When you’re in college, back-to-school shopping looks a little different compared to grade school. If you live on campus, your school is your home for most of the year, and you want your dorm room to be comfortable, inviting and functional. Aside from a laptop and stationery, you likely need bedding, bathroom accessories and kitchen essentials (sometimes), as well as storage bins and closet organizers. Plus, you’ll want to add fun decor and other personal touches to help make your dorm room feel like home.
Last year, the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s annual back-to-school spending survey found that as of 2026, college students and their families spend around $1,400 on average per household for supplies, up from $1,300 in 2025. The NRF noted that this increase in spending was mostly due to a higher demand for electronics and computer accessories. Clothing and dorm room decor and furniture were the second and third most popular categories, respectively.
As former college graduates (some very recently), we’ve compiled a list of items we considered essential for dorm living, including products we wish we had bought before move-in day. Below, we rounded up the best tech, bedding, bath and storage items to make dorm living just as cozy and haven-like as possible.
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Best college dorm essentials of 2026
We separated our favorite products into six categories: bed, bath, decor, storage, kitchen and tech. Although not all of these products are absolutely necessary to kickstart your college experience, they may help you to settle more easily into your new environment.
Bed essentials
One thing we recommend to anyone living in a dorm is a set of bed risers. These adjustable bed risers lift the bed a few inches off the floor and can be useful if you want to create underbed storage space. They come in white, black and brown options.
“I love this duvet cover because it’s comfortable, but also has a subtle pattern that makes my room look more put together,” says former NBC Selected intern Estee Yi, who used this duvet cover in her dorm and college apartment. It comes in full/queen and king sizes, and though this duvet doesn’t come in a twin XL, Yi says that a twin-sized duvet was still long enough for her dorm mattress.
This silk pillowcase from Brooklinen is a favorite of former NBC Selected intern Kala Herh. Experts told us in our guide to silk bedding that it can be especially beneficial for those with dry and acne-prone skin as silk doesn’t absorb moisture from the skin like cotton pillowcases tend to do.
This down alternative mattress topper can give your bed extra padding and help you get a more comfortable sleep. Each corner has a strap that wraps around the bottom of your bed, holding it in place while you put on your fitted and top sheet. You can get it for any bed size, including a twin XL. It’s also machine washable and hypoallergenic, according to the brand.
According to Yi and NBC Selected reporter Zoe Malin, a great pair of sheets doesn’t have to be expensive. They opted for Target’s Threshold Sheet Set, which is made from 100% cotton and comes with a flat sheet, fitted sheet, and two pillowcases. The sheet set is available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and California King sizes as well as vibrant patterns and solid colors.
While Malin mostly used a lap desk as a workstation in bed, she also brought it to her dorm’s lounge to support her computer while sitting on the couch. This lap desk folds flat, making it easy to transport and store away. Malin, who had a similar model, would slide it under her bed or in her closet when she wasn’t using it. It also has a built-in cup holder and a slot that acts as a stand for tablets, phones and books.
Made with a soft, durable cotton blend, these pillows are a great option for neck and shoulder support, Herh says. As someone who likes to lay on one pillow and hold another while she sleeps, she appreciates that these come in a set.
Sometimes called a “boyfriend pillow,” this memory foam-filled option can help you prop up in bed to study or watch a movie. It has a washable cover and comes in eight colors, making it easy to find something that matches your dorm decor.
Bath and laundry essentials
After living in dorms, we can confirm that you should always wear flip-flops in communal dorm showers. According to the brand, these slides have drainage holes that prevent water from pooling under your feet. They’re made from a quick-drying elastic material and have grippy anti-slip outsoles so you don’t fall in the shower.
“These are so light and airy and gave my feet much-needed support in my dorm after walking all over campus to get to different classes,” says former NBC page Carolyn Chun. According to the brand, these cushioned sandals have 1.7-inch-thick soles that provide enough support to help alleviate foot pain. You can also customize the slippers by using a hair dryer on high heat to soften the upper strap and mold the slipper to your foot.
If you use a shared bathroom, then you’ll benefit from having a shower caddy that holds everything you need, including shower shoes and your towels. It has eight pockets for shampoo, conditioner, brushes and more. NBC Selected intern Lily Stern has this caddy and says it’s been beneficial for dorm living.
“Its large amount of pockets let me organize my everyday shower, skin care and other essentials and easily carry them to and from the bathroom,” she says. “The caddy is also very durable and has lasted me three years of pretty constant use, and the mesh is quick-drying, so I’m never worried about mold or wet spots in my room.”
