The best college supplies and dorm room essentials in 2021

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Get honest reviews on top products & services — delivered weekly to your inbox.LoadingSomething is loading. By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

If you're heading off to college for the first time this fall, chances are it's your first time living on your own — ever. The college dorm is a good training ground for new adults, assuming you've got all the essentials. We've rounded up everything you need to have in your dorm room, including items for your bed, bathroom, kitchen, and more.

If you're a parent stocking your child up for their first semester, the thought of sending your kid off to fend for themselves against dirty laundry, piles of dishes, and the other inconveniences of adulthood probably sounds daunting to you, but we've got you covered. These items will set your college kid off on the right foot.

Before we get into our picks, here are some tips on what to buy:

Living in a dorm is a crazy experience, but so long as you have the essentials, you'll be just fine. Read on to find our top picks for every dorm essential you can imagine.

The best twin XL sheets

While you'll be plenty busy with classes and social events, chances are you'll be spending at least eight hours a night in your dorm bed. Most colleges use Twin XL mattresses in their dorm rooms, which means any existing Twin-sized sheets you own will be too short. Fortunately, our favorite Twin XL sheets are fairly inexpensive at just $28 a set. We heartily recommend Target's Threshold Performance Sheets. In addition to being soft and cozy, we love that the top and bottom of the fitted sheet is labeled for easier bed-making.

ThresholdPerformance Sheet Set (Twin XL)$35.00 from Target

The best comforter

Our all-time favorite comforter is the Brooklinen All-Season Down Comforter; it's warm, cozy, and breathable. But if you're in the market for something a bit more affordable, we also love Target's Room Essentials Down Alternative Comforter. It's thinner than the Brooklinen comforter, but it's just $25 for a Twin XL.

Brooklinen All-Season Down Comforter (Queen)$323.10 from Brooklinen Originally $359.00Save 10% Room Essentials Down Alternative Comforter (Queen)$35.00 from Target

The best pillow

The Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam Pillow is not cheap, but it is the very best pillow you can buy — period. It's our top pick for the best pillow overall because it's adjustable, suits all kinds of sleeping styles, and it's relatively affordable. The shredded memory foam is very comfortable, and you can remove some to make it less firm if you want. This pillow will last you way beyond college.

Coop Home Goods Premium Adjustable Pillow$69.98 from Amazon$72.00 Free from Coop Home Goods

The best mattress pad

College beds are notoriously horrible, but a good mattress pad can make it much easier to get a good night's sleep. Word to the wise: that egg foam stuff is junk and feels like sleeping on a lumpy old mattress. The Lucid 3-Inch Bamboo Mattress Topper is our top pick for an affordable mattress topper because it adds softness and comfort to any mattress without breaking the bank.

Lucid 3-inch Bamboo Charcoal Memory Foam Mattress Topper (Queen)$104.85 from The Home Depot $107.99 from Amazon

The best eye mask

While a sleep mask may not seem like a college essential, consider the fact that your sleep schedule might become a bit irregular. With late-night study sessions and early morning classes, you'll want to be able to sleep whenever you can. This silk sleep mask from Alaska Bear is our pick for the best sleep mask on a budget.

The pure mulberry silk makes it exceedingly comfy, and it won't break the bank. It may just turn out to be your smartest college prep purchase.

Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask$9.99 from Amazon Originally $15.99Save 38%

The best mini desk fan

Most clip-on products carry a stigma of geekdom with them. Clip-on necktie? Geeky. Sunglasses that clip over your prescription glasses? Really geeky. Clip-on electric fan? It may look geeky, but the Genesis Convertible Table-Top and Clip Fan works so well that you'll put up with any sarcastic comments sent your way. Plus, you have the option of reconfiguring your fan to make it a small tabletop fan with a base, no clip required. It's our top pick for a personal electric fan.

