This paper presents a design of variable inductor based on the orthogonal magnetization in order to reduce the amplitude of harmonic and exciting current created by traditional magnetization saturation inductor. Under the application of ac excitation field and dc bias field， the effective inductance can be changed. Experiment shows that the inductance decreases when the dc current increases. With an appropriate current in the orthogonal bias coils， an inductance plateau can be reached on which the inductance remains stable over a range of ac excitation currents， and the linearity of the magnetizing process can be maintained. In the paper， the orthogonal magnetization mechanism is analyzed. Furthermore， the harmonic characteristics are compared for two types of dc bias coils. The proposed inductor provides a good harmonic characteristic and needs less dc bias current.