We’ve added two new budget towel picks: Target’s Threshold Spa Plush Towel, a terry towel, and Target’s Casaluna Waffle Towel, a waffle towel.
When your dorm room feels more like a home than an uninspired dormitory, it makes a huge difference in helping you settle into your freshman year.
That’s why we’ve spent more than 180 hours evaluating the best bedding, appliances, and other essentials to ease the transition from childhood home to college dorm.
If you’re interested in school supplies, such as pens and notebooks, please check out our guide to the best school supplies.
Our favorite affordable cotton sheets are available in one size that will fit a dorm bed, and they come in an assortment of solids and prints. Don’t wait to buy them, though—they sell out fast.
Target’s Threshold 400 Thread Count Performance Sheet Set has been the budget pick in our guide to cotton sheets for years, and the Twin/Twin XL size should fit a Twin XL dorm bed.
These sheets get softer with each wash, and they retain their color—over years of testing, they’ve endured all of the wear and tear we’ve put them through. We don’t recommend that you spend a lot on dorm sheets because you’ll use them for only a year or two. But we do recommend getting 100% cotton sheets over jersey knit or microfiber (both of which are hot to sleep on). And these are the best affordable, all-cotton sheets we’ve ever tried. They sell out very quickly in the dorm size, so don’t wait to buy these. Target also offers a one-year return policy for these sheets, if they don’t work out.
These colorful, well-constructed sheets are taut and densely woven, and they wrinkle less than other similarly priced sheets we tested. A good shake should be all you need to get them bed-ready.
For a fun printed sheet, we like Garnet Hill’s Polka-Dot Percale Bedding because it’s bright, and the color options go with anything. We’ve also noticed that these sheets are more reliably stocked year-round than the Target Threshold sets in dorm sizes.
After being tested for a full school year, these sheets showed no sign of damage, and our college tester said they were comfortable to sleep on. It took a couple of washes to get them really soft, she said, but they did soften up. They are more than three times the price of the Target Threshold sheets, though. If you’re looking for other fun choices, some of the picks in our favorite printed sheets guide are also available in twin XL. Garnet Hill has frequent sales, which bring down the price. And it offers lifetime returns, which might make up for the higher price.
The Utopia comforter is a warm yet relatively breathable down-alternative choice that’s ideal if you don’t want to splurge on bedding.
Buying a comforter for college is a tricky proposition: If you’re in a dorm with a twin or twin XL bed, you might need a comforter that size for just a few years. So it generally doesn’t make sense to invest in a down-filled comforter (or in one made from another high-quality material, like wool).
We like the Utopia Bedding Comforter Duvet Insert, Twin for dorm use. (Utopia does make the comforter in a twin XL size, but the company’s regular twin size is 88 inches long, so it should fit either size bed.) You may eventually want to transition to a down-filled comforter, so the Utopia is the cheapest down-alternative comforter we recommend. In our testing, we found that it beat out all down-alternative competitors and kept us warm but not sweaty.
This soft and comfortable percale cover comes in the most stylish and interesting prints we’ve seen. It’s one of the least expensive covers we tried, but it feels like nice hotel bedding.
The Brooklinen Classic Duvet Cover has been one of our absolute favorites since 2016. Made from long-staple percale cotton fabric, it’s one of the most durable, soft, and comfortable options we’ve tested. We’re consistently impressed with its quality and construction—it should easily last through years of abuse during your dorm years. It comes in solid colors and in prints, and the options are sophisticated, fun, and more modern than those of most competitors we’ve tried.
The patterns do tend to change frequently, so if you see something you like, don’t wait. Although this duvet cover is available only in a twin size, it’s still an ample 90 inches long and should fit an 80-inch twin XL bed just fine. If you want to match your sheets to your duvet cover, or if you tend to get hot while sleeping, look for a more-breathable set of sheets: We recommend Brooklinen’s Classic Core Sheet Set, which is available in twin XL.
This is the coziest throw we’ve tried, and it’s durable and easy to clean, so it’s perfect for dorm life.