This bath robe won an NBC Selected Bed and Bath Award for its luxe design and comfy fit. It’s made of four-ply cotton gauze and comes with a tie and two pockets. Plus, it comes in multiple calming colors and ranges in size from XS to 3X.
A backpack hamper can make bringing your laundry back and forth from the laundry room much easier, especially with heavier loads. This one has adjustable straps, a pocket to add extra clothing or laundry detergent, and a drawstring so none of your clothes will fall out. According to our staff, it’s especially helpful if your laundry room is far away from your room or on a different floor.
One thing Yi regrets not using in her dorm room is a drying rack for the times she had to hand wash her clothes or for items that hadn’t finished in the school dryer. This collapsible drying rack weighs less than 5 pounds and folds down to 3 inches tall so you can stash it under your bed or in a closet when you’re not using it. It’s 29 inches long, which makes it a great drying surface for small spaces.
This six-piece towel is made of 100% Turkish cotton, a fabric which typically has a quicker drying time and gets softer with each use. This set includes two washcloths, two hand towels and two bath towels, so you have everything you need in one. They’re machine washable and okay to tumble dry. Plus, they have a 600 GSM (grams per square meter), which indicates a closely sewn weave, making for a weighty feel.
Decor essentials
Since you usually can’t use nails to hang anything on dorm room walls, Command Hooks are a great choice, Malin says. Their sticky adhesive doesn’t damage walls when you apply or remove them, and you can purchase them in different sizes and styles, like strips and cord organizers.
Beyond using Command Hooks to cover the walls in picture frames, posters, bulletin boards and string lights, Malin also used them in her closet and on the back of the door to hang coats and backpacks. The brand also offers a line of hooks to support heavier items weighing 10 to 20 pounds.
Mixtiles is a service that turns your favorite images into framed wall art with a built-in adhesive on the back — you can hang the frames on walls without nails or screws, making them ideal for dorm rooms. The frames measure about 8 inches by 8 inches and are less than an inch thick. You can take them off walls and move them around multiple times without the adhesive losing its stickiness. Malin moved her Mixtiles between two dorm rooms and three apartments.
You can upload pictures through the company’s website or app, flow in pictures from Facebook or Instagram and purchase Mixtiles individually. And if you don’t want to use pictures of friends, family and pets, you can also browse Mixtiles’ collection of art.
This 16-by-20-inch calendar whiteboard can be attached to the wall or propped up to keep track of assignments as well as social events like dorm get togethers, campus parties and birthday celebrations. You can customize it to have as many days as you want, and it has a space on the side for notes.
NBC Selected commerce editor Cory Fernandez has this floor lamp in his apartment and loves how easy it is to move around since it’s only 8 pounds. It has three levels to store small items — think picture frames or awards. “This is such a simple and affordable floor lamp that’s great for someone who doesn’t love overhead lighting,” he says. Since it has a place to hold items, I put drinking glasses on it and the lamp doesn’t wobble, so I don’t worry about them falling.”
Storage and organization essentials
These popular closet storage organizers are super versatile and help keep your clothing and accessories in one easy-find place. You can stack them on top of and beside each other, and they pull out like drawers. Since the front is open, you can see everything that’s inside each one without having to pull it out. Also, each drawer is collapsible, so you can break them down when you’re not using them. You also use them to store clothing, supplies and toiletries. Shoppers say they’re easy to build and some people use them for their bathroom.
These storage bins are often bestsellers at Home Depot during major sales events. They’re available in several sizes and the tall ones that are around 27 gallons are popular for storage under dorm beds, which are usually elevated. The lids snap close and there are holes around the lids to add zip ties for added security.
The 27-gallon bins have a weight capacity of 75 pounds so they can hold a lot. They’re also water resistant and stackable. Shoppers also say that they’re great for storing supplies and holiday decorations.
Closets are tricky in dorm rooms: Some have no doors, and sometimes you’re only provided with an armoire that barely fits half your wardrobe. But the one thing you’re almost always guaranteed is a hanging rod, and you need to maximize every inch of space you’re given. Malin says the Wonder Hanger helped increase her closet’s storage volume by holding up to five garments on one hanger. Each Wonder Hanger can hold up to 30 pounds of clothing and works with any type of hanger, according to the brand. You can use it horizontally with both hooks or vertically with one hook.
This fabric bin is ideal for keeping personal items, blankets, clothes, shoes, electronics and more under your bed or on a shelf in your closet. It has tall sides, so you don’t have to worry about things falling out of it (even though it doesn’t have a top) and the handles make it easy to maneuver it when you have to find something.
