Top 10 Dorm or apt essentials
Moms are planners. We think ahead and like to buy on sale. AMIRIGHT?
Here’s a Top 10 Dorm (and Apartment) Shopping List, just in time for Amazon’s Prime Day on July 11-12th.
(Even if you miss Prime Day, this is a great cheat sheet to get you started).
I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
Let’s start with the BED, since getting a good night’s sleep is vital, and let’s face it, college kids sleep ALOT!
Sheets - Check to see what size bed you are buying sheets for. Most dorms are outfitted with Twin XL beds which are the width of a Twin but 5 inches longer. So, none of the sheets from the standard twin bed at home will fit. These sheets come in over 30 different colors, have over 300,000 four star reviews, and they are budget-friendly. Win-win-win. My son is moving into an apartment with full-size beds. So make sure you double check the size before you buy!
2. Mattress Topper - Those industrial dorm mattresses are not super comfy…UGH. Grab a mattress topper so that your college kid doesn’t come home at Christmas with back pain and a stiff neck! This one is a down-alternative topper that doubles as a mattress pad, so you don’t have to buy both!
3. Pillows - Chances are your student will sit in bed and watch Tik-Tok…Ahem…I mean study. So a pillow backrest will come in handy. We used to call them “elephants” when I was in college. I guess, maybe because they’re big and fluffy and wrinkly? Your student might have a favorite sleeping pillow from home, but you also might need to grab a couple regular pillows like this 2-pack HERE from Amazon Basics that is well-reviewed.
4. Storage - These blue bags are the bomb dot com. The “real” ones are the IKEA Frakta bags you can check them out HERE, and I’m sure that brand is also top notch. I purchased these TICONN Dupe bags that were slightly cheaper, and I just used them to help my oldest son move and then the next month my younger son…this chapter of life is all about helping everybody move, all the time! So, invest in these bags. They are soft sided so you can cram them into a car trunk or back seat. The straps are sturdy and wrap all the way around for extra durability. Once your student uses them to move in, the bags can be used for extra storage in their room or collapsed down to wait 9 months until it’s time to move back out! Honestly, there’s so much moving in your future! Get these bags!
5. Plugs - I know for a FACT that your student’s dorm room or apartment will not have either the right number of plugs or the plugs in the right places or plugs with a surge protector to keep that new, shiny laptop safe in a storm. You will 100% need to get some sort of extension cord or surge protector or extra outlets. So just go ahead and get all 3 in one and be done with it!
6. A Bathroom Caddy- There is soooooo much variation on possible bathroom setups for dorm rooms and apartments. Do they even do shared hall bathrooms anymore? Regardless of whether your student is going to have a semi-shared bath or a private bath, they will need some bathroom organization stuff. This mesh bathroom caddy has an astounding 4.8 star review from almost 4,000 customers!
7. Shower Curtain and Hooks - If your student has a tub bath (some of these dorms are so fancy!) you will need to grab a shower curtain and some hooks. These hooks are the rolling kind that I think are absolutely essential. I have switched over to this type of rolling hook for my shower, I couldn’t believe I ever used any other kind! As far as shower curtains go, the sky’s the limit. If you have a girl she will have opinions, if you have a boy, just buy this one… because its cheap and easy and your son does not care.
8. Shower Shoes - On the other hand, if your student has a shared bath or hall bath…they’re going to need some shower shoes. Kudos to them for being all-in on this character-building, shared-bathroom, life experience. These shoes are slip on (My kids do not like flip flops that go between their toes) and fast-drying with non-slip soles and unisex sizing. Mom, you will feel so much better knowing they have these to wear.
9. A First Aid Kit - You could probably pull together a decent little tub on your own with some band-aids and Tylenol and itch cream. But chances are the extra tube of itch cream you have under your sink at home expired in 2015. I know mine did. So do yourself a favor and just snag an all-in-one kit and be done with it. That way when your college student calls you at 2:00am one October night with a hang nail, you will know the first aid kit is ready to go! Here is another choice. There is a DORM DOC kit here. Although it’s more money, give it a look because I like the comprehensive written instructions and the “medicine by ailment” organization.
10. Minor Appliances - My youngest son is moving out in August. As we’ve been talking about what he needs for his apartment, I swear this child would just take an air fryer and be done with it. I asked if he though he needed anything else for the kitchen and he said, “Maybe a plate”. What is it about getting their own minor appliances that makes them feel so grown up? Check with your student’s school or landlord to get clear on what is allowed. Here are some top-rated possibilities: Mini fridge HERE. Microwave HERE. Hot plate HERE. And last, but definitely not least the Almighty Air Fryer.
BONUS: I almost forgot! You need to buy some sort of air freshener…especially for boys. So check out these odor absorbing beads. They really work!
