Short answer: Cozey's Eclipse coffee table suits you if you want one round table with a serving tray and a little storage. Cozey's Arca suits you if you want a low, modular table with hidden or open storage that starts as two side tables.
Both tables sit low, come in Oak or Walnut and keep small things off the sofa, but they are built on different ideas. The Eclipse is one round piece. The Arca is a square building block that you join. This page helps you choose between exactly these two. For the wider decision, read our guide on how to choose a coffee table, and for each table on its own, our Eclipse guide and Arca guide.
On This Page
- How do the Eclipse and Arca compare at a glance?
- Which is better for a small lounge room?
- How do the sizes and heights compare?
- Which has more storage?
- Which is easier to move or reconfigure?
- Which goes better with my sofa?
- How do finishes, materials and assembly compare?
- Which should I choose, Eclipse or Arca?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our tables
How do the Eclipse and Arca compare at a glance?
At a glance, the Eclipse is a round table with two half-circle trays and the Arca is a square, modular table with curved or fluted storage. Every figure below comes from our product pages and guides, with depths rounded to the nearest half inch.
How do the Eclipse and Arca compare at a glance?
| Eclipse coffee table | Arca | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Round, one piece | Square tables, joined in twos or fours |
| Size | 80 cm (31.5 inches) across | One table 55 cm (21.5 inches) square; coffee table (two tables) 110 cm (43.4 inches) x 55 cm (21.5 inches); XL (four tables) 110 cm (43.4 inches) x 110 cm (43.5 inches) |
| Height | 39 cm (15.4 inches) | 35 cm (13.8 inches) in every format |
| Surface | Round top with two half-circle trays; the top tray rotates and lifts off | Flat top on each table; curved or fluted sides |
| Storage | Modest: inside tray 7.5 cm (3.0 inches) high, arranged open or hidden | In every table: hidden (curved) or open shelf (fluted) |
| Finishes | Oak or Walnut | Oak or Walnut |
| Materials | 15 mm MDF with 0.3 mm ash veneer, ash timber legs | Ash timber veneer with a satin finish over a 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) particle board core; bent plywood or ash timber flutes |
| Assembly | Tool-free; about 15 minutes | Curved arrives pre-assembled; fluted assembles flat-packed, mostly tool-free |
| Suits | Chaise or sectional centres, serving, a compact round shape | Low seating, storage, a table that splits into two |
Which is better for a small lounge room?
For a small room, one Eclipse is the simpler fit if you want a single compact piece, and a two-table Arca is better if your room is narrow. The Eclipse is 80 cm (31.5 inches) across with no corners to walk into. The Arca coffee table is longer at 110 cm (43.4 inches), but only 55 cm (21.5 inches) deep, so it leaves a walkway open in front of the sofa.
The Arca also gives you a smaller starting point: one table is 55 cm (21.5 inches) square, which fits beside a sofa arm or a bed. The Eclipse does not come apart, so its footprint is always 80 cm (31.5 inches) across. As a general guideline, leave 14 to 18 inches (36 to 46 cm) between the sofa and the table and keep 30 to 36 inches (76 to 91 cm) clear where people walk. That is general advice, not a product specification. Our guide to pairing a sofa, accent chair and coffee table covers the wider layout.
How do the sizes and heights compare?
The Arca is lower and can be longer, and the Eclipse is slightly taller and rounder. The Eclipse coffee table is 39 cm (15.4 inches) high and 80 cm (31.5 inches) across. The Arca is 35 cm (13.8 inches) high in every format, which is 4 cm (1.6 inches) lower than the Eclipse.
That is a small gap in height and a larger one in shape. The Eclipse is a circle, so its width and depth are the same. The Arca is built from 55 cm (21.5 inches) squares: two make a coffee table of 110 cm (43.4 inches) x 55 cm (21.5 inches), and four make an XL coffee table of 110 cm (43.4 inches) x 110 cm (43.5 inches). We list the Arca in three formats on the product page: side table, coffee table and XL coffee table. The Eclipse coffee table is a single size, and there is a separate Eclipse side table, a round piece 50.5 cm (19.9 inches) across and 52 cm (20.5 inches) high.
Which has more storage?
The Arca has more storage, because every Arca table has some and you can join up to four. The Eclipse storage is modest: its two half-circle trays can be arranged to leave the space open or hidden, and the inside tray is 7.5 cm (3.0 inches) high, enough for remotes, coasters and magazines.
