_I've never thought these were particularly comfortable, but they are a lot of fun!  They've been at Midway airport for many years now and I guess they must have had a contest at some time or else asked artists to do fun interpretations.  They're getting a little creaky and some of the chairs had broken slats - but of course they must get a ton of use.  Anyway, my verdict is . . . FUN!

Several people posted comments to my blog post about the low quality of Cracker Barrel rocking chairs.  One lady said she wished that she had read my blog before buying the chairs, another said "I agree 100%!".  A third reader asked if I can recommend another chair.  Well, my favorite high quality rocking chair so far (I'm still looking as always!) is the Independence Rocker, which is the photograph I used in the masthead of this site (click on the name for a link to the chair itself on the Decor Americana site).  I also appreciate the fact that they have volume pricing, so that if you buy two chairs, you pay a lower price per chair, and for four chairs, a lower price still.  And yes, they cost more than Cracker Barrel!  But I imagine that's because they are actually weatherproof and well built, which is my whole complaint about the Cracker Barrel ones, which just don't hold up, and frankly are not comfortable compared with many other rockers.  I took some pictures of the incredibly flat seats and backs of Cracker Barrel rockers, and I will post those when I find them.  Any rocker is comfortable, but the difference between "any rocking chair" and truly great one IS A PLEASURE!!

Eek!  Here are some of those horrendous Lowe's made-in-China rocking chairs again!  I once bought one of these and it broke TWICE just while I was assembling it.  They use some mystery wood that's about as strong as balsa, and cover it up with black paint so you don't realize how low quality the wood is.  It's very lightweight and that's a clue - and then so is the cheap design.  Just check out the ramrod-straight backs of these chairs.  Same with the seat - virtually no contouring at all.  These Lowe's Rocking Chairs win the STAY AWAY award!  And if you buy them, please put them somewhere that people don't actually go, because if anyone sits on them, they're going to fall right through them - if not this season, then next.  Check out the reviews of this rocker at Lowe's.com - lots of breakage.

These awesome rockers made a connection in Philadelphia go oh-so-smooth.  Handsome and tall, they were heavy and tight and felt good to rock in.  I would have liked a seat cushion but I can imagine they don't want to deal with spills in an airport - and actually, the seat was contoured and very comfortable - really didn't need a cushion.  I believe this is where you can buy the airport rocking chair - see the photo in white - it's the same thing.

The rockers were painted white and looked great - I thought better than the random colors and styles you see at Midway in Chicago, or the creaky chairs in some other airports.

Why doesn't every airport have great rocking chairs to wait in?

OK, these are the biggest mysteries in the furniture world.  I'm not sure who would think this misproportioned chair is attractive, and having sat in one, I can't imagine anyone thinking they're comfortable either!  All the proportions are wrong, and you get this uncomfortable "sliding out of the chair" feeling whenever you're in one.  The back is flat as a board and it has about the shortest runners you've ever seen.  There were a bunch of these in an airport I was in recently, and I couldn't sit still for a moment, because I kept shifting around figuring there must be some position I would be comfortable in.  There wasn't!

So I always wonder why people buy these?  I figure the main reason is that they have had a bad experience with a rocker advertised as a "porch" or "outdoor" rocker but which wasn't made of a weatherproof wood, and they figured the only answer was to get plastic rockers the next time.  Shame on the furniture industry for that - of course there are weatherproof woods, like teak and brazilian cherry, but stores are always acting like you can have it all for nothing - $99 for a porch rocker!   So people end up with junk, and two years later they come back and buy plastic out of desperation.

The other theory is that people are buying these awful rockers in order to be environmentally correct.  Now, compared with piece of junk rockers that rot and end up in a landfill after two years, this is very environmentally correct.  But these are so nasty and uncomfortable, my suspicion is that a lot of them are in a landfill in a few years themselves.  But if you buy a high quality rocking chair, then it lasts forever, and that seems the most environmentally friendly at all.

I have to admit, a ladderback rocking chair has a very classic look to it.  They remind me of colonial living and early America.   But they don't sit very well.  Oh, a ladderback might feel good to you.  But if it feels good to you, it probably won't feel good for someone else, because the back slats hit different people at a different spot on their back - and if that spot happens to be just under your sholder blade, it doesn't feel very good.
For the same reason, you can be sitting comfortably in a ladderback rocker, and if you shift a bit in your seat, you can get a sharp pinch as you hit a slat.  Anyway, they're still great to look at, but I woudn't buy one if I were you!

But if you do want a ladderback rocking chair, get it here.  They cost $450 but they are very well made from maple.  They have the traditional on-edge shaker runners, and a canvas tape woven shaker seat.  Also the slats are wide and chamfered so that it doesn't hurt when you move your shoulder blades.

This curdles my blood a bit, but I thought it was fun!  I admit, I haven't tried this rocker, but I would if I saw one in person.  I especially like the "stirrups" where you mount your feet while rocking!