Varier Furniture is a Norwegian company based in Oslo, specialising in ergonomic and active seating. The conceptual foundation was laid by Hans Christian Mengshoel, who in 1976 began researching alternative sitting postures and invited designers including Peter Opsvik, Oddvin Rykken and Svein Gusrud to translate his findings into product designs. In 1979, the group presented the first prototypes at the Scandinavian Furniture Fair in Copenhagen — among them the Variable™ balans®, the kneeling chair that became an icon of the ergonomic furniture world. In 1984, Mengshoel, Opsvik, Rykken and Gusrud received the Jacob Prize, Norway's highest design recognition. Varier as an independent company was established in 2006 when Stokke spun off its "Movement by Stokke" product line.
The Variable™ remains the core product: a forward-tilted seat with knee pads that opens the natural hip angle and relieves the spine. Further models include Gravity™ (from working to reclining position), Kokon, Ekstrem (design Terje Ekstrøm) and Move (design Per Øie). Production is in Poland; wood sourced from Romania and Estonia. Sustainability: Revive fabric from recycled PET bottles, water-based lacquers and easily disassembled construction. Presence in 40+ countries, subsidiaries in Italy and Germany.
For workplace consultants, planning teams in healthcare and education and private users who regard ergonomic seating as an investment in physical health, Varier is the international reference brand for active sitting — with nearly 50 years of design history and a clinically grounded operating principle.