The 8 Best Danish Design Brands Right Now

Founded in 2002 by Rolf and Mette Hay, HAY has become the most influential Danish brand of its generation. Their model — collaborating with international designers to produce well-made, fairly-priced furniture and accessories — has set the template for the entire industry.

Best buy: The About A Chair family, designed by Hee Welling. Available in dozens of configurations, the AAC22 (€369) in recycled plastic is the definitive version. Also notable: the Copenhague CPH30 dining table, designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for the University of Copenhagen.

Muuto (the Finnish word for 'new perspective') launched in 2006 with a mission to evolve the Nordic design tradition for a new generation. They commission young designers — Anderssen & Voll, Iskos-Berlin, Simon Legald — and give them the production quality to realise their visions properly.

Best buy: The Stacked Shelving System (from €1,190) and the Outline Sofa. Both exemplify Muuto's approach: familiar category, completely reconsidered execution.

&Tradition was founded on the idea that great historic designs deserve to be in production again. Alongside their archive (Verner Panton's Flowerpot, Vilhelm Lauritzen's radiohus pendant, Viggo Boesen's Little Petra chair), they commission new work from designers like Jaime Hayon and Space Copenhagen.

Best buy: The Flowerpot VP1 (€255) in any of their current colourways. It is simply one of the great pendant lamps, and has been since Panton designed it in 1968.

Normann Copenhagen takes more visual risks than most Danish brands. Their Simon Legald collaborations — the Era lounge chair, the Form dining chair, the Studio pendant — have a graphic boldness that sets them apart. The recent Mat Chair (Hemp/Eelgrass, €1,150) won Product of the Year at the Mix Awards 2024 and is one of the most interesting sustainable furniture pieces currently available.

Best buy: The Era Lounge Chair (from €1,980) for a statement piece; the Form Chair (€335) for an accessible starting point.

Ferm Living occupies an interesting position in Danish design — more colourful, more playful, and more willing to engage with pattern and surface decoration than their Nordic peers. The Turn Sofa, the Pond dining table, and their Kelim rug series are all genuinely distinctive pieces that resist the charge of being 'just another Scandi brand'.

Best buy: The Punctual Shelving System (from €890) for storage that actually looks interesting, and the Boucle Cushion (€69) as an easy entry point.

Audo (formerly Menu) has repositioned itself at the top end of Danish design, focusing on fewer, more refined pieces in collaboration with Norm Architects. The Androgyne tables, the Eave Sofa, and the JWDA lamp are all investment-grade objects with a restrained precision that feels genuinely luxurious.

Best buy: The Androgyne Lounge Table (€895) is the most versatile piece in the range — works as a coffee table, side table, or sculptural object.

Gubi has cornered the market in classic reissues — the Grasshopper lamp by Greta Grossman, Ditte Vigsø's Masculo chair, the Cactus magazine rack by Guido Drocco and Franco Mello. But their new commissions are equally strong. The Multi-Lite pendant, the BL9 table lamp, and the Aluvia chandelier are all excellent contemporary pieces.

Best buy: The Multi-Lite pendant (from €495). Adjustable, beautiful, and suitable for almost any room.

No list of Danish design is complete without Fritz Hansen. The home of Arne Jacobsen's Egg, Swan, and Series 7 chairs, they represent the absolute pinnacle of Danish furniture heritage. Prices reflect that position — the Egg Chair starts at around €6,000 — but the quality and longevity are commensurate.

Best buy: The Series 7 chair (from €350) is one of the most produced chairs in history and one of the few at its price point that genuinely improves as it ages.