We’ve spent more than 500 hours researching and testing blankets and another 70 hours on throws, and the Garnet Hill Plush-Loft Blanket and Throw is always a favorite. It’s double-sided, with cool, quilted sateen on one side and super-soft faux fur on the other, which made it the coziest option we tried.
The Garnet Hill blanket kept its shape better than the other heavy blankets we tested, and it didn’t pill or snag. We think the throw size is perfect for lounging in your dorm room or wrapping up in to watch TV. However, the twin size is only 86 inches long (twin XL beds are typically 80 inches), so as a bed blanket, it may be on the shorter side.
This fluffy throw is warm and inviting, and it’s tough enough to last for years. It’s one of our favorite throws under $50.
The L.L.Bean Wicked Plush Throw is velvety-soft and thick but still feels light as air. It’s affordable, durable, and softer and warmer than almost any other throw we tested (except for the Garnet Hill Plush, mentioned above).
The extra-large size measures 60 by 80 inches, so it won’t quite work as a bed cover. But it’s the perfect throw to keep around for snuggling up on the couch or when you need a quick nap between classes but don’t feel like getting under the sheets.
This adjustable pillow is more affordable than other shredded-foam pillows we’ve tried, and it offers firm support for back-, side-, and some stomach-sleepers.
If you’re looking to buy new pillows for college, in our tests we found the Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Pillow to be one of the best budget pillows that suited back- and side-sleepers (and even some stomach-sleepers). It’s one of the most comfortable budget shredded-foam pillows we’ve found. The downside is that you can’t wash this pillow, only the cover.
The Xtreme Comforts pillow tends to go in and out of stock. If you need one right away and have a flexible budget, we recommend the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow from our pillow guide; it's our top adjustable shredded-foam pick for side- and back-sleepers.
For more pillow options, see our full guide to the best pillows.
Springier than memory foam, this latex topper comes in a wide range of thicknesses and densities to suit all sleep positions. It’s one of the most affordable latex toppers we’ve found, and it gets consistently high owner ratings.
Many dorm beds are hard and unforgiving. The best way to fix this (without ordering your own twin XL mattress) is to add a mattress topper. At the beginning of the school year, most colleges will give you the option of buying an egg-crate foam topper for a few bucks, and we think that’s a great route to go.
But if you want something a bit more luxurious, the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Natural Latex Topper is a good, affordable latex mattress topper we recommend in our guide. Latex has a texture similar to memory foam, but it’s springier, so your body will rest on the surface without sinking in. Many latex toppers are expensive, but the Sleep on Latex is the most affordable and well-reviewed option we found.
It’s available in three thicknesses and three densities: soft, medium, and firm—more levels of customization than any other topper we considered. You can also buy a separate washable encasement for this topper, so it is easier to keep clean over time.
A silken exterior material, a flat design, and an adjustable strap make this mask a fit for almost any face, but it puts pressure on the eyes.
If your roommate frequently pulls all-nighters, we recommend the light-blocking, contoured Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask for keeping the light out of your eyes. Out of all the sleep masks we tested, the silky Alaska was the most popular. It works for all sleeping styles and blocks light really well. If you prefer a contoured mask that lets your eyes move more freely, we like the Mzoo Sleep Mask.
These earplugs blocked the most noise in our controlled testing, and our sleep panel found them more comfortable and secure.
Disposable earplugs can help block the sound of noisy neighbors (or your roommate’s personal business) while you study or sleep. We spent about a dozen hours researching earplug contenders and tested three top-rated models before determining that Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs are the best earplugs for most people. Their 37.1-decibel noise-reduction rating was one of the highest among the models we tested. The Mack’s earplugs are particularly effective because they stay put once they’re inserted.
As bright as our top pick for half the price, this headlamp weighs even less. But it’s not quite as comfortable to wear and lacks some useful features.
When you’re in college, a reading light can come in handy, especially if your roommate goes to bed early. Instead of getting a dedicated book light, consider a headlamp. We like headlamps better because you can also use them for so much more: camping, moving around a dark bedroom, nighttime campus walks, bike rides. The Black Diamond Astro 300, our budget pick, is cheap and reliable.
