Short answer: Cozey's Stella suits you if you want a modular table that lifts to a working or dining height. Cozey's Mensa suits you if you want a low rectangle with two trays that hide small items and double as serving trays. Both come in Oak or Walnut.
These two tables solve different problems. The Stella is about height and growth: one module now, more later, and a top that rises. The Mensa is about hidden storage and serving: two trays tucked inside a low, wood-grain top. Our guide to how to choose a coffee table covers the wider range.
On This Page
- Which is better for a small room?
- How do the sizes and heights compare?
- Which has more storage?
- Which is better for working, eating or serving?
- Which is easier to move, reconfigure or assemble?
- Which goes better with my sofa?
- Which should I choose?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our tables
Which is better for a small room?
At Cozey, we find the Stella is the more compact choice, because a single module is 23.5 inches wide and 23.5 inches deep, and it stays that size until you add another module. The Mensa coffee table is 41.7 inches long and 26.0 inches deep, so it needs a wider stretch of floor but is a modest depth for a rectangle.
Two Stella modules are 47.2 inches wide and 23.5 inches deep, close to the Mensa's length but about 2.5 inches shallower. Our Stella guide and Mensa guide list the full sizes.
How do the sizes and heights compare?
The Mensa is a low rectangle, and the Stella is the tallest of our coffee tables. This table shows both side by side.
How do the sizes and heights compare?
| Stella coffee table | Mensa coffee table | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Square, modular | Rectangle |
| Size | One module: 23.5 inches x 23.5 inches; up to four modules, 94.5 inches wide | 41.7 inches x 26.0 inches |
| Height | 18.5 inches closed, lifting to 26.4 inches | 16.3 inches |
| Storage | Gap between the lifted top and the base | Two trays, each 27.0 inches x 13.0 inches and 3.0 inches deep |
| Top and frame | 18 mm MDF with a melamine finish, steel legs | 15 mm MDF with a 0.3 mm ash veneer, ash wood trays, steel legs |
| Finish | Oak or Walnut | Oak, Walnut or Black wood |
| Assembly | Mostly tool-free: hand screws and an Allen key, about 15 minutes | Mostly tool-free: hand screws and an Allen key, about 15 minutes |
| Best for | Working, eating, growing | Hidden storage, serving, a matched set |
Closed, the Stella is 2.2 inches higher than the Mensa, and lifted it is about 10.1 inches higher.
Which has more storage?
The Mensa has trays for storage, and the Stella has storage in the gap between its lifted top and the base. At Cozey, we describe the Mensa coffee table with two ash wood trays that slide out of the top like drawers. Closed, they hide remotes, coasters or a notebook. Pulled out, they are open storage within reach of the sofa. Taken out, each one is a serving tray or a lap desk.
We do not publish a weight limit for the Mensa trays, so keep them for everyday items, and we do not list a capacity for the gap under the Stella top. For bigger loads, read our guide to coffee tables with storage, or look at a credenza or media unit.
Which is better for working, eating or serving?
For working and eating at the table, the Stella is the better choice. Lifted, it reaches 26.4 inches, which is higher than any of our fixed-height coffee tables, so a laptop or a plate is easier to reach. Closed, it still works as an ordinary coffee table.
For serving and quick tasks, the Mensa works differently. Lift a tray free and carry it to the sofa as a serving tray or a lap desk, then slide it back in. The table itself stays at 16.3 inches, so it suits a relaxed, low seat. The Mensa side table is a smaller companion, 19.5 inches square, with one tray and an optional shelf.
Which is easier to move, reconfigure or assemble?
The Stella is the one built to change. At Cozey, we describe the Stella as built to expand: you start with one module and link more whenever you need more surface, in setups of one to four modules. The Mensa coffee table is a fixed size, although it can sit with the Mensa side table to form a matched set.
Both arrive flat and are mostly tool-free, with hand screws and an Allen key in the hardware. Our assembly article lists about 15 minutes per Stella table, and the Mensa takes about 15 minutes because only the legs need attaching. The Mensa legs can sit in a narrow stance for a floating look or a wide stance for a more grounded one.
Which goes better with my sofa?
A common guideline is a coffee table about two-thirds the length of your sofa, level with the seat or a little lower, with 14 to 18 inches between them. That is general advice, not a product specification, and our guide to pairing a sofa, accent chair and coffee table goes deeper.
By that guideline, the 41.7 inches Mensa suits a sofa of roughly 63 inches or longer. Two or three Stella modules, at 47.2 inches and 70.7 inches wide, suit a two-seat or a longer sofa, and one module suits a spot beside a chair. Both tables sit close to the floor, so check your seat height first.
At Cozey, 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 see the overall length of your sofa before you pick a table; our Studio guide explains how.
Which should I choose?
- Choose the Stella if you work or eat at the coffee table, have a small footprint, or expect your living room to change and want to add modules later.
- Choose the Mensa if you want trays that hide small items and turn into a serving tray or lap desk, or a matched side table in the same finish.
- Choose neither if you want a round shape or a long single surface: see our Eclipse and Tessella guides.
Our recommendation
At Cozey, we suggest the Stella for a small or changing room where one table must do several jobs, and the Mensa for a living room where hidden storage and a serving surface matter more than height. If you cannot decide, measure the floor in front of your sofa and check it against the figures above.
Our Stella guide and Mensa guide have the full details, and our buying guide for living room storage puts both beside our other pieces. The Stella shares its finish with our Stella media unit. For the TV wall, our Mensa credenza comes from the same collection.
Explore our tables
- Stella coffee table
- Mensa coffee table
- Mensa side table
- Coffee tables
- How to choose a coffee table
- Which Cozey sofa is right for you
More Cozey comparisons: Stella vs Tessella, Stella vs Eclipse, Stella vs Arca, Stella vs Ombra, Stella vs Solis, Tessella vs Mensa, Eclipse vs Mensa, Arca vs Mensa, Ombra vs Mensa, Mensa vs Solis.
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.