low Back office chairs were released with model numbers from EA105 to EA108 as a series of fixed or swivel meeting chairs, with or without arms. $188.29 $ 188. Ever since its 1969 release the Eames High Back Soft Pad Alu Chair has been in continuous production and is a popular today as the day it was made. This is mostly true when it comes to the Leather versions. Eames vintage furniture available, Your Eames.com experience is not only a It may even be advisable not to buy chairs in such condition as they will be very difficult and very expensive to fix. All of these not only affect the look of the piece but the overall value too. great one, but safe and secure too. You will receive our regular newsletter, offers and promotions to you. It is worth pointing out that manufacturers don't set out to pass off their copies as original chairs but are merely attempting to supply chairs in the style of the original. The first releases were only in Black Leather but as the 1970's moved on more colors of leather and fabric upholstery were introduced. The Soft Pads all received a tweak in their dimensions in 1973 which prompted a model code change and other fabrics and leather colors were introduced before the second gen arrived in 1985. Reviews There are no reviews yet. By giving us your email address you are agreeing to allow us to send you emails periodically. The introduction video showcases the 'high back' management chair from the Soft Pad range with it's extra seat padding. There are many tweaks to the designs of Charles and Ray Eames which can so easily be interpreted as generational changes to the product. 4.2 out of 5 stars 593. Flash Furniture Mid-Back Leather Chair table, Black LeatherSoft/Chrome Frame. Primarily meant for the workplace, the High Back Soft Pad chair was initially released only in Black Leather and is one of the most recognizable chair designs of the last century. Your email address will not be published. This example is from the late 1990's and still shows really well in its vintage condition. Eames Office Chairs. FREE Shipping. Many copies utilize pneumatic lift paddles that are not the correct same type as those used by Herman Miller. The places to look are the corners of the seat pads which can get crushed and squashed and the edges where leather can get scraped and worn to the under layer. Any reasonable upholsterer should be able to open the seat pads and refresh the foam inside to fill them out again if they are broken down. The chairs were originally released only in Black Leather and these first generation versions tend to be the most desirable from a collectors and investors point of view. Each week we feature some great Eames View our privacy policy. Be the first to review “Designer High Back Office Chair Walnut wood – Vintage Brown Leather” Cancel reply. Primarily meant for the workplace, the High Back Soft Pad chair was initially released only in Black Leather and is one of the most recognizable chair designs of the last century. Required fields are marked * Your rating. Other leather colors followed of course and they will always command a higher secondary market value than fabric. Should wear or sagging occur to the seat pads however then these can be fixed, which is something the series can offer that the original Alu Group chairs cannot. They used manual height adjustment until 2015. Also you can look for interlocking stitching on the pads and ensure there is age related tarnish to the metal work of the base. The 4 legs of the Universal Base was transformed into 5 in an attempt to add stability to the design, especially with the rigors of professional use. 99. It is important to understand that generations were never pre thought out but were just significant design changes. Leather treatments too can be used to bring minor cracking or wear back to a better condition although the use of a professional is always advisable. 29. On its introduction to the market, the High Back Soft Pad Alu eames chair had two available options, one on castors (EA220) and one instead with nylon floor glides (EA219) but both were fully loaded with all the mechanical tilting and adjusting one could require in the office. With the high Back Soft Chair it is always advisable to have a really good look around the chair. The new base was initially available alongside the 4-star version until finally superseding it. The good news is that we can classify the codes and numbers based on their age, generation and type and put them into a handy page. Using the same chair chassis as the original Alu Group, the Soft Pad added a further option of luxury and comfort with its extra leather padding. The Soft Pad High Back Chairs tend to follow the logical process of 'the older they are the more valuable they tend to be'. Released as part of the Alu Group in 1969, the Eames High Back Soft Pad Alu Chair was designed to be a top of the range executive option with full tilting and height adjustment as standard and available in either castors or floor glides. best Eames marketplace in the world, Take a look at the most popular items of There was a range of models in what would become known as ‘low back’ and ‘high back’ ribbed Alu Group Office Chairs.