Back-to-School Shopping 2019: The Best Dorm-Room Essentials

^{Forbes Finds covers products we think you’ll love. Featured products are independently selected and linked to for your convenience. If you buy something using a link on this page, Forbes may receive a small share of that sale.}

Don’t let dreary dorms get you down. Sure, they may not have all the newest kitchen appliances or the best color palates, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your new home completely your own. With back-to-school season starting up, now’s the best time to let the interior designer in you shine through, and this list is here to help. The only downside? You’ll have a dorm room so cool, you may never want to leave.

BEDDING

Calvin Klein Modern Cotton Strata Bedding Collection

Assuming you actually sleep, you need as much plushness as you can get between you and that school-supplied mattress (or, if you’re lucky enough to bring your own, any mattress), and this sheet-set by Calvin Klein is just the thing. Not only is it cut in ultra-soft jersey cotton, making for the coziest day in bed, but they will also match perfectly with your Calvins. Or his. Or hers. (Or theirs!)

Shop Now

Matteo Washed Linen Sheet Set

Your sheets are going to go through a lot this year, and that’s nothing to sleep on. This Matteo set, on the other hand, is—and it’s ready for whatever you have coming for it. Crafted from Made-in-the-U.S.A. linen, they’ll keep things cool even if your AC stops working (or never worked to begin with). Meanwhile, the deep navy blue will hide any signs that you haven’t done the laundry in three months.

Shop Now

Oeko-Tex Organic Cotton Printed Sheet Set

If you’re fortunate enough to be stretching out in a Twin XL bed, and at most college campuses you are, you can’t swathe them in any ol’ sheets. Yours need to be longer than the rest, and, since they probably (hopefully) won’t fit your post-college mattress, you don’t want to spend a fortune on them. This set is just for you, cut in an organic cotton that’s soft, breathable and eco-friendly, for a rest that you can really feel good about.

Shop Now

Amy Garden 7 Layers 100% Cotton Premium Weighted Blanket

Odds are, you’ve heard tell of the wonders of a weighted blanket. It’s the hug you always need, the friend that’s always there—a cure for all your sleep-related issues, or, if you’re just a sound sleeper, a damn good blanket. Sound too good to be true? Trust the 1,100 reviewers who gave it their thumbs-up, some saying it’s cured their once-incurable maladies. It’s breathable, quiet, hypoallergenic and available in 11 different colors so you can sleep in sound(less) style.

Shop Now

RUGS

Reversible Colorblock Rug

Forget the bed; let’s get onto the floor. This rug is available in so many colors, you can get one for every look you’re going for and then some. You see, this rug is reversible—yes, reversible—so you’re getting two sides for the price of one. It’s perfect for the Gemini in your life, or for anyone who doesn’t like feeling restricted by their interior design decisions.

Shop Now

Flokati Shag Rug

If you’re in the market for something more plush, something cozy enough to sleep on, then dip your toes into this shag rug. Made of natural wool, it’s the perfect partner to soften up hard-wood floors, or to serve as a cover-up to whatever campus-wide carpeting is already there. It’s the dose of luxury your dorm needs to make it feel home-worthy.

Shop Now

WALLS

Catherine Holcombe for Deny World Map Tapestry

Decor gods have mercy if you go to campus without a tapestry. Something has to cover those walls, after all. And please, give everyone a break from the overused California flag, and go for this worldlier (yet still geographic) edition: a vintage-inspired map. Even if you’re not a world history major, it’s still worth knowing where Trondheim is, not to mention a good party trick, and this will hide whatever damage is already done, or will be done, to your walls. Hang it with Command Strips.

Shop Now

LAUNDRY

Poppin Laundry Hamper With Lid

For any small space, this hamper is the perfect fit. Its rectangular shape is just right for tight corners, especially back-of-closet hideaways, while its collapsible design makes easy to deconstruct. It’s the dream piece for dorms that are a road-trip or storage-unit away, simple to slide in between all your other stuff, leaving room for more stuff. It’s also available in a rosy pink, dark gray, Pacific blue, brown and linen.

Shop Now

Umbra Cinch Laundry Hamper

There are some laundry baskets out there that are really innovative. Foldable, collapsible, you name it—none of them have got dirt on this hamper from Umbra. It looks like your typical standing hamper, but fill it up, grab its handles and you’ll realize it’s more flexible than it looks. Made of a super breathable mesh, you don’t have to worry about your workout gear getting moldy, even if laundry day is a while away.

Shop Now

STORAGE

Black Premium Non-Slip Velvet Hangers

Cut in a velvet that’s as practical as it is luxurious, these are the nonslip hangers that your clothes deserve. They’re durable but slim, so you can maximize closet space, and buying them in all-black will keep your closet looking clean and organized, even if it isn’t. They’re a modern alternative to multicolored plastic horrors, and much less of an eyesore.

Shop Now

College Under Bed Storage Solution

For all the things you can’t stuff into your closet, hide them under your bed. This set has got everything you need, from bed risers to storage bins and even a bedside pocket. The containers are the new home for those things you don’t need every day, whether that’s dryer sheets or your winter coats, while the bedside pocket is for everything you will need, like glasses and headphones for late-night Netflix. For things that you really won’t need for a while, zip ’em up tight in these space-saving vacuum storage bags.

Shop Now

BATH

Matouk Aman Bath Towels

Offered in a variety of calming colors, the relaxation you’ll feel in these towels is only enhanced by the super-soft cotton fabric they’re made of. The ribbing will be a welcome texture on your skin and the back of your door; they’re a not-so-basic alternative to a basic necessity. Pair it with another not-so-basic basic: a wooden shower caddy.

