Types of Bedside Tables | What Fits Your Room

Bedside tables come in roughly eight main types, from classic nightstands to space-saving floating shelves.

Choosing among the types of bedside tables usually comes down to three things: how much storage you need, how much floor space you can give up, and whether you plan to use the table from bed or just beside it. The right pick holds your lamp, phone, and glasses without crowding the room or blocking the path around the bed. This guide walks through each style, the sizing rules that prevent awkward fits, and the material choices that hold up over years of daily use.

The Main Styles: Storage, Shape, and How They Mount

Every bedside table falls into one of a handful of families, and each one solves a different problem. Here’s the breakdown of what you’ll actually see in stores and online.

• Traditional nightstand / bedside cabinet: The classic box with one or two drawers plus an open shelf below. Best all-around storage for daily essentials.
• Open shelf unit: A frame with exposed shelves and no drawers. Lighter visually, easier to grab things from, but dust collects on everything you store.
• Floating / wall-mounted table: Bolted to the wall with no legs touching the floor. Frees up floor space entirely; ideal for tight rooms, but requires solid wall anchoring and you can’t move it easily.
• Pedestal table: A single small surface on one central column. Minimal footprint, almost no storage — purely a spot for a lamp and a phone.
• Bedside chest: A taller, deeper cabinet with multiple drawers. Acts as extra dresser storage in bedrooms lacking closet space.
• Bedside cart: A table on caster wheels. Handy for breakfast in bed or flexible repositioning, but wheels can roll during use unless locked.
• C-shaped slide-under table: A narrow tray top on a base that slides beneath the mattress. Bridges over the bed so you can use a laptop or meal from a lying or sitting position.

IKEA’s current catalog groups bedside tables by shape as well — round, square, rectangular, narrow, and small — confirming these dimensions matter as much as the style itself.

What Size Bedside Table Fits Your Bed?

The height of your mattress top sets the target for your table height, and the gap between bed and wall sets the width limit.

Measure from the floor to the top of your mattress — not the bed frame. Your table should land close to that height, with about 4 inches of breathing room so the surfaces roughly align. That 4-inch rule also applies to the sides: leave roughly 4 inches of clearance between the table and the bed itself so making the bed or shifting position doesn’t knock things off.

Depth depends on your room size. In most bedrooms, a depth of 10 to 14 inches works well; larger rooms can handle 14 to 18 inches; tight spaces call for a slimmer 10 to 12 inches. You also want at least 20 inches of floor clearance for walking around the bed, and ideally 36 inches for main walkways.

For safety and usability alike, check two things before buying: that the table doesn’t interfere with the bed frame or mattress when you adjust them, and that drawers and doors can open fully without hitting the wall.

Materials: What Holds Up and What’s Healthier to Sleep Near

Solid wood and metal frames are the most durable choices; lightweight board materials are cheaper but more fragile.

IKEA’s current range uses bamboo, solid wood, wood/board composites, metal, and pine, oak, or birch variants. Beyond those, you’ll commonly find hardwood, MDF, rattan, and glass-top tables. For a bedroom, solid wood is the safest bet for longevity. If you’re sensitive to fumes, look for zero-VOC or low-VOC finishes, since particle board and unbranded MDF can off-gas into the air you breathe all night.

What About Babies? A Critical Distinction

The US federal safety standard for bedside sleepers — a distinct category meant to attach to an adult bed for infant co-sleeping — is separate from rules for nightstands or cabinets. A product sold as a “bedside table” or “nightstand” carries no guarantee of meeting infant sleep-product requirements. If you need furniture for a baby’s room, buy a product explicitly marketed and certified for that purpose.

Once you’ve settled on a style and size, the last step is verifying the finish label before you buy — knowing what the surface is made of tells you how it will age and whether it belongs in your bedroom. And if you’re ready to narrow the field, our roundup of top-rated modern bedside table picks compares the best-looking options that meet these criteria.