A nightstand's practical function comes down to a couple of measurements and storage choices that are easy to overlook while shopping by style alone.
Height should relate to the mattress top, not the floor
A nightstand that sits noticeably lower or higher than the top of the mattress makes reaching for a phone, glasses, or a glass of water at night less comfortable and less intuitive than one roughly level with, or slightly below, the mattress surface. Since mattress height varies quite a bit depending on the mattress and bed frame combination already in place, checking actual nightstand height against the specific bed's finished height — mattress top included, not just the frame — is a more useful measurement than picking a nightstand by general proportion or style alone.
Drawers vs. open shelving
Drawers conceal contents and reduce visual clutter, which matters if the nightstand will hold anything not meant to be on display — medications, personal items, chargers and cables. Open shelving offers easier, faster access without needing to open anything, and tends to suit a more minimal storage need — books, a lamp, a glass of water — but leaves whatever's stored there visible at all times. Neither is objectively better; it depends on what's actually going to be kept there and how much visual clutter matters in the room.
Surface size affects what can actually fit comfortably
A small nightstand surface can look proportionally elegant next to a large bed but becomes impractical the moment a lamp, phone, glasses, a book, and a glass of water all need space at once — checking realistic surface footprint against what's actually placed on a nightstand nightly avoids a stylish but functionally cramped result.
Cord management matters more than it seems
A nightstand near an outlet, ideally with some built-in cord routing or at least a back opening rather than a fully enclosed solid back, makes charging a phone or running a lamp cord considerably tidier than a nightstand with no consideration for where cords actually go. This is easy to overlook while focused on style and finish, but affects daily practicality every single night.
The one thing people forget
Check nightstand depth against the space beside the bed, including any door or drawer swing clearance, particularly in a smaller bedroom — a nightstand that fits width-wise but whose drawer can't fully open due to a nearby wall or door swing is a real, frustrating daily annoyance that a simple showroom look doesn't reveal.