Short answer: Cozey's Stella coffee table suits you if you want a lift-top you can work or eat at, built from modules you can add to later. Cozey's Eclipse coffee table suits you if you want a round table with trays that serve and store.
Both are coffee tables in Oak or Walnut, but they solve different problems. The Stella changes height and grows. The Eclipse stays one compact round shape and adds a little storage. 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 Stella guide and Eclipse guide.
On This Page
- How do the Stella and Eclipse compare at a glance?
- Which is better for a small living 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, Stella or Eclipse?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our tables
How do the Stella and Eclipse compare at a glance?
At a glance, the Stella is a square, modular, height-adjusting table and the Eclipse is a round table with two half-circle trays. Every figure below comes from our product pages and guides.
How do the Stella and Eclipse compare at a glance?
| Stella coffee table | Eclipse coffee table | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Square modules, linked into a longer rectangle | Round, one piece |
| Size | One module 23.5 inches square; four modules 94.5 inches wide | 31.5 inches across |
| Height | 18.5 inches closed, 26.4 inches lifted | 15.4 inches |
| Surface | Lift-top that raises to a working height | Round top with two half-circle trays; the top tray rotates and lifts off |
| Storage | Gap between the lifted top and the base | Modest: inside tray 3.0 inches high, arranged open or hidden |
| Finishes | Oak or Walnut | Oak or Walnut |
| Materials | 18 mm MDF with melamine finish, powder coated steel legs | 15 mm MDF with 0.3 mm ash veneer, ash wood legs |
| Assembly | Mostly tool-free (hand screws and an Allen key) | Tool-free |
| Price on our product page | From $210 for one module | $470 |
| Suits | Working, eating, changing rooms, small footprints | Chaise or sectional centers, serving, compact round shape |
Which is better for a small living room?
For the smallest footprint, one Stella module is better: it is 23.5 inches square, our smallest coffee table by footprint. The Eclipse is 31.5 inches across, still compact, and its round edge has no corners to walk into.
Which one frees more floor depends on how the room moves. A round table keeps a walkway open because nothing sticks out. A Stella module is smaller overall, and you can add a second module later, which makes it 47.2 inches wide but still only 23.5 inches front to back. As a general guideline, leave 14 to 18 inches between the sofa and the table and keep 30 to 36 inches 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 Eclipse is wider as a single piece, and the Stella is taller and can be extended. A single Stella module is 23.5 inches square, while the Eclipse is 31.5 inches across, so one Eclipse is clearly bigger than one Stella.
Height is the larger difference. The Eclipse is 15.4 inches high, close to a traditional coffee table. The Stella is 18.5 inches high when closed and reaches 26.4 inches when you lift the top, which is why it works for a laptop or a meal. Our product page lists the whole range as 18.5 to 26.4 inches.
Linking modules changes the Stella's width only: two are 47.2 inches, three are 70.7 inches and four are 94.5 inches, always 23.5 inches deep. We do not list a way to link Eclipse tables, so one Eclipse stays 31.5 inches across.
Which has more storage?
Both tables store things, in different places. The Eclipse's two half-circle trays can be arranged to leave the space open or hidden, and the inside tray is 3.0 inches high, which suits remotes, coasters, magazines and small decor. The Stella stores things in the gap between its lifted top and the base.
Neither table replaces a cabinet. If you need more hidden storage, our guide to coffee tables with storage compares the Mensa, Arca, Ombra and Eclipse, and our guide to buying living room storage online shows how storage pieces fit together. For a TV wall, the Stella shares its name and its 18 mm MDF with melamine finish with our Stella media unit, described in the Stella media unit guide.
Which is easier to move or reconfigure?
The Stella is easier to reconfigure, and the Eclipse is simpler to move. You can start with one Stella module and add more when you get a longer sofa or move to a bigger place, keeping the same finish. That makes the Stella the table that adapts to a changing living room.
The Eclipse is one round table with a removable top tray, so there is nothing to rearrange. It ships in a single carton, which keeps a stairwell or elevator route simple. For the route itself, see our guide to measuring stairs, elevators and doorways. Because the Eclipse has no corners, it is also easy to slide around the room, and the round shape does not need re-aiming when the seating changes.
Which goes better with my sofa?
The Eclipse goes better with a sofa with a chaise or a sectional, and the Stella goes better with a straight sofa where you also want to work or eat. A round table has no corners, so people can reach it from several sides, which suits the center of a sectional. This is design advice rather than a rule.
For a straight sofa, use the two-thirds guideline: a sofa 84 inches long suits a table of about 56 inches. One Eclipse at 31.5 inches is short for that, while two Stella modules at 47.2 inches or three at 70.7 inches get closer. For height, the usual advice is level with the seat or a little lower. As an example, our Cassini sofa has a seat height of 17 inches, so the Eclipse sits just below it and the closed Stella just above it.
Our other collections are Ciello, with deep, loose cushions, Gaia, with a soft seat and a high backrest, and Atmosphere, with medium-firm seating and our deepest seat. 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-colored 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 wood and keeps a room airy, while Walnut is deeper and gives a pale sofa something to stand out against. You can repeat one wood across the living room, since our Tessella, Arca, Ombra and Mensa tables also come in both.
The materials differ. The Stella is 18 mm MDF with a melamine finish on powder coated steel legs, so a soft, damp cloth with mild soap, dried right away, is the care our guide gives. The Eclipse is 15 mm MDF with a thin 0.3 mm ash veneer on ash wood legs, so check the care information on its product page before cleaning. Finishes can change, so confirm them on the product page.
Assembly is easy on both. The Eclipse is tool-free. The Stella is mostly tool-free because its hardware includes hand screws and an Allen key, and our assembly article lists about 15 minutes per Stella table.
Which should I choose, Stella or Eclipse?
Choose the Stella if you:
- Work or eat at the table: the lift-top reaches 26.4 inches.
- Want to grow the table: add modules up to 94.5 inches wide.
- Need the smallest footprint: one module is 23.5 inches square.
- Pair it with a straight sofa: two or three modules follow the line of the sofa.
Choose the Eclipse if you:
- Want a round table: 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.
- Want a little storage: the trays give open or hidden space for small items.
Our recommendation
At Cozey, we suggest the Stella for a small or changing living room where the table also has to work or serve a meal, and the Eclipse for a sofa with a chaise or a sectional where a round, compact table with trays fits best.
- Laptop or meals at the table: Stella.
- Longer straight sofa: two or three Stella modules.
- Chaise or sectional center: Eclipse.
- Small items out of sight: Eclipse.
- Lots of hidden storage: neither; see our coffee tables with storage.
Explore our tables
- Coffee tables
- Side tables
- Stella coffee table guide
- Eclipse tables guide
- How to choose a coffee table
- Coffee tables with storage
- Cozey Studio
More Cozey comparisons: Stella vs Tessella, Stella vs Arca, Stella vs Ombra, Stella vs Mensa, Stella vs Solis, Tessella vs Eclipse, Eclipse vs Arca, Eclipse vs Ombra, Eclipse vs Mensa, Eclipse vs Solis.
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.