Essential Dorm Room Ideas for First-Time College Parents. Easy Amazon Finds
Just under $2,000!
Not only is sending your kid to college expensive, but apparently furnishing their dorm room is too!
NOTE: The below Amazon items are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps me continue bringing these items and recommendations to you.
I’ve put together this list based on what we personally purchased to set up my son’s dorm room. After tons of research, I thought we had everything covered, yet we still spent way too much time shopping after move-in day!
My goal is to save you that hassle so you can spend more time making memories with your child instead of running around buying last-minute essentials.
Some of these must-have items had to be shipped after we left, adding extra cost and frustration. With this list, including a few great finds from IKEA, you can skip the stress and make move-in day smooth and seamless!
set up essentials
When preparing for your dorm move-in, it’s important to bring items that will help you personalize your space while respecting the dorm’s rules. Most dorms prohibit drilling or hammering into the walls and furniture, so you’ll need alternatives that won’t damage the property. The items below are affordable and will help you make the most of your space without risking any damage to the dorm’s property. In addition you will notice a tool kit I have suggested for your kiddo to keep in their dorm and you will need to have that for set up and tear down as well.
Some useful items to have include:
Command Variety Pack
Perfect for hanging pictures, bags, or small décor without leaving marks.
Cable/Zip Ties
Ideal for organizing cables, securing items, or even hanging lightweight décor.
Drop Ceiling Hooks
Great for hanging things from the ceiling without causing damage.
moving
Moving Bags
THESE ARE ESSENTIAL!!! They were the perfect item for moving all of my son's items to the dorm. Each can be labeled so you are not frantically searching for items once you are unloading and putting items away on move-in day. The BONUS is that the fold flat for storage. My son is almost 1,000 away from home so transporting bulky luggage where there is no place to store them and purchasing boxes just to throw them away were not viable options for our family.
Shrink Bags
These will help you to fit more things in the moving bags above and I like these specifically because you don't need a vacuum to remove the air.
Bedding
Memory Foam Topper
This 4" mattress topper adds extra comfort since dorm mattresses aren’t exactly high quality. We wanted to make sure he had a softer, more supportive place to sleep.
Mattress Pad
This one is pretty self explanatory but we needed one with extra depth because of the 4" topper.
Sheet Sets
My son's dorm has Twin XL beds and we had to purchase extra deep sheets since we purchased a 4" mattress topper
Comforter
This is soft, comfortable, and fairly inexpensive. It comes in several colors and is reversible, allowing for a quick change in style whenever desired.
Pillow(s)
I don't have a specific recommendation for this as you can get these anywhere. However, for those that are "hot sleepers" a cooling pillow is always a good choice.
Shelf
We bought a finished shelf board from Lowe’s and slid it under the head of his mattress, where it wouldn’t be noticeable. We then drilled holes in the wood and zip-tied it to the metal frame beneath the mattress, creating a makeshift nightstand for the top bunk. His girlfriend even bought him a little tray with a non-slip bottom to keep things secure. If you don’t have something like that, you might want to glue trim around the edges to prevent items from sliding off the shelf. Amazon has lots of options for "bedside shelves for bunk beds or loft beds". However, they are much more expensive than this piece of wood and many are very specific to the frame it's attached to which would work with his dorm bed.
Ladder
My son wanted to loft his bed to maximize space by placing his desk and dresser underneath, since dorm rooms often have more vertical space than floor space. If you've ever had a bunk bed, you know that climbing down can be a hassle, especially when doing it daily. To make it more convenient, we added a ladder at the end of his bed for quick and comfortable access.
Bed Rail
This might seem like a bit much, but with his dorm ceiling at about 9 feet high, his lofted bed was quite a climb. Since he wasn’t used to sleeping in a twin bed, we wanted to ensure a little extra security. To give him peace of mind, we added a bed rail, typically designed for the elderly, to help prevent any accidental falls.
