Buying a used Vitsœ 620: parts and costs

Two seats do not necessarily make two chairs

The 620 programme, designed by Dieter Rams in 1962, allows chairs to become sofas and offers changes such as different backs and bases. Vitsœ re-engineered the programme with Rams in 2013. That history makes an older example interesting to live with, but also gives you a reason to ask which components you are buying.^[1]

Draw the current arrangement beside the one you want. A two-seat sofa with only its two outside arms does not contain the four arms needed for two separately armed chairs. You must also account for the upholstery on those arms and the support arrangement under the separated seats.

Do this before comparing asking prices. A complete sofa you like as a sofa may be a simpler purchase than a cheaper one you need to turn into something else. Modularity is useful when the necessary components are known and obtainable.

“Generally compatible” still leaves a question

Vitsœ’s current FAQ says most components are generally compatible with chairs made from 1974 onwards, but it cannot guarantee compatibility with every generation. It asks owners to speak to its planners. A seller’s “all 620 parts fit” claim goes further than the manufacturer does.^[2]

Give the planner clear photographs of the complete assembly, accessible labels, shell edges, connections and base. Include any known purchase history and later changes. Ask them to assess the specific proposed conversion, not merely identify the design from the front.

Keep a written inventory of what is in the sale: each seat and back, outside arms, all cushions and covers, scuff panels where present, feet or castors, joining pieces and any loose fittings. Record left and right where the component is handed. Do not infer a complete kit from one photograph of the assembled sofa.

Two shell parts are only the beginning

The official August 2026 euro price list separates shell components, upholstery and cushion interiors. On page 7, a left or right arm shell is €424.37 excluding tax; linen arm upholstery is €348.74 per side and leather €365.55 per side. These are published new-component prices, checked on 10 September 2026.^[3]

Neither subtotal is a complete sofa-to-chairs conversion quote. It excludes applicable tax and any further base, connection, repair or assembly requirements. It also assumes the selected new parts are suitable for your old components, which must be confirmed first.

That is why “only needs two arms” deserves a calculation. Put the assessed conversion alongside purchase and transport, then compare it with two complete chairs in the condition you would accept.

Decide how much variation you want to see

An immaculate new arm beside a well-used cushion may look like a deliberate later addition or an uncomfortable mismatch to you. Request current material samples and view them beside the actual old upholstery. A colour name alone cannot tell you whether you will enjoy the combination.

Vitsœ notes that colours and finishes can vary with batches and use. Keep a cover-only request separate from a cushion-interior replacement. A sofa with flattened padding needs a different estimate from one whose covers are sound but no longer suit the room.^[3]

Look at the complete profile and the accessible shell surfaces as well as the fabric. Ask about cracks, repairs, repainting and altered fixing points. Where a connection or shell is damaged, have its role assessed before treating a cosmetic repair as enough.

Ask for the conversion you actually intend

Agree how the seller will keep fittings with their corresponding components during transport. Ask for a supported dismantling plan if the sofa needs to come apart; do not improvise around an unfamiliar connection.

Buy when the arrangement, condition and complete parts budget work together. The most useful quality of a modular design is being able to make the change you want, with a clear route to the result.