Our shopping editors tested the best nightstands. Here are their favorite picks after months of testing.
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The 6 Best Nightstands to Update Your Bedroom, Tested and Reviewed
Updated Sep. 07, 2024
Finding the best cooling bed sheets or best mattress may be a top priority when furnishing your bedroom, but you shouldn’t overlook smaller items like nightstands. The best nightstands are stylish and practical. They provide space for reading lamps, bedside necessities, and other items you need within reach while lying down. Top options will last for years, but it can be difficult to determine the quality and height of nightstands when shopping online.
Our editors received new nightstands, assembled them and tested them in their bedrooms for months to help you eliminate guesswork when shopping for the best nightstands. We evaluated storage capacity, durability/materials used, assembly, delivery, and overall look (amongst other things). After careful consideration, we chose our top six picks for the best nightstands below.
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Best Overall Nightstand
Joss & Main Elin 1-Drawer Nightstand
Pros:
- Comes fully assembled
- Easy to wipe clean
- Sleek and elegant
- Top is durable and sturdy
- 1-year warranty
Cons:
- Partially manufactured wood
- Some folks might prefer more storage
Sometimes, simple is better. This classic, single-drawer nightstand from Joss & Main checks all our boxes for the best nightstand. Its clean lines and sleek silhouette will match just about any decor, and its drawer keeps any bedside items you don’t want on display hidden.
Senior Shopping Editor Caroline Lubinsky loves the Elin Nightstand, which arrived fully assembled at her door. “The hardest part was moving the box to my bedroom; otherwise, setting up the nightstand was a seamless process,” she says. Once it was unboxed, it looked great! It’s elegant and luxurious without breaking the budget.”
This Joss & Main nightstand proved sturdy and easy to clean during testing. It comes with a one-year warranty and was delivered in pristine condition. It also has a bottom storage base for any larger items you need to have on the bedside. The ring-shaped hardware elevates the overall look of the nightstand while maintaining its simplicity. Plus, it’s available in white, navy and natural wood.
Caroline points out that the nightstand is made of solid and manufactured wood. While this nightstand provided enough storage for her, Joss & Main makes an Elin 2-Drawer Nightstand for folks who prefer more bedside storage.
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Best Mid-Century Nightstand
Burrow Heist Nightstand
Pros:
- Mid-century modern design with all-wood look
- Easy assembly and fast delivery
- Quiet, soft-close drawers
- Generous drawer capacity
- Great customer service
Cons:
- Very heavy; may need two people to lift
- Pricey
Burrow, a favorite of Family Handyman, recently released the Heist Nightstand. It is a mid-century modern piece with two generously sized doors and tapered legs. Burrow is a stand-out online furniture retailer for its fast, affordable shipping and simple assembly.
“I absolutely love the Heist Nightstand,” says Shopping Editor Mary Henn. “It arrived at my front door in a large box. All I had to do was unbox the nightstand and screw on the legs—no tools required for assembly!”
The Heist Nightstand is made of solid ash wood with a high-quality wood veneer finish. “The nightstand is incredibly heavy and sturdy. It truly feels like it will last for years to come,” Mary adds. “The nightstand can easily hold my weight if I sit on it.”
Burrow offers the nightstand in two finishes: walnut and oak.
“I went with the lighter oak finish, and it’s beautiful in person,” Mary says. The drawers have stylish curved handles and premium soft-close slides, which is amazing in the middle of the night when I’m trying not to wake my baby.”
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Best Rattan Nightstand
Nathan James Rattan & Wood Storage Nightstands Oak (Set of 2)
Pros:
- Study
- Lightweight
- Comes as a set (great value)
- Lots of storage space
- Available in light oak, black and white
- Fast, free shipping
- Great customer service
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Requires assembly
- Some reviewers have trouble assembling doors
“If you want classy and timeless nightstands with boho chic flair, this set of two from Nathan James is perfect,” says Senior Shopping Editor Nancy Snyder. “They have a light oak finish, rattan details on the front doors, contrasting black hardware and a metal base.”
“I was impressed with the quality and sturdiness of the product (plus it’s a good value, spending less than $300 for a set of two),” Nancy adds. “Nathan James frequently has sales and discount codes. Although you have to assemble the nightstands yourself, they are very durable and aesthetically pleasing, and I don’t see them going out of style any time soon.”
While the Nathan James nightstands require assembly, Nancy says the process was easy, and the assembly instructions were clear. Assembling one nightstand with two people took a little over half an hour. After owning this nightstand for over a year, Nancy reports that it hasn’t shown any signs of wear and is very durable, with a 90-pound weight limit on top and a 30-pound weight limit per shelf. There’s enough room for her to house her cell phone, the TV remote and a glass of water on top and even more storage space available in the cubby hole and drawer.
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Best Budget Nightstand
Lerliuo Nightstand with Charging Station
Pros:
- Affordable
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to clean
- Modern yet rustic
- Built-in charging strip
- Enclosed drawer
Cons:
- Small
- Some screws may be missing from packaging
If you’re looking for nightstands under $50, this top pick from Amazon boasts drawer storage and a charging station. The Lerliuo Nightstand is available in five colorways, and while it requires some assembly, Shopping Editor Emily Way found assembling the nightstand incredibly easy.
