Field Report: The Togo Sofa Is Celebrating 50 Years, Here’s How to Get One (Or a Similar One)
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Look around Instagram long enough and you’re bound to see a chic apartment with a certain sofa. They’re puffy, low to the ground, colorful, and sit right on the floor as opposed to stilted up with legs. They’re caterpillar-like. They’re like a curved bean bag chair, built for people in their 30s and up with bad backs. They’re also a gorgeous design piece, celebrating 50 years since the design was first unveiled. In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary, Ligne Roset is also launching a new special edition version, the Atom.
The Togo sofa was first created by Michel Ducaroy, and is now fully made by Ligne Roset. They’re a perfect sofa for modern apartments that still want a splash of color and have enough comfort in their shape to be a good napping spot. Made from three layers of polyether foam, the original and designer-branded Togos are structurally sound to not lose their form pictured here. Other dupes of the famous style opt for a more loose, bean bag like filler that can be comfortable, but requires sprucing up.
Unfortunately, they also clock in around $4,000 for the base model. The longer you want to go, the more that’ll crop up. Is Ligne Roset the best model? Yes. The Togo Sofa is considered one of the most comfortable “design sofas” on the market, and has been for decades now. Unlike some of the more rigid designs that came out of this era and rested more on architectural form than comfort (See: Barcelona Chairs), the Togo is a little cloud to lie down in. That said, money notwithstanding, everyone would opt for the original model rather than a knock off or dupe. And yet, dupes have a market for a reason. For those looking to celebrate the legacy of the Togo sofa, but aren’t in a place to fork over two-months-worth of rent.
THE ORIGINAL
Ligne Roset Sofa
Are they a pretty penny? Sure. But they’re also awfully pretty.
THE ARMCHAIR OPTION
Suede Armless Bean Chair by Trule
This is a more slender model for those looking to just take the Togo look for a test spin with an arm chair. It’s also great for kids rooms.
LOVESEAT LOOK
Bed Bath & Beyond Teddy Seat
The Teddy from Bed Bath & Beyond gives more of a loveseat option in the same Togo design style without costing an arm and a leg.
THE PLANT CELL STYLE
Rove Concepts Tanner Sofa
For a slightly more rectangular look, this Tanner Sofa from Rove Concepts isn’t cheap necessarily, but has a higher quality than the Wayfair options with a leather upper and more structure around the edges to help the chair keep its shape.
THE CHAIR + OTTOMAN BUNDLE
Intuition Decor Maggis Caterpillar Sofa Bundle
For a slightly more spacious option, this style also has a Togo styled ottoman to go with it. The seating is all pretty low to the ground, so inevitably over time the seat of the chair will sink farther than the ottoman. So maybe the ottoman is best topped with a lacquered tray and used as a coffee table.
THE LEGGED SOFA
Wayfair's Ebern Designs Option
For that bubbly, plush design, but with a little more structure and to be kept off the ground, you might want to augment the Togo style with something like this option. It’s a little less plush, because it’s on a metal frame now, but that also provides a different comfort being higher up that sitting down doesn’t include a “drop” effect.
OUR FAVORITE DUPE
Viv + Rae's Leather Option
This leather chair option has enough height to it that its starting to get to normal sofa height. For that price, buy three, line them next to each other, and treat it the same as the current sofa it’ll replace.