
EAMES, PANTON AND/OR PROUVÉ:
6 FOR 5 OFFER ON VITRA DINING ROOM CHAIRS
Treat yourself to a customised chair mix: Buy five Vitra dining room chairs between November 1st 2020 and January 31st 2021, and receive a sixth chair gratis. You can mix chairs, variants, and materials according to your needs, space, and mood! Simply place your 6 favourites in the shopping basket and a discount of 16.67 % will be automatically applied.
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 Base: steel tubing Upholstery: Hopsak (100% polyamide) |
Variants | Optionally available with seat upholstery or full upholstery,edge reinforcement (piping) see picture. 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 powder 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 |
Certificates | EN 13761 (Office furniture - Visitor chairs) EN 1728 (Furniture - Seating - Test methods for the determination of strength and durability) |
Sustainability | The Vitra Eames DSX 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 Register product and secure extended manufacturer's warranty of 10 years |
Accessories | Suitable Seat Pad for Eames Side Chairs and Leather Seat Pads 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 |
FAQ
How resilient are the Eames DSX chairs?
The Eames plastic chairs meet the "GS" norm and have been tested to carry a load of 110 kg. For the resilience of a chair however the sitting habits are just a important as the load capacity. Rocking on the back legs, for example, causes a very high load, which may shorten the life span dramatically.
Is it possible to retrofit upholstery to an Eames seat shell?
The Hopsak seat cushion are bolted to the seat shell. For the Eames side chair and armchair seat cushions can be ordered from Vitra, these should however only be fitted by experienced Vitra technicians as a special tool is required. Alternatively we can offer seat cushions from Parkhaus in a range of colours and either padded or non-padded.
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.
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".
In 1948 the Museum of Modern Art in New York initiated the "Low Cost Furniture Design" contest; a search for innovative designs which met the demands of the modern American lifestyle through functionality, affordability and flexibility. With his plastic side chairs family Charles Eames was among the winners. After much experimentation with different materials he had developed a one-piece bucket seat made of fibreglass reinforced polyester resin. This combination of shape and material allowed the Eames side chairs and Eames armchairs to be produced in series. The Eames plastic chairs seat shells can be combined with different bases to create chairs suitable for all occasions and situations. The abbreviation of the Eames DSX stands for Dining Height Side Chair with X-Base; i.e. the slim shape of the side chair seat shell is combined with a simple four-legged steel tube base.

Underside of a Vitra DSX

The Vitra Eames DSX as a cafeteria chair (Copyrights: Delphin Design)
Production
The original design from the Vitra DSX and the other Eames plastic chairs was created by Ray and Charles Eames from polyester resin reinforced fibreglass. The advantages of this, at the time revolutionary material, including flexibility and good mouldability. In addition fibreglass is pleasant to touch and allows production of chairs at a more favourable price. Until the mid-1980s, the Eames side chairs and Eames armchairs were produced in this form by Herman Miller in the USA and Vitra in Europe; however, in 1992 environmental concerns about fibreglass forced both companies to cease production. In 1999 production of the Eames plastic chairs was resumed, now however in the new material polypropylene, a material which allows the same flexibility and mouldability - but without the environmental concerns. The Vitra Eames DSX Chair is available in eight different seat colours and two base variants and can optionally be provided with cushioning.
Today Charles & Ray Eames are principally known for their many pioneering furniture design. Yet their decade-long creative collaboration was not limited to one medium and in addition to the Eames furniture portfolio the pair also developed and realised numerous architecture, graphic, textile, film, photography and textiles projects. The beginning of their collaboration dates back to 1940 when Ray and Charles Eames met at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 1938 Charles Eames accepted a teaching position at the Academy, in 1940 Ray Kaiser, who had recently completed her painting studies in New York, arrived at Cranbrook for three month design course.In 1941 Ray Kaiser and Charles Eames married and moved to Los Angeles where in the following years they crated so man projects that would change our perceptions of our modern world. For all with the Eames plastic chairs family, including the Vitra DSX, they created objects true to their motto "The most of the best to the greatest number of people continuing the least,". The Eames Studio in Los Angeles remained in operation until the death of Charles Eames in 1978.

Ray and Charles Eames

The Vitra DSR as an outdoor chair with black frame, 2013
Manufacturer
At the very beginning of the Vitra success story stands the designs of Charles and Ray Eames. During a trip to America in 1953 Vitra owners Erika and Willi Fehlbaum saw an Eames chair in a shop window and were so inspired the couple sought permission from the US manufacturer Herman Miller to produce the designs in Europe. After long negotiations, the Fehlbaums acquired in 1957 the production licenses and in 1959 began with the production of the Eames DSX and the other plastic chairs chairs at their base in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Vitra remains today the only licensed manufacturer of Eames furniture in Europe. But perhaps more importantly the decades of close cooperation with Charles and Ray Eames has significantly influenced the company, so much so that the couples understanding of design has become an integral part of the Vitra corporate company philosophy.
Historical Context
The aim of the "Low Cost Design" contest was to draw attention to those innovative design and manufacturing capabilities which meet the new requirements of the post-war American society. These requirements were determined by the increasing demand for housing, a demand which was accompanied by rising rental prices. Furniture had to be flexible, affordable and capable of being produced en mass. So it should come as no surprise that Charles & Ray Eames plastic chair collection did well in the competition achieving second place. And even less surprised that they subsequently went on to dominate furniture design history. Depending on the choice of the frame the Vitra Eames plastic chairs can be used in the garden, the living room or office environments, a flexibility that made them as perfect for 1950s America as it makes then for our globalised 21st century society.

Eames armchairs in front of the VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein
The Vitra Eames Shell Chairs: An Overview
Eames Plastic Chairs
Vitra Eames DSR
Dining Height Side Chair Rod Base
Vitra Eames DSX
Dining Height Side Chair X-Base
Vitra Eames DSW
Dining Height Side Chair Wood Base
Vitra Eames PSCC
Pivot Side Chair Cast Base on Castors
Vitra Eames DSS-N / DSS
Dining Height Side Chair Stacking Base
Vitra Eames DAR
Dining Height Armchair Rod Base
Vitra Eames DAX
Dining Height Armchair X-Base
Vitra Eames DAW
Dining Height Armchair Wooden Base
Vitra Eames PACC
Pivot Armchair Cast Base on Castors
Vitra Eames RAR
Rocking Armchair Rod Base
Vitra Eames LAR
Lounge Height Armchair Rod Base
Vitra Eames DAL
Dining Height Armchair La Fonda Base
Eames Fiber Chairs
Vitra DSR Fiberglass
Dining Height Side Chair Rod Base
Vitra DSX Fiberglass
Dining Height Side Chair X-Base
Vitra DSW Fiberglass
Dining Height Side Chair Wood Base
Vitra DAR Fiberglass
Dining Height Armchair Rod Base
Vitra DAX Fiberglass
Dining Height Armchair X-Base
Vitra DAW Fiberglass
Dining Height Armchair Wooden Base
Vitra RAR Fiberglass
Rocking Armchair Rod Base