Bedside tables UK, every size in cm
Bedside Tables
A bedside table sits beside your bed and holds what you need within reach. Of the 262 tables we recorded, two thirds are 55 to 65 cm tall and the median width is 40 cm. The right one matches the top of your mattress within 5 cm and fits the gap you actually have. Every table here shows its width, depth and height in centimetres.
Not sure? Put your three numbers into the size checker: gap width, depth available, and floor to the top of your mattress. It will tell you exactly which of our tables fit.
Every table on this page is measured
Each of ours gives three numbers on its product page, in centimetres: width, depth and height. Nothing else changes what fits beside your bed.
What they are made of, and what we know about assembly
Most tables here are solid mango wood, not board with a printed finish. Those in a chestnut or California walnut finish, a dark brown, are together in dark wood bedside tables. The fluted Hamble tables, the painted Fowey and Exe tables and the 55 cm washed wood one are listed simply as wood, without saying which parts are solid, so we do not claim either. The Colour Block table is described as solid wood without the species, and the four Wey wall pieces as oak wood. The white and black painted tables are engineered wood, as listed. With the rattan-front tables, they are also our cheapest: every table under £100 is in cheap bedside tables, from £37. Where a table is confirmed to arrive fully assembled, its own page says so. Where it is not confirmed, we say nothing rather than guess, and we will confirm it for you before you order. We would rather leave the line out than fill it with a guess.
Which size do you need?
| Gap you have | Look for |
|---|---|
| Under 22 cm | Nothing we sell fits: see the bedside table alternatives |
| 22 to 31 cm | Extra narrow, 20 cm wide |
| 32 to 37 cm | 30 cm wide, or up to 35 cm in narrow and slim |
| 38 to 46 cm | 36 to 44 cm wide, on this page |
| 47 cm or more | 45 and 55 cm wide, on this page |
| A low bed, futon or floor bed | Low tables, 40 to 44 cm tall |
| A divan or ottoman bed | 55 cm and over: how to check yours |
The gap is measured at its narrowest point, and each width leaves a 2 cm working margin so the table goes in without forcing it.
Not sure which height? How tall should a bedside table be walks through it, with the floor to mattress height for each common UK bed type.
Bedside cabinets, drawers and nightstands
These all mean the same piece of furniture. Cabinet usually implies a door or a closed front, drawers means two or three, and nightstand is the American word for it. Everything on this page fits whichever term you searched for.
Buying two?
A matching pair keeps both sides of the bed at the same height, in the same wood and finish, in one order. See the bedside tables set of 2.
Questions
Should bedside tables be higher or lower than the bed?
Level with the top of your mattress, within 5 cm either way. We recorded the published dimensions of 262 bedside tables: the median height is 57 cm, and two thirds sit between 55 and 65 cm. The full guide.
What is the narrowest bedside table available?
Ours start at 20 cm wide and 20 cm deep. That is narrow enough for a gap most tables cannot use. See the narrow range.
What can I use instead of a bedside table?
A wall shelf, a stool or a small chest all work. The trade off is storage: none of them give you a drawer, and most give you less surface than a 20 cm table.
Once you know the width, the next question is what will actually sit on it. We worked out what fits on a 20, 30, 36 and 45 cm top: a lamp, a book and a glass need about 30 cm between them.
Not sure which kind of table suits your room? Our bedside table ideas go through twelve, from 20 cm tables to wide cabinets, each with the size that makes it work.
At the very tight end we go narrower than the trade normally does: our 20 cm range exists for radiators, door arcs and box rooms where a standard 40 cm table will not go.
