This Under $20 Bedside Caddy Seriously One-Upped My Everyday

I’m about to introduce you to the little side pocket that could. But first, a short story of how I got here. For as long as I can remember, our TV remotes in the bedroom have either been lost when we need them—buried under sheets and comforters, blankets and pillows—or annoyingly sucked behind the mattress only to fall under the bed. The number of times Charles had to go fishing for remotes in the dark of night, I tell ya…it was a lot. That, or one of us would roll over the sensitive remote buttons at 2 am, mistakenly turning on the screen. Grr!

“What we need is a remote pocket,” he’d always say. “Something we can drape over the bed somehow and it holds the remotes when we’re not using them. That way we always know where they are and can reach them.”

There was literally no way I was going to allow some unsightly “remote pocket” to hang off my headboard. Not to mention, instead of having the light of the TV blaring at us without permission, what I pictured was being clobbered in the head with said pocket when it would inevitably slide down from its perch.

Sorry, I realize now this is not a short story but I’m almost done; solution is coming to you in just a few more sentences. A year or two ago, for either his birthday or Christmas (when you’re together this long, you lose track of what gifts are given on what occasion), I decided to randomly Google “remote pocket” and stumbled upon a very simple category I’d never considered: the bedside caddy. Turns out, you can fairly easily purchase a pocket of sorts that you hang off the side of your bed, supported by the weight of your mattress.

Charles was able to stash away remotes, his tablet, his phone, and basically everything he wanted within immediate reach without cluttering the nightstand surface. He loved it. It wasn’t the most aesthetic thing, but it was certainly good enough for everyday life.

Then, I had Evelyn, and I found myself with a nightstand top full of pacifiers, a white noise machine, random prescriptions, my giant water bottle…ALL THE THINGS. Every time I’d place my phone or my glasses, I’d miss or undershoot how much space I had and they came clunking down on the floor loudly. The last thing you want after working an hour to put a baby to sleep is to have them startled awake by your clumsiness.

So…I got myself my own bedside caddy, and I have to tell you, it’s *literally* life-changing. I know exactly what lives in what little pocket so I can reach for them in the dark of night: eyeglasses, burp cloths, eye mask, headphones, medication, nipple balm, lip balm, TV remote…it’s one of those tiny things that improves your everyday quality of life and you wonder what you did before you had it. So I thought I’d share with you.

Yes, that was a whole song and dance to tell you about an $18 bedside caddy I bought from Amazon, but you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t already used to my verboseness, and, dare I say, enjoy it?

To make your time worth it, I pulled a few extra I thought were good-enough looking to share, in case you were interested in entering the next phase of your life: B.C. (before caddy) –> A.C. (after caddy). Let’s get you living in A.C. okay?

1. Zafit Bedside Caddy, 6 Pockets, $18: This is the caddy I originally purchased for Charles that I then bought myself to match. Had I done a little more digging, I may have purchased #4 or #6 just purely based on looks, but functionally and quality-wise, this is excellent. The big pocket at the back has two additional mesh pockets inside for more organizational options.
2. Geeice Beside Caddy, 8 Pockets, $15: A little less expensive and very similar to mine but with some mesh side pockets for water bottles and such. Smart!
3. Cotton Canvas 4 Pocket Caddy, $11: Hard to beat the price on this one, plus a little less “tech” feeling with simple pockets made of cotton canvas. It’s the kind of thing you’d look at and think “I can make this” except if you’re the type of person to never follow through with anything (as I am), this is for you.
4. Bedside Caddy, $20: I love the look of this one. It seems to have enough pockets for most of your bedside needs and the same opening at the bottom to feed charging cables through.
5. Felt Bedside Storage Bag, $17: Again, another caddy similar to the one I have but with tons more storage. I think something like this is a good choice for someone with a small bedroom without much space for a nightstand with drawers and shelves, but you have a lot to keep at arm’s reach. Or for a dorm room!
6. Beside Organizer, $16: Simple, kind of chic and lots of great pockets for remotes, lip balm, tablets, laptops, etc.
7. Beside or Wall Organizer, $18: If you like to keep books within reach (and you don’t want to clutter your nightstand with them), I think a style like this could be great.
8. Beside Hanging Storage Organizer, $13: I’m drawn to the color of this caddy. Plus, I like the water bottle pocket.
9. Linen Bedside Organizer, $37: A printed option! Most of these caddies I find are felt and gray, so it’s nice to see something a little different. Click through to see the other patterns.

And there you are. Sometimes, it’s the simple, unassuming additions to your life that make everyday moments, like stashing your remotes or tucking in your glasses for the night, feel deliciously seamless.

Until next time, FOAS.