Our black EA219 soft pad chair is a replica of the 1969 high-back executive desk chair, made by Sederica in black Italian leather on a polished chrome aluminium frame. Four separate leather cushions do the work: one under you and a column of three behind you, rising to around shoulder height.
Black is the colour this high back first went on sale in. It is also the leather we suggest for a desk chair you plan to keep through several desks, rooms or offices, because it sits with oak, walnut, glass, white laminate or black steel without having to match any of them.
It belongs to our Eames-style office chair collection and shares its cushions with our soft pad range.
Features of Our Black EA219, and Why They Matter
- Three backrest cushions and one seat cushion: each is hand-stitched as its own pad. The seams give the tall back its stacked look and let it flex as you tilt.
- Black Italian leather: an even black that sits with black monitors, keyboards and desk lamps, so nothing on your desk has to be chosen around it.
- Fire-retardant high-resilience foam: fills each cushion back out after you stand up, so the pads keep their rounded shape through long working days.
- Polished chrome aluminium arms, spine and base: bright metal against dark leather. Aluminium keeps the whole chair at 14 kg, light enough to wheel from the desk to a meeting table.
- A 107–113 cm high back: it rises well above the desktop, so the chair reads as executive seating from the doorway and gives you something to lean into when you tilt.
- Gas-lift seat height of 48–57 cm, tilt and 360-degree swivel: set the seat to your desk, ease back to read, and turn to a cabinet or a visitor without standing up.
- Five-star chrome aluminium base on smooth-rolling castors: five arms give a wide, steady footprint, the layout the design moved to for heavy office use.
Eames Soft Pad Chair Black Leather: Why Black on a High Back?
Colour matters more on the EA219 than on a low-back chair, because the back is the largest surface at your desk. In tan, that surface becomes a warm feature. In black, it becomes a clean dark outline for the chrome, and the rest of the room sets the mood.
Black suits more desks than any other leather we offer. Pale oak, walnut, glass, white laminate and black steel all work, since black does not have to pick up a wood tone or an undertone. That makes it the low-risk choice if you expect to change desk, move house or take the chair to a new office in a few years.
It is also the formal option: an executive boardroom high back chair for a director’s office, a consulting room or a law practice, as much as for a home study.
Black is not invisible, though. It shows pale dust, lint and light pet hair sooner than tan, and in a small, dim study the tall back can feel heavy. If that sounds like your room, our tan brown EA219 is the same chair in a lighter leather.
Black Leather EA219 Soft Pad Executive Chair: Materials and Build
Each cushion is cut from black Italian leather, closed with hand stitching and filled with fire-retardant high-resilience foam, which recovers its shape quickly between sittings.
The arms are closed loops of polished chrome aluminium fixed to the side spines, which run up both edges of the back. The same polished metal forms the five-star base, so every metal part of the chair has one finish.
Under the seat sit the gas lift, the tilt and the swivel, on a five-star base whose castors let you push back from the desk without lifting the chair.
Black Was First: The High Back Soft Pad in 1969
Charles and Ray Eames introduced the Soft Pad Group in 1969, sewing thick leather cushions onto the cast aluminium frame of their 1958 Aluminium Group. According to the Eames.com reference guide to the high-back Soft Pad, the high back was the top executive model, and its first releases came only in black leather, with other leathers and fabrics added during the 1970s. The same guide notes that a five-legged base replaced the four-legged version in 1985 for extra stability in office use, which is the base layout our replica follows.
You can read more about the couple on our Charles and Ray Eames page.
Eames Soft Pad EA 219 Office Chair in Black: Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sederica |
| Model | EA219-style soft pad high back office chair, replica |
| Colour | Black leather, polished chrome aluminium frame |
| Upholstery | Black Italian leather, hand-stitched |
| Cushions | Four: three on the back, one on the seat |
| Filling | Fire-retardant high-resilience foam |
| Arms and spine | Polished chrome aluminium |
| Base | Five-star chrome aluminium base, smooth-rolling castors |
| Adjustments | Gas-lift seat height, tilt, 360-degree swivel |
| Feature | Chair |
|---|---|
| Overall width | 59 cm |
| Overall depth | 63 cm |
| Overall height | 107–113 cm |
| Seat height | 48–57 cm (adjustable) |
| Net weight | 14 kg |
Is the Black EA219 Right for Your Desk?
