Cocoon, egg, bubble and capsule chairs vintage or contemporary
The egg chair embodies the very essence of organic design and the spirit of the 1960s. With its enveloping forms and futuristic appearance inspired by the Space Age, this iconic seat has fascinated for over six decades.
Passionate about designer furniture, I have always been captivated by these cocooning chairs with bold lines: the egg, bubble or cocoon models that revolutionized seating in the 1960s. These vintage creations combine absolute comfort and avant-garde aesthetics, transforming each seat into a true habitable sculpture.
In this article, I reveal the most emblematic enveloping chairs in design history: sculptural and timeless pieces that continue to inspire interior architects and decor enthusiasts.
Eggs and shell chairs
The muffled silence of suspended bubbles and the protective shells of egg chairs have the power to recreate an intimate space, particularly in public areas. These chairs are not just seats: they are refuges, micro-architectures designed to envelop the body, soothe the mind or embody a futuristic vision of habitat. From Jacobsen to Colombo, from Aarnio to Paulin, a look back at the great icons of immersive 20th century furniture and their current market.
Egg Chair, by Arne Jacobsen, 1958 (Fritz Hansen)
Created for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, the Egg Chair reflects the total design approach of Arne Jacobsen, an architect who imagined coherent environments from floor to furniture. Its foam shell molded on a rigid structure, mounted on a swivel base, envelops the user and offers surprising visual intimacy for a lobby chair.
Current market
Still produced by Fritz Hansen, it ranges from €7,000 to €12,000 new depending on leather or fabric finish. Vintage editions from the 1960s can exceed €20,000 at specialized sales.
Ball Chair (or Globe Chair) by Eero Aarnio, 1963 (Asko)
The Ball Chair is a cut sphere housing an upholstered seat, a true acoustic and visual micro-space conceived by Eero Aarnio in a pop and futuristic logic. Made of molded fiberglass, it embodies the space-age aesthetic and the desire to transform the chair into a personal capsule.
Current market
Reissued under official license by Eero Aarnio Originals, it sells between €6,000 and €10,000. Period pieces signed Asko can reach up to €12,000 depending on condition and color.
Pastil Chair by Eero Aarnio, 1967 (Asko)
In the shape of an elliptical pastille, this chair in lacquered fiberglass is designed to rock the body and even float on water, proof of the formal and playful freedom of sixties design. Ultra-light, stackable and colorful, it represents the vision of mobile furniture conceived as a total leisure object.
Current market
Still offered by Eero Aarnio Originals, it costs between €3,000 and €5,000. Early vintage series attract collectors and can reach €6,500.
Globe Chair by Boris Tabacoff (1971)
A bubble chair in smoked plexiglass with chrome base, signed Tabacoff for MMM (Mobilier Modulaire Moderne) — a perfect example of French “space age” design.
Garden Egg Chair, Peter Ghyczy, 1968 (Reuter Produkte)
A capsule chair in molded fiberglass, with an ovoid silhouette closing almost like a shell. Very “Space Age”, this model is rarer and less cited than classics like the Ball Chair. The open version with contrasting seat accentuates the idea of a personal cocoon.
Ovalia Egg Chair by Henrik Thor‑Larsen, 1968 (Denmark)
Less famous than Arne Jacobsen’s “Egg Chair”, the Ovalia takes up the egg seat idea in a Danish version, with swivel base and molded plastic/fiberglass shell.
Current market
On the current market, the Ovalia Egg Chair by Henrik Thor-Larsen sells between €6,000 and €10,000 for period models, depending on condition and color. Recent reissues range around €3,000 to €4,500, some exceeding €5,000 depending on finishes. The orange version, made famous by Men in Black, remains the most sought-after.
Sphere chairs by Boris Tabacoff
Extremely rare, the Sphere Chairs by Boris Tabacoff were created around 1971 for the French publisher Mobilier Modulaire Moderne (MMM).
True symbols of French Space Age design, they combine a hemispherical shell in smoked plexiglass (or transparent) with a base in chrome metal or molded acrylic, giving this impression of floating. Tabacoff, trained in architecture, expresses a fascination for transparency, lightness and futuristic habitat.
Current market
Produced in small series, these chairs are now highly sought after in the high-end vintage market. The pair above was sold for €16,900.
Bubble and suspended chairs
Bubble Chair by Eero Aarnio, 1968 (Asko)
A suspended version of the Ball Chair, the Bubble Chair is designed by Eero Aarnio in a transparent acrylic molded hemisphere, hung from the ceiling by a metal chain. This transparency allows the user to be isolated while integrating them into the space, creating a floating and luminous cocoon.