Pool Noodles
This seems a little much also but when you have hit your head on a metal bed rail you know. We took pool noodles and slit them length-wise and placed them over the metal rails so that when they stood up from their desk (under their bed) they had a little cushion instead of hitting their head on a heavy metal rail.
general storage
Ikea KALLAX Shelf Unit
This shelf worked out well because it is light weight and utilizes vertical space rather than floor space.
Ikea KUGGIS Storage Box
We chose these for the shelving unit above so the items stored in them would not get dusty.
Desk Shelf
Again, we made use of vertical space for his desk storage. This organizer takes a few minutes to assemble, but it’s definitely worth the time. Plus, it comes in a flat box, which means it takes up less space when you're traveling.
Storage
We purchased these to store extra towels and sheets so those things didn't get dirty before they got used and they fit perfectly on the ONE shelf in the closet.
Command Hooks - Small
We purchased many of this size hook so he could hang his hat on the walls for easy access to them and for additional decoration in addition to a small rug he wanted to hang
Command Hooks - Large
We purchased these more sturdy hooks to hang his towel and coat.
Command Strips
We used these to hang wall art.
closet storage
The Closet Layout
The dorm closet was very small, so I bought space-saving pant and shirt hangers that drop down once you hang items on them. This allowed us to use the vertical space effectively, since the horizontal space was limited. I also opted for thinner hangers instead of the bulky plastic ones to save even more room. To maximize storage, we moved the dresser out of the closet and placed it under his bunk for floor storage. We also got a shoe rack to make use of the vertical space and placed extra storage and moving bags on top of the one shelf in the closet.
Space saving Shirt Hangers
Collapsible shirt hangers for space-saving closet organization
Space saving Pant Hangers
Collapsible pant hangers for space-saving closet organization
Thin Hangers
Thin hangers, like these, save a significant amount of space compared to the bulky plastic ones. You’d be surprised at how much more you can fit in a closet with these. We bought these for my son's girlfriend's dorm, and her roommate had the plastic hangers. The difference was clear—her roommate’s hangers took up double the closet space!
Shoe Rack
Utilizing vertical space and this one was sturdy and easy to assemble
Laundry
Laundry Bag
We chose this as an all-purpose laundry bag, meaning he could put his dirty laundry in it daily and then carry it to the laundry room, fold his clothes, and then carry his clean clothes back in it. Also, it has pockets to store the laundry sheets we chose below so his detergent and softener are always with the bag.
Note: I will say that this will not stand up by itself so you can do one of two things. 1. Hang it at floor level with a heavy command hook. Or 2. We purchased an inexpensive laundry hamper at Walmart that this sits inside of just for structure. I would love it if they made a simple metal frame for this to sit in while it's being used for dirty laundry. I will look for one when my other son goes off to college.
Laundry Detergent Sheets
I purchased "Earth Breeze" eco sheets for him so he didn't have to worry about bulky laundry bottles or pods that can bust open and create a mess. The Eath Breeze disolve in the wash so he doesn't have to worry about messes. The backpack laundry bag also has a pocket so he can just keep his "Earth Breeze" in the pocket so he always has his laundry and laundry detergent together at all times and doesn't have to worry about leaving them behind.
Laundry Dryer Sheets
I also purchased CLEARALIF Fabric Softener Sheets for the same purpose as the Earth Breeze sheets and these go in the washer so no one has to remember to put something in the dryer as well.
bathroom
Shower
There wasn't anything out of the ordinary that we purchased for the bathroom with the exception of the shower caddy. The one we purchased was longer and adjustable so larger shampoo and conditioner bottles would fit underneath the shower head. Some caddy's are so short that anything you want to place in them doesn't fit under the shower head, however, the one we purchased was perfect and it had lots of hooks around for razors or shower poofs.
Bath Towels
Nice plush larger bath towels
Hand Towels
Used in the bathroom. SHARED ITEM - This is a shared item and is something you will need to discuss with your roommate/suitemates as to who will be purchasing them.