“This was one of the easiest assemblies I’ve ever had,” Emily says. “Instructions were very clear and, for the most part, self-explanatory. There were no issues with mismatched holes; everything lined up perfectly.”
While testing the Lerliuo Nightstand, Emily found it sturdy and lightweight, with no visual damage. Sometimes, buying furniture from Amazon is a gamble, but that was not the case with this nightstand. “I’m floored it’s so nice at such a low price point,” Emily adds.
The nightstand features wooden boards with a sturdy metal frame, which adds a rustic feel. Its charging station features two standard plug outlets and two USB ports. However, Emily noticed that the small screws required for fixing the electrical strip to the nightstand were missing from the box. While it was an easy fix to replace the screws, it was an annoying one.
“It may be too small for some,” Emily says. “We couldn’t fit a lamp on it along with my husband’s other nightly essentials, but he could put non-lamp items into the drawer. That’s partially the fault of the charging strip, which takes up a lot of room. However, it’s a worthy trade, in my opinion, for the convenience of the charging station. For my small bedroom, it’s perfect.”
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Best Basic Nightstand
Ikea Vikhammer Nightstand
Pros:
- Basic, multi-purpose design with lots of storage space
- Last for years
- Soft-close drawer
- Great for high beds
- Easy to clean
- Affordable
Cons:
- Only available in one color
- Shows fingerprints and dust easily
Don’t count Ikea out of the race when it comes to the best nightstands. The Vikhammer is a basic, affordable black nightstand that doubles as an end table for your living room. It fits nicely beside high beds and has a single, soft-close drawer. It has steel legs, and it’s made of fiberboard, which offers durability at an affordable cost.
Product Tester Caroline Stanko purchased and self-assembled this nightstand over three years ago. After years of use, it’s still sturdy and looks great. “I love how sleek this nightstand looks,” Caroline says. “It holds a lot of stuff between the top, drawer and lower shelf, but it doesn’t look bulky. I keep a lamp, mirror, water bottle and other nick-nacks on the top. In the drawer, I store my e-reader, iPad, medicine, hand cream, eye masks and more.”
After years of long-term testing, Caroline says the nightstand has held up well, even through spills and moves. “It wasn’t until two months ago that I got my first ding on top of the nightstand. Honestly, I just used a black permanent marker to cover it up, and it was good as new,” Caroline says. “The top has a couple of scratches, but you can’t see them unless you get very close.”
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Best Floating Nightstand
All Modern Reni Solid Wood Nightstand
Pros:
- Can mount at any height
- Sturdy
- Unique design
- Solid wood
- Mounting kit included
Cons:
- Scratches easily
- Only comes in two colors
Floating nightstands come with several perks. You can place them anywhere on the wall to align precisely with the top of your mattress and easily vacuum underneath them. Plus, they take up less space than other nightstands. The Reni Nightstand by AllModern is a floating nightstand made with solid wood all over. It has a single, handleless drawer and a shelf underneath with a French cleat for mounting.
Product Tester Sydney Manning appreciates that this floating nightstand arrives pre-assembled with a mounting kit, so all you need to do is pull out your power drill and mount it to the wall. “I love the simplistic look,” she says. “It’s also heavy duty and well made.”
“Since it’s mounted to the wall, I was a little nervous about installing it and making sure it wouldn’t come crashing down,” Sydney says. “After we installed it, it seems very sturdy, and I haven’t thought twice about it falling.”
“I usually have my water bottle, glasses and phone set next to me on top,” she adds. “Everything else I need, like medications or vitamins, can easily fit right in the drawer.” During testing, Sydney noticed that the wooden nightstand does seem prone to scratching. “It looks great and is a unique style, but it does scratch easily,” she says
Why You Should Trust Us
At Family Handyman, we’ve made it one of our missions to test the best bedroom products. From the best mattress toppers to individual mattress reviews and more, we want to help you find the best for your space. After all, we spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping, so we might as well make the most of it, right?
Our shopping editors and product testers have years of hands-on experience with various home decor products and furniture. They’ve seen it all when it comes to shopping and can confidently recommend products that are worth your dollar. This time, our team came together to cultivate the list of best nightstands based on years of research and testing so you can make consumer-informed decisions before you spend.
How We Found the Best Nightstands
We polled our expert shopping editors to find out which nightstands they’ve bought and loved over the years. We also sourced additional nightstands based on research for our editors to assemble and test for themselves. That way, we can tell you exactly what the delivery and assembly process is like before you buy.
We considered packaging and delivery, sturdiness and specs, cleaning and maintenance, style and value. We also considered storage space and whether each nightstand could hold all the nighttime essentials you’ll need at the bedside. After months of testing, hours of research, and plenty of note-taking, we narrowed our list to the top six nightstands.
FAQ
What is the best nightstand height?
Ultimately, it depends on the size of your bedroom and bed frame. You’ll want a nightstand that is level with your mattress to make things easily accessible from your bed. Nightstands less than 30 inches wide typically pair well with a queen-size bed.
How much should a nightstand cost?
The best nightstands don’t have to break the bank. Our budget pick is less than $50, while the most expensive picks on this list are less than $500. You can choose what’s best for you depending on your budget and needs.
Originally Published: August 07, 2024
