When I asked on Instagram what items people would like me to cover in these ‘best of’ round-ups, bedside tables came up again and again. And when I think about it, I can understand why. They’re pieces of furniture that get used day in, day out, and they have a big impact on the look and feel of a bedroom – I’ve seen them described as ‘earrings for the bed’, which I thought was a great way of putting it! What’s more, there are all sorts of practicalities that need to be considered alongside aesthetics.
After a lot of research, I’ve picked out 20 of the best bedside tables currently on the market. There’s a mix of warm wooden designs and sleeker metal pieces in black, white and grey, as well as a minimalist marble cube for those seeking timeless elegance. Many feature storage drawers and shelves, and as always I’ve tried to include something for every budget, from a £19 IKEA bargain to investment buys that will last for decades to come. There are also options to suit lots of different spaces, from large rooms down to the tightest of bedside corners. And scroll down for my top tips on how to choose the right bedside table for your home…
- ‘VIKHAMMER’ white metal and fibreboard bedside table with shelf and drawer (also available in black and in a larger size), £50, IKEA
- ‘Spindle’ oak bedside table with shelf, drawer and glass top (also available in walnut), £399, Ethnicraft
- Black powder-coated steel bedside table with shelf (also available in white and beige), €420, Design Of
- Ercol ‘Shalstone’ oak beside table with two drawers, £300, John Lewis [AD – affiliate link]
- ‘GLADOM’ white metal tray table with lift-up top (also available in black, blue, green and dark green), £19, IKEA
- ‘BJÖRKSNÄS’ birch bedside table with shelf, drawer and leather handle, £70, IKEA
- ‘Astrid’ oak and white powder-coated metal wall-mounted bedside shelf with leather book/magazine holder (also available in numerous other colours and woods), €199, By Crea
- Muuto ‘Stacked 2.0’ oak wall-mounted box with door (also available in numerous other sizes and colours, and without a door – see the full range of options here), £199, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
- Montana ‘Dream’ grey MDF bedside table with shelf and drawer (also available in numerous other colours), £510, Connox
- ‘Nizou’ oak bedside table with shelf and drawer, £162, La Redoute [AD – affiliate link]
- HAY black lacquered-steel tray table with lift-up top (also available in numerous other colours and in a smaller size), £165, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
- Skagerak ‘Building’ oak table (also available in grey and dark blue, and in a smaller size), £379, Nest.co.uk
- Muuto ‘Airy’ metal and black-laminated plywood half-end table (also available in grey and off-white), £165, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
- Menu ‘Yeo’ white powder-coated steel wall-leaning table, £119.95, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
- ‘NORDISKA’ bamboo bedside table with shelf and drawer (also available in a larger size), £50, IKEA
- ‘Vesper’ pine wall-mounted bedside drawer unit (also available in white and black), £65, La Redoute [AD – affiliate link]
- Menu ‘Plinth’ white marble cube (also available in black and rose marble, and in a taller size), £765, Nest.co.uk
- ‘Iris’ ash and white powder-coated metal bedside table with drawer and leather book/magazine holder (also available in numerous other colours and woods), €358, By Crea
- ‘Monolit’ oak and black metal bedside table with drawer (also available in black-stained oak and with a white frame), £349, Ethnicraft
- ‘Penn’ oak bedside table with three drawers (also available in dark-stained ash), £199, Made.com [AD – affiliate link]
A few tips for choosing bedside tables
Firstly, getting the size right is important. Make sure you have enough of a surface area to accommodate essentials like lamps and alarm clocks, as well as any decorative objects (vases, candles etc) that you’d like to display. As for height, you need to ensure the table isn’t so low that you have to stretch to reach things, but not so high that you risk hitting your head on a corner if you roll over during the night (it’s happened to me in a badly designed hotel room!). A general rule of thumb is to have the top roughly level with the mattress, but personal preference and the way you sleep will come into it, too.
Above: IKEA’s ‘BJÖRKSNÄS’ bedside table and Skagerak’s ‘Building’ table
Also take time to think about what storage you require. At least one drawer is a must in my bedroom, as I need to keep less-than-pretty items such as my asthma inhaler close at hand. I also like to have a shelf where I can put a glass of water to avoid the cat knocking it over during the night, so IKEA’s ‘VIKHAMMER’ model (shown in the image at the very top of this post) has proven the perfect solution. Conversely, a simple tray table has worked well in the guest bedroom (below), where storage isn’t essential and the cat isn’t allowed.
Above: IKEA’s ‘GLADOM’ tray table in my guest bedroom
If space is very tight, consider a wall-mounted design. La Redoute’s ‘Vesper’ drawer and By Crea’s ‘Astrid’ shelf are fantastic, and I love the way the latter incorporates leather straps for holding books and magazines (there’s an even smaller version, the ‘Lisa’, too). Another good option is the Muuto box, which is available in a vast array of sizes and configurations. It forms part of the wider ‘Stacked 2.0’ modular storage system, so you could even combine it with other elements to create a bespoke unit that suits your space and needs.
When shopping for bedside tables, be inventive and don’t just search under bedroom furniture listings. Several of the designs in the above selection are actually side tables, so it’s always worth browsing living room and hallway furniture as well. Stools, benches, chairs, console tables, cupboards and plant stands can all double as nightstands, too.
Above: MUUTO’s ‘Airy’ half-end table used as a bedside table, and Menu’s marble ‘Plinth’ cube pictured at The Audo in Copenhagen
Finally, remember that bedside tables don’t necessarily need to match. I’ve seen beautiful rooms that create a feature out of mixing two different designs, and it’s a good solution if there’s less space on one side of the bed than the other.
Above: Design Of’s steel bedside table in white
Please note this post contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting sales. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly.
Main images one, four, five and seven by Abi Dare; all other photography and product cut-outs via the brands mentioned above
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