Togo Chair vs Womb Chair: Which to Choose?

Choose a Togo chair if you want a low, frameless seat for sinking into and lounging. Choose a Womb chair if you want a cocooning chair with arms and more back support, at a more conventional seat height. Both are mid-century icons, but they suit different rooms and different ways of sitting.

Key takeaways

The Togo is all foam, with no frame, arms or legs, and sits very low (about 38 cm).
The Womb has a moulded shell, arms and steel legs, with a higher seat (43.5 cm).
The Togo is better for slouching and lounging; the Womb is better for reading and supported sitting.
The Togo footprint is narrower and lower; the Womb is taller and slightly wider.
Both work in modern interiors; the Togo leans relaxed and retro, the Womb more classic mid-century.

What is a Togo chair?

The Togo chair is the single-seat piece of the Togo family, designed by Michel Ducaroy in 1973. It is made almost entirely of shaped foam, covered in deep horizontal pleats, with no frame, arms or legs. It sits close to the floor and leans well back, so you sink into it.

What is a Womb chair?

The Womb chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1948. It has a moulded shell that curves around you, generous padding, arms and slim metal legs. The name comes from the sense of being held and enclosed. It is often paired with a matching ottoman.

Read more in our Womb chair fabric and base guide.

Togo chair vs Womb chair at a glance

Measurements below are from the Mobelaris Comfort Style Lounge Sofa (Togo-style) and the Mobelaris Womb Chair.

	Togo-style chair	Womb chair
Size (W x D x H)	89 x 101 x 70 cm	100 x 88.5 x 95 cm
Seat height	about 38 cm	43.5 cm
Arms	None	Yes
Structure	All foam, no frame	Moulded shell on steel legs
Feel	Low, sink-in, slouchy	Cocooning, supported
Back support	Reclined, low	Higher back, wraps around you
Covers (Mobelaris)	Velvet, bouclé, Alcantara	Wool or leather
Style	Relaxed, retro, playful	Classic mid-century
Assembly	Arrives fully assembled	No assembly required

Comfort and back support

The Togo is built for lounging. The foam moulds around you and the low, reclined position is perfect for watching TV, napping or sprawling with a book. It gives less upright support, and the low seat can be harder to get out of.

The Womb is built for curling up while still being held. The shell wraps around your back and sides, the arms give you somewhere to rest, and the higher seat is easier to stand up from. It suits reading, conversation and long evenings in one spot.

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Key Insight: If you like to sprawl, choose the Togo. If you like to curl up with support around you, choose the Womb.

Size and space

The Togo-style chair is narrower (89 cm) and much lower (70 cm high), so it keeps sightlines open and suits small rooms. It is deeper front to back, at about a metre.

The Womb chair is a little wider (100 cm) and much taller (95 cm), so it reads as a bigger, sculptural piece. It is slightly shallower (88.5 cm), but add an ottoman and the footprint grows.

In a small flat, the Togo usually feels lighter. In a larger room, or as a single statement chair in a reading corner, the Womb has more presence.

Style: which suits your interior?

Choose a Togo-style chair for relaxed modern, retro 1970s, boho or playful interiors, and for rooms where you want seating that can grow into a full set of sofas and corners.
Choose a Womb chair for classic mid-century, Scandinavian or calm, minimal interiors, where a single sculptural chair is the focal point.

Both pair well with low wooden tables, wool or jute rugs and warm lighting.

Care

Both chairs need regular vacuuming and prompt spot-cleaning of spills. The Togo's pleats collect dust, so vacuum along them with a soft brush. The Womb's wool cover benefits from regular vacuuming; leather needs occasional conditioning.

Which should you choose?

Choose a Togo-style chair if you:

Want the most relaxed, low, lounging seat
Have a small room and want to keep it feeling open
Like the idea of adding sofas, a corner piece or an ottoman later
Prefer a relaxed, retro look

Choose a Womb chair if you:

Want arms and more back support
Need a seat that is easier to get in and out of
Want one statement chair for a reading corner
Prefer a classic mid-century look

Frequently asked questions

Which is more comfortable, the Togo or the Womb chair?

It depends on how you like to sit. The Togo is more comfortable for sprawling and lounging, because you sink low into the foam. The Womb is more comfortable for curling up and reading, because the shell and arms support your back and sides at a more conventional seat height.

Is the Togo chair good for back support?

The Togo gives soft, reclined support, which is ideal for lounging but not for sitting upright for long. If you want firmer back support or arms, a chair like the Womb is a better choice.

Can I use either chair as a desk chair?

Neither is designed for desk work. The Togo sits too low and too reclined, and the Womb is too enveloping for long periods at a desk. Both work best as relaxing chairs alongside a separate desk chair.

Which chair takes up more space?

The Togo-style chair is narrower and much lower (89 x 101 x 70 cm), while the Womb chair is wider and taller (100 x 88.5 x 95 cm). The Womb looks bigger in a room, especially with an ottoman, while the Togo keeps sightlines open.

Do these chairs need assembling?

No. The Mobelaris Togo-style pieces arrive fully assembled, and the Mobelaris Womb Chair needs no assembly. Measure your doorways before delivery, especially for the taller Womb chair.

The bottom line

The Togo and the Womb are both mid-century icons, but they do different jobs. The Togo is the low, frameless lounger for sinking into; the Womb is the supportive, cocooning chair for curling up. Choose by how you like to sit, then by the space you have.

Compare them for yourself: see the Togo-style Lounge Sofa and the full Togo-style collection, or the Womb Chair and more in our armchairs collection. For Togo dupes specifically, read our Togo sofa dupe buying guide.

Togo Chair vs Womb Chair: Which Is Right for Your Space?