Eames Soft Pad Office Chair — Deeply Cushioned Executive Luxury
The Eames Soft Pad Office Chair takes everything that made the original Eames Aluminum Group design iconic — the cast aluminium frame, the five-star base, the hand-stitched leather upholstery — and adds a dimension of cushioned depth that transforms the seated experience into something genuinely luxurious.
Introduced in 1969 as an evolution of the original Thin Pad, the Soft Pad variant replaced the ribbed channel construction with individually filled leather cushion panels, each generously padded with high-resilience urethane foam. The result is a chair that retains the precise, sculptural quality of the Eames silhouette while delivering the kind of enveloping comfort that long working hours demand. At House of Furnishes, the Eames Soft Pad Office Chair is available in multiple back heights and six leather finishes.
Thin Pad vs Soft Pad — Understanding the Difference
The core distinction between the Eames Thin Pad and Eames Soft Pad Office Chair lies in the cushioning architecture. The Thin Pad uses leather tensioned tightly across the frame — delivering structured, responsive support with a lean visual profile. The Soft Pad uses individually filled leather cushion panels — each independently padded — creating a seat and backrest with noticeably greater depth and give.
For professionals who spend six to ten hours daily at a desk, the Soft Pad's additional cushioning provides meaningful comfort benefits — reducing fatigue in the sitting bones and lower back over extended periods. For those who prioritise visual sleekness above all, the Thin Pad remains the choice. Both designs share an identical frame, base, and adjustment mechanism — the decision comes down entirely to cushioning preference.
Who is the Soft Pad Chair For?
The Eames Soft Pad Office Chair is the preferred choice for:
- Senior executives and C-suite professionals who require both presence and maximum seated comfort
- Professionals with long daily working hours — 6 hours or more at a desk continuously
- Home office setups where the chair will be used for both work and relaxed reading or video calls
- Boardrooms and private offices where luxury is expected as standard
- Anyone who has tried the Thin Pad and wants more cushioning depth without changing the chair's iconic aesthetic
Available Models & Leather Finishes
Our Eames Soft Pad Office Chair collection includes high back (EA 219) and low back (EA 217) variants, each available in Brown, Black, White, Tan Brown, Cream, and Ivory White genuine leather. The chrome-plated aluminium frame and five-star base are consistent across all versions.
Height-adjustable and fixed-height configurations are both available — the height-adjustable version features a pneumatic gas lift, lockable tilt with tension control, and 360-degree swivel.
Material & Build Quality
Every Eames Soft Pad Office Chair at House of Furnishes is constructed to these specifications:
- Frame: Cast aluminium, chrome-plated and hand-buffed to a mirror finish
- Base: 5-star polished chrome aluminium with smooth-rolling dual-wheel castors
- Upholstery: Genuine leather over individually cushioned soft pad panels
- Cushioning: Premium fire-retardant high-resilience urethane foam — deeper fill than Thin Pad
- Armrests: Fixed aluminium armrests with leather-wrapped tops
- Assembly: Simple self-assembly with full instructions enclosed
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The Eames Soft Pad Office Chair is an evolution of the original 1958 Eames Aluminum Group, introduced in 1969. It replaces the thin ribbed leather channels with individually filled leather cushion panels, providing greater depth and a more enveloping seated comfort while retaining the iconic aluminium frame and silhouette.
 For most people, yes — particularly for extended sitting. The Soft Pad's deeper cushioning provides more pressure relief in the sitting bones and lower back over long periods. The Thin Pad offers firmer, more structured support that some professionals prefer for shorter, more active work sessions.
The EA 219 is the high back version with full spinal support up to the neck and shoulders. The EA 217 is the low back version offering mid-spine support. Both use identical soft pad cushioning and frame construction.
Yes. Both high back and low back Soft Pad models are available in fixed-height configurations suitable for meeting rooms and conference tables.
 Brown, Black, White, Tan Brown, Cream, and Ivory White — all genuine leather with a polished chrome aluminium frame and base.
Unlike conventional high-back executive chairs with thick foam padding under synthetic upholstery, the Eames Soft Pad uses genuine leather over precision-filled cushion panels attached to a structural aluminium frame. It provides comparable comfort at a fraction of the visual bulk, maintaining the clean architectural profile Eames design is known for.