A bedside lamp is a small lamp placed on a nightstand to give a soft, close light for reading, getting up at night or winding down before sleep. Choosing one comes down to three things: a size that leaves room on the nightstand, a switch you can reach from the bed, and a style that works on its own or as a matching pair. This guide gives the real sizes of the bedside lamps in our range, a quick sizing check for common nightstand widths, and the cases where a wall light or a pendant beside the bed works better.
Real sizes of our bedside lamps
All figures below are taken from our product pages. “Not stated” means the figure is not given on the product page.
| Bedside lamp | Height | Shade | Base | Switch and light |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cordless Marble Table Lamp | 23 cm (9.1 in) | Ø 17 cm (6.7 in) | Ø 7 cm (2.8 in) | Touch, 3 brightness levels, 8–12 h per charge |
| Amanita Mushroom Table Lamp | about 30 cm (11.8 in) | Cap 18 cm (7.1 in) | 12 cm (4.7 in) | Not stated |
| Blue Stained Glass Tiffany Lamp | 36.5 cm (14.4 in) | Ø 20 cm (7.9 in) | Ø 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | In-line on/off switch, 155 cm cord |
| Tiffany Cat Table Lamp | 36.5 cm (14.4 in) | 20 cm (8 in) | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | Button switch, bulb included, not dimmable |
| Sunflower Tiffany Table Lamp, 20 cm | 37 cm (14.6 in) | Ø 20 cm (7.9 in) | Not stated | On/off switch, warm white 3500K, not dimmable |
| Red Leaf Pyramid Tiffany Table Lamp | 37 cm (14.6 in) | Ø 16 cm (6.3 in) | Not stated | On/off switch, warm white 3500K, not dimmable |
| Tiffany Gypsophila Bedside Lamp | 38 cm (15 in) | 20 cm (8 in) | Not stated | Not dimmable |
| Bauhaus Silver Dome Table Lamp | 39 cm (15.4 in) | Ø 30 cm (11.8 in) | Ø 16 cm (6.3 in) | Button switch, not dimmable |
Sizing check: how much of the nightstand does it take?
A common tip is to keep the lamp narrower than the nightstand, with space left for a glass of water, a phone and a book. The widest part is usually the shade, so subtract it from the width of your nightstand:
- Small nightstand, 35 cm (13.8 in): the Cordless Marble (17 cm) leaves 18 cm free, a 16 cm Tiffany-style pyramid 19 cm. A 20 cm shade leaves 15 cm.
- Standard nightstand, 45 cm (17.7 in): a 20 cm stained glass lamp leaves 25 cm, the Amanita (18 cm cap) 27 cm, the Bauhaus dome (30 cm) 15 cm.
- Wide nightstand, 55 cm (21.7 in): even the Bauhaus dome leaves 25 cm, and a 30 cm stained glass lamp, described on its product page as suited to a large nightstand, leaves 25 cm too. See our Tiffany table lamp sizes for the 30 cm models.
Height matters as much as width: the right height depends on your mattress and nightstand. Our guide to bedside lamp height and reading lights gives the working rules and the calculation.
One lamp or a matching pair?
- A matching pair gives a calm, symmetrical look on each side of a double bed, and each sleeper has their own switch. Two identical 20 cm stained glass lamps, or two Cordless Marble lamps in the same marble colour, are an easy pair.
- Two different lamps work when they share one thing: the same height, the same shade size or the same colour. Our 20 cm Tiffany-style lamps are all 35 to 38 cm high, so two different patterns still line up.
- One lamp is enough beside a single bed or on the side of the bed you read from.
Switch, cable and light colour
- Switch you can reach: an in-line switch on the cord (Blue Stained Glass Tiffany Lamp) can be placed by the mattress; a touch switch (Cordless Marble) is pressed on the lamp itself.
- No socket nearby: the Cordless Marble Table Lamp runs 8–12 hours per charge on its 5 V magnetic charging base. See cordless and rechargeable table lamps.
- Warm light: the new Tiffany-style lamps give warm white 3500K. For the difference between warm and cool light, read warm white vs cool white.
When a wall light or pendant works better
If the nightstand is very small, or there is none, move the light off the table. A pair of wall lights frees the whole surface: the Knitted Shade Wood Wall Sconce (38 cm high, touch switch, about 3–5 m²), the Classic Fabric Wall Sconce (shade Ø 17 cm, 25 cm projection) or the Travertine Wood Cap Wall Sconce (stone shade Ø 11 cm, touch switch). They are hardwired or wall mounted, so check the installation on each product page. A pendant hung beside the bed, such as the Flower Glass Pendant (about Ø 30 × H 13 cm, knob switch), is another option. See our guide to bedroom wall lights and bedside sconce height and more bedroom lighting ideas.
Frequently asked questions
How big should a bedside lamp be?
Narrower than the nightstand, with room for a glass and a book. On a 45 cm (17.7 in) nightstand, a lamp with a 20 cm (7.9 in) shade leaves 25 cm free; on a 35 cm nightstand, a 16 to 17 cm shade is easier to live with.
What is the best bedside lamp for a small nightstand?
A lamp with a small shade and base, such as the Cordless Marble Table Lamp (shade 17 cm, base 7 cm) or a 16 cm Tiffany-style pyramid lamp. If there is no room at all, use a wall light beside the bed instead.
Do bedside lamps need to match?
No. A matching pair looks calm and symmetrical, but two different lamps work well when they share a height, a shade size or a colour, such as two 20 cm stained glass lamps with different patterns.
See all models in our table lamps collection, our cordless lamps and our wall lights.
