What size bedside table should you choose for your bed?
By Nassim Hasni, publisher of DecoScale · published
A bedside table goes at most 15 cm from the side of the bed, level with its head. Its height is the mattress's, to within 5 cm, and its width 40 to 65 cm depending on the bed. Here are those measurements, and the length of head wall you need for a bed and its two bedside tables.
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How high should a bedside table be?
The height of the top of the mattress, to within 5 cm, according to the retailer B2C Furniture: the lamp, the switch and the phone stay within easy reach. A bedside table lower than the bed is possible, but awkward: aim for a table level with the mattress or just above. The chart gives the range for your mattress height, measured from the floor to its surface.
| Height of the top of the mattress, from the floor (cm) | Height of the bedside table, to within 5 cm (cm) |
|---|---|
| 45 | 40 to 50 |
| 50 | 45 to 55 |
| 55 | 50 to 60 |
| 60 | 55 to 65 |
| 65 | 60 to 70 |
Source: B2C Furniture, the bedside table height equals the mattress height, to within 5 cm. Not checked by DecoScale.
The same source sorts beds by profile: 50 to 55 cm high for a low bed, 55 to 65 cm for a standard bed, 65 to 70 cm for a high bed. DecoScale does not judge the height of the bedside table: it accepts a listing 25 to 90 cm tall.
What width of bedside table for your bed size?
40 to 60 cm in general, and wider for a large bed: 40 to 45 cm for a single bed, 45 to 55 cm for a 140, 50 to 60 cm for a 160 and 55 to 65 cm for a 180. Those widths are the source's for its single, double, queen and king sizes, which we match to our beds by the width of the sleeping surface. DecoScale accepts a listing 25 to 80 cm wide as a bedside table.
| Bed (sleeping surface, cm) | Source's size | Bedside table width (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | Single | 40 to 45 |
| 140 | Double | 45 to 55 |
| 160 | Queen | 50 to 60 |
| 180 | King | 55 to 65 |
Matched by the width of the sleeping surface: DecoScale's, not the source's (Australian sizes).
The usual depth is 35 to 45 cm: enough tabletop, without blocking access to the floor.
How far from the bed should a bedside table be?
Against the side of the bed, at most 15 cm away, and level with its head. DecoScale checks both: the bedside table is not at the bed's side if it is more than 15 cm away sideways, or if it sticks out or sits back more than 15 cm from the head. That gap is not measured on a survey of bedrooms: it is documented, furnishing guides giving 5 to 15 cm, and it is the contact tolerance the engine already applies to the wall.
How much wall for a bed and two bedside tables?
The width of the bed, its frame, plus two bedside tables and their gap from the bed. The chart assumes a frame and headboard 10 cm wider than the sleeping surface, as the small bedroom layout page does, and gives the minimum head wall, with the tables touching the bed and then 15 cm away.
| Bed (sleeping surface, cm) | Width of each bedside table (cm) | Minimum head wall, tables touching (cm) | Head wall, tables 15 cm from the bed (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | 40 | 230 | 260 |
| 140 | 50 | 250 | 280 |
| 140 | 60 | 270 | 300 |
| 160 | 40 | 250 | 280 |
| 160 | 50 | 270 | 300 |
| 160 | 60 | 290 | 320 |
| 180 | 40 | 270 | 300 |
| 180 | 50 | 290 | 320 |
| 180 | 60 | 310 | 340 |
Frame and headboard: +10 cm on the width of the sleeping surface (the small bedroom page's assumption).
The source also asks for at least 50 cm in all between the bed and the wall, so you can move around. DecoScale does not check that distance for the bedside table.
One bedside table or two?
Two for a double bed, one for each sleeper and a symmetry; one is enough for a single bed or in a small room, according to the source. DecoScale places the bedside table at the side of the bed.
Where do you put the bedside lamp?
On the bedside table: when the selection includes one, DecoScale puts the lamp on it. The other distances in a bedroom are on small bedroom layout and room layout dimensions.
How does DecoScale place the bedside table?
After the bed, against its side, level with its head, within the tolerance above. The bedside table comes from the catalogue, at its real dimensions. The rule is a penalty, not a ban: in a small bedroom, the engine looks for the layout that breaks the fewest. The plan of the room comes from your photos and two tape-measure dimensions: see the Method page.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a bedside table be?
The height of the top of the mattress, to within 5 cm, according to the retailer B2C Furniture: for a mattress whose top is 55 cm off the floor, 50 to 60 cm. DecoScale does not judge that height.
What width of bedside table for a 160 bed?
50 to 60 cm, according to B2C Furniture, which sorts beds into single, double, queen and king; we match queen to the 160 bed by the width of the sleeping surface.
How far from the bed should a bedside table be?
Against the side of the bed, at most 15 cm away, and level with its head to within 15 cm. That gap is documented, not measured.
What depth for a bedside table?
Usually 35 to 45 cm, according to B2C Furniture. DecoScale does not judge the depth.
How much wall for a 160 bed and two 50 cm bedside tables?
270 to 300 cm with the frame, with the tables touching the bed and then 15 cm away.
Do you need two bedside tables?
For a double bed, generally yes: one each and a symmetry. One is enough for a single bed or in a small room.
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