Ottoman vs Pouffe, What's the Difference

The main difference between an ottoman and a pouffe is structure. An ottoman is a firmer, upholstered piece built on a sturdy frame, often with legs and sometimes with hidden storage. A pouffe is a soft, fully upholstered cushion with no rigid frame, and it usually sits straight on the floor. Ottomans are made to work hard in a lounge as a footrest, an extra seat or a soft coffee table, while pouffes are more of a soft accent seat or floor cushion. In this guide, we'll explain what each one is, how they compare and which one suits your living room.

Key Takeaways

• An ottoman is a firmer, framed piece made for everyday use. It usually has a timber or engineered-wood frame and can hold a tray, rest your feet or seat a guest.

• A pouffe is a soft, frameless cushion that usually sits on the floor and works as accent seating or a decorative floor cushion.

• Ottomans often have storage, while most pouffes don't, as a pouffe's soft filling leaves no room inside.

• Ottomans pair with sofas as practical lounge furniture, while pouffes tend to be styling pieces for a corner, a reading nook or a kids' space.

• Our ottomans are designed to sit alongside our sofas and sofa beds, so you can find one that suits your sofa's fabric.

What Is an Ottoman?

An ottoman is a low, upholstered piece of furniture with no back or arms, built on a sturdy frame. It works as a footrest, an extra seat, a soft coffee table or, on some models, hidden storage. Most are covered in sofa-style fabric and are firm enough to sit on or to hold a tray of drinks.

We design our ottomans to give your lounge extra comfort, storage and style without eating into your floor space. They have soft foam cushioning on top and a sturdy frame underneath.

These are the features that make an ottoman an ottoman.

• A rigid frame. It's usually timber or engineered wood, which keeps it stable.

• A padded top. Foam or fibre fill sits over the frame, covered in upholstery fabric.

• Legs on many models. Legs lift it off the floor for a lighter look and make it easier to clean underneath.

• More than one use. It can be a seat, a footrest, a coffee table and sometimes storage.

• Fabric that matches your sofa. Many are designed to sit alongside a specific sofa range.

If you'd like to know more about choosing and styling one, read our guide on what an ottoman is and how to use one.

What Is a Pouffe?

A pouffe is a soft, fully upholstered cushion with no rigid frame. It's used as accent seating, a floor cushion or a decorative piece. Pouffes usually sit straight on the floor, are often round or drum-shaped and are filled with soft materials like foam beads, fibre fill or cotton wadding. Because there's no frame, a pouffe gives way under weight, so it can't hold a tray steadily the way an ottoman can.

These are the features that make a pouffe a pouffe.

• No frame. It's filled with soft foam, fibre or beads.

• No legs, in most cases. It sits directly on the floor.

• A soft top. It's comfortable for your feet but not made for trays or heavy items.

• A round or drum shape. Most are round or barrel-shaped, though square pouffes are available too.

• A decorative look. Many are knitted, woven or textured to add interest to a room.

• Light and easy to move. You can carry it from room to room.

You'll often see pouffes in bedrooms, reading nooks, kids' rooms or relaxed, layered interiors. They're less common as the main piece in a lounge, because they can't do as many jobs as an ottoman.

Ottoman vs Pouffe Comparison

Ottomans and pouffes differ in how they're built, whether they have legs or storage, the fabrics they come in and how you'd use them. We've compared them side by side below.

In short, an ottoman is a practical piece of lounge furniture with structure, while a pouffe is a soft accent piece that adds style but can't do quite as much.

Which One Suits Your Living Room?

For most living rooms, we'd recommend an ottoman, because it can be a seat, a footrest, a coffee table and sometimes storage. That makes it especially useful in a smaller apartment, where every piece needs to earn its place. A pouffe is the better choice when you want a soft accent piece, a casual floor seat for kids or a textured detail rather than a hard-working piece of furniture.

An ottoman suits you if any of these sound familiar.

• You want a footrest for your sofa that can also be a coffee table.

• You need extra seating for guests that's easy to tuck away.

• You want hidden storage for blankets, throws or remotes in a small lounge.

• Your living room gets a lot of use, so the piece needs to handle everyday wear.

• You have a modular or corner sofa and want a matching ottoman in the same fabric, like our Tamarama Modular Ottoman or Torquay Modular Ottoman.

A pouffe suits you if any of these sound familiar.

• You want a soft accent piece with texture, like a knit or weave, for a corner or reading nook.

• You need casual seating for kids or for sitting on the floor now and then.

• You're styling a relaxed, layered room where the pouffe is part of the look.

• You'd like a soft spot to rest your feet by a bed or an armchair.

• You want something light that's easy to move around.

If you're still not sure, an ottoman is usually the safer choice for a living room, while a pouffe often works better in a bedroom, kids' room or reading nook.

Find the Right Ottoman for Your Lounge

If you've decided an ottoman suits the way you live, we've got plenty to choose from. Our ottomans are designed to sit alongside our sofas and sofa beds, with soft foam cushioning on top and a sturdy frame underneath. Some, like our modular ottomans, come in the same fabrics as the matching sofa, and others have hidden storage for blankets and throws.

• • Browse our full Koala ottomans, footstools & pouffes range to find a shape and size for your space.

  • Pair an ottoman with a sofa in the same fabric from our sofas & couches range.

  • Weighing up a chaise or a sofa with an ottoman? Compare them in our chaise sofas range.

  • Keep your setup fresh with our washable sofa covers.

Every Koala ottoman comes with our 120-day trial, so you can see how it works in your lounge before you decide.