Current market
Reissued by Eero Aarnio Originals, the Bubble Chair costs between €6,500 and €9,500. Complete vintage series with original cushions sometimes sell for over €10,000.
Hanging Egg Chair by Nanna & Jørgen Ditzel, 1959 (Sika Design)
This suspended chair in woven rattan combines organic naturalness and a feeling of weightlessness, prefiguring current trends in cocoon furniture. The Ditzels explore here the notion of “nest”, inviting swaying and meditation.
Current market
Reissued by Sika Design, it ranges between €1,000 and €2,500. Old editions in patinated rattan can reach €3,500 in specialized galleries.
Textile cocoons and enveloping chairs
Womb Chair, Eero Saarinen, 1948 (Knoll)
Created at the request of Florence Knoll to imagine a chair “in which one can really curl up”, the Womb Chair offers a wide and soft shell welcoming the body like a refuge. Saarinen implements here a fiberglass shell padded with foam, symbol of modernist psychological comfort.
Current market
Still produced by Knoll, it sells between €5,000 and €9,000 new. Vintage editions in good condition can reach €12,000.
The Groovy chair (F598) by Pierre Paulin, 1973 (Artifort)
Two curved foam shells come together to form a welcoming seat, with generous proportions and graphic silhouette. This chair expresses Paulin’s mastery in creating enveloping and contemporary forms.
Current market
Still published by Artifort, its price varies between €2,800 and €5,500. Original vintage versions are highly sought after and can exceed €6,000.
Pumpkin, Pierre Paulin, 1971 (Ligne Roset)
Inspired by inflated organic forms, the Pumpkin is designed for Georges Pompidou’s private apartments at the Élysée. Its plump silhouette embodies the cozy comfort of the 70s decade.
Current market
Reissued by Ligne Roset, the contemporary version ranges between €2,500 and €4,500. Rare original examples reach €7,000 or more.
Futuristic capsules & Space-Age design
Djinn Chair by Olivier Mourgue, 1965 (Airborne)
The Djinn Chair, made famous by the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”, is composed of polyurethane foam covered with stretch jersey, forming a sinuous and ultra-low silhouette. Mourgue plays here with the notion of organic seat as an extension of the body in a utopian future.
Current market
Rare period Airborne examples sell between €6,000 and €12,000 depending on condition. Some limited reissues are around €4,000.
Elda by Joe Colombo, 1963 (Longhi)
Fashioned in reinforced fiberglass and lined with thick leather cushions, the Elda creates a true acoustic capsule. Colombo, passionate about future habitat, imagines this chair as an autonomous relaxation space, at the crossroads of design and micro-architecture.
Current market
Still published by Longhi, it costs between €12,000 and €20,000 new. The first versions from the 1960s often exceed €25,000 at auction.
Tube Chair, Joe Colombo, 1969 (Flexform)
Composed of four foam cylinders covered in fabric, connected by straps, the Tube Chair can be disassembled, transported and configured at will. Colombo imagines here an evolving and nomadic furniture, perfectly aligned with the vision of a mobile and futuristic lifestyle.
Current market
Reissued in limited series, it costs approximately €10,000 to €14,000. Original Flexform series in good condition easily reach €15,000 or more.
Karuselli, Yrjö Kukkapuro, 1964 (Artek)
This iconic chair rests on a fiberglass shell with organic profile mounted on a swivel and tilting base. Kukkapuro develops here an extremely ergonomic seat, capable of embracing the relaxed position of the body.
Current market
Produced by Artek, it ranges between €8,000 and €12,000 depending on upholstery. Original vintage models sell between €15,000 and €20,000.
Alpha Chair by Olivier Mourgue, 1968 (Airborne)
The Alpha Chair plays on a low and elongated silhouette, using molded foams covered with jersey to create a continuous flow of forms. Mourgue combines sensuality, futurism and bodily relaxation, in an elegant space-age aesthetic.
Current market
Original pieces are rare and are negotiated between €6,000 and €10,000. No official wide-series reissue is available to date.
Amoebe, Verner Panton (1970)
The Amoebe is one of Verner Panton’s most emblematic seats, designed in 1970 for the futuristic interior of the legendary Visiona 2 exhibition (commissioned by Bayer). This floor chair, with fluid and organic lines, embraces the body in a relaxing lounge position. Its rounded, almost liquid shape evokes a living cell — hence its name “Amoebe”.