Genesis Convertible Table-Top and Clip Fan$14.99 from Amazon

The best alarm clock

Waking up might be a little bit more pleasant when you can choose your own personal sunrise and soothing tones. While we tested and recommend plenty of traditional alarm clocks, sunrise alarm clocks like the Hatch Restore offer particular benefits for college students. First, the Hatch has a whole suite of guided meditations for stressful exam days, and a built-in reading light for when you want to stay up without waking your roommate. Finally, the sunset and noise machine functions can help lull you to sleep, even in a loud dorm.

Hatch Restore$129.99 from Amazon $129.99 from Target

The best towel

Dorm rooms are notoriously stuffy, and the last thing you want is a towel that's still damp when you go to take a shower the next day. Pottery Barn makes great towels in a wide array of shades, and they're really affordable. They're soft and absorbent, and very quick to dry.

Pottery Barn Hydrocotton Organic Quick-Dry Bath Towel$34.50 from Pottery Barn

The best shower caddy

The iDesign Orbz Shower Tote Holder and Organizer keeps all your shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and so on in place so you can carry it along with you into the communal showers or shared bathroom. It's important to have one of these and to remove it from the shared bathroom (if you have one) when you're done each time so that you're never without your toothbrush in case your roommate stays in the shower for ten years.

iDesign Orbz Shower Tote Holder and Organizer$13.99 from Amazon Originally $14.99Save 7%

The best flip-flops

The OOFOS OOriginal Unisex Thong Sandals are one of my favorite things. These Korean sandals are so soft and comfortable it feels like you're walking on a cloud. They're great as house shoes to give your feet support and they're even better shower shoes to protect your feet from whatever's going on in those communal showers. Sure, they're expensive, but they'll last for the whole four years and then some.

OOFOS OOriginal Unisex Thong Sandals$39.99 from Amazon $49.95 from Zappos

The best makeup organizer

Jerrybox makes our favorite makeup organizer. It's got tons of adjustable compartments for every cosmetic you own, it rotates so you can see it all, and it'll keep you in order. It's a great thing to have when space is at a premium. The Jerrybox isn't too expensive, either, and you can get it in black, white, or clear.

Jerrybox 360 Degree Rotation Adjustable Multi-Function Cosmetic Storage Box$19.98 from Amazon

The best makeup mirror

The Conair Oval Shaped Double-Sided Lighted Makeup Mirror makes it easy to find a quiet place to do your makeup. Plus, it lights up your face to ensure you nail your look, even in subpar lighting. It'll also keep you out of the bathroom so your roommate doesn't complain about your hour-long makeup routine. It's a bit pricey, but it'll easily transition to your first apartment.

Conair Double-Sided Lighted Makeup Mirror$39.99 from Amazon

The best cheap microwave

Most dorm rooms don't exactly have kitchens, but that doesn't mean you have to survive on dining hall food and takeout exclusively. Most colleges let you have a microwave, and this one from Commercial Chef is our top pick for the best affordable microwave. It's small enough to store away and analog so you don't have to worry about cheap electronics.

Commercial Chef Countertop Microwave$66.61 from Amazon

The best coffee maker

Coffee is perhaps the most important thing to a college student. The Cuisinart Coffee Plus 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker (CHW-12) will be a lifesaver. You can pre-set a brewing time with the programmable clock so that you don't have to make coffee bleary-eyed in the morning before your 8 a.m. class (pro tip: don't sign up for those). It's easy to clean, easy to use, and has a hot water system built right in for tea, ramen, and more.

Cuisinart Coffee Plus 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker$91.63 from Amazon Originally $99.95Save 8%

The best mini fridge

These days, some colleges provide mini fridges in their dorm rooms, but if you school doesn't, it's pretty much a necessity. You'll want it for milk for coffee, leftovers, beverages, and the occasional pint of ice cream that you don't finish in one sitting. The Midea 3.1 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator is a mid-sizemini fridge, making it a good size for two or three roommates to share.

