Best upholstered bed benches

Top pick: the Livabliss Esmarca upholstered bench. It's the one that reads as a real piece of bedroom furniture rather than a utility bench — a clean 47" silhouette, a proper 18" seat height for sitting to pull on shoes, and the strongest shopper rating of the group. It's also the pick most likely to look right at the foot of a made bed.

Who the others suit:

• The 55" solid-wood bench with a lower shelf — if you want somewhere to drop slippers, throws or a laundry basket; the open shelf does the work of a storage bench without a hinged lid.
• The 63" bouclé bench — for a king bed that needs a wide bench to balance it; bouclé is the softer, trendier texture.
• The 69.7" chenille ottoman in green — if you'd rather have a low, deep ottoman than a bench, and want a colour that anchors the room.
• The Christopher Knight benches — the safe, classic choice: rubberwood legs, neutral beige or brown, easy to live with.
• The 45" linen bench — for a smaller room or a queen bed where a long bench would crowd the walkway.

Two things worth checking before you buy: measure the gap from the foot of the bed to the wall or dresser (you want 24" of walking room), and confirm the weight capacity if people will sit on it regularly — the ones listed range from 300 to 350 lb.