College kids will soon be heading back to school (or for some, heading off on their own for the first time!). If you’re gathering all of your dorm room essentials and want to make sure you’re not missing anything, I’ve got you covered! I worked with my two college-aged daughters to create the ultimate dorm room essentials list. It includes essentials for your dorm bed, bath, & desk along plus some dorm decor ideas too.
I’ve also included a free printable checklist of all of the dorm room essentials you don’t want to forget. I hope it’s helpful for you as you plan, prepare, and have some fun with getting college-ready! (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})
Dorm Room Essentials For Your Bed
Let’s kick things off with dorm room essentials for your bed! I’ve included everything from mattress protectors & toppers to bedding, stools for lofted beds, & more:
Sources: Clip-on lamp | Footboard storage | Sheets | Blush pleated quilt | Cozy blush pillow | Boho white tassel pillow | Frenchie dog pillow | Storage stool | Soft gray blanket | Denim stitch quilt
1. Mattress Protector, Topper, & Pad – College dorm mattresses tend to be thin and sometimes kinda gross! I recommend a trio of products that make that thin mattress much more comfortable, protect from bedbugs & other grossness, and keeps any spills from soaking into the mattress. First you’ll want a zippered waterproof mattress protector like {this highly rated one} to encase the entire mattress. Then add {this 3″ memory foam topper} on top for comfort and finally cover the mattress and topper with a mattress pad to protect the topper and keep it in place. We used a waterproof cooling mattress pad similar to {this one} since memory foam tends to trap heat. Be sure you’re buying the right size items for your bed – most dorm beds are size twin XL which is a few inches longer than a standard twin.
2. Sheet Set – Not all sheets are available in twin XL size but there are still plenty of options in this non-standard size. One options is {this highly rated microfiber sheet set} which is well priced & reviewed, soft, and, wrinkle resistant. If you prefer 100% cotton, you can find them in a twin XL size {here}.
3. Bed pillow – There’s no one-pillow-fits-all sleeping pillow but my one piece of advice here is to not go bottom-of-the-barrel cheap. We actually forgot my daughter’s pillow at home so bought a $4 pillow on a run to Target and it hit the trash can after a few weeks because it was so lumpy and terrible. Lesson learned. {This set of two pillows} is one of many options that come in both standard and queen sizes.
4. Quilt, Comforter, or Duvet – There are so many great options for bedding! Generally a quilt or comforter is preferable to a duvet cover with insert since they’re easier to wash. A few sites to shop online for dorm room bedding include Pottery Barn Dorm, Urban Outfitters, Target, & Dormify.
5. Blanket and/or Throw – Depending on the rest of the bedding you choose, you might also want to layer in a blanket like {this one}. My daughter also liked having a throw that she could use when studying if her room got chilly.
6. Pillow Shams + Decorative Pillows – A lot of students use their beds for lounging as much as sleeping so adding in some decorative pillows is key!
7. Bed Risers + Skirt – If you aren’t going to have a lofted bed but want a little extra storage space under your bed, bed risers such as {these} can be really useful. If you do put your bed on risers, some like to use an extra long bed skirt like {this one} that has several different length options to hide the junk.
8. Clip-on task light – My daughter used her bed instead of her desk to study most of the time so having a clip-on light allowed her to be able to turn off the overhead light but still be able to read when her roomie wanted to go to sleep. Definitely one of the dorm room essentials I wouldn’t do without! She used {this clip-on light} that is no longer available in the gray but comes in white and two metal finishes:
{This clip-on light} is another great option that comes in black, white, and silver.
9. Footboard storage – We used {this footboard storage piece} that attached to the end of her lofted bed with velcro straps. It worked out well for her because she could reach things from her bed without getting off of it and it also helped keep her desk free of clutter:
10. Step stool – A step stool is one of the dorm room essentials that some kids will need and others won’t depending on their bed height and furniture layout. My daughter was so glad she had one because we ended up lofting her bed fairly high and it made it easy for her to hop up! She used ({this storage stool} with a removable top that doubled as a storage piece for her shoes:
See my post on dorm room ideas for girls for more ideas of how to organize your dorm room.
