Short answer: Cozey's Arca suits a living room that needs a low side table with hidden or open storage, in Oak or Walnut. Cozey's Solis suits a narrow spot where a slim steel top that changes height is more useful than storage.
Both are small tables that sit beside a sofa or a bed, yet they solve different problems. The Arca is low, deeper and built around storage, and the Solis is shallow and adjustable. For the wider choice, see our guides to the Arca and the Solis.
On This Page
- Which is better for a small room?
- How do the sizes compare?
- Which has more storage?
- Which works better beside a sofa or a bed?
- Which is easier to move or reconfigure?
- What are they made of, and how are they assembled?
- Which goes better with my sofa?
- Which should I choose?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our tables
Which is better for a small room?
The Solis is the better fit for a very narrow space, and the Arca is the better fit when you want a low profile. The Solis top is 21.7 x 13 inches, so it is only 13 inches deep and stays out of the walkway. One Arca table is 21.5 inches square, so it takes more floor.
The Arca makes up for that by sitting at 13.8 inches high, which keeps sight lines open in a small living room. The Solis starts at 20.7 inches, so its top is visible from across the room. Leave about 30 inches clear where people walk, and more if you can. Our guide to how to choose a side table covers footprints in more detail.
How do the sizes compare?
The Arca is lower and deeper, and the Solis is shallower and adjustable. Here is the pair at a glance, from the figures on our product pages and guides.
How do the sizes compare?
| Feature | Arca | Solis |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Square | Rectangular top on a steel column and flat base |
| Top or footprint | 21.5 inches square | 21.7 x 13 inches |
| Height | 13.8 inches, fixed | 20.7 inches to 30.7 inches, adjustable |
| Storage | Hidden (curved) or open (fluted) in every table | None |
| Larger formats | Two tables make a coffee table, four make an XL coffee table | Single table only |
| Load | We do not publish a rating | Static maximum 66.1 lb (30 kg), dynamic maximum 13.2 lb (6 kg) |
| Finishes | Oak or Walnut | Powder-coated steel in seven colors |
| Materials | Ash wood veneer with a satin finish over a 0.98-inch (2.5 cm) particle board core; bent plywood or ash wood flutes | Cold-rolled carbon steel, plastic (PVC) handle |
| Assembly | Curved arrives pre-assembled; fluted assembles flat-packed, mostly tool-free | About 15 minutes, mostly tool-free |
| Best for | Low seating, storage, a table that can become a coffee table | Narrow gaps, a lamp, a laptop, a height you can change |
Depth figures are rounded to the nearest half inch, and heights and widths are as published.
Which has more storage?
The Arca, because every Arca table has storage and the Solis has none. The curved Arca has hidden storage, a narrow compartment about 17.1 inches wide and 7.5 inches deep, which suits flat items such as remotes, magazines and coasters. The fluted Arca has an open shelf about 21 inches square and 11 inches high, which suits books or a basket.
The Solis is a slim top on a column, so it holds what you set on it and nothing more. If you want a place to put things away, choose the Arca. Our guide to coffee tables with storage compares the wider range.
Which works better beside a sofa or a bed?
The Solis is the more flexible choice, and the Arca suits a low seat. A common guideline is a side table with a top level with the arm of your sofa or a little below it. Our Ciello and Gaia seats are 21.3 inches high and our Cassini seat is 17 inches high, so measure your own sofa first. The Arca at 13.8 inches sits below all of those. The Solis can be set to match the arm, and our side table guide notes that its base can slide under a sofa seat base, so check your own clearance.
For a bed, a common guideline is a top near the height of your mattress, so measure the mattress top and compare it with the Solis range of 20.7 inches to 30.7 inches. The Arca is fixed at 13.8 inches, so it suits only a very low bed. The Solis top is small, and it suits a lamp, a phone and a glass of water. Neither is a nightstand with a drawer.
Which is easier to move or reconfigure?
