Arco lamp: real Flos or replica? The 10-second base test
The world's most copied arched floor lamp. Carrara marble, steel, the hole in the base: the differences that matter, what a vintage one is worth, and what a €200 replica hides.
1 MIN · 5 OBJECTS IDENTIFIEDWhere to buy — the Beyit edit
From the original to the dupe, verified direct links.
All about Lampadaire Arco →“arco flos imitazione”, “lampada ad arco replica”: it is one of the most searched-for lights in dupe form, above all in Italy. The Arco — the steel arc that lights a table with no ceiling fitting — exists as a genuine Flos and in a thousand copies. Here is how to tell them apart.
The original
Designed in 1962 by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos: a Carrara marble base, a telescopic brushed steel rod, an adjustable reflector. A feat — casting light 2 metres from its base.
Spotting a real one
The marble
A solid block of Carrara, heavy, with a through-hole (to slide in a broom handle and carry it between two people) — an original detail. Copies use a reconstituted marble, lighter, sometimes with no hole.
The steel and the logo
Quality brushed steel rod, a clean join, the Flos marking. Replicas use a thinner, shiny chrome that scratches easily.
Vintage versus new
A documented vintage Arco (1960s–70s) is often worth more than a new one. Check the condition of the marble and the steel, and the provenance.
Seen it at someone’s place or in a shop window? Scan it on Beyit: original Flos, vintage, or imitation — and the three budgets.
One photo, every piece identified.
Your room, a shop window, an inspiration screenshot: send the photo, we find the pieces and their alternatives at every price.
On iPhone, the app does the same from your camera.
The pieces, at your budget.
Every piece mentioned, with its alternatives — from vintage to dupe.
Gallery
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