7 Best Narrow Nightstands for Small Bedrooms With Real Storage

Small bedrooms love to leave you with this awkward little strip of floor between the bed and the wall, maybe 15 inches if you're lucky.

That strip is exactly what a narrow nightstand is for. Your phone and water glass get a spot, and your shins stop running into it at 3 a.m.

Regular nightstands are usually 21 to 28 inches wide, which just doesn't work in a lot of small bedrooms and studio apartments. We rounded up seven slim, skinny, and small nightstands and jotted down the width, depth, height, and storage for each one.

Two of them come from Sicotas and hold the most stuff. The other five are better for 12- to 20 inch gaps, bare walls, or those really tall beds.

Designers like to keep a narrow nightstand within 2 inches of the mattress top, and we kind of stuck to that rule too.

Our Top Narrow Nightstand Picks at a Glance

Skimming on your lunch break? Every pick is in the table below, side by side.

#	Nightstand	Best For	Size (W x D x H)	Storage
1	Sicotas Savanna 3 Drawers Nightstand	Our top pick	24.8" x 15.36" x 26.57"	3 drawers
2	Sicotas Crescent Nightstand with 3 Drawers	Biggest drawers	31.3" x 16.4" x 26.6"	3 wide drawers
3	Kartell Componibili 3 Elements	Ultra-narrow gaps	12.6" round x 23" H	3 closed modules
4	West Elm Pierce & Ward Lacquered Nightstand	Drawers in 16 inches	16" x 18" deep	3 drawers
5	IKEA HEMNES Nightstand	Simple classic	18.1" x 13.8" x 27.5"	1 drawer, 1 shelf
6	Article Lenia Floating Nightstand	Mounts on the wall	19.75" x 15.25" x 6"	1 drawer
7	Safavieh Sabrina End Table	High beds	17.7" x 13.8" x 31.9"	1 drawer

 

Yep, our first two picks are wider than the rest. We did that on purpose.

They hold way more than any 16-inch table could, and they still only come out about 15 to 16 inches from the wall. If your gap is under 20 inches, though, skip ahead to picks 3 through 7, those are the ones built for it.

What Counts as a Narrow Nightstand?

 

Weirdly, nobody has ever set an official size for these. Most stores just lump bedside tables together by width, which roughly looks like this:

Type	Width	Works Best For
Skinny nightstand	Under 14"	Gaps next to a wall, door, or radiator
Narrow nightstand	14" to 20"	Twin, full, and queen beds in tight rooms
Small nightstand	20" to 25"	Small bedrooms that still need drawers
Standard nightstand	25" and up	Queen and king beds with open floor

 

Width only tells you half of it with a slim nightstand. A table that's 16 inches wide but 21 inches deep will still jut into the walkway, so check both numbers before you get your heart set on one.

Into the woven boho thing but need something genuinely narrow? We'd point you to the Savanna rattan narrow nightstand. It's 19.7 inches wide and 15 inches deep, with one drawer behind a rattan front.

How to Measure Your Space

 

Before anything else, dig out a tape measure. The metal one from the junk drawer works way better than a floppy sewing tape for this. Then write down three numbers, ideally somewhere you won't lose them:

• Width: bed frame to the first thing that's in the way (wall, door trim, closet, radiator, whatever). Take 2 to 3 inches off for cords and the baseboard, and so your hand can actually reach in.

• Height: floor to mattress top, sheets and duvet included. Puffy comforters sneak in an extra inch or two, which is annoying but true.

• Depth: basically, how far a table can poke out before you're doing a sideways shuffle to get to bed.

Oh, and check the doors! A closet door that swings toward the bed can clip a nightstand that measured perfectly, just because nobody thought about the swing.

The 7 Best Narrow Nightstands for Small Spaces

Okay, so how did we pick? Width, depth, height, and storage type were the basics.

Past that, it came down to a gut check: could you live with this in a small bedroom where the bed's pushed right up against one wall? All the specs come straight off each brand's own listing, not from guessing.

1. Sicotas Savanna 3 Drawers Nightstand: Best Overall

 

Need actual storage and not just a perch for your phone? Start with the Savanna tall three-drawer bedside table. Technically, it's a small nightstand, not a skinny one, since it's 24.8 inches wide, but it's only 15.36 inches front to back, so you won't be shuffling sideways around it.

Those three drawers are where the bedside junk goes to hide: chargers, the paperback you're halfway through, reading glasses, the night cream.

Metal roller glides with safety stops mean a drawer won't come flying out onto your toes. And the top lands at 26.57 inches, right about where most mattress and box spring combos end up.

