What is the difference between a glider and a rocking chair?
The main difference between a rocking chair and a glider is that a rocking chair has arc-shaped treads that allow it to rock back and forth, while a glider has a sliding track that allows it to smoothly glide from back to front. In contrast to rocking chairs which integrate the treads into their design, gliders tend to look more like a traditional upholstered armchair or club chair, with the glider apparatus hidden underneath. Their relatively nondescript styling makes gliders an easy choice for parents who are looking for a relatively nondescript nursery chair. Rocking chairs come in a much wider array of styles than gliders, and as a rule, they tend to be much more sculptural. Unlike gliders, which are generally upholstered, rocking chairs can be made of wood, metal, acrylic, or—as in the case of the famous Eames Shell Rocking Chair—molded fiberglass. Depending on the style preferred, it’s also possible to find rocking chairs in styles as far-flung as Victorian, Bauhaus, and even Italian Modern.
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Lead photo by Mike Schwartz / Photo courtesy of Studio Gild