Soft Pad or Ribbed? Choosing the Charles Eames Office Chair That Suits the Way You Work

So you've settled on a Charles Eames office chair. Good choice. Then the product page asks you to pick between Soft Pad and Ribbed, and suddenly it isn't so simple.

From across a room, they look almost identical. Same polished aluminium frame, same five-star base, that seat that seems to hover in mid-air. Sit in each for a week, though, and they feel like two different chairs.

We get asked about this more than anything else. Our answer barely changes: forget the photos for a minute and think about an ordinary Tuesday. How long are you really in the chair? Are you up and down? Will anyone else see it?

In a hurry? Long days at a desk point to the Soft Pad. If you'd like something slimmer and a bit more architectural, or you're kitting out a meeting room, the Ribbed is probably your chair.

Eames Soft Pad vs Ribbed office chair: same frame, very different sit

The Ribbed version is the older of the two, by about a decade.

It started life, oddly enough, as garden furniture. In 1958 Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard were working on a house in Columbus, Indiana for the industrialist J. Irwin Miller, and they asked Charles and Ray Eames for some decent outdoor seating (Herman Miller).

The Eameses skipped the usual moulded shell. Instead, they pulled one sheet of upholstery tight between two cast aluminium side frames and welded ribs across it. That became the Aluminium Group.

Eleven years on, they went back to the same frame and added thick, hand-stitched cushions. That's the Soft Pad. Structurally, nothing changed. To sit on, almost everything did.

Which Charles Eames office chair fits the way you work?

Be honest with yourself here. Most of us overestimate how much we move and underestimate how long we sit.

If you're at the desk most of the day (writing, coding, staring at spreadsheets until the light goes), get the Soft Pad, and get the high back. By mid-afternoon, those cushions make a real difference to your lower back and the backs of your legs. A thin seat can't do that over eight hours.

Up and down all the time? Then the Ribbed makes more sense. If your day is broken up by phone calls, or you keep switching between sitting and a standing desk, you probably won't miss the padding. The firmer seat has a bit of bounce to it. It weighs less as well, which you'll notice every time you spin round to grab something off the shelf.

Small spaces change things. In a box room, or with a desk squeezed into the corner of a bedroom, a bulky chair makes everything feel cramped, and the Ribbed simply looks lighter. Still want cushions? Go for the low-back Soft Pad, and you'll keep most of the comfort without the bulk.

We've noticed a lot of businesses don't pick one at all. They put Ribbed chairs round the meeting table, where a matching row looks tidy, and keep a leather high-back Soft Pad for the boss's desk.

Live somewhere hot? Think Brisbane, Seville or Phoenix in July. Have a look at the mesh version. It belongs to the ribbed family, and air actually moves through it.

And if you mostly just love the design, it's the Ribbed. This is the version Charles and Ray actually started with in 1958, and you can still see exactly how it was put together, right down to the welded ribs.

High back vs low back Eames office chair (EA 219, EA 217, EA 119, EA 117)

This is the second decision, and it's an easier one.

A high back (EA 219 in Soft Pad, EA 119 in Ribbed) comes up to your shoulders. Taller people usually prefer it, and so does anyone who leans back while they're on the phone. It also has more presence behind a big desk.

The EA 217 and EA 117 have shorter backs that finish roughly halfway up your spine. That makes them easy to push under a desk when you're done for the day, and they don't look out of place at a kitchen or dining table either.

Still torn? Go high for long solo days, low for shared or tight spaces.

Eames leather office chair, fabric or mesh?

Leather is what most people picture, and it's what we sell most of. Cleaning it is easy (a damp cloth usually does it), and good leather only improves with age. Tan and cognac give a room a relaxed, lived-in feel, whereas black looks sharper and more corporate.

Fabric is underrated, in our view. It's warmer in a chilly flat in January, and it lets you bring some colour into the room.

Mesh only comes on the ribbed style. On a hot afternoon you'll appreciate it, and it's light enough to carry from room to room.

Buying an Eames-style office chair? Check these first

People have been copying this chair for decades, and some of the copies are frankly poor. Before you hand over any money, take a proper look at:

● the frame and base, which need to be die-cast aluminium (some cheaper chairs use chrome-coated plastic, and it shows)

● the leather, because genuine leather lasts while PU often starts cracking after a few years

● the cushions on a Soft Pad, which should feel plush but spring back instead of flattening

● the ribbing on a Ribbed chair, which should be tight and even with no puckering near the frame

● the gas lift and tilt lock, and whether the seller offers a clear returns policy

One thing worth knowing up front: neither chair is a fully adjustable task chair. You won't get adjustable lumbar support or moving armrests. If you have a particular back problem, the high-back Soft Pad is the most supportive option in the range.

Charles Eames office chair FAQs

What's the difference between a Soft Pad and a Ribbed Eames office chair?

Underneath, they're the same chair. The Soft Pad, from 1969, adds thick stitched cushions, while the original 1958 Ribbed design uses a thin, taut seat that feels firmer and springier.

Which Eames office chair is more comfortable?

If you sit for most of the day, the Soft Pad wins. That said, plenty of people prefer the firmer Ribbed seat, especially if they're up and down a lot.

What is the difference between the EA 217 and EA 219 Eames office chairs?

Both are Soft Pad chairs with the same cushions and frame. The EA 217 has a lower back that suits compact rooms, while the EA 219's high back supports the shoulders.

Is a Ribbed Eames chair good for a home office?

Yes, and it's especially good in a small room. Its slim frame doesn't dominate the space, and the firm ribbed seat is comfortable enough for a normal working day.

Who designed the Charles Eames office chair?

It was designed by Charles and Ray Eames, the American husband-and-wife design team. The ribbed version went into production in 1958, and the Soft Pad followed in 1969.

Do you deliver Eames office chairs in the UK?

Yes, we deliver across the UK, and we also offer express shipping to Europe, the USA, and Australia. If you want to check delivery times, just get in touch.

Buy Eames style office chairs in the UK at Luxe Furnishes

We carry both styles, all built on aluminium frames. Our Soft Pad office chairs include the EA 219 style high-back in tan brown leather and a low-back EA 217 style in dark brown. The Ribbed office chairs suit meeting rooms and smaller spaces, and there's a mesh range if you work somewhere warm.

We ship express across the UK, Europe, the USA, and Australia.

Worked out how you work? Browse the full office chair collection and find yours.