A new move out to a university dorm or off-campus communal housing requires a significant shopping trip: bedding, closet organizers, kitchen goods and home decor are a great place to start.
Moving away from the family home for the first time can be nerve-wracking so we’ve focused on comfort, cosiness and convenience. It’s important to make room for essentials like pillows and a night lamp but also leave some room for personal items that feel like home, like fairy lights and a makeup caddy. And while bigger ticket items like a mini fridge are on this list, so are very adulting picks, including wood hangers, a shoe organizer and smart device cords.
For all of these dorm room essentials and more, check out our .
The best bedding items for dorms
This twin includes a pillow sham, comforter fitted sheet and flat sheet in a one-and-done set. $52.51 at .
To plump up a , a hypoallergenic quilted mattress pad topper offers a bit of extra padding and protection. $31.85 at .
This for back and side sleepers is filled with hypoallergenic microfibre and made from soft memory foam. The coolness and breathability can help facilitate a deep and comfortable sleep. $47.99 for Queen size at .
More sleeping essentials for dorms
Help a teen who would win a gold medal in the Sleeping Olympics get to class on time with an alarm clock that doubles as a morning sunrise. The best in its category is the . It dims at bedtime, has a touch-activated “midnight light” to help see in the dark and a gentle, timed simulated sunrise feature. $135.95 at .
For light sleepers who worry that their roommate will keep them up with a buzzing laptop fan, ($12.74 at ) and a silk sleep mask ($13.99 at ) can help block out any nocturnal distractions.
This doubles as a white noise machine — soothing and cooling, without taking up too much space. $89.99 at .
If students are learning the old-fashioned way (with physical text books, rather than on a tablet), a can help a late night study session. $15.99 at .
The best bathroom products for dorms
Communal livings means communal bathrooms, making a an absolute must. This one has a top handle and six compartments, drainage holes and made from shatter-proof plastic. $22.36 at .
Keeping a small space neat and tidy requires organization, which can be a challenge. These can be used for pens and cords, makeup, skin care and other bits and bobs. $20.90 at .
The key to buying towels is durability and multiplication — a quality (but not too expensive) set of four means that even if they skip laundry day, they will at least have fresh towels. $46.99 on .
The best "kitchen" items and home decor
This tiny Frigidaire unit fits about six cans so not enough to store a week’s worth of groceries, but definitely enough space for a selection of perishables like oat milk, kombucha, cheese strings and yogurt. $72.92 on .
For coffee, tea, oatmeal and late-night ramen, this goes from cold to boil in seven minutes max and has an automatic shut-off safety feature. $42.24 at .
The right aromatherapy scent can be a mood changer and Vancouver-based Vitruvi makes the sleekest essential oil diffusers on the market. The is extremely popular, but this cylinder-shaped one is also pretty sleek and designed to work in a large room. $149 at .
This went viral on TikTok and we can see why — it makes for a cute decor piece for a desk or night stand. Plus, it gives off a soft glow. $57.99 on .
To add some warmth to a stark room, start with that are easy to hang and can be turned off by a timer. $11.04 on .
This is a bit of a splurge but the number of selfies you'll take with this lighting (there are 20 light bulbs in the frame) is worth it. $267.29 at .
Set them up for shopping independence with an Amazon account of their own — is half the price of a Prime membership and includes Prime video, Twitch and Prime photos. Top it up with an Audible account, which gives them access to thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and .
Storage, cleaning and organization solutions for dorms
Heading off to university is exciting because of the unknown: new friends to be made, new classrooms to learn in, a campus to explore — and learning how to store shoes so they don’t take over a room. That last one might not be on a new student’s list of “to-dos” but the super practical stuff, like laundry hampers and storage cubes, can help keep their room free from clutter.
This doubles as a hamper for dirty clothes and has an aluminum handle. It's made from double-layer oxford fabric material, to prevent tearing. $25.99 at .
To store out-of-season clothing, these can be tucked away until needed. They can hold extra blankets and bedding, towels, clothing and shoes. $22.87 at .
Even if a student is only bringing a couple of pairs of shoes to school, this is a good idea because it can hold more than sneakers: store anything in the pockets, from snack food to hair products to charging cords. No assembly required. $15.87 at .
Dust bunnies and bagel crumbs are inevitable, but this is compact and powerful enough to handle a small space. When they finally decide to tidy up, it will be ready. $44.71 at .
One measly outlet won’t cut it when they need to plug in their myriad of chargers, which is when this , which has USB ports as well as outlets, will come in handy. $26.99 at .
