21 best bedside tables to breathe new life into your bedroom in 2026
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The best bedside tables do a lot of heavy lifting for such compact furniture pieces. Small but mighty, they keep the essentials close at hand, bring balance to your bedroom furniture and often end up setting the tone for the whole space. From a classic two drawer bedside table to a minimalist, slender-framed nightstand, the right choice blends everyday functionality with nifty design details – making getting into bed at night feel like proper self care.
This edit spans relaxed Scandi looks, mid-century modern silhouettes, and warmer finishes in natural oak and mango wood that sit beautifully alongside wooden beds and upholstered bed frames alike. You'll find diminutive bedside tables with one drawer and open shelf options for easy access, plus chunkier designs that take cues from full-sized chests of drawers when maximum storage is needed for the clutter-prone (guilty as charged).
What we love most is how versatile these pieces can be. A good nightstand doesn't have to stay put, it can move into the living room beside armchairs or footstools, work as a compact side table in smaller spaces, or even hold its own in a home office or dining room corner. From new arrivals to long-standing bestsellers, these bedside tables prove that practicality and personality can happily share the same space.
How we chose the best bedside tables
When it came to choosing the best bedside tables for this edit, we sifted through hundreds of designs, weighing everything from craftsmanship and materials to practicality and price. We considered how each piece would function in real homes – Is there enough storage? Is the size right for smaller bedrooms? Does it feel sturdy and built to last? Along the way, we leaned on expert insight and our own hands-on experience testing furniture over the years. The result? A carefully curated line-up of bedside tables for every budget, style and preference.
Why you can trust us
As a seasoned team of shopping editors and writers, we’ve spent the past five years deep in the world of interiors — rigorously reviewing everything from buzzy new launches to practical pieces from our favourite online furniture stores. We’ve made the rounds at countless press days, chatted with industry insiders, and called upon interior designers for their styling wisdom. In short, we’ve done the legwork (and then some), so when it comes to knowing which brands truly deserve a place in your home – and your budget – we speak from experience.
Want more interiors content? Check out our round-ups of the best dressing tables, best bed frames and best wardrobes.
For more from Glamour UK's Commerce Writer Mayola Fernandes, follow her on Instagram @mayolafernandess.
Below, our edit of the 21 best bedside tables to bring into your bedroom in 2026.
Should your bedside tables be higher than the bed?
Having your tabletop align with the top of your mattress is considered the ideal set-up. After all, when you wake up bleary-eyed in the middle of the night and reach across for your glass of water in the darkness, chances are you're less likely to knock it over if it's roughly level with you. It's just far less awkward to reach!
Not only a good idea for practical reasons, roughly lining up your bedside tables with the top of your mattress is a good way to keep everything looking in proportion. Plus, it creates a lovely visual sense of balance.
However, although thinking about the right alignment can come in handy, it’s worth bearing in mind that it won’t necessarily be relevant if you’re thinking of going for a bedside table that isn’t a typical boxy shape. For example, trendy tall and slim models won’t fit this criteria. So don’t sweat about it too much!
What's the best way to style a bedside table?
As well as being nice to look at, a properly styled bedside table is far less likely to become a catch-all for clutter. And according to the experts in all-things affordable interior design at The Living House, it can be really quick and easy to achieve a well-designed look.
“Stacking a couple of aesthetic books can be a really great way to add a bit of height,” suggests Director and Co-Founder, Sophie Clemson. “Also, you could think about sitting a framed print behind as a backdrop that you can style your accessories around.”
Got plenty of tabletop space to work with? As far as Sophie’s concerned, the most impactful thing you can do is go for a large table lamp with a bold lampshade. “Lighting can really make or break a room, and layers of lighting are really important in a bedroom to create a relaxing and cosy atmosphere,” she explains.



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