Engineered wood, matte finish, three colors to pick from: Reclaimed Light Oak, Reclaimed Caramel Oak, or Black Oak. If you've got your eye on the matching dresser, all three play nicely with the rest of the warm, rattan-styled Savanna collection.

• Size: 24.8" W x 15.36" D x 26.57" H

• Storage: 3 drawers, and each one's about 21 inches wide inside

• Best for: gaps of roughly 27 inches or more where you'd rather have storage than a slim look

• Keep in mind: it won't squeeze into anything under 25 inches, and plan on about 45 minutes of assembly

2. Sicotas Crescent Nightstand with 3 Drawers: Best for Maximum Storage

 

Lots of people go hunting for a narrow nightstand and then notice that one side of the bed actually has way more room. Sound familiar? Put the Crescent wide-top nightstand with 3 drawers on that roomy side.

Picture a little dresser that just happens to live next to your bed. On paper it's 31.3 inches wide, which sounds huge, but it only comes 16.4 inches out from the wall (that's shallower than a lot of so-called narrow tables).

The drawers are where it really earns its spot. Each one's close to 30 inches wide inside, which is enough for a pile of sweaters, a spare sheet set, or the bulky winter blanket that's currently hogging your closet shelf.

The top fits a lamp, your phone, and the stack of books you keep promising yourself you'll read.

At 26.6 inches tall and 60 pounds, it's heavier than you'd guess, and that's actually a plus because it won't scoot when you bump it getting out of bed. It comes in Walnut Brown, Greige Oak, or Dark Grey Oak.

• Size: 31.3 inches wide, 16.4 inches deep, 26.6 inches tall

• Storage: 3 wide horizontal drawers on metal roller glides

• Best for: small rooms where you're drowning in stuff, not short on width

• Keep in mind: it's not for tight gaps, so give it the open side of the bed

3. Kartell Componibili 3 Elements: Best Ultra Narrow Pick

Kartell first made this round storage unit back in 1969, and somehow it still looks modern. It's only 12.6 inches across and 23 inches tall. You won't find many skinny nightstands that small that still give you doors to hide things behind.

Three little modules stack on top of each other, each with a sliding door, and there's not a sharp corner anywhere.

That's a big deal when your walkway is about a foot wide and you're stumbling to the bathroom half asleep. The plastic shell is light and wipes clean in seconds.

• Size: 12.6" diameter x 23" H

• Storage: 3 closed modules

• Best for: 14 to 16 inch gaps, especially next to a lower platform bed

• Keep in mind: the top is tiny, so pair it with a wall light

4. West Elm Pierce & Ward Lacquered Nightstand: Best Narrow Nightstand With Drawers

 

Most narrow nightstands with drawers give you one and call it a day. This one squeezes three into a 16-inch-wide frame. The catch? It's 18 inches deep, so grab the tape measure and check your walkway before you get too attached.

The body's solid poplar, and the drawer fronts are engineered wood, all under a shiny lacquer with a bit of a 70s vibe. Move apartments later and it'd work just as well as a little entry table or parked next to a sofa.

• Size: 16 inches wide and 18 inches deep

• Storage: 3 drawers

• Best for: style lovers who still want hidden storage

• Keep in mind: deeper than most picks here, and you'll want to double-check the height on the listing

5. IKEA HEMNES Nightstand: Best Value Skinny Nightstand

 

Odds are you've met the HEMNES already, probably in somebody's first apartment. Width is 18 1/8 inches, depth a skinny 13 3/4.

The bit we actually like is the 27 1/2 inch height, since so many narrow tables end up looking like footstools beside a thick mattress, and this one just doesn't.

There's one drawer at the top and an open shelf below it for books or a basket. Plain? Yep, very. A brass or wooden knob from the hardware store does a surprising amount here, and swapping it takes about five minutes.

• Size: 18.1 inches wide, 13.8 inches deep, 27.5 inches tall

• Storage: one drawer up top and an open shelf where a basket fits nicely

• Best for: renters, guest rooms, and that first apartment

• Keep in mind: next to a really low platform bed it might sit a touch too high

6. Article Lenia Floating Nightstand: Best Floating Pick

 

A floating nightstand in a small bedroom gives you the whole floor back, and the Lenia pulls that off by mounting right to the wall.

You're looking at 19.75 by 15.25 inches, and with zero legs the box is a mere 6 inches tall, so think chunky shelf with a drawer tucked in.

