What Is an Adirondack Chair?
An Adirondack chair is a simple outdoor lounging chair with an angled seat, a straight, angled back, and wide armrests. The front legs are straight, and the back legs slant at an angle, supporting the angled seat.
Primary Usage of Adirondack Chairs
Adirondack chairs are generally used as outdoor furniture. They’re perfect for garden or beach chairs or for decks, gazebos, sunrooms, Florida rooms, etc.
They’re a good deal more comfortable than they appear and are suitable for lounging for a few hours at a time, although even models with ottomans are not suitable for napping or sitting for several hours at a time.
Types of Adirondack Chairs
There aren’t multiple types of Adirondack chairs, and the model has only been updated once since its invention in 1903. The only variation you sometimes find is that some versions come with ottomans, while the original version of the chair did not.
The original chairs were built from hemlock and sourced near designer Thomas Lee’s lake house for convenience. These days, however, you can find Adirondack chairs made from a wide range of wood, including but not limited to oak, Brazilian walnut, western red cedar, and pine.
In addition to that, you’ll find Adirondack chairs made from:
- Polymers
- Plastics
- Composite Materials
Or a mix of all of those.
Arenal, Costa Rica
You’ll also find a few models designed to rock slightly, which aren’t as popular as the classic design, and a few that can be folded to make them easier to carry and transport. However, we do not feel that these differences are sufficient to call them completely different types of Adirondack chairs.
Origin and Brief History
Thomas Lee developed the first Adirondack chair in 1903 for his vacation home in the Adirondack Mountains. He used his family members as his test subjects to perfect his design, built with eleven wooden planks.
It was formerly known as a Westport Plank Chair. Mr. Lee offered the design to a friend, Harry Bunnell, a professional carpenter. Bunnell patented the design in 1905 without Lee’s permission and began mass-producing them, painting them dark green and individually signing each.
Irving Wolpin modified the design in 1938, featuring a rounded back and a contoured seat, and it remains unchanged.
