Since this article was published in February 2025, the price of the Youdenova Bedside Organizer has increased dramatically from $16 to $26, and shipping times have also increased. It is recommended to wait for a price drop before purchasing.
I read a bunch of novels. A few bottles of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Reading glasses. A sleep mask. Pens and pencils. A crossword puzzle book. Hair clips and headbands. Hand cream and lip balm. A notebook where I write all my to-do lists, packing lists, and shopping lists. A charger and data cable. My phone, my work laptop, my personal laptop.
I’ve been trying to organize (or at least declutter) these nightstands for years, but to no avail. I bought a large nightstand from Facebook Marketplace. I bought trays to put on the nightstand, and drawer organizers to put them inside.
However, the problem of clutter remained. Every night and every morning I went to bed and woke up to find so much stuff piled around me that it not only took up the top of my nightstand, but most of the floor as well.
Since there is little storage space next to the bed, this problem seems difficult to solve. It was only a few years ago, at Christmas, that an idea suddenly came to me.
I told my husband that I wanted an organizer that I could hang next to my bed that would help me keep all the clutter in order. I didn’t even know such a thing existed, but it turns out it does, and he helped me find the Udnova Bedside Storage Organizer, which allows me to keep many of my most essential items out of sight but within easy reach. What’s more, it’s an affordable and stylish storage solution.
This felt organizer neatly stores laptops, notebooks, cell phones, books and more while maintaining a slim, compact profile. Assembly is effortless, but can sometimes slip depending on how you set it up.
My nightstand still needs a little cleaning every now and then, but since I’ve moved enough of my essentials into storage boxes, I’ve stopped things from falling on the floor. No more struggling to get everything into place. I now have enough storage space to keep different things in different places, so I can always find what I need without having to get up and go looking for it. And best of all, my side of the bed now looks organized, peaceful, and calm, just like any sleeping space should.
The Youdenova Bed Organizer is a rectangular felt organizer with several small pockets (two on the outside, two on the inside) and a velcro closure on the back. Its thoughtful and simple design is why I find it convenient and easy to use.
This storage box comes with an optional felt barrier that you can place between the mattress and the bed frame to hold the mattress in place. If your bed frame rails are narrow enough, you can also wrap the headboard around the rails and secure them with Velcro. (If you choose the Velcro option, the Yudenova organizer can be a great nightstand replacement for a bunk bed or loft bed.) Either way, it only takes about 10 seconds to set up.
I have seen other nightstands online that attach to the bed frame with metal hooks instead of fabric hooks. Since these hooks are relatively rigid, they may not fit all types of bed frames, and they may scratch, mar, or damage the bed frame over time.
The main compartment of this organizer is approximately 13.5 inches wide, 9.5 inches high, and 2.5 inches deep. That’s enough to fit my two laptops and a 592-page New York Times Sunday Crossword at once, and it all weighs less than 8.5 pounds. (According to the price of this storage box on Amazon, it can hold up to 20 pounds.)
Even with the Youdenova organizer loaded down, there’s still enough room in the main compartment to fit a few small items, like a tube of hand cream, a few pens, a sleep mask, and a pair of glasses. If you have an outlet nearby, there’s a small hole in each of the two corners at the bottom of the storage container that you can thread wires through to charge your stored devices.
One downside to this organizer is that the pockets (each about 5.5 inches square) aren’t as functional as I’d like. For one, they’re shallow: They’re tight when you stick your hand in them. The good news is that they’re practically made for smartphones — I can easily grab my phone from any of the outside pockets without moving it or losing it. I also have a small remote control for my ceiling fan that fits comfortably in the front pocket. But if I had a brick-sized TV remote, I’d be out of luck. (As for the inside pockets, they’re hard to access when your stuff is tucked away in the main compartment of the organizer. I never use them.)
After installing the Yudenova storage unit, I found that I could easily reach over my bed and grab electronics, books, pens, and the like without even looking at the headboard or lifting my head off the pillow. It’s like having a personal babysitter—much better than struggling to find the clutter on my nightstand.
I have found that depending on how often you use the organizer and the weight of the items inside, it can sometimes shift or sag a little. I solve this problem every morning when I make my bed by either repositioning the organizer cover or putting it back under the mattress. I admit that lifting even part of the mattress, even for a short time, is a bit of a bummer, but the two seconds a day I spend on this task are worth it because it frees up my bed from the mess it once was.
The Youdenova organizer is only available in three colors (gray, light gray, and suede-like brown), so it may not fit into your home decor. If you want to hide it, you can put it behind a nightstand or at least make it partially hidden. Or you can cover it with the edges of a blanket or duvet cover to hide it better.
Although my bed is covered in pink velvet, I find the gray organizer understated, elegant, and visually unobtrusive thanks to its slim profile and muted color. I also like that it’s made of thick wool felt, which looks expensive.
But honestly, since my caddy is only 3 inches off the ground, it’s never in my line of sight. I barely notice until I’m in bed relaxing with all the comforts of home at my fingertips.
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Rose Maura Lorre is a senior writer. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, Salon, Business Insider, HGTV Magazine, and many other outlets. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, dog, two cats, and lots of houseplants.
Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists use a combination of independent research and (sometimes) top-tier testing to help you make buying decisions quickly and confidently. Whether you’re looking for great products or getting practical advice, we can help you find the right product (the first time).