This paper presents a T–S model-based fuzzy controller design approach for electromagnetic suspension systems. The T–S fuzzy model is firstly applied to represent the nonlinear electromagnetic suspension systems. Then, based on the obtained T–S fuzzy model, a fuzzy state feedback controller is used to ensure the required mixed ℓ 2 –ℓ ∞ performance of original electromagnetic suspension system to be achieved. This controller is designed in a nonparallel-distributed compensation scheme. And sufficient conditions for the existence of such a controller are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, numerical simulation on an electromagnetic suspension system is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.