Short answer: A nightstand should have its top level with the top of your mattress, or a little below it, so that you can reach it while lying down. It should be narrow enough to leave clear floor beside the bed, and it should fit in the wall space between the bed and the corner or door. We do not currently sell a nightstand in the United States, but our Tessella, Eclipse and Mensa side tables are 16.3 to 20.5 inches high, close to the height of the sleeping surface on our Ara bed.
A nightstand is the smallest piece in the bedroom and the one you touch most. If the top is too low you reach down for your glasses, and if it is too wide it narrows the path beside the bed. The sections below cover height, width, drawers, the side tables we offer and how to match the style of the bed.
On This Page
- How high should a nightstand be?
- What size nightstand fits next to a bed?
- Drawer, open storage or both?
- Our side tables at the bedside
- Matching the table to your bed
- Our recommendation
- Explore our bedroom and table range
How high should a nightstand be?
A common guideline is a top level with the top of your mattress, or a few inches below it. Then a glass, a phone or a lamp switch is within reach without sitting up. That is general advice, not a product specification, so start by measuring your own bed from the floor to the top of the mattress.
Our mattress heights are 10 inches for the Foam mattress and 12 inches for the Hybrid, which our foam vs hybrid guide compares. The Ara bed frame is 14.6 inches tall and its side panels stand 4.9 inches above the slats. Worked out from those figures, the sleeping surface on an Ara sits at roughly 19.5 inches with the Foam mattress and roughly 21.7 inches with the Hybrid. Treat that as an estimate and check it against your own bed.
How high should a nightstand be?
| Our side table | Height | Compared with the sleeping surface on an Ara bed |
|---|---|---|
| Mensa side table | 16.3 inches, or 20.1 inches with the optional shelf | Below the mattress top without the shelf, close to the Foam mattress (about 19.5 inches) with it |
| Tessella side table | 20.0 inches | Between the Foam mattress (about 19.5 inches) and the Hybrid (about 21.7 inches) |
| Eclipse side table | 20.5 inches | Between the Foam mattress (about 19.5 inches) and the Hybrid (about 21.7 inches) |
If your mattress is thicker or your frame is higher, a lower table will sit below the mattress, which still works. A top well above the mattress is the one to avoid.
What size nightstand fits next to a bed?
Three measurements decide it: the width of the nightstand, the clear floor beside the bed, and the wall space you have. Start with the wall. The headboard of our Ara bed is wider than the frame, so measure from the outside edge of the headboard.
What size nightstand fits next to a bed?
| Bed size | Round or Square headboard width | Pillow headboard width | Wall needed for the Round or Square headboard plus two 20 inch nightstands | Wall needed for the Pillow headboard plus two 20 inch nightstands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 66.8 inches | 63.2 inches | 106.8 inches | 103.2 inches |
| Queen | 73.1 inches | 69.5 inches | 113.1 inches | 109.5 inches |
| King | 86.9 inches | 83.7 inches | 126.9 inches | 123.7 inches |
The two right-hand columns use two 20 inch wide nightstands as an example, placed outside the headboard with no gap. Swap in the width of the piece you choose. With the Extended headboard, which is far wider, our headboard style guide shows the wall width to plan for.
Then check the floor. As a general guideline, leave 24 to 36 inches clear on the side where you get out of bed, and keep at least 36 inches for any path through the room. Narrow rooms need those numbers more than they need a bigger nightstand. Our guides to bedroom furniture and to bedroom furniture for tight spaces go through the layout.
If you choose an Ara storage bed, its drawers open outward from the sides. A nightstand close to the headboard can overlap the path of the nearest drawer, so check the position before you buy. Our Ara storage guide lists the clearances.
Drawer, open storage or both?
The choice is about what you keep beside the bed. A drawer hides small items, and open storage keeps a book or a lamp in view. Our small bedroom storage guide explains why drawers keep a small room looking tidier.
- A drawer you can pull out: the Mensa side table has a pull-out drawer that works as a tray.
- Open top: the Tessella and Eclipse side tables give you a surface for a lamp and a glass, and the Eclipse has a removable top tray.
- No bedside table at all: where the floor is tight, a wall shelf at mattress height can do the job and takes no floor space.
Our side tables at the bedside
We do not sell a nightstand in the United States, so we do not name one here. Our side tables are made for the living room, and our side table guide suggests a top close to mattress height beside a bed. The sizes below are from our product pages.
Our side tables at the bedside
| Side table | Footprint | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Mensa side table | 19.7 x 19.7 inches | 16.3 inches, or 20.1 inches with the optional shelf |
| Tessella side table | 20.1 x 20.1 inches | 20.0 inches |
| Eclipse side table | 19.9 inches across, round | 20.5 inches |
| Solis | 21.7 x 12.8 inches | 20.7 to 30.7 inches, adjustable |
The Solis is only 12.8 inches deep and adjusts in height, which makes it the most flexible for a narrow wall. Check the wall measurement in the table above before you choose.
Matching the table to your bed
Oak and Walnut are among the finishes on our side tables. On an upholstered Ara they add a wood tone beside the fabric. Our Ara customization guide covers frames, headboards and fabrics.
A common guideline is to keep to two finishes in a bedroom: for example the bed frame, then the bedside tables in a wood tone. Two bedside tables do not have to be identical, but they should be close in height so that the two sides of the bed look balanced.
Our recommendation
- Tight room or a narrow wall: the Solis, because it is 12.8 inches deep and its height adjusts to your mattress.
- A drawer at the bedside: the Mensa side table, which has a pull-out drawer and sits lower at 16.3 inches.
- Hybrid mattress or a tall bed: the Eclipse side table at 20.5 inches or the Tessella at 20.0 inches.
- Not sure about the space: measure the wall and the floor beside the bed, then book a free design consultation.
Explore our bedroom and table range
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.