Inside: Not sure what to buy for your teen’s dorm room? No worries—we have you covered with the things our kids absolutely used at college.
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Congratulations, your kid graduated from high school! It’s an accomplishment!
For some, the next step is college which means dorm room planning. Before we get started, let me state these three things:
You DO NOT have to go over-the-top with your purchases, design and planning. If your teen wants to keep it straight forward and simple, let them. Straight from my daughter’s mouths: “The two girls who had the fanciest dorm room on our hall never had anyone over and their room was always a mess when I walked by. It seemed like the decorating was more for one Instagram photo than anything else.”
You DO NOT have to have everything they need on day one–even if you don’t live close by their college. Between Amazon and other delivery services, your teen can get what they need. Quick tip: consider getting an Amazon College Student/Young Adult account to help with the transition. You can get up to a year for just .99/month and score other perks like a free Grubhub+, discounts on Prime Video, and more.
You DO NOT have to do everything the same as everyone else on the parenting Facebook groups. Last year, a mom panicked because her son had a quilt instead of a comforter like everyone else. Letting go is hard, but listen to your kid and let their words and body language guide you through the process.
What you procure for your teen’s dorm room probably depends on a few things, like size of the room, how many roommates, room type (suite/standard/single), etc. If you aren’t sure if you need something (like a fan, air purifier or other piece of equipment) my recommendation is to wait.
If you would like a more extensive list, check out these posts:
Dorm Room Essentials For Girls – Must-Haves, Practical, And a Little Fun
Teen Boy Dorm Rooms Essentials – Why You Don’t Need So Much Crap
These 12 Simple Hacks Will Make College Dorm Move-in Day Easier
10 Things Your Teen Absolutely Will Use in Their Dorm Room
1. Multi-Use Power Strip with extra-long cord
All three of my daughters used two of these in their rooms: one at their desk, and the other at their bedside. They have multiple outlet and USB ports so there’s always room and the extra length ensures everything that needs to be plugged in can be plugged in.
2. 10 ft. Phone Charger
This 3-pack was a life saver for my daughter who used one in her room, and kept one in her bag. The extra length helped charger her phone when she was at the library or in a study room.
3. Shower Shoes
Unless your freshman secures a coveted suite with its own bathroom, they are going to need some shower shoes. These highly-rated slip-ons dry fast and are non-slip.
4. SleepyHead Bed Topper
So, your teen is going to want some sort of bed topper. This SleepyHead one is top-line and pricey, but the kids that have it rave about it (and the five-star reviews abound.) Two of my teens loved this also highly-rated bed topper and the third went with more of a cushioned mattress cover she loved.
5. Laundry basket and bag
Funny enough, a lot of people recommended the roller laundry basket, but my teens never wanted to wait for the elevator, so this hamper was perfect. It fit under their bed, and the bag was perfect for carting clothes back and forth from the laundry room.
6. Twin XL Sheets
If you didn’t already know, most dorm beds are twin XL, which means your standard sheets may not fit. You can pick up sheets anywhere, but shout out to the BedSure brand as I’ve found they have held up great over several years of use. Tip: I sent all my kids with an extra set of sheets, and only one of them used the second set a few times but basically balled it up in her ottoman.
7. Shower Caddy
Again, this is a little personal preference, but your teen is going to want to keep their shower stuff together even if they are in a suite. My kids liked this one becauseit had extra storage a pocket for their phone, and could hang up. Tip: All three of my kids asked for a small pouch to carry their toothpaste and toothbrush back and forth from their rooms. We liked this mesh one.
8. Quick-Dry Bath Towels
Knowing that these may not get hung up right away, I encouraged my teens to get the quick-dry towels. I didn’t want a whole set because they weren’t going to use the washcloths or hand towels, so I liked this Amazon Basics set.
9. Air Purifier
OK, this isn’t a must-have, but it sure is nice to have when you have old dorms and swarms of kids living in close proximity to each other.
10. Blue moving bags
All my kids get six, and they stay at their dorms. When one of my daughter joined a sorority, she received so much stuff that she used a blue bag to bring it back over Spring Break. Another used theirs to store clothes at a friends house. They are indispensable, and I use them for everything. And yes, kids even check them!
Other items your teen may need
Yes, there are a plethora of other things my kids used, but not all three of them. For example, two are obsessed with their WooZoo fan (available here at Target), but my other daughter never used hers and brought it back for one of her sister’s roommates. One of my daughters and her roommate always used their bedside table and desk lamps, while the others just used the dorm’s lights. That’s the kind of stuff you can figure out when you get there and get to know your new living space.
A few other recommendations include:
- A robe
- Slip on shoes to wear around the dorm but not the shower
- A good lighted mirror
- A dorm refrigerator organizer
- Storage ottoman, especially if your bed is elevated (also used for seating)
- Drying mat (for shower caddy and wet shoes)
- A small set of dishware
- Desk hutch
- Hanger extenders (these were a life-saver in one of my daughter’s rooms which had very small closets!)
- Extra storage (like this handy sterilite three-drawer that fit right under the bed)
Parenting teens and tweens is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone, these posts can help:
5 Tips To Keep College Kids Safe As They Learn How To Adult For The First Time
Drink Spiking:Â Advice from a former CIA agent and DadÂ
10 Things to Know about Attending College With an IEP
The Momancholy Is Real After You Drop Your Child Off at College
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