This shoe rack stands 20 inches tall and measures 27 inches across, leaving ample room for shoes of all sizes, including boots, sneakers and sandals. The rack is also stackable, so you can build the three-tier one and then put a two tier one above it for more space. The brand also sells a version that’s 35 inches wide. And according to the brand, it only takes around 10 minutes to build.
Over-the-door hooks are a great way to add additional hanging space in your room for coats, bags, and more. “These hooks are a lifesaver, especially when it rains or snows and you need a place to dry your wet clothes,” says Yi. According to the brand, it comes with six hooks and is padded with a sponge to prevent scratches.
Some dorm room shelves and storage space are limited, making this rolling cart a great way to organize your belongings. “This is one of my favorite things that has moved with me from my dorm to my now adult apartment,” says former NBC Selected associate reporter Bianca Alvarez. She used the top section of the cart as a bedside table and the other two tiers to hold her smaller essentials. The cart is available in eight colors, including sky blue, white and juniper green.
Keep your desk tidy with this sleek faux leather organizer, which can store pens and pencils, cords, paper clips, envelopes and more. It comes in a dozen colors and has slots and drawers to keep everything in place.
Use these storage crates to hold just about anything. You can stack them in a corner or under your bed or fold them up to stow them away when not in use. “I used these to store all my kitchen and cooking items,” says NBC Selected associate social media editor Caitlin Cusack. “They fit a ton of stuff.” Another perk: They come in sets of three and you get multiple colors in one, so you can almost use them as part of your decor.
This full-length mirror measures 14.25 x 50.25 inches and goes right over your door, so you don’t have to do any drilling and risk damaging a wall. All you have to do is pull the hooks up from the top of the frame and place them over the top of the door. It’s ideal for a dorm, especially if you don’t have room to set up a mirror with a stand.
Kitchen essentials
Instead of walking to the water fountain to fill your water bottle, you can keep a pitcher with a filter in your mini fridge. This Brita water filter has a 48-ounce capacity and is slim enough to fit inside a mini fridge, according to Yi. Malin recommends a water bottle with a built-in filter like those by Larq and S’well if you don’t want to use a filter pitcher.
Malin spent the first two years of college exclusively cooking meals in a communal microwave using Anyday dishes (which we also tested) designed to steam food in the microwave. The dish is made from frosted and heat-safe borosilicate glass and has a silicone-rimmed glass lid that keeps steam inside. The dishes are dishwasher- and freezer-safe and come in small, medium and large sizes, as well as shallow and deep depths. Malin recommends purchasing this medium dish since it allows you to make enough food to have leftovers.
If you want reusable drinkware options but also want to avoid plastic, these glass cups with bamboo lids work great. The lids are compatible with the included glass straws, but you can also use them without the lids and straw, too. The glasses and accessories are all dishwasher safe (you know, for when you finally get one) and you’ll also get cleaning brushes for the straws.
It’s always helpful to have a travel mug at your disposal so you can take your favorite caffeinated beverage to an early class or late study session. Herh uses this dishwasher-safe tumbler to keep drinks hot or cold for hours. The insulated stainless steel mug is available in four sizes: 12, 16, 20 and 28 ounces. It comes with the brand’s Closeable Press-In Lid, but if you prefer using your tumbler for smoothies or cold beverages, you can purchase the Press-In Straw Lid separately. The mug fits in most cup holders, and you can buy it in colors like Harbor Blue and Popstar Pink.
This set has utensils made from both silicone and wood, including spoons, spatulas, measuring cups, tongs, a whisk and more — you won’t need to buy any other serving and cooking utensils with this. Instead of plastic, the utensils are made with food-grade silicone, plus they’re heat resistant and BPA-free, according to the brand. Since they aren’t metal, they’re also less prone to scratching your dishes.
Tech essentials
If you’ll be spending any amount of time in a dorm room studying, you definitely need a surge protector to keep your phone, laptop, tablets and smartwatches charged and ready to use. This protector charges up to 11 devices and has eight three-prong outlets and three USB ports. It’s available in 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-foot lengths and the adapter has flat angled surfaces, so you can connect the surge protector to an outlet that’s behind furniture and still have it flush against the wall without the bottom or top outlet being covered.
The Brick is a physical app blocker that prevents you from opening up and being distracted by apps and social media on your phone. You can choose individual apps and then tap your phone on the brick to instantly block out the apps for however long you want and then you can tap it again to unlock and get access to apps again. It works on all iPhones that run iOS 17 and newer and it doesn’t require a subscription. It’s a great device to help with staying focused when studying or preparing for an exam.
