Kartell K-VIT Leva Pair of Basin Taps – Chrome (TAP170LE)

Kartell K-VIT Leva Pair of Basin Taps – Chrome (TAP170LE)

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 1/2" basin 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 mixer?

Pillar taps are the two-tap arrangement — no mixing, hot from one and cold from the other. Where they make sense is a two tap hole basin you are keeping: fitting a mixer would mean replacing the basin, so a pair of taps is both the cheaper swap and the simpler fit.

The honest trade-off is that you cannot set a temperature. It is hot, or cold, or a hand under each.

Three sizes in the range

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

• Basin taps (this pair) — 1/2", for a two tap hole basin
• Bath taps — 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

Before you order

Check your basin has two tap holes at standard centres, with room either side of the bowl for the levers to swing.

The waste is sold separately.

Water pressure

Suitable for low pressure systems, so they work on gravity-fed plumbing as well as combi and mains.

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: TAP170LE
• 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 basins
• 1/2" BSP connections
• Suitable for low water pressure systems
• Weight 1kg
• Fixings supplied
• Waste sold separately
• Lifetime guarantee (1 year on moving parts)
• Barcode 5055681401801

Downloads

Download the technical data sheet