Nightstand for a Kids Room: Height, Size and Safety

A nightstand is the smallest piece in a kids room. It gets used every day, from 3 a.m. bottles to teen alarm clocks. Here's how to size it, where to put it and how to keep it safe.

Short answer: pick a nightstand whose top sits close to the height of the surface it serves, whether that's the arm of a glider now or the top of a mattress later. Leave a clear walkway, and keep cords and monitors well away from the crib. Romina's nightstands run from 21½ to 25⅜ inches tall and $1,030 to $1,180. Two slim modern models are 19⅝ inches wide and 16¾ inches deep, and the classic models are 22⅞ to 24⅜ inches wide and 21¼ inches deep. Each one is 100% solid wood, Made in Europe, Greenguard Gold certified, offered in 13 finishes, covered by a 3-year case-goods warranty and shipped with a wall-anchoring system.

What a kids room nightstand actually does

In a nursery, the nightstand sits next to the glider, not the bed. It holds the lamp you dim for night feeds, a bottle, burp cloths and the book you read at bedtime. Romina's product pages describe exactly that: a nightstand "next to your rocking glider during nursing stage or next to your bed" for "a lamp, alarm clock or those paper objects called 'books'."

Years later, the same piece moves to the side of a twin or full bed. That's why it's worth choosing the nightstand for the bedroom it will end up in, not only for the nursery. If the crib is a 5-in-1 that becomes a full-size bed, the nightstand will sit beside that bed for a decade or more. For the big-picture plan, see furniture that grows with your child.

Every Romina nightstand, side by side

Dimensions below come from each product's Weight and Dimensions tab. Prices are from Romina's product pages in November 2026. The lower number is the standard handle, and the higher one is an upgraded handle.

Two sizes stand out. New York and Uptown share a compact 19⅝ × 16¾ inch footprint and are the shortest at 21½ inches. The classic collections (Imperio, Dakota, Karisma, Antonio) are 3 to 5 inches wider and 4½ inches deeper, which means more drawer space and a bigger top for a lamp plus a water bottle.

How tall should a kids nightstand be?

There's no federal or industry rule for nightstand height. The useful test is reach. A common rule of thumb is to keep the top within a few inches of the surface it serves, so you can put a cup down without stretching or looking. Measure two things before you choose.

• Nursery years: the arm height of your glider or chair. Romina doesn't sell gliders, so check your chair's spec sheet.
• Big-kid years: floor to the top of the mattress once the bed is made up. Romina full and twin beds include a box spring, so measure with the box spring and mattress in place.

If those two numbers are far apart, lean toward the bed. You'll use the glider for a year or two, but the bed for many more. The 21½-inch New York and Uptown suit lower beds and low-profile looks. Karisma, at 25⅜ inches, is the tallest Romina nightstand, and Antonio sits at 24 inches. For bed sizes and the box-spring-included setup, see our guide to twin and full kids beds.

How wide and deep: fitting the room

Width is about the wall. Depth is about the walkway. A few planning points:

• Small nursery or city apartment: the 16¾-inch-deep New York or Uptown leaves the most floor space beside a glider. It's the same logic as our small-nursery crib guide.
• Next to a full bed: the wider classic models (23 to 24⅜ inches) look balanced beside a full-bed headboard. Romina full beds are 57 to 61¼ inches wide.
• Lining up with the dresser: the classic nightstands are 21¼ inches deep, the same as most Romina dressers, so the fronts line up on a shared wall. New York and Uptown are shallower at 16¾ inches. Compare dresser sizes in single vs double dresser.
• Drawer swing: leave space to pull a drawer fully open while you're seated. Measure the depth again with the drawer out.

Where to put the nightstand next to a crib

The nursery nightstand is a magnet for things with cords: a lamp, a sound machine, a monitor, a phone charger. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says to keep baby monitors and their cords at least 3 feet from any part of the crib, and never to place a monitor inside the crib or on its rail (CPSC OnSafety; CPSC on monitor cords). CPSC also asks parents to recheck cord placement as the child grows, because a toddler's reach keeps getting longer.

In practice, that usually means the nightstand belongs beside the glider, not touching the crib. If the room is so small that the only spot is next to the crib, keep corded items off it and run the cords behind furniture, away from the crib side.

A good test: stand at the crib rail and stretch an arm out. If you can touch the lamp or the monitor, a toddler will too, sooner than you think.