Midea 3.1 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator$249.99 from Amazon

The best water bottle

Staying hydrated is really important, especially after a late night out, so you need a great water bottle. The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth is our top water bottle pick overall, because it keeps drinks icy cold for hours, is easy to clean, and comes in tons of colors. You don't have to worry about breaking it, either.

Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Water Bottle$44.95 $29.22 from Hydro Flask$44.95 $35.21 from Amazon$44.95 $28.97 from Dick's Sporting Goods

The best travel mug

After that all-nighter, you're going to need a vat of coffee, and thanks to your coffee machine, you can make your own in your room. Take it with you in the Zojirushi SM-SE Travel Mug as you stumble to class. It's our favorite travel mug overall because it keeps drinks hot for hours and never spills.

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Mug$23.99 from Amazon

The best cookware set

Upperclassmen may have the advantage of a small kitchen in their dorms. If you're one of those lucky ones, you'll need some basic cookware. T-fal's cookware set comes with everything you need to prepare a meal. You get two pans, four pots, the corresponding lids, and some cooking utensils. The pots and pans are non-stick and should last you at least the four years in college. Once you graduate, you can contemplate a fancier, high-quality set.

T-fal All-in-One Hard-Anodized Cookware Set$119.99 from Amazon Originally $131.99Save 9%

The best clothes hangers

Yes, you really do have to bring everything with you to college, including clothes hangers. But it's likely that your closet space is pretty tight, so you'll want ones that are pretty compact. The ORG Slimline Velvet Suit Hangers are super thin, letting you fit more of your clothes into a small space. The strong plastic is coated in velvet, so clothes won't slip off. They come in packs of ten.

Org Slimline Velvet Suit Hangers (Set of 50)$12.49 from Bed Bath & Beyond Originally $24.99Save 50%

The best laundry hamper

The Household Essentials Pop-Up Mesh Hamper is perfect for a college dorm room. This simple round hamper is made of heavy polyester mesh and pops up for use or collapses flat for storage. The hamper has two large handles, making it easy to carry out to the car or down to the laundry room when it's time to come clean. The solid polyester bottom gives the bag a bit of stability, as does the spring wire frame.

Household Essentials Pop-Up Mesh Hamper$20.42 from Amazon

The best laundry detergent

Doing your laundry is an annoying chore, especially in a shared college laundry room. But Tide Free & Gentle is a great detergent that's free of scents and dyes so it won't irritate your skin. It's a high-efficiency detergent, so you don't need a lot to do a full load. That means one bottle could last you the whole semester or longer.

TideFree & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent$14.99 $11.97 from Amazon $11.97 from Walmart $14.59 from Target

The best hand vacuum

Dorm life is messy and it's easy to forget to clean up after yourself. If you have the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum, you're more likely to clean up your messes because it works so well. The hand vac has long battery life so you don't have to charge it all the time. It's powerful enough to clean up big messes, and easy to empty the clear bin when it's full, too.

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser$47.99 from Amazon

The best desk lamp

You'll likely be studying at all hours of the night, so a good desk lamp will keep you from straining your eyes. The TaoTronics LED desk lamp has a sleek design and a great low price. The lamp has a brightness of 410 Lumen, which is adjustable, and a variable color temperature that ranges from 2,700K to 6,000K. The LEDs should last for 50,000 hours, so you won't have to replace this lamp anytime soon.

TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp$39.99 from TaoTronics

The best cheap Bluetooth speaker

The Flare Mini offers 360-degree sound, so you'll get pretty good sound no matter where you place it in a room and it gets decently loud. It's got a 12-hour battery life, so you're set for a long night of partying or a full day on the quad. TheBluetoothrange is also pretty impressive at around 30 feet with obstructions or 100 feet with a clear line of sight. Five color modes also sync to the beat of your music for an added bonus.

The sound quality of this speaker is just alright, though, so if you're a real audiophile, you might want to invest in a better one.

