Making a return to the outdoors

Originally developed as an outdoor chair for the Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard-designed home of industrialist J. Irwin Miller, the Eames Aluminum Group offers maximum comfort with a minimal profile. Newly updated with a range of highly durable finish options including Outdoor Weave fabric, the Aluminum Group Lounge Chair, Side Chair, and Ottoman are once again ready to return to their roots—outdoors.

Take it outside

To ready the chairs and ottoman for outdoor use, we developed a new fabric that would be durable enough to weather the elements and still feel good against the skin. Outdoor Weave retains the spirit of the original 1958 polyester saran and builds off the technical capabilities of the Aeron chair’s Pellicle suspension material. Outdoor Weave combines a sturdy monofilament polypropylene for strength and elasticity, with four multifilament polypropylene yarns to give it a great look and feel. It’s also recyclable and contains no harmful PVC. It is available in several tones selected to complement the choice of powder-coated frames.

Rear view of a black Eames Aluminum Group outdoor chair, focusing on the proprietary Outdoor Weave fabric.
Three-quarter rear view of an Eames Aluminum Group outdoor lounge chair in a black weave fabric.

Creative craft

The assembly of the Eames Aluminum Group Outdoor is as crucial an element of its design as how it feels to sit in. The Eameses not only designed each element of the chairs and ottoman, but also the process by which they are crafted. We do it the same way today as it was done in 1958.

A continuous piece of Outdoor Weave is fed between the aluminum ribs which are then turned inside out and attached to the cross members. Because of this process, the chair offers considerable comfort and support without any of the bulk or weight of a traditional upholstered chair. The fabric itself becomes the seat, with a firm, flexible “sitting pocket” that conforms subtly to the body’s shape.

Durability and use

With one-piece, curved aluminum side ribs and a die-cast aluminum base, the chair is strong, yet lightweight. To make it easy to move, the upper cross member doubles as a handle.

Available with or without arms, the Eames Aluminum Group Side Chair Outdoor is suitable for any location where a dining-height chair is called for and naturally complements our range of Eames Tables Outdoor.

The Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair Outdoor pairs perfectly with the matching Eames Aluminum Group Ottoman, or works equally well as a cluster of multiple chairs around a low table for an informal sitting area.

An Eames Aluminum Group outdoor ottoman in a black weave fabric.