Bedside Wall Lights: Height, Spacing and Switch Placement

A bedside wall light does something a table lamp cannot. It gives you back the entire surface of the nightstand, it puts the light above the clutter rather than behind it, and it can be aimed at a page instead of at the whole room. The catch is that every one of those advantages depends on getting the height right, and the height is not the same as it would be anywhere else in the house.

The number: 100 to 120 cm from the floor

Mount the centre of a bedside wall light between 100 and 120 cm from the floor, or roughly 50 to 70 cm above the top of the mattress. That is considerably lower than a general wall sconce, and the reason is simple: you will almost never look at this light while standing.

Every meaningful moment with a bedside light happens either lying down or sitting up against the headboard. At that height, the light falls onto the pillow and the page rather than over your head onto the wall behind you.

Check it from the bed, not from the doorway

Before you drill, sit up in bed in your normal reading position and have someone hold the fixture at the proposed height. Ask one question: can you see the bulb? If the answer is yes, either the fixture is too low or the shade is too open for that position.

Mattress thickness varies enormously, from a slim 18 cm foam to a 35 cm pocket sprung mattress on a divan base, and that difference alone can move the correct mounting height by 15 cm. This is why the measurement from the mattress is more reliable than the measurement from the floor.

Spacing: frame the bed, do not crowd it

For a pair, align each light with the outer edge of the bed rather than the centre of the nightstand. On a standard double this usually puts them 140 to 160 cm apart, and on a king around 180 to 200 cm. The pair should read as brackets around the bed.

Horizontal position matters as much as height. Set the fixture 15 to 25 cm out from the edge of the bed, far enough that you are not knocking it when you turn over, close enough that its light still reaches the page.

Reach the switch without getting up

A bedside light with an inconvenient switch is a bedside light you stop using. There are three workable arrangements: a switch on the fixture body itself, which is the simplest and the one to prefer; an inline switch on a plug in cable, which should sit on the nightstand rather than dangling; or a wall switch beside the bed, which is the tidiest but requires wiring.

If your bed is against a wall with no wiring, a plug in model with a body switch solves the problem completely. The Notch Minimalist Plug In Sconce and the Nook Adjustable Plug In Sconce both work this way. For a bed with no socket nearby at all, a battery wall lantern removes the cable question entirely.

Choose a light that can be aimed

The single biggest upgrade over a table lamp is direction. A fixed sconce washes the wall; an adjustable one puts a defined pool of light on your book while the rest of the room stays dark enough for someone else to sleep.

If you share a bed with someone who goes to sleep earlier than you do, this is not a luxury. Look for a pivoting head and a shade that is closed on the sides, and check that the beam can be aimed steeply downward rather than only forward.

Warm light after dark, always

Whatever fixture you choose, use a warm bulb of 2200 to 2700 kelvin at the bedside. Cool white light suppresses melatonin and makes a bedroom feel like a corridor. Our guide to colour temperature room by room goes into the detail.

Frequently asked questions

How high should a bedside wall light be?

Between 100 and 120 cm from the floor, or 50 to 70 cm above the top of the mattress. Confirm the height by sitting up in bed and checking that the bulb is not visible from that position.

How far apart should bedside wall lights be?

Align them with the outer edges of the bed. On a double that is usually 140 to 160 cm apart, and on a king around 180 to 200 cm. Set each one 15 to 25 cm out from the side of the bed.

Are wall lights better than bedside table lamps?

For reading, usually yes, because a wall light can be aimed at the page and it frees the nightstand surface. A table lamp is better if you move the light around or cannot fix anything to the wall.

Can I fit a bedside wall light in a rented flat?

Yes. A plug in or battery model needs no wiring and, in some cases, no drilling at all. Browse the wall lights collection for models that mount with a bracket and two screws.

What brightness should a bedside reading light be?

Around 300 to 450 lumens aimed at the page is plenty. Anything brighter and you are lighting the room rather than the book. There is more on this in our guide to how bright each room should be.

Ready to choose one? Start with the Lumenorth wall lights collection, or see what other people are buying in best sellers.