Short answer: Cozey's Hubbel suits you if you want removable, machine-washable covers and a low, shallow seat. Cozey's Vela lounge chair suits you if you want our narrowest chair, a slightly deeper seat and more fabric choice. Both come in Oak or Walnut.
Hubbel and Vela are both low, compact and built on solid ash legs, so they are easy to confuse. They differ in width, seat depth, covers and fabrics, and those four points decide the choice. For each chair in full, read our Hubbel guide and Vela guide.
On This Page
- What is the main difference between Hubbel and Vela?
- How do Hubbel and Vela compare side by side?
- Which is better for a small room?
- Which has the lower or deeper seat?
- Which has covers I can remove and wash?
- Which fabrics, colours and timber finishes can I choose?
- Which goes better with my sofa?
- Which is easier to move and assemble?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our lounge chairs
What is the main difference between Hubbel and Vela?
At Cozey, we designed Hubbel around easy care and Vela around a small footprint. Hubbel has a cushioned seat and backrest on two planar ash legs, and its covers lift off and go in the washing machine. Vela has an ash frame, seat and back shells of 10 mm ash veneer over plywood, and seat and back cushions in covers that do not come off.
Vela is 58.1 cm (22.9 inches) wide, the narrowest of our five lounge chairs, and Hubbel has the lowest and shallowest seat of the five. For other shapes, see our guide to choosing an accent chair.
How do Hubbel and Vela compare side by side?
Depths are rounded to the nearest 0.5 cm (0.5 inch), and every figure comes from our product pages and guides.
How do Hubbel and Vela compare side by side?
| Hubbel | Vela lounge chair | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall size (width x depth x height) | 68.5 x 83 x 70.5 cm (27.0 x 32.5 x 27.8 inches) | 58.1 x 77.5 x 69.4 cm (22.9 x 30.5 x 27.3 inches) |
| Seat height | 40 cm (15.7 inches) | 41.4 cm (16.3 inches) |
| Seat depth | 48 cm (19.0 inches) | 55.5 cm (22.0 inches) |
| Frame and legs | Plytimber frame, two solid ash legs | Ash frame, ash veneer plywood shells |
| Covers | Removable, machine washable | Not removable; spot clean |
| Fabrics | Performance Chenille, Aquaforte Velvet | Performance Basketweave, Bouclé, Performance Chenille, Textured Weave |
| Colours | 7 | 4 |
| Timber finish | Oak or Walnut | Oak or Walnut |
| Boxes | Chair box and cover kit box | Frame box and cushion box |
| Assembly | Mostly tool-free; Allen key included | Mostly tool-free; Allen key included |
| Suits | Low seat, easy care, pets and kids | Tightest spaces, more fabric choice |
Which is better for a small room?
Vela is the better choice for the smallest spaces. At 58.1 cm (22.9 inches) wide and 77.5 cm (30.5 inches) deep, it is about 10.5 cm (4 inches) narrower and 5.5 cm (2 inches) shallower than Hubbel. It fits a narrow wall, a bedroom corner or a gap beside a bookshelf.
Hubbel is still compact, and its low back keeps sight lines open. It leaves 15.5 cm (6.1 inches) of clearance under the front, worth comparing with a robot vacuum. As general advice, not a product specification, leave 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 inches) for a walkway and mark the footprint with painter's tape. Our guides to measuring stairs, lifts and doorways and the best sofas for small apartments cover the route in and the rest of the room.
Which has the lower or deeper seat?
Hubbel has the lower seat and Vela has the deeper one. Hubbel's seat is 40 cm (15.7 inches) high and 48 cm (19.0 inches) deep, the lowest and shallowest of our five lounge chairs. Vela's is 41.4 cm (16.3 inches) high and 55.5 cm (22.0 inches) deep.
The height gap is under 1.5 cm (1 inch), but the depth gap is 7.5 cm (3 inches). A shallower seat suits sitting upright, and a deeper one gives you more room to settle back.
Which has covers I can remove and wash?
Hubbel does, and Vela does not. Hubbel ships with a removable seat cover and backrest cover, both machine washable: wash Performance Chenille cold on a gentle cycle and air dry, and wipe Aquaforte Velvet spills with a damp cloth or machine wash it cold.
Vela's covers are fixed, so vacuum regularly, blot spills with minimal water and a mild, non-abrasive cleaner, and use professional cleaning for stains that persist. Press and smooth Vela's cushions back into shape. Both chairs are listed as pet friendly, which is our own assessment. See our guide to cleaning your sofa for care by fabric.
Which fabrics, colours and timber finishes can I choose?
Vela has more fabric families, and Hubbel has the most durable fabric. Both chairs come in Oak or Walnut on satin-finished ash legs. A higher Martindale count means a more abrasion-resistant fabric.
Which fabrics, colours and timber finishes can I choose?
| Fabric | Martindale | Hubbel | Vela lounge chair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquaforte Velvet | More than 200,000 | Chocolate, Aqua, Crumble | No |
| Performance Basketweave | More than 100,000 | No | Leaf |
| Textured Weave | 54,000 | No | White Sand |
| Bouclé | 15,000 | No | Cloud |
| Performance Chenille | 48,000 | Sage, Frost, Bordeaux, Espresso | Sage |
Colours change, so check each product page, order free swatches, and read our guides to performance fabric and sofa fabric types.
Which goes better with my sofa?
Either chair works beside any sofa, so choose by colour and timber tone. Hubbel's Chenille colours share names with the same fabric on our Cassini sofa, and Sage, Bordeaux and Espresso also appear on Gaia.
Repeat the timber rather than match it exactly, for example with a coffee table or shelf. To preview a sofa colour, build it in Cozey Studio and compare it with the chair swatch; our Studio guide explains how. For the wall beside the chair, see Themis and Altitude, and for the whole room, how to pair a sofa, an accent chair and a coffee table.
Which is easier to move and assemble?
They are close. Hubbel ships in a chair box of 77 x 70 cm (30.3 x 27.6 inches) at 20.8 kg, plus a cover kit box. Vela ships in two boxes, a frame box at 12.4 kg and a cushion box at 7.9 kg, which are easier on a narrow stairwell. Both chairs are mostly tool-free, with an Allen key in the hardware box, and assembly guides are on each product page.
Our recommendation
At Cozey, we suggest choosing by the one point that matters most to you.
- Choose Hubbel if you want removable, machine-washable covers, the lowest and shallowest seat, or Aquaforte Velvet.
- Choose Vela if you want the narrowest chair, a deeper seat, or Basketweave or Textured Weave.
- Family home or pet: Hubbel. Tight bedroom corner or reading nook: Vela.
Explore our lounge chairs
- Hubbel lounge chair
- Vela lounge chair
- All lounge chairs
- Lounge room seating
- Side tables
- Hubbel guide
- Vela guide
More Cozey comparisons: Mira vs Hubbel, Mira vs Vela Lounge, Naos vs Hubbel, Naos vs Vela Lounge, Hubbel vs Cassini Lounge, Vela Lounge vs Cassini Lounge.
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.