Short answer: Cozey's Ombra suits you if you want a wood table with shelf space and an ottoman that doubles as a seat or footrest. Our Solis suits you if you want a slim steel side table that rises from sofa height to bedside or laptop height.
These two tables do different jobs. The Ombra is a fixed-height table that adds seating and shelves, and it also comes as a coffee table. The Solis is a side table whose top moves. Our guides to how to choose a side table and how to choose a coffee table cover the wider range.
On This Page
- What is the main difference between the Ombra and the Solis?
- How do the sizes and heights compare?
- Which is better for a small room?
- Which has more storage and seating?
- Which works better beside a sofa, a bed or a desk?
- Which has more finishes and colours?
- Which is easier to assemble and move?
- Which should I choose?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our tables
What is the main difference between the Ombra and the Solis?
The main difference is that the Ombra adds things and the Solis adjusts. At Cozey, we describe the Ombra table as a wood table with shelves and ottomans that nest under the top, sold as a coffee table with two ottomans or a side table with one. We describe the Solis side table as one steel top on a column, with a gas piston and a handle that let you raise or lower it.
Neither is a nesting set: in the Ombra, the ottomans nest, and the Solis is a single table. See our guide to nesting tables and space-saving side tables.
How do the sizes and heights compare?
The Solis is the shallower and more flexible table, and the Ombra is the larger and more fixed one.
How do the sizes and heights compare?
| Ombra side table | Ombra coffee table | Solis side table | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Cylinder, round from above | Slim rectangle | Rectangular top on a steel column |
| Size | 50 cm (19.7 inches) across | 110 x 55 cm (43.3 x 21.5 inches) | Top 55 x 32.5 cm (21.7 x 13.0 inches) |
| Height | 50 cm (19.7 inches), fixed | 33.9 cm (13.3 inches), fixed | 52.5 to 78 cm (20.7 to 30.7 inches), adjustable |
| Seating | One ottoman, or none | Two ottomans, or none | None |
| Storage | Shelf | Open shelves in two sizes | None |
| Finish | Oak or Walnut | Oak or Walnut | six steel colours |
| Best for | A sofa end that needs a shelf and a seat | Hosting and low lounging | A tight spot, a bedside or a small work surface |
In height, the Ombra stays at 50 cm (19.7 inches), while the Solis starts about an inch above that and rises another 25.5 cm (10.0 inches).
Which is better for a small room?
The Solis is the better fit for the tightest spots. At Cozey, we find its top is only 32.5 cm (13.0 inches) deep, so it sits against a sofa arm without pushing into the walkway, and its base is 33 x 25 cm (13.0 x 10.0 inches).
The Ombra side table takes more floor, because it is 50 cm (19.7 inches) across, but it gives you a shelf and a seat in that footprint. The Ombra coffee table is 110 cm (43.3 inches) long and needs a clear patch in front so the ottomans can pull out.
Which has more storage and seating?
The Ombra has both, and the Solis has neither. At Cozey, we list the Ombra side table with a shelf and one ottoman, and the coffee table with open shelves in two sizes and two ottomans. The ottomans are 30 cm (11.8 inches) high, so we see them as occasional seats and footrests rather than sofa seats. For other options, see our guides to coffee tables with storage and storage ottomans that double as seating.
We list no drawer, shelf or seat for the Solis. Its top is for a lamp, a drink or a laptop. For hidden storage, our Arca has a curved version.
Which works better beside a sofa, a bed or a desk?
The Solis is the more flexible choice, and the Ombra suits a low seat. Beside a sofa, a common guideline is a top level with the arm or a little below it; that is general advice, not a specification. Our Cassini seat is 43 cm (16.9 inches) high and our Ciello and Gaia seats are 54 cm (21.3 inches) high, so the fixed 50 cm (19.7 inches) Ombra sits above a low seat and below a high one, while the Solis can be set to match either.
Beside a bed, a common guideline is a top near the height of your mattress, so measure yours against the Solis range of 52.5 to 78 cm (20.7 to 30.7 inches). The Ombra, at 50 cm (19.7 inches), suits a lower bed.
As a small work surface, raise the Solis for a laptop and keep to its dynamic load of 6 kg (13.2 lb).
Either table works with any of our sofas, so let the arm height decide. Our four modular sofa collections are Ciello (soft, with deep loose cushions), Gaia (a soft seat with a high back), Cassini (low and curved) and Atmosphere (medium-firm, with our deepest seat); in Cozey Studio, our online configurator, you can design your sofa and see its overall length before you pick a table, and our Studio guide explains how. By the common two-thirds guideline, the 110 cm (43.3 inches) Ombra coffee table suits a sofa of roughly 165 cm (65 inches) or longer. For the wall behind the sofa, see Themis and Altitude.
Which has more finishes and colours?
The Solis has more colours, and the Ombra has wood. At Cozey, the Solis comes in six powder-coated steel colours: Eclipse, Wave, Dandelion, Thyme, Mushroom and Solstice. The Ombra comes in Oak (lighter) or Walnut (deeper), and its ottoman covers come in Sage, Espresso and Frost (Performance Chenille, 48,000 on the Martindale scale) and Sesame (Aquaforte, 78,000).
Eclipse is only a colour name here, not our round Eclipse tables. For a pale sofa, see our guide to table finishes for a light-coloured sofa.
Which is easier to assemble and move?
The Solis is the quicker table to build. Our assembly article lists the Solis at about 15 minutes. It ships in one box of 10.4 kg (23.0 lb).
The Ombra arrives flat, with screws, wooden dowel pins and a 4 mm Allen key, and the ottomans arrive with their covers on. Its side table box weighs 17 kg (37.5 lb). We do not publish its assembly time. Both are mostly tool-free.
Which should I choose?
- Choose the Ombra if you want a wood finish, a shelf, and a seat or footrest that tucks away, or if you want a coffee table that matches the side table.
- Choose the Solis if you want a table that changes height, have a narrow spot, or want one steel colour as an accent.
Our recommendation
At Cozey, we suggest the Ombra side table for a sofa end where a shelf and an extra seat matter, and the Solis for a narrow spot, a bedside or a work corner where height matters. If you cannot decide, measure your sofa arm or mattress height and the floor you can spare.
Our Ombra guide and Solis guide have the full details.
Explore our tables
- Ombra table
- Solis side table
- Side tables
- Coffee tables
- How to choose a side table
- How to choose a coffee table
More Cozey comparisons: Stella vs Ombra, Stella vs Solis, Tessella vs Ombra, Tessella vs Solis, Eclipse vs Ombra, Eclipse vs Solis, Arca vs Ombra, Arca vs Solis, Ombra vs Mensa, Mensa vs Solis.
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.