Fjällräven’s Kånken backpack is now a work of art. Fjallraven Kanken Backpack has been declared a work of art by Svensk Form, the Swedish Society of Arts and Crafts.
Fjallraven Kanken Backpack
Featuring the same logo and simple, functional design since 1978, the backpack has become an iconic style symbol – not just in Sweden, but across the world. In recognition of this, Svensk Form – a non-profit organisation tasked by the Swedish Government to promote Swedish design – has added the bag to its list of protected pieces of applied art. Svensk Form says that Kånken is more than just a functional object – its design has its own identity.
Kånken was launched in 1978 to tackle increased incidences of back pain in students – a result of carrying heavy books to school in single strap shoulder bags. Fjällräven founder Åke Nordin used his experience in designing comfortable, functional backpacks for trekking to create backpacks for commuting and exploring towns and cities. With 30,000 sales in the first two years, Kånken was an instant success. Made from durable, water-resistant fabric, it’s now popular with people of all ages and from all parts of the world.
Fjallraven Kanken Backpack review
“Like many products that have become icons over the years, Kånken follows a rule of timelessness and simple design. So it’s not surprising that you see a lot of old Kånken backpacks, that have been passed on from parents to their kids, still in use today,” says head of design at Fjällräven, Henrik Andersson.
LIGHTWEIGHT, VERSATILE AND GOOD-LOOKING
The Kanken is one of the most lightweight and versatile backpacks on the market, making it a great choice for running errands or exploring new cities alike. Its big, U-shaped zip gives access to the entire main compartment. This allows you to get at anything inside your Kanken without rummaging through and making a mess.
With its 16L main compartment, the Kanken Classic is large enough to comfortably carry everyday essentials like a sweater, a drink bottle, your books and your lunch. If that’s too big or too small, you can check out the Kanken Big, Mini or Kids. There are also Kankens with a dedicated, padded laptop compartment.
Fjallraven Kanken Backpack Sale
INNOVATIVE, ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS
The Kanken is made of Fjallraven’s Vinylon F, which is really easy to clean – just use a warm cloth and dirt just rubs off. Our Office All-Rounder, Tim, can vouch for that. He battered his Kanken Big in Sri Lanka for a few weeks recently. With just a bit of elbow grease, it looks almost new again.
In fact, Fjallraven is really committed to innovating with new synthetic materials. It’s part of their heritage. “Fjallraven” means “Arctic Fox” in Swedish. Look them up, they’re really cute. Unfortunately, they’re also endangered, which motivates Fjallraven to do better by all animals. You won’t find any unethically-sourced materials in Fjallraven products, and they’ve even supported Arctic Fox preservation projects at Stockholm University.
More than three million Kånken have been sold globally and this number continues to rise. The bag is now available in more than 40 different colours, but the same basic design stays the same. You can Buy Fjallraven Kanken Backpack up to 60% off.