Best Bedside Pendant Lights for Australian Bedrooms
TL;DR: Hang bedside pendant lights one each side of the bed, with the bottom of the shade about 50-60cm above the nightstand, which puts it roughly 110-125cm off the floor, just below your eye line when you sit up in bed. Hang each one over its nightstand, about 15-25cm clear of the bed edge, so it lights the page without catching your head. Choose a slim 15-25cm shade, or up to about 30cm beside a King, with a warm 2700-3000K dimmable source and a switch you can reach from bed. Shop our bedroom lighting range.
Key takeaways
- Measure from the nightstand: the shade bottom sits 50-60cm above its surface, which is about 110-125cm off the floor on a 55-65cm nightstand.
- Check it sitting up in bed: the shade should sit just below eye level, so you see the shade rather than the globe.
- Keep each pendant 15-25cm clear of the side edge of the mattress, one each side, over its nightstand.
- A Queen bed (about 153cm wide) suits a 15-25cm shade; a King (about 183cm) can carry up to about 30cm.
- Use warm white, 2700-3000K, on a dimmer or touch switch, and have hardwired pendants installed by a licensed electrician.
Swapping table lamps for pendant lights beside the bed is one of the simplest ways to reclaim your nightstand and add a designed, hotel-like layer to a bedroom. A well-placed bedside pendant clears the surface for books, a glass of water and a phone charger, throws light down onto the page rather than across the room, and frames the bed with symmetry.
The trade-off is that pendants are fixed, so height, clearance and diameter all have to be right before installation. This guide sets out the measurements that work in typical Australian bedrooms, how to match a pendant to your bed, and a shortlist of bedside pendants by job, so you can choose objectively rather than by looks alone.
For fittings already sized to a bedroom, start with our bedroom chandeliers.
In this guide
- How high to hang a bedside pendant
- What size suits your bed
- Bedside pendant shortlist
- Globes, dimming and switching
- Planning the wiring
- Frequently asked questions
How high should bedside pendant lights hang?
Hang the bottom of the shade about 50-60cm above the nightstand surface, which on a standard nightstand is roughly 110-125cm off the floor, just below seated eye level. Always state which surface you are measuring from, because the two figures are easy to mix up.
A typical nightstand stands 55-65cm high and an Australian mattress top sits around 60cm. A shade 50-60cm above the nightstand therefore lands about 110-125cm off the floor, while a seated adult's eyes sit around 125-135cm, so the shade sits just below your eye line.
That position matters. Hung at standing eye height, around 150cm or more, the open underside of the shade faces you when you sit up to read, so you look straight into the globe. Hung much lower, it crowds the nightstand surface you were trying to free up.
| Measurement | Working figure | Measured from |
|---|---|---|
| Shade bottom above the nightstand | 50-60cm | Nightstand surface |
| Shade bottom off the floor | About 110-125cm | Floor, with a 55-65cm nightstand |
| Horizontal clearance from the bed | 15-25cm | Side edge of the mattress |
| Shade diameter | 15-25cm, up to about 30cm beside a King | Widest point of the shade |
Most Australian bedrooms have a 2.4-2.7m ceiling, with new builds often at 3m or more. On a 2.4-2.7m ceiling the bottom of the shade therefore sits roughly 115-160cm below the ceiling. Because a hardwired pendant's cord length is set at installation, settle these figures before your electrician arrives.
What size bedside pendant suits my bed?
A slim 15-25cm shade suits a Queen bed and a standard nightstand; beside a King or a wide bedside table, a shade up to about 30cm carries the extra visual weight. Symmetry reads best, so plan one pendant each side of the bed, each hung over its nightstand.
A Queen mattress is about 153cm wide and a King about 183cm, and the wider bed usually comes with wider bedside tables that can balance a larger shade. If you are unsure how a hanging fixture will sit against your bedhead and ceiling height, our bedroom lighting size guide for Australian rooms walks through the drop-and-diameter maths for larger fixtures. For how the bedside layer fits with the ceiling light and dimming, see the complete bedroom lighting guide.
Which bedside pendant lights are worth shortlisting?
