Whether you’re outfitting a nursery, patio, campsite, or soccer field sideline, a rocking chair is a worthy — and very relaxing — investment. But no matter where you plan to use it, you want a rocking chair that’s as sturdy as it is smooth. While we’ve covered all types of seating before — including cheap but expensive-looking chairs on Amazon, accent chairs at Walmart, and armchairs under $1,000 — here, we’ve rounded up the best rocking chairs, as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon.
Related Articles: Best Outdoor Chairs | Best Patio Chairs | Best Camping Chairs
Best-rated rocking chair
While this traditional rocking chair looks like real wood, it’s actually made from polywood, a durable, weather-resistant plastic. But customers don’t think that takes away from the quality and look of the chair. In fact, many say that makes it better. One reviewer, who owned wood rockers previously, complains that they “had faded and mildewed, and worse, we had one of the wooden rocker blades on our old chairs collapse under the weight of a rather robust friend.” They opted to buy this polywood rocking chair “for durability and strength,” writing, “These chairs are extremely well constructed, much heavier than the wooden ones we used to have. The chairs are very comfortable, quite heavy, extremely sturdy, and should last longer than my lifetime.” One more says they are “exactly what we wanted, exactly what we expected, exactly what fits in our home and our lifestyle.” They add, “Listening to the birds chirping in the morning on my deck while reading the morning paper (yes, a real newspaper), and drinking my favorite morning coffee does not disappoint.”
Best modern rocking chair
Reviewers looking for a rocking chair that’s more modern than doll house or kids’ room settled on this one from Baxton Studio. “It blends well with our West Elm and Restoration Hardware furniture at a fraction of the price,” writes one reviewer who was “surprised that it was made so well at this price point.” Another calls this a “reasonably priced, stylish, yet simple rocker” that “completes our daughter’s mid-century modern nursery.” One more purchased this for her son’s bedroom, but specifically “wanted a chair that he could use throughout his life” and says this is just that, writing, “This one is beautiful and amazing quality. It is a little expensive but for the quality I think it is well worth it, especially if it lasts for years to come. The seat is very comfy and it rocks very smoothly.”
Best outdoor rocking chair
“We love this chair so much we bought three,” writes one customer who brings them along to her kids’ baseball games. “These chairs are the talk of the parents at every game. As a matter of fact, I should probably get a commission as I am certain I am responsible for many other sales.” And many more customers rated this rocking chair five stars because it’s portable and outdoor-friendly. One reviewer lives full-time in an RV and has “gone through a LOT of types of chairs.” They still call these, “most comfortable chairs we’ve ever owned. They fold flat super easy, are light enough to pack one handed across the RV park to neighboring BBQs, rock in uneven ground, grass, and gravel, and store flat in the underbelly of our trailer for travel.” Another reviewer “saw these chairs first at a sporting-goods store and thought they looked absolutely ridiculous.” She asks, “Who would want a rocking camp chair?” But when she tried it out, she quickly changed her mind, writing, “Oh, my goodness! It’s the most comfortable chair. Everyone fought over it while we were camping so I bought another. It rocks smoothly on the hydraulics and stays really solid. It can handle some tilted terrain but is best on the flat. Everyone’s favorite at the campground.”
[Editor’s note: You can order this chair now, but it is not expected to ship until June 20.]
Best camping rocking chair
As was the case with our pick for best-rated rocking chair, this Timber Ridge rocking camping chair seemed to be a new (and slightly weird) concept for many reviewers, but one customer says, “It won my heart.” She calls it lightweight, “yet sturdy” and appreciates that it can be “easily carried wherever you like and flat enough to transport in your trunk.” She even says, “The chair is so elegant, I have no problem using it in the living area for extra seating.” Another reviewer says it’s “NOT your typical, portable camping chair you throw in the car for soccer games and camping trips,” explaining, “It’s definitely a sturdier version of those types of chairs, meant to be left in one spot.” But despite being sturdy, according to one reviewer, “It is very lightweight but could hold up to 300 pounds. Moreover, it is very easy to fold and portable for traveling/camping/picnic.” It also gets a lot of praise for being easy to set up, including this review: “After you unbox it, literally you just pull up until you hear the click. DONE, that’s how easy to set up.”
[Editor’s note: This chair is currently out of stock, but Timber Ridge’s newer rocking-chair model is available starting at $129.]
Best foldable rocking chair
This AmazonBasics rocking chair folds up for storage and easy travel. And though it’s similar in function to the Timber Ridge folding rocking chair, this one is really more for porches and patios, since it’s got a bit more heft. “It is sturdily made so it is not light but an adult should be able to move it about without much trouble,” reports one reviewer. Plus, he notes that when it’s folded up, “it takes up about the same amount of space as a folding lounger-type lawn chair.” Another says it’s “very easy to fold” when you need to put it away, but it’s still “extremely comfortable.” There’s even an option to include a canopy in case your porch is rather sunny, and though that part requires an additional bit of assembly, one customer says it still only took two minutes to build it after unboxing. And even though it’s foldable and easy-to-assemble, “It has a good weight, so it won’t blow around.”
All of the rocking chairs that we’ve included here have more than 100 reviews and an average rating of at least 4.1 stars, and are fulfilled by Amazon. That means that Amazon, not a third-party seller, will handle customer service and product returns if anything isn’t to your liking. Our best-rated pick is the rocking chair with the most reviews overall. The rest of the products are categorized based on what users are looking for and what reviewers are raving about.
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