NBC Selected associate SEO reporter Ashley Morris uses The Brick and says she got it to help her avoid being distracted while doing things like working out or watching movies. “My favorite thing to do is to use it on my phone right before I go to bed and keep it Bricked until I’m about to leave the house in the morning — it helps me to maintain a peaceful morning routine without diving immediately into whatever is happening online,” she says.
An air purifier in your dorm room is good for keeping out germs, bacteria and dust. Alvarez found this air purifier particularly helpful during flu seasons. “It kept us from getting sick constantly and was just helpful to have that added layer of protection,” she says. According to the brand, this air purifier has three fan speeds and is ideal for room sizes from 105 square feet to 178 square feet. Replacement filters are sold separately.
Going to the library to study isn’t always possible — sometimes it’s too late or too crowded. With the Apple AirPods Pro’s noise-canceling feature, you can create a quiet study space wherever you are. The AirPods are also sweat- and water-resistant, according to Apple, making them great for wearing while you work out. These earbuds come with a MagSafe charging case and three sets of silicone tips in different sizes, allowing you to find the best fit for your ears.
Amazon Fire TV Stick lets you easily set up streaming in your personal space or a common room if your dorm building allows. The Alexa voice remote lets you speak commands to adjust the volume, search content, customize settings and more.
Another essential desk accessory is this 3-in-1 charging stand and power strip. Compatible with both Apple and Samsung products, this stand wirelessly charges a smartphone, smartwatch and wireless earbuds at the same time. The stand also doubles as an upright platform where you can charge your tech while video chatting or watching TV shows.
A handheld vacuum makes dorm maintenance much easier. This Bissell model is cordless, so you can clean your room without needing to move a cord around or plug and replug back in. The battery gets up to 12 minutes of power and the vacuum t comes with tools like a 2-in-1 crevice tool and dusting brush, which you can store along with the vacuum itself using the included stand.
How we picked the best college dorm essentials
To help you find products for your space, we picked options inspired by our college dorm experiences. Here are some factors we kept in mind when narrowing down what made our list:
- Dorm layout: Dorms can be singles, doubles,triples or suites, and the amount of space you have for your items will vary based on how many people you’re sharing a room with. Our list includes products suited to a variety of room layouts.
- Student discounts: Many retailers offer college student-specific discounts and student memberships so you can get the best deals on bedding, storage, and more. For example, if you’re enrolled in school or between the ages of 18 and 24 years old, you can create a Prime for Young Adults account and get a free six-month trial (you pay $7.49 per month after the trial is over), which is half the monthly price of a standard Prime membership, according to Amazon. Our list includes products sold by these retailers.
How to shop for college dorm essentials
Before you start dorm shopping, here are a few things to consider:
- Student discounts: While shopping, remember that many retailers offer student discounts and student memberships. For example, after proving that you’re enrolled at a college through your school email address or student ID, you can create an Amazon Prime Student account, which offers benefits like fast shipping and exclusive prices on select products. Brands like Apple and others also offer student pricing, discounts and memberships.
- Storage Space: Dorm room space is limited, especially if you have a roommate or two. If you’ve toured your future dorm room or know its dimensions, you can get a sense of what you can and cannot fit in your space. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see your room yet, it may be better to wait to buy larger items like chairs and appliances.
- Flooring: This is a smaller detail, but knowing if your room is carpeted or has a hardwood floor can impact the products you buy. For example, certain vacuums work better on hard floors but might not be as effective on carpets.
- Roommates: We suggest coordinating with your roommate for items that will take up a considerable amount of shared space, including appliances like mini-fridges. You can also share items like kitchen appliances and storage solutions to save space and money.
- Bed sizing: Dorm rooms typically use twin XL beds, which is slightly longer than a standard twin bed. Not all bedding retailers carry products in twin XL sizes, so you should always check which brands carry fitted sheets, flat sheets and other bedding to fit your dorm bed.
- Dorm rules: Some dorms and residence halls prohibit the use of certain appliances or electronics in a room. Before buying appliances like mini refrigerators or lamps, be sure to check the guidelines for your dorm or residence hall.
Why trust NBC Selected?
Zoe Malin is a reporter at NBC Selected, who writes about deals, sale events, product launches and wellness.
Cory Fernandez is a commerce editor at NBC Selected, who writes about deals, sales events, home, kitchen and cleaning. He updated this article.
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