Real Togo vs. Copies: How to Spot an Authentic Ligne Roset Togo
Few pieces of furniture are copied as often as the Togo. Michel Ducaroy designed it for Ligne Roset in 1973, and its low, crumpled, all-foam shape has become a design icon. That fame has a downside: search for "Togo sofa" and you'll find look-alikes at a fraction of the price, many of them described with the Togo name.
If you're spending real money on a Togo, here's how to make sure it's the real thing.
1. Buy from an authorized Ligne Roset retailer
The simplest test is where you buy it. Ligne Roset sells the Togo through its own stores and authorized retailers. A new Togo from anywhere else, especially an online marketplace, is very likely a copy. Urbanspace Interiors is an authorized Ligne Roset retailer: every Togo sofa, Togo fireside chair and Mini Togo we sell comes from Ligne Roset.
2. Check the construction
A genuine Togo has no frame at all. Ligne Roset builds it entirely from three densities of foam, wrapped in a cover quilted with polyester. The deep, even folds of that cover are what give Togo its look. Copies often use cheaper foam that flattens quickly, uneven quilting, or a hidden internal frame.
3. Look at the cover and fabric
Ligne Roset makes each Togo to order in its own fabrics, microfiber or leather, graded by price. A real Togo is offered in the full Ligne Roset range of covers. A "Togo" that comes in only a handful of generic colors, or ships immediately in any fabric, deserves a second look.
4. Be realistic about price
A new Togo fireside chair starts in the low thousands of dollars, and the sofa costs more. Prices vary with the cover you choose. If a "new Togo" costs a few hundred dollars, it isn't a Togo.
5. Ask for paperwork on a used one
Buying vintage or second-hand? Ask for the original receipt from a Ligne Roset store or authorized retailer, and photos of any Ligne Roset labels. A seller with a genuine Togo can usually show where it came from.
6. Think about the long run
A real Togo is built to last for decades, and Ligne Roset offers a factory recovery service to give an older Togo a new cover with a perfect fit. That option doesn't exist for a copy.
See the real thing in Austin
The best way to know a Togo is to sit in one. Visit our downtown Austin showroom to try the Togo sofa, fireside chair and ottoman, and to see Ligne Roset fabrics and leathers in person. Or browse the full Ligne Roset collection online.