Body Scrubber
We aren't fans of washcloths so we opted for a body scrubber and bonus, less laundry.
Bath Mat
It's a good idea to have multiple bath mats since they get dirty quickly. SHARED ITEM - This is a shared item and is something you will need to discuss with your roommate/suitemates as to who will be purchasing them.
Shower Caddy
We specifically selected this one because the top is adjustable and allows for larger shampoo bottles. Many shower caddy's are too close to the shower head and make them unusable. SHARED ITEM - This is a shared item and is something you will need to discuss with your roommate/suitemates as to who will be purchasing them.
Shower Curtain
We initially purchased a "shower size" shower curtain and liner but they did not fill the space so we had to return and purchase a larger size. SHARED ITEM - This is a shared item and is something you will need to discuss with your roommate/suitemates as to who will be purchasing them.
Shower Curtain Liner
You will need multiple to replace throughout the school year since it's not easy to clean them. SHARED ITEM - This is a shared item and is something you will need to discuss with your roommate/suitemates as to who will be purchasing them.
Shower Curtain Hooks
We selected this for an easy change of the shower liner and taking the curtain off seperately to wash it. SHARED ITEM - This is a shared item and is something you will need to discuss with your roommate/suitemates as to who will be purchasing them.
personal care
Nail Clippers
They need their own when they go away to school.
Dorm Doctor Kit
This kit is extremely beneficial because it keeps you from purchasing lots of bottles of medication, bandaids, and more. I can't tell you how many times my son has called me saying he has a headache or is getting a cold and I constantly tell him to look in his Dorm Doctor kit for meds.
Sun Screen
Sunscreen is necessary but especially needed if your child is fair-skinned and/or is going to school in a warm climate.
Aloe
This is especially needed if your child if fair fair-skinned and/or is going to school in a warm climate.
miscellanous
Surge Protector
This is extremely important as outlets are scarce. Ensure you get one with USBc and with a long cord as the outlet they may have access to may be further away.
Tool Kit
I didn't actually purchase this because we had many duplicate tools so we made our own kit. However, they will definitely need tools for their dorm, especially when they initially move in.
Sewing Kit
Yes, I taught my son to sew on a button before he left for school and he has used this several times to sew up holes or sew on buttons while at school. It has been very useful.
decorations
Making the space their own.
This was my son's area and was somewhat of a splurge. If you are a parent of a high school senior you probably know that they love color-changing lights and my son is a huge fan of Phillips Hue lighting so he purchased a lamp, bulb, and controller so he could control the color and mood of his dorm room with his phone. I was a little upset that he spent so much money on a lamp but he used his own money and I must admit it looks really cool. We live in Cincinnati Ohio where our NFL team is the Cincinnati Bengals, in addition, my son went to high school where the mascot is a Tiger so he had to have a fun Bengal tiger rug for his dorm. He also purchased another rug that we hung on the wall for decoration using Command Brand Products, which are especially helpful in a dorm room. In the case of the one we hung on the wall, we sewed a few loops onto the back of the rug using his sewing kit, see above, and then looped them over the command hooks that we hung on the wall.
Phillips Hue Table Lamp
The expensive, but cool, lamp my son purchased to decorate his room.
Hue Bulb
We purchase in inexpensive paper lantern and bulb cord set at Ikea to go with this color changing bulb that woks with the Hue Controller.
Hue Controller
This works with an app to control the color-changing lights.
Bengal Tiger Decorative Rug
Decorative rug to represent the Cincinnati Bengals.
Floor Rug
This was purchased at Ikea to cover more of the cold floor.
The following items we did not purchase because his roommate or suitemates already had:
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Hotplate or plug in pan
- TV
- Futon
- Trashcan
And then there is this...
While shopping around for the perfect shelf for the dorm, we stumbled upon this gem. The boys would’ve loved to have it in their suite just so they could claim to be "king of the dorm." Thankfully, it was $800, so... definitely NOT happening!