Offering a fantastic skin-like sensation and great heat transfer, Skyn condoms are widely available and affordable, and they’re safe for people with latex allergies.
After we spent 40 hours on research, read hundreds of reviews of more than 50 condom types, interviewed nine experts (including a chemical engineer and two sex workers), and had 40 volunteers try 32 different types, the LifeStyles Skyn condom won out in our tests, for average-size penises. It’s made of polyisoprene, which is hypoallergenic and better at transferring sensitivity compared with natural latex.
This budget digital alarm clock does so much for so little. It has the largest numerical display we tested, two USB ports, and easy-to-use tactile controls that take the guesswork out of changing settings.
There are bound to be mornings when you need a reliable alarm. The DreamSky Compact Digital Alarm Clock offers a lot for a nice price. It is both an alarm clock and a USB charging station, and the huge display is easy to read from a distance. Also, a wide range of customization options make it easy to set.
The DreamSky is not fully battery operated, but two backup AAA batteries keep the time in case of a power outage. There are two USB ports in the back, one to charge most mobile devices with 5 V output and the other to power the clock via USB (or you can plug directly into the wall). If you prefer a different aesthetic, check out the other picks in our alarm clock guide.
These sandals are durable, grippy, and squeak-free when wet.
This is the same Havaianas sandal, but in men’s sizes.
For our guide to beach gear, we tested 15 pairs of flip-flops, and the Havaianas Top Flip Flop (women’s and men’s) was our favorite lower-priced pair. These flip-flops are great to use as shower shoes. And though they’re not the absolute cheapest flip-flops you can find, our long-term testing revealed that the Havaianas are nearly silent and much grippier on wet surfaces compared with cheaper pairs.
This is the best terry towel we’ve tested under $20. It’s warm, soft, and thick, but it picks up lint and might get fuzzy after several washes.
Target’s Threshold Spa Plush Towel, the budget terry towel pick in our towel guide, is plush and warm and feels soft on the body and the face. It’s available in ten colors, and it comes in two bath sizes (plus washcloths and hand towels). It’s the best terry towel we’ve ever tested under $20, and it feels almost as cozy as our much pricier top pick bath towel from Frontgate (but you could buy three of these for about the same price as one from Frontgate). It does get fuzzy in the wash, though, and the terry can start to look a little smushed over time. For the price, we don’t mind. It also carries Oeko-Tex’s Made in Green certification, and it has Target’s one-year return policy.
Ideally, you should swap out your bath towel every two or three days, to avoid bacteria growth and funky mildew. So it’s a good idea to have extras on hand to use on laundry day.
This lightweight waffle towel holds up through many washes without snags or pulls, and it has a pleasantly textured surface. It might feel rough on the face, though.
May be out of stock
If you don’t like the feel of a thick terry towel, our budget waffle towel pick—Target’s Casaluna Waffle Towel—is an excellent alternative that costs about the same. It weighs less and feels airier than the Spa Plush towel, but it isn’t as soft. In testing it felt rougher on the face especially, and it took longer to air-dry. But it’s light and stretchy, perfect to wrap up in while you’re getting ready in the morning. It also looks better after several washes. It comes in half a dozen colors but only one bath size (hand towels are also available). Like the Spa Plush towel, this towel also has Oeko-Tex’s Made in Green certification and Target’s one-year return policy.
This inexpensive, plush robe comes in lots of colors, in both women’s and men’s sizes.
This inexpensive, plush robe comes in lots of colors, in both women’s and men’s sizes.
The Alexander Del Rossa Plush Fleece Robe with Hood is warm, soft and perfect to throw on and walk the dorm halls after a shower (or just for lounging around). We recommend it as an inexpensive robe in the "other good robes" section of our robe guide.
It's affordable and available in women’s sizes (from XS up to 6X) and men’s sizes (from S/M up to 8X), in loads of colors. If you’d prefer a robe in a different fabric, we have other picks in our guide to the best robes.
