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20 Best College Dorm Room Essentials of 2023

Don't show up unprepared

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The excitement and nerves of newly gained independence is thrilling, but creating a college dorm room packing list is overwhelming. As you prepare for move-in day, we’ve rounded up the top dorm room essentials that every college student needs. Consider this the ultimate college packing list that will make college dorm room living a breeze from freshman year all the way through graduation.

Bedding

1. Linenspa All-Season down alternative quilted comforter

Linenspa All-Season down alternative quilted comforter on light green background.

Dorm room essentials: Linenspa All-Season down alternative quilted comforter

Getting a good night's sleep is essential to Freshman year success. The Linenspa All-Season down alternative quilted comforter gives even stiff mattresses an extra edge of comfort. It's our pick for the best overall comforter because of its super soft exterior and the way it resists stains.

$36 at Amazon

2. Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow

Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow on blue background.

Dorm room essentials: Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow

A great set of pillows definitely ranks among college dorm essentials, whether you're slaying down to sleep, or simply reclining while studying. This set of Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillows is one of our favorite pillow sets out there because they're cozy, easy to clean, and well within any college student's budget.

$60 at Amazon

3. Casper Sleep Comfy Mattress Topper

Casper Sleep Comfy Mattress Topper on a green background

Dorm room essentials: Casper Sleep Comfy Mattress Topper

Casper makes excellent sleep accessories, and its mattress toppers are no outliers. It's got the competition beat on durability and supports many different sleep styles and positions, making it our pick for the best mattress topper on the market.

From $180 at Amazon

Bathroom essentials

4. Super absorbent panda bath mat

Super absorbent panda bath mat on light green background.

Dorm room essentials: Super absorbent panda bath mat

This bath mat wicks away moisture from your body when you hop out of the shower and dries much faster than traditional bath mats. It's also available in incredibly charming styles, including mats shaped like frogs, dogs, and pandas.

$20 at Amazon

5. Kitsure shower caddy

Dorm room essential Kitsure shower caddy on a light green background.

Dorm room essentials: Kitsure shower caddy

Making the most of a small space is easy with the right storage solutions. The Kitsure shower caddy mounts to the wall of your shower, to hang up all your essential toiletries and shower time essentials. Its sleek modern design looks expensive, but it's super affordable since it comes with two shower caddies.

$29 at Amazon

6. Mierting matte black bathroom accessories

Mierting matte black bathroom accessories on teal background is a college dorm room essential.

Dorm room essentials: Mierting matte black bathroom accessories

This set of bathroom accessories doesn't compromise an ounce of function for form and will help remove clutter around a crowded bathroom sink. It comes with two soap dispensers, two storage containers, and a toothbrush holder.

$19 at Amazon

Laundry essentials and storage

7. Dalykate laundry backpack

Dalykate laundry backpack is a dorm room essential on a blue background.

Dorm room essentials: Dalykate laundry backpack

Doing laundry shouldn't strike fear into the heart of college students, and with the right dorm room essentials, it doesn't have to be such a painful experience. The Dalykate backpack makes lugging laundry from the laundromat to your room easy as pie, and it's large enough to hold two to three loads of dirty clothes. It's even got an inner pocket to store a tablet, smartphone, or portable gaming console.

$17 at Amazon

8. SimpleHouseware over the door hanging shoe organizer

SimpleHouseware over the door hanging shoe organizer on a green background

Dorm room essentials: SimpleHouseware over the door hanging shoe organizer

Making great use of a small space like a college dorm room is easier if you have smart space-saving accessories like this hanging shoe organizer. It's made to store shoes but works equally well to organize everything from USB cables to random office supplies like pens, pencils, and sticky notes.

$9 at Amazon

9. SONGMICS 43-inch folding storage ottoman bench

SONGMICS 43-inch folding storage ottoman bench on a teal background.

Dorm room essentials: SONGMICS 43-inch folding storage ottoman bench

Another way to make the most of a small space is by buying a piece of furniture that does double duty. This charming ottoman bench is hollow in the middle, to store everything from books, clothes, appliances, or anything else.

$63 at Amazon

Kitchen and Food Essentials

10. Frigidaire Retro Mini Fridge

Frigidaire Retro Mini Fridge one a green background.

Dorm room essentials: Frigidaire Retro Mini Fridge one a green background.

College dorm living is up there with Korean beauty products when it comes to keeping the demand for mini fridges high. The Frigidaire Retro Mini Fridge is a fantastic and reliable machine, with its excellent temperature controls, roomy freezer, and retro-chef aesthetics. It will easily last from move-in day all the way through graduation, and years after.

