Better bokeh at smaller aperture?

I previously thought higher aperture is associated with better bokeh.


But after taking several shots with my 18-55 3.5-5.6 kit lens, I find that comperatively better bokeh is achieved when I shoot at 55 m with F/5.6!


I tried shooting at 18 mm with F/3.5 moving closer to the subject but found bokeh is actually worse compared against 55/5.6.

That's cos you've only heard half the story
Apart from what you just stated, another important factor influencing bokeh is the lens itself.. in a non-prime lens, you will observe minimum DOF or a 'better bokeh' when you focus from the farthest end of the lens.
So for the 18-55, the bokeh will be the best at 55mm

The concept of aperture can often be confusing since "large aperture" means a "small number" and "small aperture" means a "large number".

Here's a detailed explanation of the how's and why's if you're interested.

Yep, your distance from subject to lens matters a ton. Also, lenses have different bokeh characteristics. Zooms typically have harsh looking bokeh to my eyes, whereas most 2.8-1.8 primes will be able to speed-cream a background with minimal effort.
Alternatively, if you have a 1.4 lens, you'll be able to drop an atomic bokeh bomb on any background from any distance any time you like!

Not a huge aperture, but I was very close to the subject @ f3.2 on a 50mm 1.4:



Sandra Portrait by stupidphotoguy, on Flickr


Again, very close on a 50mm @ f1.4:



Lens test 1 by stupidphotoguy, on Flickr

Bokeh is interesting because a few things go into making bokeh look great, not just the lens. There are several other factors at play here.