The curved Arca has hidden storage, a narrow compartment about 43.4 cm (17.1 inches) wide and 18.5 cm (7.5 inches) deep and 11 inches (28 cm) high, which suits flat items. The fluted Arca has an open shelf about 21 inches (53 cm) square and 11 inches (28 cm) high, which holds books or a basket. When tables are joined, each keeps its own storage. Neither replaces a cabinet, and our guide to coffee tables with storage compares the wider range. For storage on the wall behind the sofa, see our Themis modular wall system and our Altitude wall shelves and cabinet.
Which is easier to move or reconfigure?
The Arca is easier to reconfigure, and the Eclipse is simpler to move. Each Arca table comes with a foot connector, and you hook two together to make a coffee table. The tables can be separated again later, so a coffee table can go back to being two side tables, one at each end of the sofa. You can also join a curved table to a fluted one, or add two more for the XL format.
The Eclipse is one round table with a removable top tray, so there is nothing to rearrange and it ships in a single carton. We do not list a way to link Eclipse tables. For the route into your home, see our guide to measuring stairs, elevators and doorways.
Which goes better with my sofa?
Either can work, and the choice is about the shape of your seating. A round Eclipse has no corners, so people can reach it from several sides, which suits a sectional or a sofa with a chaise. A pair of Arca tables suits a straight sofa, because the 110 cm (43.4 inches) length follows the line of the seats. This is design advice rather than a rule.
For height, the usual advice is level with the seat or a little lower. Our Cassini sofa has a seat height of 43 cm (17 inches), so the Eclipse at 39 cm (15.4 inches) and the Arca at 35 cm (13.8 inches) both sit below it.
At Cozey, our four sofa collections are Ciello, with deep, loose cushions, Gaia, with a soft seat and a high backrest, Cassini, curved and low, and Atmosphere, with medium-firm seating and our deepest seat. Our guides to Ciello, Gaia, Cassini and Atmosphere give the details. To test a layout, build your sofa in Cozey Studio, our online configurator, and read its overall dimensions before choosing a table. Our guide to table finishes for a light-coloured sofa helps with the wood.
How do finishes, materials and assembly compare?
Both come in Oak and Walnut, so the finish does not decide it. Oak is the lighter, more natural tone, and Walnut is deeper and warmer. You can repeat one wood across the lounge room, since our Stella, Tessella and Ombra tables also come in both.
The materials differ. The Eclipse top and trays are 15 mm MDF with a thin 0.3 mm ash veneer, on ash timber legs, so check the care information on its product page before cleaning. The Arca surface is an ash timber veneer with a satin finish over a 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) particle board core, so it is not solid wood throughout. To clean it, dust with a soft, dry cloth, wipe stains gently with a damp cloth and mild soap, dry right away and use coasters. Finishes can change, so confirm them on the product page.
Assembly is easy on both. Our product pages list the Eclipse as tool-free. The curved Arca arrives pre-assembled, and the fluted Arca ships flat with Knapp connectors, three M6 screws and a 4 mm Allen key, so we describe the Arca as mostly tool-free. Our assembly article lists about 15 minutes for the Eclipse, and we do not publish a time for the Arca.
Which should I choose, Eclipse or Arca?
Choose the Eclipse if you:
- Want a round table: 80 cm (31.5 inches) across with no corners.
- Have a chaise or sectional: people reach it from several sides.
- Want a built-in tray: the top tray lifts off to serve drinks.
- Prefer one piece: nothing to join or rearrange.
Choose the Arca if you:
- Want more storage: hidden in the curved style, open in the fluted style.
- Want the lowest profile: 35 cm (13.8 inches) high in every format.
- Want a table that splits: two side tables that join into a coffee table.
- Want no assembly: the curved style arrives pre-assembled.
Our recommendation
At Cozey, we suggest the Eclipse for a sofa with a chaise or a sectional where a round, compact table with a serving tray fits best, and the Arca for a lounge room that needs tidy storage and a low, changeable table.
- Chaise or sectional centre: Eclipse.
- Narrow room, straight sofa: two Arca tables, 55 cm (21.5 inches) deep.
- Hidden storage: curved Arca.
- Open shelf: fluted Arca.
- A serving tray: Eclipse.
Explore our tables
- Coffee tables
- Side tables
- Eclipse tables guide
- Arca table guide
- How to choose a coffee table
- Coffee tables with storage
- Cozey Studio
More Cozey comparisons: Stella vs Eclipse, Stella vs Arca, Tessella vs Eclipse, Tessella vs Arca, Eclipse vs Ombra, Eclipse vs Mensa, Eclipse vs Solis, Arca vs Ombra, Arca vs Mensa, Arca vs Solis.
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.