$207 at Amazon

11. Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer

College dorm room essential Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer on a teal background.

Dorm room essentials: Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer

Hot plates and microwaves are so last century. The Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer is a pressure cooker, high-powered oven, and even a standard hot plate in one space-saving appliance. It's our favorite air fryer for its unmatched performance and versatility and is equally well-suited to making everyday meals to heating up freezer snacks for weekend guests.

$194 at Amazon

12. Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Maker

Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Maker on a blue background is a college dorm room essential.

Dorm room essentials: Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Maker

Coffee is essential for surviving college life, so making it shouldn't be a messy and annoying hassle. The Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Maker is one of our favorite single-serve coffee machines because of its low-profile, quick brewing, and easy upkeep. It's the kind of coffee machine that you can depend on for late-night study sessions, finals crunching, and for Monday hangovers.

$650 at Best Buy

13. Cosori electric gooseneck kettle

The Cosori electric gooseneck kettle on a green background is a college dorm room essential.

Dorm room essentials: Cosori electric gooseneck kettle

Having easy access to boiling water ranks high among college dorm room essentials. The Cosori electric gooseneck kettle heats up lightning-fast, and provides a clean pour, whether you're making a cup of tea or a cup of noodles, which makes it one of our favorite electric kettles.

$70 at Amazon

Electronics

14. AUOPLUS 10ft power strip

The AUOPLUS 10ft power strip is a dorm room essential on a light green background.

Dorm room essentials: AUOPLUS 10ft power strip

A good power strip is a dorm room essential because limited space usually means limited wall outlets. The AUOPLUS 10ft power strip has five outlets that power up everything from computer monitors to televisions, and three USB ports to charge phones, gaming consoles, and every smart device under the sun.

$23 at Amazon

15. Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones

Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones is a college dorm room essential on a light green background.

Dorm room essentials: Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones

A great way to survive your first school year is something that can drown out the cumbersome noise of rowdy neighbors or fellow students who just can't keep it down in the library. The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones rank as the best headphones on the market, because of their unmatched noise-canceling capabilities, and amazing sound quality. They're great for listening to tunes while studying, or to bring extra immersion to streaming movies or even gaming.

$348 at Amazon

16. AFROG multifunctional LED desk lamp

The dorm room essential, the AFROG multifunctional LED desk lamp on a teal background.

Dorm room essentials: AFROG multifunctional LED desk lamp

If you don't have a desk lamp on your college packing list, you'll be sorry once midterm week comes. The AFROG multifunctional LED desk lamp not only provides seven different levels of light, but it doubles as a wireless charger for Qi-compatible phones. It also has a spare USB port for other charging possibilities.

$38 at Amazon

17. Roku Streaming Stick 4K

College dorm room essentials Roku Streaming Stick 4K on a blue background.

Dorm room essentials: Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Knowing how to relax is essential to academic success, and there are no better devices suited to weeknight cool-offs like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K. It's super easy to use with an intuitive remote and comes Dolby Vision and HDR ready, making it one of the best streaming devices. And because it's so small, you can take it to a fellow student's dorm, or on a holiday visit home.

$50 at Amazon

Cleaning supplies

18. Tineco A10 Hero cordless vacuum cleaner

The Tineco A10 Hero cordless vacuum cleaner is a college dorm room essential on a green background.

Dorm room essentials: Tineco A10 Hero cordless vacuum cleaner

You'd be surprised how much you can improve your quality of life with a good vacuum. The Tineco A10 Hero is one of our favorite cordless vacuums because of how quickly and easily it busts dust, in both standup and handheld modes. It's also much more affordable than other similarly powered vacuums.

$200 at Amazon

19. OXO Good Grips Sweep & Swipe Laptop Cleaner

OXO Good Grips Sweep & Swipe Laptop Cleaner is a dorm room essential on a blue background.

Dorm room essentials: OXO Good Grips Sweep & Swipe Laptop Cleaner

A great way to ensure that your pricey electronics lasts from freshman year through grad school is to keep it pristine. This double-sided brush sweeps dirt and dust from laptop and computer keyboards, smudges from televisions and monitors, and even polishes up tiny charging ports in all matter of electronic devices.

$12 at Amazon

20. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on light green background.

Dorm room essentials: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

Messes big and small are no match for Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. This set comes with three packages comes with 75 wipes, to clean up accidental spills, or simply add a lustrous and clean glow to a dusty desktop.

$12 at Amazon