Designed by George Nelson

Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair

A black leather Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair, viewed from a 45-degree angle.
  • Three black leather Nelson Coconut Lounge Chairs and several Nelson Pedestal Stools in a glass-walled room with a fireplace.
  • Three Nelson Coconut Lounge chairs arranged in different angles. A dark grey chair faces a yellow chair in opposing 45-degree angles and a black and white checkerboard chair is placed to the right of them facing forward.
  • A Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair in a black and white Maharam checkerboard fabric viewed from straight on.
  • A dark grey leather Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair viewed from straight on.
  • A Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair in a yellow Mode fabric viewed from straight on.

A little slice of comfort from the Nelson Office

The popularity of the Coconut Chair isn’t a tough one to crack. This striking design has found a place in many design museums, and its inviting curves have landed it in a number of homes around the world. Originally designed for comfort and movement, it’s been updated with new, more sustainable materials and more upholstery options—all in the spirit of George Nelson’s iconic design.

A black leather Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair on an outdoor patio.

An Icon Revisited

For a chair to be called iconic, it needs a place in history, with a unique design or an unparalleled sense of comfort. What if it’s both? With the Coconut Chair, Nelson sought “to give lounge seating comfort, together with great freedom of movement.” The work of Nelson and his team—which also included the Marshmallow Sofa—helped usher in modernism to American furniture.

Close-up of the attachment point for one of the three steel legs on a Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair.

Keep It Sustainable

The Coconut Lounge Chair is true to its original 1955 design—but with updated materials that are consistent with Herman Miller’s commitment to sustainability. The enhanced technology also reduces emissions and better protects manufacturing employees. These updates mirror the modifications made to the Eames fiberglass chairs. After all, it was Nelson who said, “Design is a response to social change.”

A Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair in a black and white Maharam checkerboard fabric viewed from straight on.

Check Out the Range of Materials

The Coconut Chair is available in a choice of upholstery options and patterns that offer a range of expressions for the generously padded shell. Its simple, striking curved polymer hull is lightweight but sturdy and sits atop a three-legged bent steel base, in either white or trivalent chrome.

A man and a woman relaxing in a pair of Nelson Coconut Lounge Chairs while sharing an ottoman.

Design Story

George Nelson and his design studio found inspiration from—what else—a chunk of coconut while designing the eponymous chair. Part icon, part comfortable seat to just lounge around in, this chair’s a true original.

Read the Design Story

A woman sits in one of a pair of orange-pink Nelson Coconut Chairs in the sunny living room of a mid-century modern home in Malibu. An Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman and Eames Sofa Compact are nearby.

Take a Deeper Dive

Inside the Hunt House in Malibu, a treasure trove of mid-century iconic design—featuring the Coconut Chair, among others.

Read More

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