Shop Now

Nike Kawa Shower Slide

Communal showers are one of the great tests of civilization, so you need shower shoes that are up to the task. While flip-flops can have your feet sliding around and over the edge, a pair of slides will keep you firmly rooted, and these Nikes will do that and more. They’ve got perforations in the sole, allowing for water to easily run through, rather than be absorbed into the material, and provide top-notch breathability if you decide to wear them out of the shower, too (think post-workout or pre-party).

Shop Now

Grey Flexible Shower Tote By Casabella

In an easy-to-clean and flexible plastic, this will keep all your shower essentials as clean as you are. The dividers will keep things organized, too, with a slot for a bar of soap that’s practically genius, and a bar separating your standing products. Meanwhile, the drain holes, much like the Nikes above, will let any water escape for ultimate functionality. It’s also available in turquoise.

Shop Now

LIGHTING

LED Clip Table Lamp

Sometimes, you don’t want to commit to a full-on desk lamp, especially when they’re taking up valuable space on study days. This clip-on version can be both, able to stand sturdy on your tabletop or hang off the edge, depending on your needs, and comes with a bulb for straight-out-of-the-box illumination. Clip it to unconventional places, like cabinet doors or your bed frame—when you need the mood lighting just right. Available in white, gray, black, pink, yellow, navy and mint.

Shop Now

Verilux HappyLight Bright White Light Therapy Lamp

Meet your new best friend for times when you need to light up your life, the secret to saving your eyes—and improving your mood—during that next all-nighter. The HappyLight is portable light therapy, proven to better your mood, regulate your sleep patterns and enhance your focus, all through its LED glow. It’s hugely helpful on days when you’re feeling down or homesick, and super-easy to use.

Shop Now

Luditek 2-Pack Sound Activated Party Lights With Remote Control

Even if a party isn’t in your immediate future, it can’t hurt to have some club-worthy lights on hand—and this duo is about as awesome as it gets. Sound-activated and remote-controllable, they can adjust their color show to match the music you’re playing, helping your rave live up to its name. The disco-ball cap ensures a wide dispersal of light that’s just the right intensity, while their small size makes them easy to perch wherever you need them to go.

Shop Now

KITCHEN

Hurom HP Slow Juicer

In an ultra-chic and retro minty green, this juicer is a home appliance you will want an excuse to use, and you’ll have plenty. Perfect for making your own drinks, yes, it’s also good for crafting delicacies like almond milk and sorbets and is compact enough to fit on the tiniest of countertops. It’s blade-free and thus worry-free, and loaded with the highest of tech to make sure you get every last drop. Alternatively, keep things manual (and a mite cheaper) with this citrus juicing alternative, also by Hurom.

Shop Now

Nostalgia 3-in-1 Breakfast Station

Waking up in the mornings is hard enough, but this 3-in-1 breakfast station makes it easy—or at least easier. This machine understands that your time is as limited as your counter space, so it can brew your coffee, toast your bread and fry your eggs all at once. Of course, those aren’t the only things you can use it for. Make s’mores in the oven, french toast on the griddle, and ramen in the coffee maker—this is college, after all. And, much like your major, it’s all about how you use it.

Shop Now

Cooluli Vibe 15-Liter Mini-Fridge With Dry-Erase Board And Marker

Weighing only 9 pounds, this is the mini-fridge that won’t break your back on move-in/out day. It’s as multipurpose as it gets: Its sleek black paint doubles as a magnetic dry-erase board, making it the perfect home for your to-do list (or doodles), while the 15-liter interior is capable of both warming and cooling with just the flick of a switch. It’s quiet, eco-friendly and, with a hidden top handle, easily portable—the best date to your next tailgate.

Shop Now

TECH

Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Generation) With Built-In Hub

Packed with tens of thousands of skills, there is little the Amazon Echo Plus can’t do. Use it to play rounds of Jeopardy!, blast music, set a timer, call your parents, or just make sure you wake up on time; it’s the secret to making life that much simpler. The Echo comes in a range of sizes and capabilities, but this one is top of the line, with Dolby sound and the power to control smart home devices, like the smart bulb it can come with if you want to make your mood lighting even moodier.

Shop Now

Roku Ultra 4K Streaming Media Player With JBL Headphones And Enhanced Voice Remote

If you’ve got access to a TV, you’re going to want to give it access to this: Roku’s Ultra 4K Streaming Media Player. It’ll take your Real Housewives viewing parties to a whole new level, with its crystal-clear reception and voice-search feature. The remote has a headphone jack for days when that viewing party is just a party of one—though you can also use the Roku app to listen from your phone, and it’s a hub for all your favorite streaming platforms. Lost the remote? Don’t panic—just press a button on the player to ping it.

Shop Now

BESTEK 1500 Joules Surge Protector With Wireless Charger

With all of these devices, you’re going to need a monster of an outlet to plug it all in. That’s where this surge protector comes in. With eight outlets, six USB ports, and a 6-foot-long cord, it’s able to detect what your devices need and apply the right charge to them. It’s energy-saving, space-saving and also has a wireless charging capability on top for all your highest of tech, so you and your roommate(s) don’t have to draw straws for the power.

Shop Now

Marshall Kilburn II Portable Bluetooth Speaker

A speaker is an obvious necessity in college, and a portable one even more so. This Kilburn comes from the pros at Marshall, known for their beautifully crafted amps and, now, speakers—they even make one compatible with your Alexa devices. The black design goes with everything, as does the smooth red velvet detailing under the handle, and a charge that can last over 20 hours is nothing to turn down. Its pebbled leather exterior is water-resistant enough to withstand whatever spillage it incurs from all of the, ahem, water you’re drinking, while the top knobs let you customize the volume, bass and treble so your party, (un?)like your singing, can hit just the right note.

Shop Now