The drawer's soft-close, which your partner will appreciate at midnight, and it swallows the usual suspects: phone, remote, reading glasses. Hang it wherever lines up with your mattress, tall or low, it doesn't care.

Our favorite part is kind of boring, honestly: you can actually mop under it, and the robot vacuum stops getting wedged.

• Size: 19.75 inches wide, 15.25 inches deep, 6 inches tall

• Storage: one soft-close drawer, big enough for the basics

• Best for: very tight rooms and homes with a robot vacuum

• Keep in mind: it needs solid wall anchors, which some landlords won't love

7. Safavieh Sabrina End Table: Best Tall Narrow Nightstand

 

Pillow-top mattresses make a lot of narrow nightstands look kind of stubby. Not the Sabrina. It stands 31.9 inches tall, the tallest on our list by a few inches, while staying 17.7 inches wide and only 13.8 inches deep.

There's a pine frame with some cute little carved details and a single drawer. Since it's so shallow, it stays out of the walkway, and you won't clip it with your knee on the way past.

One honest caveat: tall, light furniture can tip. The CPSC tip-over safety standard officially covers dressers and similar storage units, and a one-drawer table may not technically count, but we'd still strap anything this tall to the wall. Better safe.

• Size: 17.7 inches wide, 13.8 inches deep, 31.9 inches tall

• Storage: 1 drawer

• Best for: high beds and thick mattresses

• Keep in mind: way too tall for low platform beds

How to Choose a Slim Nightstand That Fits

A gorgeous table you keep stubbing your toe on is kind of a bad deal, right? Before you buy anything, it's worth going through four quick checks.

Match the Width to Your Gap

 

Pull out that width number you wrote down and find it below:

• Under 12 inches: honestly, forget the floor and put up a wall shelf or a clip-on lamp

• 12 to 16 inches: this is skinny nightstand territory, plus round storage units like the Kartell

• 16 to 20 inches: room enough for narrow nightstands with drawers

• 20 to 25 inches: you can fit a small nightstand with 2 or 3 drawers, no problem

• 25 inches and up: go for storage, since a compact 3-drawer piece earns its spot

Like the warm Sicotas look but stuck with a narrow gap? Take a peek at the Prelude slim nightstand under 20 inches. It's 19.61 inches wide, 15 inches deep, a hair over 26 inches tall (26.17, if you're counting), and somehow they still got two drawers in there.

Get the Height Right

 

The magic number is your mattress height, give or take 2 inches. A table that's too low has you hanging off the bed to grab your glasses; one that's too high has you patting around above your head at 2 a.m. looking for your phone.

There's a safety side to this, too. For a lot of older adults, the NCOA bedroom safety guide points to a mattress height around 20 to 23 inches, which is the height where your feet land flat on the floor when you sit up.

As a rough guide, platform beds hover near 20 inches. Throw a box spring in there and you're usually up around 25 inches or more.

Watch the Depth and Drawer Space

Width hogs the spotlight. Depth is the number that decides whether you can still squeeze past the foot of the bed, and in a tight room we'd keep it between 13 and 16 inches.

Oh, and drawers need swing room! If the drawer is 11 inches deep, you'll need about 11 inches of open floor in front of it too; otherwise, it jams against the bed frame halfway out.

Choose Drawers or Open Shelves

Feature	Drawers	Open Shelf
Hides clutter	Yes	No
Looks light in a small room	Less	More
Common under 14 inches wide	Rare	Common
Best for	Chargers, medicine, skin care	Books, a basket, a plant

 

Phone, water, a paperback? An open shelf handles that fine. Our bedsides, though, tend to become a dumping ground for charging cables, two pairs of glasses, hand cream and whatever was in our pockets, and for that kind of mess you want a drawer you can just shut.

Check the Material Label

Scroll through enough listings, and it's engineered wood almost everywhere, with the odd solid wood, metal, or plastic one thrown in.

There's a dull but sensible reason slim nightstands lean on engineered wood so much: it weighs less than solid lumber, and it's less likely to warp when August humidity rolls in.

One more thing before checkout. Flip the box over, or scroll all the way down the listing, and look for TSCA Title VI compliant somewhere on it.

The EPA composite wood formaldehyde rules require that label on particleboard, MDF, and hardwood plywood, so if we couldn't find it, we'd ask the seller.

Anchor Tall or Top Heavy Pieces

Narrow plus tall equals wobbly, especially if there's a toddler climbing stuff or a big dog bumping into things. The Anchor It campaign from CPSC says to strap furniture with drawers to the wall, and while you're at it, put the heavy things in the bottom drawer.

