In 1948, Charles and Ray Eames presented their first collection of moulded plastic chairs at the New York Museum of Modern Art during the International Competition for the Design of Low-Cost Furniture. The competition focused on:

The need for well-designed, moderately priced furnishings for the vast majority of people; furnishings that could be easily moved, stored and cared for, thus meeting the demand of modern living.

In addition to these concerns, the chairs were designed to be mass-produced. The Eames team were careful to design these chairs so they would look great in large quantities, such as in auditoriums; minimalist in their overall uniformity.

Today, the moulded plastic chairs are being produced by Herman Miller in recyclable polypropylene, and by Modernica using the original fiberglass moulds.