Nightstand safety: drawers, anchoring and TVs

Is a nightstand covered by the STURDY tip-over rule? CPSC's clothing storage unit rule (16 CFR part 1261) covers free-standing units that are at least 27 inches tall, weigh at least 30 pounds and have at least 3.2 cubic feet of enclosed storage (CPSC Clothing Storage Units FAQ). Every Romina nightstand with listed dimensions is under 27 inches tall, so it falls below that height threshold. Shorter doesn't mean it can't tip, though. A child pulling on an open drawer or climbing to reach the lamp still puts weight at the front.

That's why Romina's safe baby furniture page lists nightstands among the case goods that come with a three-way wall-anchoring system for brick, sheetrock and wooden walls, and recommends using it along with a house rule of opening one drawer at a time. The steps are in our guide on how to anchor nursery furniture.

Two more CPSC "Anchor It!" points matter for nightstands. Put a TV only on furniture designed to hold one, such as a TV stand or media center, not on a nightstand. And keep tempting things like remotes and toys off furniture tops so kids aren't tempted to climb (CPSC Anchor It!).

What you're paying for in a solid wood nightstand

A nightstand from $1,030 is a real investment, so here's what Romina's product pages list for the construction:

• 100% solid wood construction
• English dovetail drawer boxes
• Soft-closing drawer glides built to last 73 years (a durability rating, not a warranty)
• Corner bracketing or reinforcement blocks
• Non-toxic, water-based and organic oil finishes
• Greenguard Gold certified; no formaldehyde or VOC emissions

The soft-close glides matter more at night than they do in a showroom. Romina's product Q&A puts it simply: if it took 45 minutes to get the baby to sleep, you'll appreciate a silent drawer. The warranty on the nightstand itself is 3 years, like all Romina case goods (see the warranty page).

Matching finishes and handles

All seven nightstands come in the same 13 finishes as Romina's cribs and dressers, from Solid White and Bianco Satinato to Nocello, Navy and Peppercorn. Order finish samples if you're matching a piece you already own. Handle options change the price: New York has one price, while the bar, Celtic Knot and Bronze Swirl options add up to $110 on the other models. The New York nightstand can be two-toned, with the accent finish on the drawer fronts.

To keep the room consistent, choose the nightstand from the same collection as the crib or dresser:

• Modern lines: New York and Uptown
• Shaker: Karisma
• Classic and traditional: Imperio, Antonio, Dakota and Cleopatra

Caring for the top

A nightstand top sees water glasses, bottles and lamps every day. Romina's furniture care guide recommends:

• Clean with a damp cloth followed right away by a dry one, and don't let water sit on the finish.
• Avoid cleaners containing alcohol, ammonia, acids or solvents, because most furniture polishes are made for oil or polyurethane finishes, not water-based ones.
• Rotate accessories like lamps now and then so the surface gets even light and air.
• Keep furniture away from humidifiers, heaters and air-conditioning outlets, and out of direct sun. White finishes yellow naturally over time, and sunlight speeds that up.

The humidifier point catches many nurseries out, because a nightstand is the obvious place to put one. Put it on a tray on the floor or a separate stand instead. Romina recommends keeping rooms at 65–75°F and 30–40% relative humidity.

When to buy the nightstand

A nightstand is a nice-to-have on day one, not a must. Our nursery furniture buying guide puts the crib, mattress and dresser first. Buy it with the nursery if you'll use a glider and need a surface at arm's reach. Otherwise, add it when the crib becomes a bed. If you're short on wall space, a tall chest or a bookcase may do more for storage, and the nightstand can wait.

FAQ

What size nightstand is best for a kids room?

For a small room, a compact footprint like New York or Uptown (19⅝ × 16¾ in) leaves the most floor space. Next to a full bed, a 23–24⅜ inch wide classic model looks more balanced.

How tall should a nightstand be next to a kids bed?

Roughly level with the top of the mattress. Measure the made-up bed, including the box spring, before you choose. Romina nightstands range from 21½ to 25⅜ inches tall.

Can I put the nightstand right next to the crib?

Only if nothing corded is on it. CPSC says baby monitors and their cords should be at least 3 feet from any part of the crib.

Do I need to anchor a nightstand?

Romina includes a three-way wall-anchoring system with its case goods, including nightstands, and recommends using it. Nightstands are under the 27-inch height in CPSC's clothing storage unit definition, but a child can still pull one over.

Do Romina nightstands come in the same finishes as the cribs?

Yes. All seven come in the same 13 finishes, and New York can also be two-toned.

What's the warranty on a Romina nightstand?

Three years, the same as all Romina case goods. The soft-close glides are built to last 73 years.

Related guides: How to Anchor Nursery Furniture · Twin and Full Kids Beds · Single vs Double Dresser