Functional, fashionable, and fully rotating; the best swivel armchairs add an element of flexibility to your seating arrangements. Valued for their versatility and convenience, swivels work in any open-concept layout, at a bedroom vanity table, or pulled up to your work from home set up—really anywhere the ability to rotate a full 360 degrees comes in handy. In our search for the cream of the spinning crop, we prioritized picks that were thoughtful with design details like high-end upholstery and innovative frame shape. Our list includes a Fritz Hansen icon, luxurious velvet finds, and printed picks that don’t look dated. Whether you’re looking to curate more flexible seating arrangements to keep the conversation flowing or your goal is enhanced mobility, these seats are worth taking for a spin.
Our Top Picks for Swivel Armchairs
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Most Iconic
Over the years, we’ve seen quite a few swivel-enabled Arne Jacobsen-designed Egg chairs in AD-featured homes. They’re a bit chameleon-like; while leopard printed iterations can encapsulate a maximalist’s aesthetic, handsome leather-upholstered Eggs (like the one spotted in the home of Jay McInerney and Anne Hearst) evoke quiet luxury. “The Egg has got poise, from its soft, organic lines that are easy on the eye to its oversized wingspan,” contributor Collier Sutter reported in her review of the design icon. “The chair quickly proved its style adaptability in my Memphis-style apartment in Brooklyn—it was a grounding force in my room, which is clad in wacky primary colors.”
Best Leather
This isn’t your grandparents’ leather club chair. Intentionally commanding yet not imposing, Article’s contemporary midcentury-inspired design has a luxuriously deep seat and ample cushioning to make its sitter feel nestled in comfort. Vintage furniture enthusiasts will be pleased to find the leather upholstery has a lived-in finish, giving it the look of something pre-loved, matched with the perks of a modern piece that can turn a full 360 degrees.
Best Boucle
Castlery’s tri-color bouclé Solari chair has our vote for one of the most fashionable pieces on this list—the woven upholstery brings a stylish warmth and earthiness while being resilient enough to resist spillage and constant use. The oversized armrests, soft curves, and swivel function culminate in a piece that makes even casual lounging look like an Instagrammable moment.
Best Velvet
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Allmodern’s Novella chair welcomes you with open arms (read: playful cutouts that make the armrests look elbow-friendly). The design feels lighter than bulkier barrel silhouettes that can dampen your interiors, plus the textured faux wool mohair has an attractive sheen when it catches the light.
Best Wicker
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Made from woven rattan and organic linen, this discrete swivel design is a celebration of coastal living. The domed base reminds us of a beautiful basket sourced from Brimfield or another IYKYK vintage market. Use it to strategically bring some variation to your existing seating arrangement or cosplay a beachy decor scheme in your city dwellings.
Best Customizable
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Another discreet design, this low-profile armchair with clean lines and subtle curves is the perfect seat to support book club discussions or strap into a solo movie night. Like most of West Elm’s furniture, you have lots of upholstery options (37 to be exact), but whatever you choose there’s a handsome strip of wood grain peeking out from the base to create some textured contrast.
More AD-Approved Swivel Armchairs
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“Mellow” is the perfect way to describe this Leanne Ford-designed chair that looks like it was upholstered in luxurious duvet inserts. The real inspiration comes from the designer’s love of a good puffer jacket, with head-to-toe channelled slipcovering and extra-wide armrests to make this swiveling number look like a cozy place to catch a nap.
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This curvaceous design is distinguished by its circular base, which brings in ash hardwood to enable a smooth 360-degree seat turn. Like all Quince furniture, it’s priced competitively to similarly designed chairs in today’s market, and you can select from three jewel tone performance velvet upholsteries that look luxurious and are stain resistant if you’re in the market for nice dining chairs.
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Arhaus’s Savannah design feels like something we ripped from the set of Moulin Rouge!. For minimalists looking to expand their horizons, solid colored upholstery helps ground the piece in some neutrality, while the floor-sweeping fringe brings the wow factor.
While technically designed for outside, Studio Tolvanen’s Terassi Swivel Lounge Chair feels nice enough to welcome indoors. Its softened silhouette evokes casual elegance, and the monochromatic striped upholsteries (sure, there’s solid colors too but what’s the fun in that?) feel like a cheeky nod to classic cabana furniture.
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There’s something romantic about this navy velvet number that’s inspiring us to explore the sexier side of interiors. Some furniture is best in pairs and we think this chair fits that bill—just picture spending days and nights swiveling side-by-side with your (fellow design) lover.
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Platform silhouettes like this Zara find elevate your design in a literal sense. The matte black iron swivel base acts as a sleek grounding element, while the minimal cushion seat construction feels like a contemporary nod to nostalgic designs.