How to Style a Small Nightstand

Keep Three Things on Top

Three things, tops. We learned this the hard way: give a 15-inch top a phone, a water glass, and a book, and it's full.

Add lip balm, a second book, and the TV remote and something's hitting the floor at 2 a.m., usually the water. Anything past those three goes in the drawer.

Lamps are the tricky part on a tiny top. The CDC home fall prevention checklist says to keep a light within reach of the bed, which sounds obvious until you realize there's no room for a lamp base.

A plug-in wall sconce gets around that, since it hangs on the wall and leaves the whole surface free.

Hide the Cords

Cords are sneakier than you'd think. Shove a power strip and three chargers behind a nightstand and the whole thing ends up two or three inches off the wall, which is a lot to give up when the gap was 16 inches in the first place.

We'd go with one short cord or a charging pad, run behind the legs, and never under a rug.

And keep extension cords temporary. These ESFI extension cord safety tips warn that cords buried under rugs or blankets can heat up.

Go Light and Leggy

Finish color matters more than you'd guess in a room this size. We'd go pale: light oak, white, maybe some cane, on legs skinny enough that you can see the floor under them.

A dark, chunky box does the opposite and looks about twice as big once it's next to the bed. A matching pair, one on each side, helps too.

What to Use Instead of a Nightstand

 

Some gaps are just too tight for any nightstand, and that's fine. If you've got less than 12 inches, quit trying to wedge one in and go with one of these:

• A floating shelf at mattress height

• A wall-mounted drawer or a skinny picture ledge

• A small stool or a plant stand

• A round pedestal side table

• A headboard with a built-in shelf

• A reading light mounted on the wall

Redoing the whole room? Check out this space-smart Sicotas bedroom furniture, where you can pair a slim bedside piece with a dresser sized for the space you actually have.

Final Takeaway

 

The tape measure is the real hero here.

The best narrow nightstand for you is simply the one that fits your gap, sits near your mattress height, and holds what you grab at night, and you won't know which one that is until width, depth, and height are written on a sticky note somewhere.

With a little breathing room in a small bedroom, we'd go with the Savanna 3 Drawers Nightstand. Is storage the whole point? Then it's the Crescent. Stuck under 20 inches, you'll be happier with the Componibili, the HEMNES, or just a floating shelf.

Want to compare slim and small sizes side by side? It's all in the Sicotas narrow and small nightstand collection.

FAQs

What are some narrow bedside tables suitable for small spaces?

• Kartell Componibili, if your gap is around 14 inches

• West Elm Pierce & Ward, for three drawers in just 16 inches of width

• IKEA HEMNES, which is only 13.8 inches deep

• Article Lenia, when you'd rather keep the floor totally clear

What is the narrowest a bedroom can be?

In a lot of US towns, the answer comes from the International Residential Code. It says any room you live in has to be at least 7 feet wide in every direction.

Your city might tack on its own rules, so a quick call to the building office doesn't hurt. Once the bed's in, try to leave 18 to 24 inches to walk beside it.

What are some good bedside tables for tight spaces?

Round side tables, floating nightstands, and skinny open shelf tables are usually your best bets. They hardly take up any floor space, and there's no sharp corner sticking into the walkway. Just try to grab one that sits close to your mattress height.

What is a good narrow nightstand for small spaces?

Somewhere in the 12 to 20 inch wide range, and about 13 to 16 inches deep, is where we'd shop.

A good narrow nightstand for small spaces also needs its top within about 2 inches of your mattress, or you'll be fumbling up or down for the alarm every morning. Drawers win if you've got chargers and clutter; an open shelf wins if the room already feels boxed in.

What can you use instead of a bedside table?

• A floating shelf or a plain wall ledge

• A stool or a small chair

• A plant stand

• A short bookcase tipped on its side

What is a good nightstand for a small bedroom?

That depends on how much floor you've really got. Once you have 25 inches or more, a compact 3-drawer nightstand gives you the most storage without hogging the room.

Under 20 inches, though, we'd go with a slim nightstand or even just a floating shelf, and keep it to the stuff you actually use.

Should nightstands be lower or higher than the bed?

Neither, if you can help it. Try to get the top within 2 inches of your mattress height, up or down, so your phone, your water, and the lamp switch are all reachable without you having to sit up.

What is the best side table for a small bedroom?

In our experience, a side table around 12 to 16 inches wide, and fairly shallow, works best.

Go for an open base so the room doesn't feel crammed, and a round top if you can, since there's no corner waiting to catch your hip in the dark. Want storage? Put a small basket on the lower shelf.