11. Headboard (if you want to go all out…) – Yes, this is a thing! PBdorm makes “faux” headboards that hang on the wall with D-rings as well as no-nails headboards that hang using 3M adhesive strips. If your kiddo is wanting to go “all in” on their dorm room, check them out {here}.
Dorm Room Bath Essentials
The dorm room essentials that you’ll need for your bath depends at least in part on whether your dorm room has it’s own toilet, sink, and/or shower or if you’ll be using a shared hall bath. These are a few things to consider putting on your list (I added a few laundry recommendations too!):
Sources: Striped towel set | Shower shoes | Shower caddy | Rolling storage cart | Sherpa robes | Over the door towel rack | Backpack laundry bag | Collapsible laundry basket | Bath mat
1. Shower Caddy – The best style of shower caddy depends on whether you have a sink in your room or not. If you have a sink in your room and only need a caddy for your shower supplies, an open wire or plastic caddy like {this one} that can get wet and will dry easily is best. If you don’t have a sink in the room and will be transporting all of your toiletries back and forth, consider a larger caddy with lots of pockets like {this one}.
2. Bath stand – If there’s space in the room, a multi-use stand such as {this one} works beautifully for holding toiletries by a room sink or for holding shower caddies and towels to grab on the way to a hall bath. A rolling metal cart like {this cart} would also work well.
3. Towels – Consider bringing towels in a unique color or pattern so they don’t easily get mixed up with someone else’s. Since drying conditions aren’t always the best at college (often towel racks are on the inside of closet doors) don’t get towels that are too insanely fluffy – quicker drying towels are great. Along with bath towels, be sure to get a couple of hand towels and washcloths too. Sometimes it’s cheapest to buy a set like {this towel set}.
4. Shower Shoes + Bath Mat – Slip-on shower shoes are one of the dorm room essentials to not overlook if there’s a hall bathroom. My daughter used {these shower-ready slides}. She and her roommate also had small bath mat in their room that they could stand on in front of the sink and was a great place to put their wet shower shoes.
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5. Robe – With hall showers comes the need for a robe such as one of {these}. My daughter had {this robe} and it held up really well!
6. Laundry Bag or Hamper – The best option depends in part on whether your kiddo has to navigate stairs to get to the laundry room. My daughter used {this backpack laundry bag} to put her dirty laundry and carry it down to the laundry room. She also used a collapsible laundry basket like {this one} to bring her freshly washed laundry back to her room. These are great because they collapse flat for easy storage under the bed when not in use:
My sister’s college son had a laundry room on the same floor – he used {this rolling hamper} and said it worked out great.
7. Drying Rack – Not all kids will need or want a drying rack but my daughter brought {this rack} that folds flat for storage and used it frequently.
Dorm Room Desk Essentials
Let’s talk about dorm room essentials for desks! There are so many smart options including “no nail” organizers, lamps with USB ports, & more:
Sources: Linen bulletin board | Dry erase calendar | Desk lamp with USB port | Desktop fan | Makeup organizer | Power strip with USB ports | Desktop mirror | Desk riser
1. Desk lamp – There are some really great options for desk lamps including several that have a USB port built into the base (which is a nice feature since outlets can be in funky places in dorm rooms). My daughter had a USB lamp similar to {this one}:
2. Desktop fan – A small fan that can be transported to various spots throughout the room such as {this one} are a good idea, especially if your kiddo and his/her roommate have different ideas of what a comfortable room temperature is.
3. Chair back space saver – This is more of a “maybe buy” instead of one of the dorm room essentials everyone should have, but if you’re looking to make the most storage space out of what you’re given, chair back storage pieces such as {this one} can really come in handy. It ties to the back of a chair and can hold folders, notebooks, pens, pencils, and other accessories to help keep clutter off the desk.