A good choice if
- You want one desk chair that will suit whatever desk, floor or room comes next.
- You are furnishing an office in black, white, grey and chrome, or a room where clients see your chair.
- You lean back often, to read, think or take calls, and want cushions behind your upper back.
- You like the 1969 soft pad look and want it in the colour it first launched in.
Look at another chair if
- Your study is small and dim, or you want the chair to look lighter. The tan brown EA219 has the same size and build.
- You want a lower back that tucks under a window sill or a shelf. Our black EA217 soft pad low back uses the same black cushions.
- You prefer a wider, lounge-like seat with tufted cushions. Look at our black ES104 executive chair.
- You need adjustable lumbar support, seat depth or arm height. This chair has none of those, so a dedicated task chair will suit you better.
- Your feet do not rest flat on the floor at a 48 cm seat height. That is the lowest setting, so plan on a footrest.
Black EA219 Compared with Our Nearest Alternatives
| Chair | Back | Size (W × D × H) | Net weight | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA219 Soft Pad, Black (this chair) | High, three soft pads | 59 × 63 × 107–113 cm | 14 kg | You want a tall, formal chair that suits any desk |
| EA219 Soft Pad, Tan Brown | High, three soft pads | 59 × 63 × 107–113 cm | 14 kg | Your room is bright and wood-heavy and you want a warmer look |
| EA217 Soft Pad Low Back, Black | Low, soft pads | 59 × 63 × 91–97 cm | 12.5 kg | You want the same black cushions on a shorter back |
| ES104 Executive, Black | Mid, three tufted cushions | 74 × 69 × 89–97 cm | 16.5 kg | You want a broad chair for meetings and conversation |
| EA119 Thin Pad, Tan Brown | High, ribbed thin pad | 59 × 67 × 106–117 cm | 13 kg | You like a firmer, slimmer back |
Not sure whether cushions or ribbed leather suit you better? Our soft pad vs thin pad comparison explains how each one feels.
Looking After Black Leather and Polished Chrome
- Hair and lint: wipe downwards with a slightly damp microfibre cloth. Skip sticky lint rollers, which can leave a dull patch on leather.
- Pale marks: dried water or sweat can leave a faint grey bloom on black. Buff it in small circles with a soft, dry cotton cloth.
- Heat and sun: keep the chair out of strong afternoon sun and away from heaters, which dry leather out. Black warms up fastest in direct light.
- Conditioning: use a colourless leather conditioner once or twice a year. Test it first on the rear edge of the seat cushion, where it will not show.
- Seat corners: the front corners of the seat cushion take the most wear on any soft pad chair. Slide in rather than perching on the edge, and never kneel on the seat.
- Chrome: after wiping the arms or base, dry them straight away so water spots do not form. Avoid scouring pads and abrasive cleaners.
Black EA219 Soft Pad Chair: Your Questions
Can I order a second black EA219 later and expect it to match?
Yes. Black is the easiest colour to add to over time, because small shade differences between hides and production batches show far less on black than on tan or brown. The difference you may notice is feel: your first chair will have softened with use, while the new one starts out a little firmer.
Do the stitched cushions still show on black leather?
Up close, yes. From across a room, less so. The seams between the cushions read as fine shadow lines on black, so at a distance the back looks like one tall dark shape framed by chrome. If you want the stacked cushions to be the first thing people notice, the tan brown EA219 shows them more clearly.
Where should a black high-back chair go in a room?
Against a light wall or with open space behind it, where the outline stays crisp. With a bright window directly behind, the chair becomes a dark silhouette. Against a charcoal or navy wall, the leather blends in and mainly the chrome shows.
Which guest chairs suit a black EA219 across the desk?
Chairs in the same black and polished metal, set a little lower than the EA219. Our black Barcelona chair replica works in a study where visitors stay for longer conversations. Our black EA217 low back suits an office where guests need to roll up to the desk.
Does black leather feel hot in summer?
Only in direct sun. Black absorbs more light than tan or white, so a chair standing in a sunny window on a summer afternoon can feel warm when you first sit down. In shade it feels like any other colour, and a blind on a bright south- or west-facing window solves it.
Our black EA219 is a Sederica replica inspired by the work of Charles and Ray Eames. It is not made, approved or endorsed by the Eames Office or any company that holds rights in Eames designs. Our guide to replicas and reproductions explains the terms. See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
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