Home office style with Carl Hansen & Søn’s CH621 swivel chair
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Finding the perfect office chair can be tricky. You’ll be sitting on it for long periods at a time, so you’ll want something comfortable that won’t cause aches and pains or do any damage to your posture. You’ll want something sturdy and well-built, which can withstand hours of use day after day. And if, like me, you work from home, you’ll also want something stylish that fits with your décor and doesn’t look ugly or overly clinical. It’s a lot to ask from a single piece of furniture, but I’ve found one that ticks all the boxes: renowned Danish mid-century designer Hans J. Wegner’s CH621 swivel chair, which was first released in 1948 and has now gone back into production with Carl Hansen & Søn.
Often dubbed the ‘Master of the Chair’, Wegner was responsible for iconic designs such as the CH24 ‘Wishbone’ chair and the CH25 lounge chair. But out of the more than 500 chairs he created in his lifetime, the CH621 is one of only a few swivel-based models. It’s perhaps surprising, given Wegner’s commitment to balancing form and function – in fact he was one of the first designers to focus on ergonomics, and he often collaborated with doctors and physiologists to perfect angles, lumbar support and sitting position.
The CH621 swivel chair is certainly a thing of beauty, with its sleek brushed-steel frame, oak backrest and seat, and padded upholstery in either soft beige leather (shown here) or tactile forest-green fabric. There’s a hint of retro industrial style about it, but it also has a timeless elegance thanks to its gentle curves and lightweight expression. What’s more, it doesn’t have the clunky look of so many other office chairs, which tend to overwhelm rather than complement whatever space they sit in.
The relaunched CH621 sticks closely to Wegner’s design, but Carl Hansen & Søn has made a few subtle updates to comply with 21st-century requirements. Firstly, the rotating spindle which adjusted the height of the original has been replaced with an easier-to-use lever and modern gas-lift cylinder. In addition, there are now five castors rather than four for greater stability.
The result is a chair that’s as practical to use as it is pretty to look at. And, having had the pleasure of testing it out in my own home over the past couple of weeks, I can attest to how comfortable it is. The backrest is unobtrusive but supportive, and the armrests are ideally positioned for resting my elbows when I’m typing or writing notes. In addition, the seat can be lowered or raised in seconds, meaning I can configure it to how I’m feeling and what I’m doing.
Having a chair on castors has also turned out to be very useful. In our previous house, I had my own office upstairs, while my husband Chris had a dedicated desk in the corner of our dining room. Following our move to a smaller country cottage, we now have to share the same space on the two or three days a week when he works from home. We have one large desk between us and often swap sides based on our agendas and to-do lists – if I’m photo-editing, for example, I don’t like facing the glare of the window, whereas Chris likes to sit away from the door when he’s on video calls so that I can come and go without getting in the way. A lightweight chair that we can zip around in as needed makes things that little bit easier, and the wheels run smoothly over both our hardwood floor and woven rug.
Sadly the CH621 I’ve been road-testing is only on loan, but it’s now firmly at the top of my wish list. Going back to a cheap, rickety office chair after a couple of weeks of comfort is going to be a wrench, and my back and neck definitely won’t thank me for it. There’s no denying the CH621 is an investment piece, but if there’s ever an item of furniture not to skimp on it’s the one we spend most of our working lives sitting in. And this is a chair that’s sure to stand the test of time, both in terms of aesthetics and quality – if I do manage to buy one, I expect it will still be with me when I retire!
The CH621 swivel chair is available now, priced from £2,615 / €2,785. Find details of Carl Hansen & Søn flagship stores and stockists near you here.
