Which Chest of Drawers for the Bedroom? Sizes, Drawers and Wood – A Practical Guide

In short: a good bedroom chest of drawers is usually 70–90 cm high (the top sits at hand height), 40–45 cm deep, and as wide as the wall allows — from 85–100 cm in a small bedroom to 140–160 cm if it has to hold clothes for two. Leave about 70 cm of free space in front of the drawers, and if you want it to last for years, choose solid wood rather than chipboard — it copes with daily use of the drawers and can be refinished.

After the bed, the chest of drawers is the most important piece of bedroom furniture: it holds bedding, underwear and seasonal clothes, while its top doubles as a shelf for a lamp, books and small things. Below we explain how to match the size to your room, how many drawers you really need and what to look for when choosing the wood and style. You will find ready-made models in our bedroom chests of drawers category — all made of solid mango, rosewood or oak.

Bedroom chest of drawers dimensions — what to measure before you buy

Before you fall for a particular model, measure the wall where the chest will stand and check how much space will be left in front of it. In practice, four dimensions matter:

• Width: in a small bedroom, a chest 85–100 cm wide works best (see 90 cm chests of drawers). If it has to hold clothes for two people, go for 140–160 cm models — 140 cm chests of drawers and 160 cm chests of drawers. In between are 120 cm chests of drawers.
• Height: the standard is 70–90 cm — the top is then at hand height, and a mirror or picture above the chest hangs at eye level. If the chest is going under a window, check the height of the windowsill.
• Depth: 40 cm is the sweet spot — the drawers take folded jumpers and the chest doesn't block the walkway. Deeper models (45–50 cm) hold more but need a bigger room.
• Space in front: leave about 70 cm so the drawers open comfortably. If the chest stands opposite the bed, this distance decides whether you can walk past freely.

Dimensions of our bedroom chests of drawers

To make comparing models easier, we have gathered the dimensions of the chests of drawers in our bedroom category (width, height and depth in centimetres):

As you can see, most of the chests are 40 cm deep and 70–90 cm high — dimensions that suit a typical bedroom. The exceptions have their uses: the tall, narrow Giulia (141 cm) or the Zofia on slender legs (110 cm) take up little floor space, so they work well in a small bedroom. Wide, low models such as the Ebba (68 cm) can sit under a window or a TV. For more ideas for tight spaces, read What kind of furniture for a small bedroom?

How many drawers do you really need?

The inside layout of a chest is easy to overlook in a shop, yet it decides how convenient it is every day. In our chests, the drawers are 14 to 20 cm high and 31 to 44 cm deep inside. Shallower drawers (14–15 cm, e.g. in the Hanka and Baska) are perfect for organising underwear and accessories, while taller ones — like the 20 cm drawers of the Ester — take folded jumpers and bedding.

A simple rule: count what you want to store. For one person's clothes, a chest with 3–4 drawers is usually enough; a couple needs a wider model or a mix of drawers and shelves behind doors, as in the Emma or Ebba. Our customers' favourite is the Henio sideboard from the Warsaw collection: 160 cm wide, with three wide drawers in the middle and two side cabinets with shelves — it easily holds clothes for two, and at 75 cm high it leaves a comfortable top for a lamp and a mirror. We have gathered drawer-only models in the chests with drawers category.

Chest of drawers or tall lingerie chest?

If your bedroom has a narrow wall and you mainly store underwear, accessories and small items, consider the Ida lingerie chest — the taller, slimmer cousin of a chest of drawers that holds a surprising amount on a small footprint. A chest of drawers, on the other hand, gives you a wide top for a lamp, a mirror or flowers. Next to the bed, bedside tables are the better choice — we explain how to pick them in Choose the Perfect Bedside Table for Your Bedroom.

Solid wood or chipboard? The answer is simpler than you think

A bedroom chest of drawers works harder than it seems — its drawers are opened hundreds of times a month. After a few years of that, chipboard furniture starts to warp and sag on its hinges. A solid wood chest of drawers is in another league: the sturdy construction copes with daily use, and minor signs of wear can simply be cared for, e.g. with beeswax, bringing the piece back to looking like new. We show you how in our guide How to take care of wooden furniture?

For our chests of drawers we use mango, oak and rosewood — hard woods with a distinctive grain that makes every piece one of a kind. The furniture is handmade in the spirit of fair trade, and the wood comes from controlled sources. To find out why we fell in love with mango, read Why do we love mango wood?

• Mango — warm, with a lively grain, in light shades such as Amber or Caramel; most of our chests of drawers are made from it. See solid mango wood furniture.
• Rosewood — darker and deep in colour (e.g. Chocolate, Honey), valued for its hardness; many models (e.g. Henio, Hanka, Jola, Baska) can be ordered in either mango or rosewood. See solid rosewood furniture.
• European oak — a calm, light grain; the Giulia and Mario chests, among others, are made of oak. See solid oak furniture.

Hanka chest of drawers

Style: retro, vintage or modern simplicity?

A bedroom likes calm, so the safest choice is a chest of drawers with a restrained, timeless shape. Retro chests of drawers — with rounded edges and slender legs straight out of the 1950s and 60s — make a room feel warmer and go equally well with white walls and fashionable dark colours — the Henio sideboard from our Warsaw collection is the perfect example (see retro bedroom furniture). If you prefer a more modern feel, choose a simple form where the expressive wood grain is the main decoration — you will find such models among our Scandinavian-style bedroom furniture.

Match the wood colour to the floor and the bed: light Amber and Caramel brighten smaller bedrooms, while rosewood Chocolate and Honey add elegance to larger rooms. For more inspiration, read Bedroom in Scandinavian style and Wooden retro furniture — a fashion that will never pass.

From left: Giulia chest of drawers; Ida lingerie chest; Jola chest of drawers

Checklist: 6 questions before buying a bedroom chest of drawers

1. Have you measured the space — with 70 cm to spare for opening the drawers comfortably?
2. Will the top be at a comfortable height (70–90 cm)?
3. Does the drawer layout suit what you actually store?
4. Is it made of solid wood rather than veneered chipboard?
5. Does the style of the chest go with the bed and the floor?
6. Do the craftsmanship and materials meet your expectations for durability and everyday use?

Frequently asked questions about bedroom chests of drawers

What is the best height for a bedroom chest of drawers?

The most comfortable height is 70–90 cm — the top is then at hand height and a mirror above the chest at eye level. Choose taller, narrow chests (110–140 cm) when floor space is short.

What depth works in a bedroom?

The standard is 40 cm: the drawers take folded clothes and the chest doesn't block the walkway. Chests 45–50 cm deep hold more but are better suited to a larger room.

How much space should you leave in front of a chest of drawers?

About 70 cm — that's what you need to pull out a drawer comfortably and walk past freely, especially when the chest stands opposite the bed.

Which chest of drawers for a small bedroom?

A narrow one (85–100 cm), or a tall, slim one on legs — it takes up less floor space and makes the room look bigger. A tall lingerie chest is also a good option if you mainly store underwear and accessories.

Is a solid wood chest of drawers worth the price?

Yes, if you plan to use it for years. Solid wood copes with daily use of the drawers, doesn't warp like chipboard, and scratches can be refreshed, e.g. with wax — without the piece losing its value.

Ready to meet your perfect chest of drawers? Browse our bedroom chests of drawers or the whole collection of solid wood chests of drawers — each one handmade and delivered to your door. And if you're furnishing the living room too, check out our guide What Dresser to Choose for the Living Room?