Eames Lounge Chair Break-In: What to Expect in 90 Days

So your new Eames lounge chair is harder than you thought it'd be? Yep, they come like that out of the box. Give it a few weeks.

You've wanted this chair for years. It arrives, you get the shell onto the base (a second pair of hands helps), you sit down... and it's firm. Not uncomfortable. Just not the sink-in hug you'd pictured.

One of our customers, over six feet and sitting in the XL, said exactly this. He guessed it needed breaking in. We'd say he called it, because that's how it tends to go.

The quick answer

● Big change: somewhere in weeks two to six

● Fully settled: around three months

● Fastest route: sit in it often

● Don't bother with: jumping on it, aiming a heater at it, or weighing the seat down with books

We'll get into what's actually going on in the cushions, roughly what happens month by month, and the few signs that mean something's wrong (they're rare).

Why your new Eames lounge chair feels too firm

Most of the firmness comes down to the foam and the leather both being brand new, which is actually a good sign.

The foam is fresh

Quality cushion foam is built to hold its shape, so for the first few sits it pushes back against you more than you'd like.

● It gives a little more with every sit

● Same idea as a new mattress, or leather shoes in their first fortnight

The leather hasn't loosened yet

Our upholsterers stretch it hard over every cushion, on purpose. It loosens with use.

● Your body heat slowly relaxes it

● Looser leather drapes more softly and lets the foam move

The cushions were boxed up

Days packed in a box squash them. Give them a day or two at room temperature to fill back out.

Why firm is actually good news

A cushion that's already squishy on delivery day hasn't got much further to go. Those are the ones you see sagging by year two. Ours start firm because they're meant to last.

Eames lounge chair break-in period: what the first 90 days feel like

No two chairs, or sitters, break in at quite the same pace. Roughly, though, it goes like this.

Week one: firm and upright

● Supportive, maybe a little slippery

● A strong new-leather smell

●  You're sitting on it, not in it

Weeks two to four: the first real give

● The seat starts to dip where you sit

● The backrest begins to wrap your shoulders

● Usually the "oh, there it is" moment

Weeks five to eight: it learns your shape

● The cushions follow your posture

● The headrest finds the right angle for your height

Around month three: settled

● Changes slow right down

● This is roughly how it'll feel for years

● You'll spot little creases and a bit of shine on the leather

Only sitting in it on Sundays? Then it'll take a while longer. It's the hours you spend in the chair that soften it. Leave it sitting in the corner, and it'll still be stiff in six months.

How to break in an Eames lounge chair faster: 5 tips

Want it comfy sooner? Try these.

1. Sit in it daily

Twenty minutes every day does more than one long session every fortnight.

● Your morning coffee

● The evening news

● Ten pages of a book before bed

2. Put it in a warm room

Leather gets softer when it's warm. Our advice: put it wherever you actually spend your evenings (just not right up against the radiator).

3. Use the ottoman

Feet up pushes your weight back into the seat and backrest, so you're not just wearing down the front lip.

4. Don't always sit the same way

Sit up straight with a book, slump back for a movie, pull your feet up under you. If you always sit the same way, you'll end up with one dip in the cushion and the rest still stiff.

5. Let it rest on delivery day

They've spent days crammed in a box. Take them out, leave them be for a day or two, and they'll puff back up.

What not to do

● Standing or kneeling on the seat

● Weighing the cushions down to "speed things up"

● Blasting the leather with a hairdryer or heater

We've seen all three stretch leather out of shape or crack the finish, and you can't really fix that afterwards.

Eames chair cushion softening: normal break-in or a real problem?

Assembly tip from a customer

● Leave the bolts on the metal plate slightly loose until every hole lines up

● Then tighten them evenly

If the shell isn't seated properly on the base, the chair will feel stiff no matter how much the cushions soften. Anything that feels off, as opposed to simply new, is worth flagging with us. You've got two years of warranty cover either way.

Eames lounge chair leather care in the first year

Leather that's loosening up can dry out if you ignore it. Luckily it doesn't ask for much: a cloth, a decent conditioner, and five minutes now and then.

Weekly

● Dust with a soft microfibre cloth

When spills happen

● Blot straight away with a barely damp cloth

● Let it air-dry, with no scrubbing

Every six months

● Condition the leather, testing on a hidden spot first

●  Skip this in the first few weeks unless it feels dry

All year round

● Keep the chair out of direct sun

● Keep it about a metre from radiators and fires

● If your cushions are removable, swap matching ones now and then (a trick leather repair specialists recommend)

A note on waxed finishes

Waxed Vintage Tan and Burnt Orange will darken and pick up marks. That's the patina people choose them for.

Does Eames lounge chair size affect break-in? Standard vs Tall vs XL

It does, because fit decides where your weight goes.

When the chair is too small

● Your head sits below the headrest

● You end up perched on the front of the seat

●  The cushions wear unevenly

When the size is right

We make our Eames-style lounge chair in Standard, Tall, and XL. With the right one for your frame:

● Your weight spreads across seat, back and headrest

● Your head and neck are properly supported

● The cushions break in evenly

What our customers say

They don't all agree, mind you. One swears the Tall is the sweet spot; another, taller still, says the XL saved his neck. The size comparison on our lounge chair collection page lays it out side by side.

Eames lounge chair break-in FAQs

How long does it take to break in an Eames lounge chair?

Sit in it every day, and you'll feel most of the change somewhere in weeks two to six. By about three months, it's done settling.

Does an Eames lounge chair get softer over time?

It does. Foam and leather both relax, but a well-built chair keeps its support rather than going saggy.

Should I condition a new leather chair straight away?

Usually there's no need. Wait a few weeks unless it feels dry, then condition every six months.

Is a firm lounge chair bad for your back?

Not at all. Firm support helps you sit well, and the give that comes with break-in just adds comfort.

Eames lounge chair comfort after months: give it time

A firm first week doesn't mean you picked the wrong chair. It just means the two of you haven't properly met yet.

To sum up:

● Sit in it often

● Treat the leather kindly

● Give it about three months

By then, you'll wonder why you ever worried.

Still deciding? Have a look at our Eames-style lounge chair collection in Standard, Tall, and XL, or drop our team a message and we'll help you find your fit.