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Details
| Product type | Multi-purpose chair |
| Dimensions |   Without upholstery / with seat upholstery / with full upholstery Dimensions in mm |
| Colours | Seat shell (new colours 2019)              Seat shell (colours until 2019)    Upholstery Hopsak                   (Further Hopsak colours available on request) Base    |
| Material | Seat shell: Dyed-through polypropylene Legs: Maple Base supports: Round steel, basic dark Upholstery: Hopsak (100% polyamide) |
| Variants | Optionally available with seat upholstery or full upholstery, edge reinforcement (piping) see picture. Available with either a powder coated or chrome plated base Optionally available with glides for carpets or felt pads for hard floors (standard colour, see image) |
| Functions & Properties | Non-stackable Suitable for outdoor use (Version with basic dark or white coated base) |
| Care | For cleaning the plastic elements always use a soft, damp cloth and a mild detergent. Dust and fluff can be vacuumed, marks are best treated with a soft, damp cloth and a mild detergent. Professional cleaning should be undertaken with the chair fully assembled and using upholstery foam or with a professional cleaning machine |
| Awards & Museums | Permanent collection, MoMA, New York |
| Cerificates | EN 13761 (Office furniture - Visitor chairs) EN 1728 (Furniture - Seating - Test methods for the determination of strength and durability) |
| Sustainability | The Vitra Eames Plastic Armchair is: 100% recyclable contains up to 14% recycled material Vitra conform to: ISO 90001: 2008 (Quality management systems) ISO 14001: 2004 (Environmental management systems) Vitra extends the repair and service offer for the Eames Fiberglass Chair and Eames Plastic Chairs and introduces a take-back programme, which will ensure proper recycling of the chairs at the end of their life cycle. |
| Warranty | 24 months |
| Accessories | Suitable Seat Pad for Eames Armchairs and Leather Seat Pad by Parkhaus Berlin or Seat Dots by Vitra |
| Product family | Eames Plastic Chairs |
| Product datasheet | Please click on the picture for detailed information (ca. 2,7 MB). |
| Product presentation |
Popular versions
FAQ
How much weight can the Eames DAR support?
The Vitra Eames Plastic Chairs are tested to 110 kg and so meet the "GS" test standard. Just as important as the weight however are the users sitting habits. Swinging on the hind legs, for example, caused a very high load which can dramatically shorten the life.
Can one add cushions to an unupholstred chair?
The Hopsak seat cushions are bolted to the seat shell. Separate seat cushions for the Eames Side Chairs and Armchairs can be ordered from Vitra; however, special tools are required for the retrofit of the seat cushion. As an alternatively we can offer eg seat cushions from Park House in different colours and with different levels of padding.
Why is there a new seat height?
Since Charles and Ray Eames designed the chairs the average height of the population has grown by around 10 cm. Therefore, in addition to adjusting the height of the Eames Lounge Chair in 2015, Vitra also adapted the Plastic Chairs (DSW/DAW, DSR/DAR, DSX/DAX) to better meet current user needs. The bases of the chairs are consequently now on average 2 cm higher. The change is minimal and accordingly can only be seen in direct comparison. Bases of the original height (41 cm) are still available as spare parts on request.
Can the Vitra Eames DAR be used outdoors?
Only the Vitra Eames DAR with the powder coated base can be used outdoors; special additives in the polypropylene slowing down the fading process. Despite that Vitra recommend not to leave the chairs in the sun for longer than necessary. Felt pads are not suitable for outdoor use, for outdoor use the plastic glides should always be used. Upholstered versions are not suitable for outdoor use.
How is the seat height measured?
The seat height is determined according to the European standard EN 1335-1. This states that the chair be clamped in a special tester and loaded with a weight. The dimensions are then determined in the loaded state. The seat height being measured at a position defined by the standard and when in the load bearing state. The stated seat height cannot be measured with a conventional measuring device, rather is a normalised comparison value so that different chairs (for example, with and without height adjustment, or with varying thickness of seat cushion, etc.) can be compared with one another.
How do I recognise an original Eames Plastic Chair??
On the underside of the seat shell, the material marking PP indicates the polypropylene used for the shell, a seal certifies the safety of the chair and a sticker indicates the place of manufacture and serial number. In addition, Vitra always supplies the original fully assembled.
Why a 2019 colour update?
The new colour palette allows for more possible combinations and offers a broader spectrum of different colour shades with the delineation into "Natural Tones", "Mid Tones" and "Bright Tones".
Please click on the picture for detailed information about the New Vitra update Colors 2019 (ca. 2,9 MB)
For their furniture designs the American designers Charles and Ray Eames both established new manufacturing processes and also led the way in using new materials - developments and innovation that can be seen in the Vitra Eames DAR. While today an accepted standard, at their launch the Eames Plastic Chair family were still a real novelty. Created in context of the 1948 "International Competition for Low Cost Furniture" at MoMA, New York the Eames Plastic Chair family represented the culmination of a very particular design goal: the creation of a one-piece, anatomically shaped seat shell. The ultimate success of the project was thanks to a new material in the furniture industry:
Eames DAR in basic dark
fibreglass reinforced polyester resin. In addition to its easy formability and flexibility the new material also had the advantages of presenting a pleasant feel and coming in at a cheaper price. With the plastic chair family Charles and Ray Eames also reached one of their central aims as a furniture designers "The most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least" Today, the Eames DAR, as with all the Eames plastic armchairs and Eames plastic side chairs are made from polypropylene. DAR stands for Dining Height Armchair Rod Base, which refers to a dining room chair with armrests and four-star base made of wire bracing.
Vitra distribution base - with a Charles and Ray Eames themed lorry on the left hand side
Production
The Eames chairs were the first furniture objects to be serially produced from fibreglass reinforced polyester resin. Since 1950s the furniture manufacturer Herman Miller has produced the Eames DAR and the other Eames Plastic Chairs in the USA. In the 1950s Vitra founder Willi Fehlbaum and his wife Erika discovered the Eames chair on a trip to the USA, and subsequently brought the designs to Europe. Until the 1990s Vitra produced the Eames chairs in their original fibreglass version. Then the once so promising material was considered no longer ecologically justifiable. Consequently, in 1999 Vitra switched to producing the Eames Plastic Chairs in recyclable polypropylene. A switch which was also made by Herman Miller in America.
Charles and Ray Eames belong, without doubt, to the ranks of the greatest designers of the 20th century. Sacramento born Ray Kaiser and the St. Louis native Charles Eames first met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, where Charles and Eero Saarinen were preparing their entry for the "Organic Furniture Competition" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The painting student Ray was assigned to assist: and a year later Charles and Ray married, before relocating to Los Angeles where they established their own design studio.