What Size Table Lamp Suits a Bedside Table?

A bedside table lamp usually looks and works best when the bottom of the shade sits roughly at shoulder height when you are sitting up in bed, and when the shade is no wider than the top of the bedside table. In most UK bedrooms that means a lamp somewhere around 45 to 65 centimetres tall, though the right figure depends on the height of your bed, mattress and bedside cabinet. In this guide we explain how to measure for a bedside lamp in a few simple steps, how to judge shade width and base footprint, and how to adjust the rules for small double beds, tall ottoman frames, low platform beds and narrow bedside cabinets. We also cover shade shape, switch position, matching pairs versus mismatched lamps, and when wall lights make more sense than a table lamp, so you can choose with real confidence rather than relying on guesswork....