Bedside Table Guide: Height, Size and Design for Every Bedroom

A good bedside table is one you can reach without sitting up. Your phone, water glass and reading glasses should sit at the height of your hand as you lie in bed, and the lamp should light your book, not your eyes. Most bedside tables that feel wrong are not badly made. They are a few centimetres too low for the mattress, or too wide for the gap beside the bed.

This guide covers the right bedside table height for your bed, standard sizes in cm and feet, when to choose drawers, a door or an open shelf, and how to choose a design. It also covers whether to buy one table or a matching pair. Some people call it a nightstand or a side table for the bedroom. The rules are the same.

Quick answer: Keep the tabletop level with the top of your mattress, or within 5 cm of it. For most beds that means a table 50–65 cm (20–26 in) high. Choose a width of 45–55 cm (about 1.5–1.8 ft) for a queen bed and 50–60 cm for a king, and a depth of about 40 cm. Leave a 5–10 cm gap between the table and the mattress so the bedsheet can hang freely.

Bedside table height: match it to the mattress top

Measure from the floor to the top of your mattress, not to the bed frame. That one number decides the height. A table at mattress height lets you put a glass down without lifting your shoulder off the pillow. A table much lower makes you reach down into the dark. A table much taller looks like a wall beside the bed.

The bed frame and the mattress both change the answer. A low platform bed with a 15 cm (6 in) mattress can top out below 45 cm. A standard frame with a 15–20 cm (6–8 in) mattress usually sits at 50–60 cm. A storage bed, or a thick mattress with a topper, can reach 65 cm or more. Use this table to find your range:

Floor to mattress top	Bedside table height	Bedside tables at this height
Below 50 cm (low or platform bed)	45–50 cm (18–20 in)	Halle (45 cm), Vega, Santorini, Amalfi, Ringo, Alba and Kiara (50 cm)
50–58 cm (standard frame)	50–55 cm (20–22 in)	The 50 cm range above, Sheldon Nightstand and Chess (55 cm)
58–65 cm (thick mattress)	60–65 cm (24–26 in)	Watson and Bobbin (60 cm), Carter 1 Door, 2 Drawers and 1 Drawer (65 cm)
Above 65 cm (storage bed with a topper)	65 cm or a custom height	Carter range (65 cm), or any table made taller to order

For a tall bed, the Carter 2 Drawers Bedside Table is 65 cm high. Its two drawers have cane fronts, and at 35 cm deep it is also one of the slimmest tables in the range.

For a low bed, the Halle Bedside Table is 45 cm high, the lowest in the range. It has a light marble top, one drawer and a woven paper cord shelf, on round acacia wood feet.

Bedside lamp height

If the table holds a reading lamp, add the two heights together. The bottom of the lampshade should sit roughly at your shoulder height when you sit up in bed, so the light falls on the page and not into your eyes. On a 50–60 cm table, that usually means a lamp about 45–60 cm tall. Most of our beds stand 110 cm high at the headboard, so a 60 cm table with a 45 cm lamp stays just below the top.

Bedside table size: width and depth

Height matters most, but the top has to hold what you use every night, and the table has to fit the gap beside the bed. Measure that gap first: from the side of the bed frame to the wall, the window or the wardrobe. Then take off 5–10 cm for the space between the table and the bed.

Bed size	Bedside table width	What it holds
Single or double bed, small room	40–45 cm (about 1.3–1.5 ft)	A phone, a glass and a small lamp
Queen bed (5 × 6.5 ft)	45–55 cm (about 1.5–1.8 ft)	A lamp, a phone, a glass and a book
King bed (6 × 6.5 ft)	50–60 cm (about 1.7–2 ft)	All of the above, plus a tray or a plant

Not sure of your bed's exact size? Our bed size guide lists king and queen bed dimensions in feet and cm.

Depth is simpler. Most bedside tables are 35–40 cm deep, which holds a lamp base and a phone side by side. Go deeper only if the walkway beside the bed is wide. You need about 60 cm of clear floor to walk past comfortably.

For a king bed, the Watson Bedside Table is 60 cm wide and 60 cm high, the widest in the range. It has two drawers with brass half-moon pulls, in warm brown or black acacia wood.

For a small bedroom, the Sheldon Nightstand is only 40 cm wide. It has two drawers with arched panel fronts in a black finish, on slim legs that keep the floor visible underneath.

Bedside table with drawer, door or open shelf

Think about what lives beside your bed. Things you want out of sight (chargers, medicines, a diary) need a drawer. Things you reach for in the dark (glasses, a book) are easier on an open shelf. Bulkier things (a tissue box, extra pillow covers) fit behind a door.

Bedside table with two drawers

Two drawers is the most useful layout: the top drawer for small things, the lower one for anything taller. The Ringo Bedside Table has two fluted drawers with brass half-moon pulls. It is 50 cm wide and 50 cm high, in warm brown, black or American walnut finish on acacia wood.