Pick by job: a single-head directional pendant for reading, a soft knitted shade for winding down, and a touch-dimming pendant when you want control without a wall dimmer.
| Bedside need | What to look for | Lume match | Option to choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading in bed | A single head aimed down at the page | LED Butterfly Pendant Light | Single head, warm light, gold |
| A soft wind-down glow | A diffused, textured shade on a standard E27 globe | Nordic Wabi-Sabi Pendant Lamp | D30cm, the smallest size, beside a King or a wide nightstand |
| Dimming without a wall dimmer | A touch switch on the fitting that also dims | Dimmable Gold LED Pendant Chandelier | Single head, warm white, gold or black |
| No ceiling point beside the bed | A slim wall light instead of a pendant | Ash Timber LED Wall Light 2601ASH | 28cm length |
For a focused reading light: a slim directional pendant
If your main goal is to read without lighting the whole room, a compact single-head pendant that casts light down onto the page is the most practical choice. The gold Butterfly pendant light carries its own LED head on a wing-shaped arm; choose the single head for a bedside, as the double head is made for dining tables and islands.
For a soft ambient glow: a textured, diffused shade
For a calmer, hotel-like wind-down light, a diffused shade spreads a warm glow rather than a sharp beam. The Nordic wabi-sabi pendant in cement grey and white uses a hand-knitted shade on a standard E27 fitting, so you can choose your own 2700-3000K dimmable globe and match both sides of the bed.
For control within reach: a touch-dimming pendant
At 110-125cm off the floor, a bedside pendant is within arm's reach when you sit up, which is what makes a touch switch practical. The touch-dimmable gold LED pendant turns on and dims with a tap on the fitting, so there is no separate wall dimmer to wire in, and it comes in gold or black with a single head.
What globe, dimming and switching should you choose?
Use warm white, 2700-3000K, on a trailing-edge dimmer or a touch-dimming fitting, and put the switch within reach of the pillow. Bedrooms call for warm, low-glare light rather than the 4000K neutral or 6000K cool tones better suited to kitchens and bathrooms.
Most bedside pendants take E27, E14 or G9 fittings, so check the fitting before you buy a globe. A trailing-edge dimmer paired with a compatible dimmable LED globe lets you drop the level for reading and again for sleep. If neither a dimmer nor a touch switch suits, wire each pendant to its own switch beside the bed, or choose a plug-in version with an inline cord switch.
Who should install bedside pendants, and when?
A licensed electrician should install any hardwired bedside pendant to AS/NZS 3000, ideally before the bedroom is painted, with both ceiling points set from the bed position rather than the room centre. Mark where the bed will sit first, then place each ceiling point over its nightstand, 15-25cm clear of the mattress edge, so the cords hang straight.
Plug-in pendants with an inline switch suit renters, but connecting any fitting into the ceiling wiring is electrical work and is never a DIY job.
Ready to clear the nightstand? Browse the full Lume pendant lights collection to compare drops, diameters and finishes, or start with the single-head Butterfly reading pendant. Confirm your ceiling height and nightstand height first, choose a warm dimmable source, and have any hardwiring completed by a licensed electrician for a safe, tidy finish.
Frequently asked questions
How high should bedside pendant lights hang?
Hang each pendant so the bottom of the shade sits about 50-60cm above the nightstand surface, roughly 110-125cm off the floor. That puts it just below your eye line when you sit up in bed, so you see the shade rather than the globe.
How far from the bed should a bedside pendant hang?
Keep each pendant about 15-25cm clear of the side edge of the mattress, hung over its nightstand. That lights the page without the shade catching your head or shoulder as you get in and out of bed.
Can pendant lights replace bedside lamps?
Yes. A pendant each side of the bed frees the nightstand for books, water and a charger, and directs light downward for reading. Fix the drop and diameter before installation, and choose a warm, dimmable globe so you can lower the level at bedtime.
What colour temperature is best for a bedside pendant?
Warm white in the 2700 to 3000K range suits bedrooms, giving a relaxed glow rather than the cooler 4000K or 6000K light used in kitchens. Pair it with a dimmable globe and a trailing-edge dimmer so you can brighten for reading and soften for sleep.
Do bedside pendants need an electrician to install?
Any hardwired pendant should be installed by a licensed electrician. Plug-in or inline-switch versions can be simpler for renters, but connecting a fixture into the ceiling wiring is electrical work and should not be attempted as a DIY job.
Written by William Walker.