A question that we get asked a lot. What is an egg chair?
First of all, a hanging egg chair goes by many names. Some names we've heard along our travels include: egg chair, ball chair, pod chair, basket chair even basket swing and this list goes on. Most of these variations can be used interchangabley to mean the same thing.
A hanging egg chair is exactly that. A chair that hangs either from the ceiling/support beam of a stand designed for use with hanging chairs. Traditionally hanging chairs were made from woven rattan. These days, we see almost all hanging chairs composed of a synthetic rattan. Commonly called PE Rattan. Most people are turned off when they first hear that their hanging egg or pod chair is made of synthetic material.
In fact, PE rattan is superior to natural rattan in many ways:
- PE rattan is super strong, it is very unlikely that it will rip or break even after being used for years.
- It is 100% waterproof. Natural rattan can fall victim to mould or mildew after being exposed to water. This weakens, and eventually breaks the rattan.
- Protected against UV rays. PE rattan can be left outside for years and show no signs of sun damage.
- Non abrasive. PE rattan is smooth to the touch and will never splinter.
As a bonus, PE rattan is 100% recyclable. If, for some strange reason you can no longer own your beautiful egg chair, and have to dispose of it... (highly unlikely).
PE rattan is also designed to look like natural rattan, so we get all the benefits of the synthetic rattan combined with the natural charm of traditional rattan.
Although the materials might be manufactured, the process rarely is. To this day, a very high percentage of PE rattan wicker is completely handmade! This means your hanging chair, in it's own way, is completely unique. Pretty special right?
This is something we absolutely love about our hanging chairs. In our book, handcrafted always beats machine made.
Hanging egg chairs are frequently sold as an all in one package that includes a stand that has been specifically designed for the purpose of hanging an egg/pod/ball/basket chair.
The stands that are used to support these hanging chairs have a standard that most follow:
- They are made of aluminium, although they can be large in size, they remain light and easy to move around.
- They are powder coated, meaning they have been covered in a fine powder of ground particles consisting of pigment and resin. This powder is sprayed onto the stand electrostatically. The charged powder particles stick to the surface of the stand until heated and fused in a curing oven. The result is a consistent, durable and gorgeous finish. Powder coating can be applied using many colours.
- After being coated they are then, water and UV proof. Ready to brave what ever the weather can throw at it.
Click here to see one of our stands.
Although originally designed as in indoor piece of furniture. From reading above you can probably guess that these days hanging chairs dominate the outdoor home and garden arena. Although usually found in backyards lots of people these days live in apartments or do not have access to a backyard. Recently, we have noticed more customers buying not just for their garden, but for their balcony and living room.
The sizes of hanging egg chairs can vary. Usually designed to comfortably fit an adult (sometimes two) with their legs tucked up or hanging down.
You may also be asking yourself, Why an egg shape?
This question will be answered as soon as you sit in an egg chair. The slight curve is not only aesthetically beautiful but wonderfully ergonomic. Like one of your favourite pieces of clothing that fits you perfectly, so does the shape of a hanging egg chair.
So why would we want to hang a chair up anyway?
Subtle and soothing weightlessness. Ever so slightly rocking. The real question is why wouldn't you want to hang a chair?
To check out one of our flagship models click here