Each changes in a different way. The Arca changes shape: each table comes with a foot connector, and you hook two together into a coffee table of 43.4 x 21.5 inches, or four into an XL coffee table of 43.4 x 43.5 inches. The tables can be separated again later, so a coffee table can go back to being two side tables. You can also mix curved and fluted.
The Solis changes height. A handle under the top releases a pneumatic cylinder with a 120 N gas piston, so you can raise or lower the top. We publish the two end positions and not the number of stops between them. It cannot be joined to a second Solis or to an Arca. If you want a table that grows, the Arca is the one. If you want a table that moves between jobs, the Solis is the one.
What are they made of, and how are they assembled?
The Arca comes in Oak or Walnut, and the Solis comes in steel, and they go together differently. The Arca surface is an ash wood veneer with a satin finish over a 0.98-inch (2.5 cm) particle board core, with ash wood flutes on the fluted style and bent plywood on the curved style. It is not solid wood throughout. The Solis top and cylinder are 3 mm cold-rolled carbon steel, the base is 4 mm cold-rolled carbon steel and the handle is plastic (PVC).
The Solis steel comes in Twilight, Eclipse, Wave, Dandelion, Thyme, Mushroom and Solstice. Eclipse is only a color name here, and it is not our round Eclipse tables. Because the Solis is small, one color can work as a single accent, as our guide to table finishes for a light-colored sofa suggests. Steel is the only finish, so for a wood look choose the Arca.
The curved Arca is the easiest to assemble, because it arrives fully assembled in one box. The fluted Arca ships flat, and its panels connect with Knapp connectors, with three M6 screws and a 4 mm Allen key in the hardware box. The Solis takes three main steps: screw the cylinder into the underside of the top, fit the handle and screw the base onto the cylinder, then add the floor protectors. Our assembly article lists about 15 minutes for the Solis. Because the boxes include an Allen key and screws, we describe both tables as mostly tool-free.
Which goes better with my sofa?
Either can, and the main difference is height. At Cozey, our four sofa collections each suit a side table in a different way:
- Ciello: one of our softest sofas, with deep, loose cushions, a good match for the low Arca.
- Gaia: a soft seat with a high backrest and slim arms, where the adjustable Solis can be raised to match.
- Cassini: curved and low, with a 45-degree wedge module.
- Atmosphere: medium-firm seating and our deepest seat.
Our Ciello, Gaia, Cassini and Atmosphere guides give the details. Preview the sofa in Cozey Studio, our online configurator, to see the shape and overall size on screen, then match the table to it. Our guide to pairing a sofa, accent chair and coffee table shows the wider layout.
If the wall behind the sofa needs storage too, our Themis modular wall system and Altitude wall shelves and cabinet add it above the floor.
Which should I choose?
Choose the Arca if:
- You want built-in storage, hidden or open.
- You want a low table beside deep seating, with sight lines kept open.
- You like the idea of two side tables that join into a coffee table and split again.
- You want a wood look in Oak or Walnut, or the least assembly (choose curved).
Choose the Solis if:
- You have a narrow gap, because the top is only 13 inches deep.
- You want one table that works low beside a sofa and higher at a bed or for a laptop.
- You like a steel color as an accent.
- You do not need storage and will keep the load light.
Our recommendation
At Cozey, we recommend the Arca for a living room or bedroom where tidy storage, a low profile and the option of a coffee table matter most, and the Solis for a tight corner where one slim table has to change height. Measure your sofa arm or mattress, then compare the number with the heights above before you order.
If you are still comparing, our guides to how to choose a coffee table and nesting and space-saving tables show the rest of our range.
Explore our tables
- Arca table guide
- Solis side table guide
- How to choose a side table
- How to choose a coffee table
- Coffee tables with storage
- Nesting and space-saving tables
- Table finishes for a light-colored sofa
- Cozey Studio guide
More Cozey comparisons: Stella vs Arca, Stella vs Solis, Tessella vs Arca, Tessella vs Solis, Eclipse vs Arca, Eclipse vs Solis, Arca vs Ombra, Arca vs Mensa, Ombra vs Solis, Mensa vs Solis.
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.