Highwood Lehigh Rocking Chair Review 2024

Do you love rocking chairs? Do you weigh more than 400 pounds?

If you answered yes to both of those questions, you’ve probably been intensely frustrated that most outdoor furniture on the market today just isn’t made with you in mind.

You’ll find many great options if you weigh 300 pounds or less. You’ll find a few good options if you weigh between 300 and 400 pounds, but beyond that, the number of choices available for you drops off markedly.

The Highwood Lehigh rocking chair is an exception that proves the rule. It’s a big, sturdy rocking chair offered by a smaller but well-respected company. If you’re in the market for a rocking chair that’s rugged enough to support you properly and is built to last, you’ll like what you read here.

We’ll admit that it’s not a perfect chair, and it has some limitations to be mindful of. Even given those limitations, though, it’s excellent. And in the following sections, we’ll tell you why this chair deserves a spot on your porch, patio, or deck. Even if you decide it’s not the chair we’re looking for, you’ll agree that this is a great option. Let’s jump right in and see what this model has to offer.

Key Features of the Highwood Lehigh Outdoor Rocking Chair

The Highwood Lehigh Rocking chair is surprisingly small, given how much weight it supports. That’s the first thought you’ll likely have when you see the chair for the first time, and you’d be right about that.

Chair Specifications

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers that define this chair:

There are a few things to talk about here. First and foremost, it isn’t as big as big and tall rockers go. The seat width is sufficient to support most users. Still, if you’re pushing toward the upper limit of this chair’s maximum supported weight, you’ll want to take a quick measurement to be sure you’ll fit comfortably.

The seat width is likewise a bit modest, making it ideal for lounging for a few hours at a time, but you won’t want to spend the better part of the day lounging in it.

Also, note the seat height. Most big and tall chairs have a seat height of 18” or more. This one comes under 16”. It’s not unbearably low, but the taller you are, the more difficult it will be to get in and out of the chair, so it’s something to keep in mind.

On the other hand, it’s heavy enough that a stiff breeze isn’t going to blow it around your porch and, in the same breath, light enough that if and when you need to move it around, you can do that with relative ease. Finally, of course, it supports a lot of user weight, which is outstanding, to say the least!

Essentially, this is the most expensive plastic chair you’ll ever buy. Made in the USA from recycled materials, it’s a sturdy, good-looking “green” piece of outdoor furniture that, with proper care, will provide you with years of reliable service. The company is so sure that their chair can take whatever you throw at it that they offer an impressive 12-year warranty on every Lehigh rocker they sell.

Color Options

Even better, if you decide you want one, you can have yours in a range of color options, including:

Whatever color you select, each chair comes with gleaming stainless-steel hardware, which looks great and is resistant to the elements.

Adjustability and Comfort

There’s nothing adjustable about the Highwood Lehigh Outdoor Rocking chair, which shouldn’t come as a great surprise to anyone. Comfort-wise, it’s a blank slate. The slatted plastic seat is okay, but there’s nothing to write home about. There’s a simple fix for that. You can outfit the chair with a seat pad, a pad for the seatback, or both, as you like. Simply put, you can make this chair as comfortable as you want it to be, and that’s pretty awesome.

Assembly is Required

Most of the furniture you can buy online these days will arrive at your door unassembled. The Highwood Lehigh rocking patio chair is no exception. The good news is that the production quality on this chair is high, so all the pieces fit together without having to wrestle them into position. The assembly instructions are clear and easy to follow. From start to finish, it will probably take less than half an hour to complete the assembly process.

Pros and Cons of Highwood Lehigh Rocking Chair

Overall, this is a very good chair with a lot to offer. We like almost everything, but as we said at the start, the seat’s dimensions may be unsuitable for some users. That’s the only potential drawback you’ll find here.

Highwood Lehigh Rocking Chair Review Conclusion

If you like the styling of the Highwood Lehigh Rocking chair, then you should also take a look at the Polywood Presidential Rocker. The two chairs are very similar, and the Polywood is offered in an even broader selection of colors. Both are very good options, so if this one doesn’t provide an optimal fit for you, then Polywood’s offering is also well worth a look.

We want to give this chair a full-throated recommendation, but the limitations imposed by the seat dimensions are a big enough concern that we can only give it a provisional one.

Recommended Reading

Polywood Presidential Rocking Chair Review

We reviewed the Polywood Outdoor Presidential Rocking Chair, a sturdy, unobtrusive rocker with an insanely good warranty.

Oliver and Smith Wooden Patio Porch Rocker Review

We assessed the Oliver and Smith Wooden Patio Porch Rocker, an American-made chair great for the outdoors.

Official Manufacturer Support

References & Resources

• Highwood USA, Official Brand Website.
• Lehigh Rocking Chair Assembly Instructions.
• How to Make an Easy DIY Rocking Chair Cushion, Of Houses and Trees.
• The Benefits of Outdoor Rocking Chairs for Senior Living, Frontera.
• Sustainable Furniture Design: Recyclable and Recycled, Connections by FINSA.