For most of us, purchasing a licensed reproduction of an Eames lounge chair, carries a hefty price tag (in excess of 6,000 Euros on average) and yes I say 'licensed reproduction', as unless you are lucky enough to inherit or stumble across an authentic one in a garage sale or via Ebay then it is, technically, a reproduction, under license, of the original design.

Fuelled by demand for such an iconic piece of furniture, the Eames reproduction market has exploded in recent years and some of the better reproductions are pretty exact to the specification and quality of the original design, but how does one choose the good reproduction, from the minefield of poor copies and cheaply made imitations?

First and foremost, it would be wise to dismiss anything under circa E600. Just ask yourself, would you really get a good quality leather lounge chair and ottoman, properly engineered and finished in high quality upholstery at that price level? The old adage of "if it's too good to be true, then it probably isn't" remains.

There are mid-priced ranges, which all vary in finish and detail, up to ones (such as the ones we retail), which we consider to be as close to the original as possible in terms of quality, attention to detail and finish.

Here is our buyers guide for choosing a replica Eames lounge chair:

• Read descriptions VERY carefully when shopping online.

• Does it say leather? Not 'leatherette', 'faux leather', 'leather seat' or 'leather pad'. Be wary also if it says Piping in PVC as therefore the piping trim on seat edge may not be full leather. If it says 100% leather upholstery, tick OK
  

• What type of leather is it? Like any material there are variations in quality. For example, Chinese leathers are often thinner and not as supple as Italian. Again, take note that it does not say 'Italian Style' Leather. Wording is paramount and unscrupulous sellers will try and pass off cheaper chairs by masking the description with carefully chosen words. If it specifies the leather, tick OK.

• Does it have a die-cast aluminium base?  Again, cheap copies often have alloy metal bases with plastic connections. These are not strong enough to last the everyday actions and movement of such a chair, therefore making them very much NOT fit for purpose. If it says die-cast base tick OK.

• Real wood grain veneer? The Eames lounger was originally created with between five to seven layers of ply. Cheap copies often use laminate. Quality reproductions will use real wood veneer and therefore each varies and each chair becomes unique in its own particular grain and piece of wood. Again carefully check the wording. If it says real wood veneer tick OK.
  

• Visible screws. None should be visible, especially on rear arms. This is a real giveaway of poorly made copies.

• The shock mount Check that this is rubber. Not plastic or metal.

• Does it require assembly?  If you want to be driven completely mad, then order a flat-packed imitation. Any Eames lounger replica worth its salt should arrive to you assembled.

NB: sometimes very minor assembly of attaching the two bases upon delivery may be required and this is usually for packing and shipping purposes to protect legs in transit so they do not get damaged if box was to open.

• Does it include the Ottoman. Take note on this point, some sellers advertise the chair and ottoman separately thus making the initial price look attractive. It is possible to buy them separately but generally they should retail as a matching unit.

• Look at the overall aesthetic. Good reproductions will stay true to the original in terms of the angle of the chair and base, (it was designed to sit at a slight tilt backwards of approx 15deg), the shape and size of the armrests, the bolt arms on the reverse of the chair back, the thickness of the cushions, the piping and trim.

• Last, but not least, purchase from a reputable company that you can call up and speak with someone and discuss any aspect in greater detail as required.

There were manufacturing variations to the chairs over the years and different bases were designed for the US and European markets and slight differences were designed on US and European models so dimensions of models varied and some were produced slightly wider and larger.

There is a wealth of information available online about the history of these iconic chairs so it is also worth doing some research on the different styles and the design history,  to help with the decision on choice of base, leather and veneer you would like, prior to going shopping.Our range can be viewed at: https://www.stil.ie/products/leather-lounge-chair-ottoman-inspired-by-eames