An end table should be about as tall as your sofa's arm: at or slightly below it, ideally within 2 in (Wayfair). Living Spaces aims a little lower, about 3 in under the arm, and never taller. Standard end tables are 18 to 28 in tall, most about 24 in (Wayfair), which suits arms 24 to 26 in high. Measure your arm first: Ballard Designs says sofa arms run anywhere from 24 to 32 in.
How tall should an end table be?
Measure the arm, not the seat: the floor to the top of the sofa's arm. Castlery recommends an armrest 24 to 26 in high, Houzz puts a standard sofa's arm at around 25 in, and Ballard Designs says sofa arms range from 24 to 32 in.
Then match the table to it. Wayfair says at or slightly below the armrest, ideally within 2 in, and gives an example: arms 22 in tall, a table 20 to 24 in tall. Ballard Designs and Houzz say equal to or just below the arm, and Houzz says to err shorter rather than taller. Living Spaces aims lowest: no taller than the arm, no lower than the seat, and best about 3 in shorter than the arm. Standard end tables are 18 to 28 in tall, most about 24 in (Wayfair, as on Nest In Small’s Furniture Sizes page). Here is how they meet each arm:
| Arm height | Who gives it | Within 2 in (Wayfair) | About 3 in lower (Living Spaces) | Standard 18 to 28 in tables within 2 in | A 24 in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 in | Wayfair's example | 20 to 24 in | 19 in | 20 to 24 in | 2 in above |
| 24 in | Castlery: 24 to 26 in | 22 to 26 in | 21 in | 22 to 26 in | Level with the arm |
| 25 in | Houzz: a standard sofa | 23 to 27 in | 22 in | 23 to 27 in | 1 in below |
| 26 in | Castlery: 24 to 26 in | 24 to 28 in | 23 in | 24 to 28 in | 2 in below |
| 28 in | Ballard: 24 to 32 in | 26 to 30 in | 25 in | 26 to 28 in | 4 in below |
| 30 in | Ballard: 24 to 32 in | 28 to 32 in | 27 in | 28 in | 6 in below |
| 32 in | Ballard: 24 to 32 in | 30 to 34 in | 29 in | None: 28 in is 4 in below | 8 in below |
Within 2 in: Wayfair; its example puts a 20 to 24 in table beside 22 in arms, and its end table guide prefers the table at or below the arm. About 3 in lower: Living Spaces, which also says never taller than the arm. Standard heights 18 to 28 in, most about 24 in (Wayfair). Arm heights: Castlery's recommended 24 to 26 in, Houzz's standard sofa (about 25 in), Ballard Designs' 24 to 32 in range, and Wayfair's 22 in example.
A 24 in table, the height Wayfair says most end tables are, suits arms from 24 to 26 in: Castlery's recommended range and Houzz's standard sofa. Beside a 22 in arm it stands 2 in above, which Wayfair's example allows and Living Spaces doesn't. On taller arms the standard range runs out: a 28 in arm needs one from the top of that range, 26 to 28 in; a 30 in arm leaves only 28 in; and a 32 in arm, the top of Ballard's range, has no standard table within 2 in. Houzz's range, which runs to 30 in, still reaches it.
No arms? Wayfair says to go where the arms would be, typically 24 to 26 in from the floor; Houzz says that, or a low table level with the seat. Beside a recliner, Wayfair goes slightly lower, 18 to 22 in, so the table doesn't get in the way when the chair is extended.
How wide an end table fits beside your sofa
End tables are 16 to 28 in wide and 22 to 24 in deep (Wayfair, on our Furniture Sizes chart); Wayfair's guide to coffee and end table sizes gives 14 to 24 in. Whether one fits depends on the wall behind the sofa: whatever the sofa doesn't take is split between its two ends, so with the sofa centered each end gets (wall − sofa) ÷ 2. We typed each space into the "Check a spot" box of Furniture Sizes, which marks the end table row "Most fit" from 28 in wide, "Smaller ones" from 16 in and "Too big" below that:
| Wall behind the sofa | 60 in loveseat | 68 in apartment sofa | 84 in sofa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft (120 in) | 30 in Most fit | 26 in Smaller ones | 18 in Smaller ones |
| 11 ft (132 in) | 36 in Most fit | 32 in Most fit | 24 in Smaller ones |
| 12 ft (144 in) | 42 in Most fit | 38 in Most fit | 30 in Most fit |
| 13 ft (156 in) | 48 in Most fit | 44 in Most fit | 36 in Most fit |
| 14 ft (168 in) | 54 in Most fit | 50 in Most fit | 42 in Most fit |
Space past each end with the sofa centered: (wall − sofa) ÷ 2, before any gap you leave between the table and the arm. Verdicts: Furniture Sizes' "Check a spot" for the End table row (width only). The living room layout planner centers each of these sofas this way in square rooms from 11 × 11 to 14 × 14 ("past sofa ends" in its result panel); on a 10 ft wall with the door near the TV, it slides the sofa off center (Layout B).
An 84 in sofa needs a 12 ft wall for a 28 in end table, the widest on our chart, at each end: 84 + 28 + 28 = 140 in. On an 11 ft wall it leaves 24 in a side, room for tables up to 24 in wide; on a 10 ft wall, 18 in. A loveseat leaves 30 in a side even on a 10 ft wall. For sofa lengths, see couch dimensions and loveseat dimensions.
