Side Tables

Side tables, end tables and occasional tables for beside a sofa, next to a bed or in the gaps a bigger piece of furniture cannot fill. Slim C-shaped designs slide their base under the sofa so the top reaches over your lap; nesting pairs separate when you need two.

Side table types we stock

• C-shaped sofa tables — the base slides under the sofa so the top sits over your lap.
• Nesting pairs — two tables in one footprint, in wood, marble and cement effects.
• Narrow and S-shaped tables — 58 cm to 63 cm tall with two or three tiers.
• Tables with drawers — including narrow charging tables with built-in AC, USB and USB-C.
• Round glass tables — 45 cm tempered glass tops on black or gold-tone frames.
• Bamboo and industrial designs — 3-tier shelving plus magazine holders.

How to choose a side table

A side table belongs between two lines. The lower one is your sofa's seat line, floor to the top of the compressed cushion. The upper one is the elbow line: the seat line plus about 24 cm, which is where a median British adult's elbow rests once they sit down. On a 45 cm sofa seat that puts the usable band at roughly 45 cm to 69 cm, and a table above it means shrugging your shoulder to put a glass down.

Designers usually shorten this to within 5 cm of the armrest, which lands most people between 50 cm and 61 cm. The catch is that almost no sofa listing publishes an armrest height, ours included, so measure your own with a tape before you order. Heights in this collection run 43 cm to 100 cm with a median of 60 cm; 29 of the 53 products have a top inside the 50 cm to 61 cm band, while the bedside tables, record-player stands and overbed tables sit deliberately higher because they are sized to a mattress rather than a sofa. Our table height guide works through both bands.

Height-adjustable and C-shaped tables are the flexible option when you are not sure. In small rooms, a narrow table with open tiers reads lighter than a solid cube of the same footprint, and glass tops almost disappear.

Side table FAQs

What height should a side table be?

Level with or just below the sofa arm — typically 55 cm to 65 cm. If you cannot measure the arm, take your sofa's seat height and add up to 24 cm; that upper figure is your seated elbow height and the practical ceiling.

Why does the height matter so much?

Because a side table is an extension of the sofa arm. Below the elbow line you can reach it with your shoulder down; above it you lift your shoulder every time, which is the difference between a table you use and one you walk past.

What is a C-shaped side table for?

The C-shaped base slides underneath the sofa or bed so the tabletop reaches over you — useful for laptops, drinks and eating from the sofa. It is also the easiest table to move out of the way when a sofa bed opens.

Can I use a side table as a bedside table?

Yes. Look for one with a drawer or lower shelf, and check the height against your mattress rather than the bed frame. The taller tables here, from 71 cm to 100 cm, are designed for exactly this and are too high beside a sofa.

Also browse coffee tables, bookcases & shelves and ottomans & footstools.