Side Table Lamp Size Guide and the Rules for Bedside Lamps
By Metify Homes
A lamp that is the wrong size for its table is one of those things you notice every day without knowing why the room looks off. Too small and it looks like a toy. Too tall and you get the bulb in your eyes every time you lie down.
The sizing is not a matter of taste. There are a handful of rules, and all of them come from where your eyes are.
Rule 1: the shade bottom sits at chin level
Sit up in bed against the headboard, the way you would to read or scroll. The bottom edge of the lampshade should be level with your chin, give or take a couple of inches.
There, the shade hides the bulb from your eyes and the light falls on your lap and your book. For most people on most beds, that point is about 20 inches (50 cm) above the top of the mattress.
Rule 2: table height and lamp height work together
A side table should be about level with the top of your mattress, or up to two inches higher. Then the lamp makes up the rest of the height. A taller table needs a shorter lamp and a lower table needs a taller one.
| Side table height | Lamp height that usually fits |
|---|---|
| 20 in (50 cm) | 27 to 30 in (68 to 76 cm) |
| 24 in (60 cm) | 24 to 27 in (60 to 68 cm) |
| 28 in (70 cm) | 20 to 24 in (50 to 60 cm) |
Lamp height here means the whole lamp, from the base to the top of the shade. Beds with a thick spring mattress sit high, often 24 to 26 inches, so measure yours before you assume.
Rule 3: the shade stays inside the table
Look at the lamp from above. The shade should not stick out past the edges of the tabletop. If it does, you will knock it every time you reach for the alarm.
A shade about two-thirds the width of the table looks balanced. On an 18 inch table, that is a shade around 12 inches across.
Rule 4: leave room on the table
The base of the lamp should take up no more than about a third of the surface. A side table also has to hold a phone, a glass of water, glasses and perhaps a book. If the lamp base covers half the top, the lamp is too big for the table however good it looks.
Narrow tables suit lamps with a slim stem and a small round base. Wide tables can take a jar or urn shape.
Rule 5: you must reach the switch lying down
A bedside lamp you have to get up to switch off is a lamp you will stop using. A switch on the cable, on the base or on the stem just under the shade are all fine. Before you buy, check where it is.
Rule 6: pairs should match in height, not always in shape
Two identical lamps on two identical tables is the classic look and the easiest to get right. Lamp pairs such as the Compact Haitral table lamp pair are sold for this.
If your side tables do not match, the lamps still should finish at the same height. Put the taller lamp on the shorter table. The two shade tops should line up when you look at the bed from the door.
The same rules beside a sofa
In the lounge you sit a little higher and more upright, so the numbers shift. Add the height of the side table and the height of the lamp together. The total should come to 58 to 64 inches (147 to 163 cm). At that total, the bottom of the shade lands near eye level for someone sitting on the sofa.
A common sofa-side table is 22 to 24 inches high, which means a lamp of roughly 26 to 30 inches works. That is why living room lamps are generally taller than bedroom ones.
How to measure before you order
Measure your side table: height, and width of the top.
Sit in position and have someone measure from the tabletop up to your chin (bedside) or your eyes (sofa).
That measurement is where the shade bottom should be. Compare it with the lamp’s dimensions on the product page.
Check the shade width against your tabletop width.
What makes a good bedside lamp?
Size first, then these.
A base with some weight. Light lamps get dragged off the table by their own cable.
A shade you cannot see through from the side. Fabric, or glass that is frosted or coloured. Clear glass with a bare bulb looks pretty and is tiring next to your face.
The right bulb. A 5 to 7 watt warm white LED, 2700K, is plenty beside a bed. Higher wattage lights the whole room and wakes whoever is next to you. Check whether the holder is E27 (screw) or B22 (pin) before you buy bulbs.
A cable long enough to reach. Sockets behind beds are often in the wrong place. Look at the cable length if the page lists it.
Common questions
Can a bedside lamp be taller than the headboard? It can, but it usually looks better when the top of the shade sits below the top of the headboard.
My side table is tiny. What then? Use a slim lamp with a small base, or free the table completely with a wall light or a floor lamp beside it.
One lamp or two? Two if two people use the bed. Each person controls their own light.
See what fits your measurements in our table lamps collection.