Anker Soundcore Flare Mini$42.99 from Amazon

The best printer for $50

The Canon PIXMA TR4520 has all the features you need for an incredible price. It has a built-in scanner, so you won't need to buy one separately, and it's wireless, so you can print from anywhere nearby, as long as you're connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the printer. It's an inkjet printer, but the ink isn't too expensive if you only print in black.

Canon Pixma TR4520$99.99 from Amazon $99.00 from Walmart

The best backpacks

College means leaving the days of the good old Jansport behind. You'll want something a bit sleeker and more fashionable, but something durable enough that you can beat it up. The Bellroy Classic Backpack isn't oversized, but it's got plenty of capacity for carrying your books, laptop, pens, and notebook. It's also got a unique pocket sized specifically for documents, so your papers won't get ripped or wrinkled on your way to turn them in.

BellroyClassic Backpack$109.00 from Amazon $139.00 from Bellroy

The best lunch box

Ditch the dining hall and pack your lunch every now and then — that way you can eat foods you know you enjoy on the go. The L.L.Bean Insulated Lunch Box is well-designed with an outer mesh pocket for utensils or small snacks, an inner mesh pocket on the box's lid for sandwiches, chips, or other goodies that might otherwise be easily smashed, and a roomy lower section that's big enough for drinks, plastic food containers, fruit, sandwiches, or whatever else you enjoy at lunchtime.

L.L.Bean Insulated Lunch Box$19.95 from L.L.BeanLauren SavoieDeputy Editor, ReviewsLauren Savoie is the deputy editor at Insider Reviews, a wing of Insider's service journalism team. She manages growth for home & kitchen coverage, gift guides, and big deal days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Lauren is deeply involved in all editorial decision-making, with a particular focus in strategic content planning, career growth of reporters and editors, and strong journalistic standards for the Reviews team. Lauren joined the Insider team in 2020, first as kitchen editor and soon after as senior home & kitchen editor, where she pioneered original testing methodologies for buying guides and built a diverse team of freelancers and reporters with deep expertise in product testing. You can see some of her work in our guides to the best flower delivery services, the best pillows, and the best sous vide machines. Before her time at Insider, Lauren was the senior reviews editor at America's Test Kitchen, where she wrote and edited more than 300 in-depth, unbiased buying guides and reviewed more than 1,000 kitchen products. Her work has appeared in Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, in dozens of cookbooks, on two Emmy-nominated TV shows, and on CNN.com, Fodor's, Yahoo, LifeHacker, the Splendid Table, and more. Lauren is based in Boston, and lives life as a stereotypical Bostonian: drinking Dunkin' iced coffee in the winter, spending summers "down" the Cape, and sharing her home with a cat named Chowder.Say hello at lsavoie@insider.com or @el_savvy on Twitter and Instagram.Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider. Malarie GokeyLead Training CoordinatorMalarie Gokey is the lead training coordinator on the managing editor team at Insider. She works with the director of editorial training to develop trainings, workshops, panels, and other educational resources for the newsroom. In 2017, she joined Insider to create a brand-new buying guides section for the Reviews team with all the best products you can buy online. As guides editor, Malarie edited and published more than 1,500 buying guides. She also served as the Reviews team's first deputy editor, overseeing multiple teams, leading strategy, and managing freelance operations. Learn more about how the Reviews' team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Previously, Malarie was the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends. She led tech coverage for DT at major tech conferences, including CES, IFA, and MWC. She spoke on panels at CES and Digg South, and she has also appeared on CNBC, Fox Business News, Good Morning America, and Cheddar to discuss trends in technology. Apple CEO Tim Cook once quoted a line about the Apple Watch from her guide to the best smartwatches during a keynote presentation. Malarie is also an artist and speaks three languages (so far). Drop her a line at mgokey@insider.com or on Twitter @MalarieGokey. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.

Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.You can purchase syndication rights to this story here.Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.

More: FeaturesInsider Picks GuidesBack to SchoolCollegeChevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.