3 sofas and their end tables, drawn by the living room layout planner
The living room layout planner doesn't place side tables, but it measures the floor past each end of the sofa, to the wall or the nearest piece, and shows it as "past sofa ends" in its result panel. Each plan below is the planner's first layout, in its own drawing; the end tables are ours, checked with Furniture Sizes. Every room has a 32 in door near the bottom corner of the left wall, a 60 in window centered on the right wall, and a 55 in TV on a 60 × 16 in console, at standard clearances.
Layout A: 84 in sofa in a 12 × 12
An end table at each end
The planner centers the 84 × 37 in sofa on the 12 ft top wall: 144 − 84 = 60 in, so 30 in past each end. Furniture Sizes marks a 30 in spot "Most fit" for end tables, so a 28 in table fits at each end with 2 in to spare.
Best for: a lamp on each side of the sofa.
The trade-off: it takes the whole wall: 84 + 28 + 28 = 140 in of 144 in.
Layout B: 84 in sofa on a 10 ft wall
One side, or two narrow
The 10 ft wall leaves 120 − 84 = 36 in to share. Centered, with 18 in a side, the TV console (which the planner centers on the sofa) would reach into the door's swing, so the planner puts the sofa 24 in from the left wall: 24 in past one end and 12 in past the other. That fits an end table up to 24 in wide on the left ("Smaller ones") and none on the right (12 in, "Too big"). We tried every position with the planner's engine: from 20 in off the left wall the TV clears the door, so 20 in and 16 in is the most even split, room for two narrow tables.
Best for: one end table on the left.
The trade-off: two tables here means two narrow ones: 16 in is the narrowest end table on our chart.
Layout C: 68 in apartment sofa and an armchair in an 11 × 11
An end table at each end
The planner puts the 68 × 34 in apartment sofa 35 in from the left wall and the armchair beside the coffee table, 16 in from it and 11 in in front of the sofa's front edge, so the chair doesn't count against the left end. On the right, 132 − 68 − 35 = 29 in is left. Furniture Sizes marks both 35 in and 29 in "Most fit".
Best for: a small room with a sofa, a chair and two end tables.
The trade-off: the sofa isn't centered: 35 − 29 = 6 in more on the left, so two matching 28 in tables leave 7 in to the wall on one side and 1 in on the other.
The numbers we checked
These are the numbers behind every table and plan on this page.
Heights, widths and the 2 in rule from Wayfair; the 3 in target from Living Spaces; arm heights from Ballard Designs, with Castlery's 24 to 26 in and Houzz's 25 in inside that range. The space past each end is the living room layout planner's; the fit verdicts are Furniture Sizes'.
- The top of the sofa's arm, from the floor.
- The seat height: Living Spaces says the table shouldn't go lower than the seat.
- The floor past each arm, to the wall or the next piece of furniture.
- How far the sofa comes out from the wall: most end tables are 22 to 24 in deep (Wayfair).
Furnishing the rest of the sofa wall? See sofa table height, coffee table height, art above a couch, couch dimensions, and the living room layout ideas for whole rooms, solved.
Questions
What is the standard end table height?
18 to 28 in, with most about 24 in tall (Wayfair). Houzz says most end tables are 22 to 30 in.
How tall should an end table be next to a sofa?
Within 2 in of the top of the arm, at or slightly below it (Wayfair). For the 24 to 26 in armrest Castlery recommends, that's a table 22 to 26 in tall; Living Spaces would go about 3 in under the arm, 21 to 23 in.
Should an end table be higher or lower than the sofa arm?
Level or lower. Ballard Designs and Houzz say equal to or just below the arm, Living Spaces says no taller, and Houzz says to err shorter if you can't find the right height.
How tall should an end table be for an armless sofa or a recliner?
Armless: where the arms would be, typically 24 to 26 in (Wayfair), or a low table level with the seat (Houzz). Recliner: slightly lower, 18 to 22 in, so it clears the chair when it's extended (Wayfair).
Should end tables be the same height as the coffee table?
No. A coffee table goes by the seat cushions and is 16 to 18 in tall (Wayfair; see coffee table height); an end table by the arm; and a table behind the sofa by its back (see sofa table height).
How wide should an end table be?
As wide as the space past the arm allows, up to about 28 in: Wayfair puts end tables at 16 to 28 in wide. With the sofa centered, each end gets (wall − sofa) ÷ 2: 30 in for an 84 in sofa on a 12 ft wall, 18 in on a 10 ft wall.
Sources
- End Table Height: How Tall Should Your Side Table Be? (Wayfair): at or slightly below the armrest, ideally within 2″; 18–28″ tall, most about 24″; 16–28″ wide, 22–24″ deep; armless 24–26″; recliners 18–22″
- The Ultimate Guide to Coffee Table Sizes & End Table Sizes (Wayfair): within 2″ of the arms (22″ arms, a 20–24″ table); end tables 14–24″ wide
- What Is the Difference between a Console Table and Side Table (Living Spaces): no taller than the arm, no lower than the seat, about 3″ shorter than the arm
- Height for End Tables: How to Pick (Ballard Designs): equal to or just below the arm; sofa arms 24–32″
- How to Pick the Right End Tables for Your Sofa (Houzz): equal to or just below the arms, about 25″ on a standard sofa; most end tables 22–30″; err shorter; armless options
- The Best Sofa Depth & Height for Comfort (Castlery): armrest height 24–26″