4. White Board, Pinboard, and/or Wall Organizers for above the desk – There are lots of great options for items that hang with 3M adhesive strips so they require no nails in the wall. My daughter chose {this oversized pinboard} for photos, assignments, etc. that she outlined with battery operated fairy lights:
5. Vanity Mirror – My daughter put on her makeup at her desk instead of using the hall bathroom so having a vanity mirror such as one of {this desktop mirror} was really useful for her.
6. Desk Riser – If you want to maximize the amount of storage space on the desk, a desk riser such as one of {these} or {this} that sits on top of the desk is something to consider.
8. Surge Protector/ Power Strip, Power Cords & Cables, Chargers – Don’t forget all of your electronics cords and chargers! I’d recommend bringing two power strips so you have one by the desk and one by the bed.
Dorm Room Decor
And of course there’s the most fun part of dorm room shopping – dorm room essentials for decorating your space! There are so many fun things to choose from including some that will give you a lot of bang for your buck:
Sources: Tassel garland | Over-the-door mirror | Tapestry | Shag rug | Knit pouf | Saucer chair
1. Area Rug – Dorm room floors are typically cold tile so most kids want some type of area rug in their space. Be sure to place your rug in the room first before moving everything in 🙂 My daughter brought {this rug} which was super soft and luckily the perfect fit between their two beds:
These are some other pretty area rug options including some that are washable:
2. Lounge Seating – There was zero space in my daughter’s dorm room to bring in any furniture pieces but I know others have larger rooms with space for some extra seating. Options include a beanbag (only a good idea if you’re local because it takes up too much car space!), a leanback lounger, or a hang-a-round chair that easily folds for storage:
3. Long Mirror – Some dorm rooms include a mirror while others don’t. If you need to buy one, snag a mirror that hangs on the back of the door such as {this one}.
4. Wall Decor – There are SO many fun options for dressing up dorm walls including tapestries, posters, garlands, no nails photo rails, fairy lights and more. My daughter chose {this tapestry} and wow – it made such a HUGE difference for not a lot of money! It’s one of the dorm room essentials I’d most recommend for decorating.
5. Curtains – Most people don’t put up curtains on dorm room windows since installing a rod typically involves putting holes in the wall but if you have an open closet (not all dorm closets have doors), you might want to get a tension rod and curtains to hide the mess! IKEA is a great source for inexpensive curtains (the RITVA curtains are great).
There are a lot of other little things to remember too (including things we never had to think about before like masks!) so I’ve put everything I just shared plus all of those little extras together into a free printable dorm checklist so you don’t forget a thing on move-in day:
Free Printable Dorm Room Checklist
You can download and print my updated printable dorm checklist {HERE}.
Tips for Move-In Day
And one last thing! Now that we’ve covered dorm room essentials, l’d love to share a few tips for move-in day:
- If space in your car is going to be tight, consider using space-saving vacuum bags such as {these} for clothing and bedding.
- Oversized handled duffle bags that can hold everything from clothes to bedding to toiletries are priceless since they mean less trips back and forth to the car. These FRAKTA storage bags from IKEA or {these nearly identical moving bags} are the best!!
- For clothes that will be hung in the closet, transport them on hangers by tying the hangers together and covering them with a garbage bag with the hangers poking out the top. Tie the open end of the bag in a knot so nothing falls out.
- Pack a door stopper – some dorm room doors close on their own so having a door stopper makes multiple trips in and out easier
- Label any bags and boxes with your student’s last name, dorm, and dorm room number. Often there are helpers for freshman move-in and labeling can help avoid potential mix-ups.
- Unless your student lives in an upper floor of a dorm without an elevator, invest in a foldable dolly such as {this one}. They’re not cheap but after moving two kids in and out of dorm rooms and apartments multiple times, trust me that it’s money well spent! Plus it would re-sell well on Facebook Marketplace once you’re done with college move-ins.
Good luck to those of you who are parents of incoming freshman!