This sturdy laundry backpack has padded, adjustable straps to comfortably fit many body types, and it holds more than an extra-large load of laundry.
This well-ventilated hamper has a lid to keep the mess out of sight but offers the portability of a basket.
For college students, we recommend either the Azhido Laundry Backpack Bag, for toting clothes to a laundromat or a shared dorm laundry room, or the Mind Reader 50 Liter Laundry Hamper, for keeping the mess out of sight.
If your main concern is toting laundry clothes to a laundromat or a shared dorm laundry room, we recommend the Azhido Laundry Backpack Bag. You can also hang it on a hook and stuff your day-to-day laundry in it.
If you want a hamper where you can easily toss dirty clothes in, the Mind Reader hamper's narrow shape takes up little floor space in a crowded dorm. It also has plenty of ventilation holes, so even sweaty clothes at the bottom can dry.
You can find more information on both of these picks in our full guide to baskets and hampers.
This sleek, low-profile hanger works best for smaller items like baseball hats, masks, and totes.
The affordable Yamazaki Home Over-the-Door Hanger comes in black or white powder-coated steel, and it should fit neatly over most doors. The hooks aren’t very long, so keep that in mind if you have a really high door. The Spectrum Duchess Over the Door 5-Hook Rack is another model we tested and liked, but it tends to be more expensive. As with any over-the-door hooks, with this one be sure to check that there’s enough clearance between the door and the frame, so your door can still close.
These hangers do a great job at the right price.
We recommend that you head to the nearest big-box store and pick up a couple packs of the store-brand plastic hangers. If you’d rather order them online, Target’s Room Essentials Hangers are affordable and will work well for most shirts and jackets. If you need something that offers heavy-duty support for coats, clips for skirts, or a sculpted shape for a blazer or suit, check out our full guide to the best hangers.
For quick cleanups, this small, affordable handheld vacuum is surprisingly powerful and will get the job done.
If you want a vacuum for occasional tidying up, the Black+Decker Dustbuster Hand Vacuum (CHV1410L) is a powerful handheld vacuum for those on a budget. Its strong suction and portability make it great for dusting off your desk or bed, or for cleaning up the occasional snack spill (no liquids though!). We like this hand vac because it’s the most affordable model available with a reasonably strong lithium-ion battery. Most other models at this price still use weaker NiCd batteries, so the suction starts to fade a few minutes into each cleaning cycle, cutting the effective cleaning time just about in half. This hand vac doesn’t have a hose or floor attachment, but many dorms will have a communal vacuum you can use for bigger jobs as needed. You can read more about the Black+Decker in our review of the best handheld vacuums.
For everyday use, these tightly latching, clear containers are the most versatile we’ve found for storing clothes and other gear. They’re also available at multiple stores.
May be out of stock
Storage bins are a great way to keep stuff organized, especially if you have limited closet space. After putting 32 bins through rigorous durability testing, we found the Iris WeatherPro Storage Boxes to be the best option for general storage needs. These bins are easy to use, with latches that lock more securely than those on other bins. And they have the tightest seal we could find, thanks to a foam gasket in the lid. They are available in more sizes (12) than any other bins we’ve tested, so it should be easy to find options that will work anywhere, whether that’s under the bed (the 8-inch-tall, 41-quart bin is great for this) or in a closet. Read more about the Weathertight Totes in our guide to the best storage containers.
The compact Vornado 630 can send breezes to the far corners of a large room, and it’s easy to control and clean. It also has a long-established record for reliability.
Many dorms don’t have air conditioning, so a great fan is a must. Otherwise those late-summer months, and possibly overheated winters, will be difficult to bear. The Vornado 630 Medium Air Circulator is a simple but powerful fan that moves a good deal of air without being too noisy.
About the size of a basketball, this compact fan won’t take up too much space in your room or closet when you want to pack it away. This Vornado fan has simple controls, with three speed settings accessed by a dial mounted on the side. This fan is relatively affordable—about $70 at the time of publication. But if you want something cheaper that performs comparably, consider the Dreo Fox One, the budget pick in our guide to the best fans.