Ball chairs and rounded volumes
UP5/6 “Donna” — Gaetano Pesce, 1969 (B&B Italia)
Gaetano Pesce imagines this chair in expanded polyurethane foam that inflates upon delivery, symbolizing both comfort and confinement. The shape evokes a female body tied to a sphere pouf UP6, critical reflection on the female condition of the time.
Current market
Reissued by B&B Italia, the contemporary version is sold between €5,000 and €8,000. Original examples from 1969 are highly sought after and can exceed €12,000.
Contemporary heirs of the cocoon and enveloping seat
Nest Chair, Autoban, 2009 (De La Espada)
Inspired by a protective nest, the Nest Chair combines an enveloping curved wood structure with soft cushions welcoming the body in a natural relaxation posture. The Autoban studio revisits here the concept of refuge in a contemporary artisanal approach.
Current market
Published by De La Espada, it is offered between €4,000 and €7,000. Its artisanal production makes it a sought-after piece in high-end interiors.
Oyster Chair by Michael Vanderbyl, 1980s (Brueton)
This shell-chair in polished metal and luxurious leather explores the theme of protective envelope in a more sophisticated and urban version. Vanderbyl proposes a cocoon chair that is both minimalist and expressive.
Current market
Produced in limited quantities, it is negotiated between €6,000 and €10,000 in design galleries. Editions in polished stainless steel reach the highest prices.
Grande Papilio chair by Naoto Fukasawa, 2009 (B&B Italia)
Name inspired by the butterfly, this swivel chair slightly opens its lateral “wings” to envelop the body in a fluid and protective back. Fukasawa combines sculpted ergonomics and minimalist purity in a contemporary version of the cocoon chair.
Current market
Available at B&B Italia between €2,500 and €4,500. High-end fabric or premium leather editions can reach €5,500.
The Husk Chair by Patricia Urquiola, 2012 (B&B Italia)
With its rigid shell containing modular “petal” cushions, the Husk revisits the idea of the cocoon as an accumulation of comfort. Patricia Urquiola combines durability, emotional design and tactile modularity.
Current market
Published by B&B Italia, it is sold between €2,000 and €3,500 depending on finishes. Outdoor versions also exist in similar ranges.
The Showtime Armchair by Jaime Hayon
Designed in 2006 for BD Barcelona Design, revisits the high-back chair in a theatrical and contemporary version. Its lacquered shell, shiny and taut like armor, contrasts with the capitonné interior in leather or velvet, soft and enveloping. Between throne and cocoon, this seat-sculpture illustrates Hayon’s signature: a bold mix of fantasy, humor and artisanal refinement, where furniture becomes a real character, almost a living presence.
Current market
The Showtime Armchair remains a sought-after piece by collectors and contemporary design enthusiasts. Still published by BD Barcelona Design, it ranges from €2,000 to €3,500 depending on finishes, materials (leather, velvet, glossy lacquer) and backrest height. Some versions, especially outdoor models in technical materials, display comparable prices. Limited editions, with custom colors or special finishes, can exceed these amounts on the design sales market.
Cosy chairs: from individual refuge to sensory trend
Whether born from the futuristic utopias of the 1960s or from the quest for post-war psychological comfort, cocoon, egg, bubble and capsule chairs all express the same need: that of an intimate space at the heart of the world. Today, their legacy is found in contemporary trends of introspective design, quiet luxury and enveloping forms intended for emotional well-being. By combining cult reissues and new organic interpretations, the market confirms that the refuge chair is not a fashion, but a lasting archetype of design.
Resources
Design Fundamentals
History of Design & Decorative Styles
From baroque salons to the radical lines of the 20th century, this chronological timeline highlights the aesthetic revolutions that have marked our daily environment.
Read the page “History of Design & Decorative Styles”Hart Design Glossary from A to Z
Sabre legs, patina, passementerie, caning… This lexicon gives meaning to the technical and stylistic terms often used in the design world.
Access the Hart Design GlossaryHart Glossary of Design Icons
This glossary lists all the great names in design and decoration in alphabetical order. Discover the creators who have shaped contemporary living art.
Access the Hart Glossary of Design Icons
Digital entrepreneur and craft artisan, I use my unconventional background to share my vision of luxury design and interior decoration — one enriched by craftsmanship, history, and contemporary creation. Since 2012, I have been working daily in my workshop on the shores of Lake Annecy, creating bespoke interiors for discerning decorators and private clients.
