Kevi chair by Jørgen Rasmussen

In my constant quest to record design classics, learning more about them as I do, I make my way towards the Kevi chair which has been on the list for some time now.

Sat in many times but never owned, the Kevi chair is, in my opinion, the best task chair you can purchase. And this is for many reasons beyond its ability to perform as a task chair. The chair is so light in design that a room filled with Kevi chairs is not overrun by the attention-hogging task chairs that we so often see in workspaces.

An elegant task chair, which is usually an oxymoron, the Kevi started life in 1958 when designer Jørgen Rasmussen created the first model of the groundbreaking classic chair series, of which 2.5 million were sold.

The Kevi range, which also includes upholstered models, was designed in 1958 by the Danish architects and twins Ib and Jørgen Rasmussen. In 1965 Jørgen Rasmussen invented the ´twin-wheel castor’ for the chair, which has since made everything from Kevi chairs to Philips televisions easy to move. The castors were added to the list of ”Danish cultural products”—as one of the 12 most important design and craftwork pieces of Danish culture.

Designed by an architect, the Kevi is suitable for homes, offices, schools and workplaces where one solution must satisfy many demands. Everything is visible, nothing is superfluous: seat, back, base, and controls designed to functional perfection. A simple well-balanced formula that incorporates aesthetic appeal with freedom of movement plus the flexibility you would expect from a full-service program.

There have been many versions of the Kevi over the years. I’ve very fond of the original but the padded version is extremely comfortable. This model is called Kevi 2534u (shown here with a Paul Smith stripe). I do have a penchant for the leather upholstered version.

The Kevi is now available in multiple colours, multiple upholstery types and now even an Air version with a perforated seat and back allowing more airflow for longer sitting times. This is one chair that can be played with in many ways but still is identifiable by how simple the ideas are.

Long live the Kevi chair.