Kartell K-VIT Leva Pair of Bath Taps – Chrome (TAP171LE)

Kartell K-VIT Leva Pair of Bath Taps – Chrome (TAP171LE)

The Kartell K-VIT Leva range is plain, practical brassware with lever handles rather than crossheads or a single mixer. Kartell describe it as “a clean design with easy grip handles”, and that is exactly what it is: nothing decorative, just a shape that is genuinely easy to turn on and off.

This is a pair of 3/4" bath taps: two separate taps, one hot and one cold.

Where lever handles earn their keep

Levers are the sensible choice wherever grip or dexterity is a consideration — arthritic hands, reduced strength, or anyone who struggles with a crosshead that needs a firm twist. A quarter turn on a lever takes very little force, and can be managed with a wrist, an elbow or the back of a hand rather than gripping at all.

That makes Leva worth considering for an accessible bathroom, an elderly relative’s home, or a rental where you want something anyone can use. It is also simply practical in a family bathroom with soapy hands.

Pillar taps or a bath filler?

Pillar taps are the two-tap arrangement — no mixing. You fill the bath with both running and mix in the bath.

Where they make sense is a two tap hole bath you are keeping: cheaper than a bath filler and a simpler fit. The honest trade-off is that you cannot set a temperature at the tap.

Three sizes in the range

Leva comes as three separate pairs, and the size matters because they are not interchangeable:

• Basin taps — 1/2", for a two tap hole basin
• Bath taps (this pair) — 3/4", larger so the bath fills in reasonable time
• High neck kitchen sink taps — 1/2", tall enough to get a bucket or a big pan underneath

It is a substantial pair

At 3.84kg for the pair these are heavy — solid brass rather than thin castings, and among the heaviest tap pairs Kartell make.

Before you order

Check your bath has two tap holes at the correct centres. A bath drilled for a mixer usually has them closer together than a pillar pair needs.

The waste is sold separately. A bath needs a waste and overflow set, which is not included.

Water pressure

Suitable for low pressure systems, so they work on gravity-fed plumbing as well as mains pressure — though on low pressure any bath tap fills slowly.

Living with them

Ceramic disc cartridges with quarter-turn operation rather than washers, so far less likely to drip than traditional pillar taps — and the quarter turn is part of what makes them easy to use.

Polished chrome needs nothing more than a wipe with a soft cloth. Avoid abrasive cleaners and limescale removers left to soak; both cut through the plating, and dull chrome cannot be brought back.

Specification

• Code: TAP171LE
• Supplied as a pair (hot and cold)
• Polished chrome, gloss finish
• Solid brass construction
• Lever handles — easy grip
• Ceramic disc cartridges, quarter turn operation
• For two tap hole baths
• 3/4" BSP connections
• Suitable for low water pressure systems
• Weight 3.84kg
• Fixings supplied
• Waste sold separately
• Lifetime guarantee (1 year on moving parts)
• Barcode 5055681401818

Downloads

Download the technical data sheet