Where to Buy Barcelona Chairs and Alternatives (That Don’t Cost $8,000)

As your personal shopping crusaders, we’ve already helped you track down everything from vintage Togo sofas to Noguchi lamp dupes so your apartment can embody the kind of effortlessly grown-up ambiance that Pierre Cardin or Ray Eames would have called “sick and tight.” That’s why today, we’re talking about one of our favorite Modernist design bangers, the Barcelona Chair: 

Chances are you know the Barcelona Chair, even if you don’t think you do. It was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe almost a century ago, and can now be found in celebrity homes, design studios, fancy home offices, and anywhere else people want to make a statement. Initially, the chair was the contribution of the architect (affectionately called “Mies” by the design world) to the 1929 Barcelona Exposition. And as Mies explained, it had to be an “important chair, a very elegant chair," as the King of Spain was going to attend the inauguration of the event. “In those circumstances,” Mies said, “you just couldn't use a kitchen chair [...] The chair had to be… monumental."

Thus, the Barcelona Chair was born. Knoll, which was one of the chair’s first manufacturers and continues to make it today for around $6,500, explains that the chair’s staying-power was thanks to its ultra-comfortable, minimalist take on the regal folding chairs of Ancient Egypt and Rome. The first-ever Barcelona Chair boasted an S-frame, chrome-plated construction with ivory pigskin cushions, and not much (minus the pigskin) has changed today; a contemporary Barcelona Chair from Knoll is still made out of top-of-the-line, chrome-detailed industrial materials, and upholstered with 40 individual, chromium-tanned leather panels. The chair’s popularity also seems to be growing, with more than 37,888 posts under #BarcelonaChair on Instagram.

If owning a Barcelona Chair sounds enticing but expensive, don’t worry. We’re here to help you navigate the task of investing in your first B Boy, whether you’re interested in finding a brand-new model, a horny orange set from the 70s, or the best Barcelona Chair replicas and dupes alternatives for under $400. 

Ah, Knoll. This is where it all began, folks. If you can swing the steep price tag, it would be a pretty big flex to support the OG manufacturer of the Barcelona Chair, which began not long after Mies was approached by Florence Knoll to mass produce the design in 1945. Mies worked with Knoll to develop some of the chair’s most important improvements (such as the move to a stainless steel frame), and more than 70 years later, the company retains the exclusive rights to produce Mies’ baby. The easiest way to to know that you’re buying an authentic Knoll Barcelona Chair is to smash the order button directly from the site, but, according to Knoll, “The most distinctive feature of a Knoll-manufactured Barcelona Chair is the thick welted piping seen on the cushions, [which is] stuffed with a dense industrial foam.” It’s just another element of what makes the chair, which is roughly 30-inches long and wide, so damn comfortable and stylish.   

Alternatively, you could cop an authentic Barcelona Chair from Design Within Reach, which has almost two-dozen colorway options (including our personal favorites, “Lichen” and “Toast”) and is offering 20% off. Don’t forget to peep the rest of the site’s epic design powerhouse pieces on your way to the register, from contemporary bangers by HAY to the clout-worthy Saarinen Dining Table.   

Fair warning, wizard: Buying a vintage Barcelona Chair can sometimes be pricier than buying one that’s brand new (especially if you’re bum over noggin for the ultra-rare, vintage 30th anniversary version). Luckily, both 1stDibs and Etsy have some great deals on Barcelona Chairs, including a classic black leather model from the 1980s and a sick two-for-one deal on a versatile caramel leather duo from the 1970s. Just imagine how great they would look by a Bird of Paradise plant. 

If you’re wondering where to buy the best Barcelona Chair dupes, replicas, and alternatives that don’t cost thousands of clams, you’re in luck. There are plenty of chairs out there that pull major design inspiration from the Modernist legend; 1stDibs is home to this black Barcelona-inspired set for under $1,000, as well as a pair of rare, burnt-orange Barcelona style chairs from the 70s that are 30% off. 

Last but not least, look to the good old design alchemists on Amazon for Barcelona chair alternatives that cost under $400. There are double-take options in a variety of colorways, including classic black and Cognac faux leather, and you can even level-up to a chair-ottoman-combo for another couple hundred bucks. The design heaux will be none the wiser.  

Next up, the Moroccan rug aisle. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.