Original or replica?

Check out our new video about the differences here!

Let me explain why an Acapulco chair is ´original´ or a ´replica´.

Since the designer of the first Acapulco chair is unknown, all current Acapulco chairs can actually be named replicas. Only the first Acapulco chair ever made should really earn the title 'the Original Acapulco chair'.

So what is the difference nowadays between the original and a replica of an Acapulco chair when searching for one on the internet?

When we say ´original´ we mean that when you buy an Acapulco chair from Silla Acapulco, you buy a chair that is handmade in Mexico by Mexican craftsmen, not in some unknown factory, e.g. in China. We frequently visit our workshops in Mexico and have met the people working there day-to-day to produce this amazing chair. What is more, we know where the materials come from.

We produce our chairs with respect to the environment using recycled materials whenever possible. Moreover, we produce our chairs with respect to the original design, using dimensions very similar to the old Acapulco chairs that were available in Mexico many years ago.

Many producers, mainly from China, but also some European ones, either produce smaller chairs, using inferior materials, or change the original design.

Our frames are sturdy and made of high quality steel. They are welded and consist of a single piece. All chairs are hand-woven with comfortable PVC cords with "memory, so that the seat forms itself to your body and returns to its original shape after use. Some replicas have a frame which can be taken apart, thereby weakening the construction and changing the aesthetic beauty of the original design. The PVC used in replicas is often not flexible, making the chair uncomfortable.

So when searching for an original Acapulco chair please focus on the following facts:

• Where does it come from?
• Check the weight - the original weighs about 8kg, and a replica approximately 5kg.
• What materials are used to make the chair? Is the seat flexible?
• Does the chair have UV protection? This may not reveal whether the chair you are looking for is an original or not, but it is important when you wish to leave your chair in the sun.
• What are the dimensions?

Taking all these facts into consideration is important when deciding on buying an Acapulco chair. To conclude, it is worth to pay a bit more, knowing that you are buying a high quality fair product that will last many years.

Your chair may even be called ´the original´ in the near future!