One drawer and an open shelf

A drawer above an open shelf keeps the look light, with storage where you need it. The Bobbin Bedside Table has one drawer and a lower shelf on turned, bobbin-style legs. It is 55 cm wide and 60 cm high.

Bedside table with a door

A cabinet door hides more than a drawer and suits anyone who keeps a lot by the bed. The Carter 1 Door Bedside Table has a cane-panelled door over a mango wood cabinet. It is 45 cm wide and 65 cm high, so it suits taller beds.

Bedside table design

Wooden bedside table

Our bedside tables are built mainly in acacia or mango wood, in finishes from light oak and golden brown to warm brown, dark brown and black. Warm and dark browns are the finishes our customers order most often across the range. They suit most wooden floors and bed frames. Black works well in a room with a dark bed frame or dark floors, and light oak brightens a small bedroom.

Marble top bedside table

A stone top takes a water glass without leaving rings and adds weight to a simple wooden base. The Vega Bedside Table has a beige panther marble top over two rounded mango wood drawers. It is 45 cm wide and 50 cm high. The Alba has a dark emperador marble top with one drawer and an open, curved base.

Rounded and sculptural bedside tables

Soft corners suit bedrooms, where you walk past the table in the dark. The Santorini Bedside Table has rounded edges, two drawers and round bun feet in warm brown acacia wood, and pairs with the Santorini bed. The Kiara goes further, with a single rounded drawer on a solid pedestal base.

Cane and woven bedside tables

Cane and woven paper cord bring texture and keep a wooden bedroom from looking heavy. The Carter range uses cane panels on its doors and drawers. The Halle uses a woven paper cord shelf.

One bedside table or a pair?

Most of the bedside table orders we receive are for a matching pair. That makes sense for a double, queen or king bed shared by two people, because each side needs its own surface and lamp. A pair also makes the bed the centre of the room.

One table works when the bed is pushed against a wall, or when the room is too narrow on one side. In that case, use a wall shelf or a slim stool on the other side so the bed doesn't look lopsided.

Mismatched tables can work, but keep two things the same: the height (within about 2–3 cm of each other) and the wood tone. A drawer table on one side and an open-shelf table on the other looks deliberate if both are the same height and finish.

If you are ordering a new bed, choose the bedside tables at the same time. Some of our customers order the bed and a pair of tables together, so the heights and finishes match from the start. Every bedside table on the site lists customisation in material, dimensions and finish. One customer ordered a pair in a custom white finish, and you can ask for a table made taller to suit a high bed.

If you are also deciding where the bed should go, our guide to bed direction as per Vastu covers bed and bedside placement, and our side table for living room guide covers the tables beside your sofa.

Before you order: a quick checklist

1. Measure from the floor to the top of your mattress. Choose a table within 5 cm of that height.
2. Measure the gap beside the bed and take off 5–10 cm. That is your maximum table width.
3. Check that at least 60 cm of walkway remains beside the table.
4. Decide what the table must hide (drawer or door) and what it must hold in reach (top or open shelf).
5. If the table will hold a lamp, check that the table and lamp together sit below the top of your headboard.
6. Decide on one table or a pair. For a pair, order both together so the finish matches.
7. Every piece is made to order, so allow for the making and delivery time (see the FAQ below).

Bedside table FAQs

What is the standard height of a bedside table?

Most bedside tables are 50–65 cm (20–26 in) high. The right height for you is within 5 cm of the top of your mattress, so measure the bed before choosing. Low platform beds suit tables of 45–50 cm, and storage beds with thick mattresses suit 60–65 cm.

What is the standard size of a bedside table?

A standard bedside table is about 45–55 cm wide and 35–40 cm deep, or roughly 1.5 × 1.3 ft. Go narrower (40 cm) for small bedrooms and wider (55–60 cm) beside a king bed.

How far should a bedside table be from the bed?

Leave about 5–10 cm between the table and the side of the mattress. That gap lets the bedsheet and blanket hang freely and leaves room to open the drawers, while keeping the top within easy reach.

Should bedside tables match the bed?

They don't have to match exactly, but they should share the wood tone or finish and suit the bed's height. If the bed has a cane or upholstered headboard, a wooden table with a little cane or a marble top ties the two together.

What is the difference between a bedside table and a nightstand?

There is no real difference. "Nightstand" is the American term and "bedside table" the British and Indian one. Both mean the small table or cabinet beside the bed.

Can I use a side table as a bedside table?

Yes, if the height matches your mattress top. A side table usually has no drawer, so it works best for people who keep only a lamp, a glass and a phone by the bed.

How long does a made-to-order bedside table take?

Every piece is made to order. According to our shipping page, making takes about 40 days, then delivery takes 10–15 days. A table ordered in mid-October arrives in late November or early December. For care, see our care instructions.

Ready to choose? Browse all bedside tables, or see our beds to plan the whole side of the bed at once.