I Said Goodbye to My Nightstand — This $10 IKEA Organizer Works So Much Better

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a nightstand or side table next to my bed. When I moved into my current apartment, I knew I wanted a vanity instead of a nightstand, since the bedroom was more spacious than my previous place, and I figured the vanity would function just the same. 

Now that I’ve spent more than two years here, I’ve noticed that my vanity has become a catchall for miscellaneous “bedtime accessories” — ear plugs, sleep masks, books, hair ties, sleep balm, and eyeglasses. Since my vanity is filled with makeup and makeup tools, there’s no space to store all of these bedtime essentials. It wasn’t until a recent trip to IKEA that I found a solution that cost less than my breakfast: the $9.99 MÖJLIGHET Bed Pocket.

As a lover of organizing solutions, I’d been familiar with bedside pockets and caddies, but I always dismissed them as something not applicable to my space. On my IKEA run, however, I noticed the MÖJLIGHET bed pocket and was intrigued by its five spacious compartments and thought it could work as a storage solution for all my bedtime accessories to relieve the clutter on my vanity. It’s 29 ½ inches wide and 10 ¾ inches tall, so it fits on the side or end of any size bed. 

This particular pocket — available in beige with green pockets, and blue with yellow and gray tabs — has an integrated hook to hang off of a bed frame. Since my bed doesn’t have a frame, I was worried it might not work, but took the chance anyway. Although the pocket hangs a little lower on my bed (I tucked the hook between the base and the mattress), it’s been a convenient way for me to access any of these items from the comfort of my bed. All of my books fit neatly in the larger compartments while the smaller ones are perfect for my ear plugs, hair ties, and scrunchies. 

Although I do love the look of this IKEA bed pocket, my favorite part is that it’s completely invisible from my bedroom’s entrance. My clutter is both stored and hidden from plain view, and I can get back to keeping my vanity neat and clear. For all intents and purposes, it’s completely replaced my nightstand, leaving a smaller footprint and storing everything much more discreetly.

With or without a nightstand, this is a great organizer for items you reach for constantly, in the bedroom or on the side of a couch — a TV remote, your phone, e-readers, headphones, medications, phone chargers, or even a water bottle. For under $10, this organizer ensures you rest easy knowing your bedside clutter is also tucked in. 

Buy: IKEA MÖJLIGHET Bed Pocket, $9.99