By Wirecutter Staff
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.
Bed
![Top view of a bed made in white linens, with an open laptop, headphone, a phone, a legal pad with notes, and a pen resting on top.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/college-dorm-essentials-1683-notebook-laptop-630.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Sheets
Top pick
Target Threshold 400 Thread Count Solid Performance Sheet Set
The best twin XL sheets for your dorm bed
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.
Buying Options
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.
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
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.
Comforter
Top pick
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 Options
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.
Duvet Cover
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
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.
Bed blankets and throws
![A dark blue fleece blanket folded into a square and sitting on top of a grey fabric sofa.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/garnet-hill-image5.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Top pick
This is the coziest throw we’ve tried, and it’s durable and easy to clean, so it’s perfect for dorm life.
Buying Options
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.
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
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.
Pillows
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.
Mattress topper
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
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.
Eye mask
![A person wearing the Nidra Deep Rest eyemask, resting on a dark blue fabric pillow on a grey couch. They hands are facing one another, tucked underneath the pillow.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/nidra-sleep-mask.jpg?auto=webp&quality=75&width=1024)
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.
Earplugs
Top pick
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.
Headlamp for nighttime reading (and more)
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.
Condoms
Top pick
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.
Alarm Clock
![The DreamSky alarm clock, with large digital numbers, resting on a nightstand on top of a stack of books.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/dreamsky-clock-image12.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
(limited colors)
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.
Bath
![An OXO Aluminum 3-Tier Shower Caddy with toiletries and a razor secured inside hanging from the arm of a showerhead in a tiled shower area.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/shower-caddy-lowres-01598.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Shower shoes
Top pick
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.
Towels
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
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.
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
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.
Bath robe
Top pick
This inexpensive, plush robe comes in lots of colors, in both women’s and men’s sizes.
Buying Options
This inexpensive, plush robe comes in lots of colors, in both women’s and men’s sizes.
Buying Options
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.
Housekeeping
![](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/01-hangers-in-use-best-hangers-630.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Laundry hamper
Top pick
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.
Buying Options
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.
Over-the-door rack
Top pick
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.
Clothes hangers
Top pick
These hangers do a great job at the right price.
Buying Options
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.
Hand vacuum
Top pick
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.
Storage bins
Top pick
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.
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.
Fan
Top pick
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.
Air purifier
![Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/media/2021/03/airpurifier-2048px-01005.jpg)
Budget pick
Not much bigger than a 3-liter soda bottle, this quiet, energy-efficient purifier is a good choice for dorm rooms, offices, or children’s bedrooms.
Buying Options
The Blueair Blue Pure 511 is the budget pick in our guide to air purifiers. And it’s perfect for cleaning the air in spaces under 180 square feet (which should be plenty for a dorm room).
Its small size and light weight mean it can sit on a desk or shelf (as well as on the floor), and its understated looks and automatic display-shutoff keep it from being a visual distraction.
Desktop, decor, and entertainment
![Closeup of a teal lap desk with a bamboo top. It holds a laptop, phone, and a memo pad, and a person's hands are visible typing on the laptop.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/lap-desk-image10.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Lap desk
Top pick
The LapGear Designer desk is the total package in terms of style, comfort, stability, and build quality, and it includes some extra storage options.
Because you’ll probably end up doing a lot of work from your bed, a decent lap desk is a must-have item. After spending 10 hours researching and 25 hours testing lap desks, we think the LapGear Designer is the best choice for most people.
The faux-wood laminate top provides a sturdy, stable surface that’s large enough to accommodate a small laptop with a mouse or a larger computer by itself. And the microbead-filled padding is squishy yet stable, so you can easily shape it to fit your lap.
Wall hanging supplies
Top pick
These easy-to-remove hooks install in seconds and hold your stuff securely.
These poster strips make decorating easy, and the grippy-yet-quick-release adhesive helps prevent ripping when posters come down at the end of the semester.
We like 3M’s Command line for hanging almost anything on a wall. The backing sticks firmly to most surfaces but also comes off easily, so you can avoid damaging the walls (something we assume your RA will appreciate). The Medium Designer Hooks will hold up to 3 pounds, enough for a small bag, belts, or other light objects. The Small Wire Hooks work well for anything weighing less than half a pound, like necklaces or keys.
Try Command Poster Strips, available in several package sizes, for hanging posters or setting up a gallery wall of your favorite instant photos. These strips are better than poster putty at keeping stuff—especially larger objects—on your walls.
In our tests, all of the Command products worked well, but only after we followed every step of the installation instructions. When using the hooks, clean the surface with alcohol, attach one side of the two-sided tape to the hook, and attach the other side to the wall. Then press firmly for 30 seconds, and wait an hour before hanging anything—otherwise, the hooks will fall off.
Desk lamp
![The IKEA Forså, our pick for best desk lamp that is affordable, simple-to-use and stylish.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/media/2022/04/desk-lamp-2048px-4870.jpg)
Top pick
With the IKEA Forså, you can’t dim the bulb or adjust its color temperature, but you can aim light exactly where you want it, and it uses any screw-in E12 LED bulb.
Buying Options
The IKEA Forså is a good desk lamp option because it’s highly adjustable and inexpensive, and it has an architectural-retro style.
Its weighted, 5.9-inch-diameter base takes up little space on a desk yet keeps the lamp firmly planted, and it rotates, so you can shine the light over your bed for late-night reading. The Forså comes with a warm (2,300 K) E12 LED bulb that’s not adjustable, but you can easily replace that bulb with whatever you prefer, including a smart bulb.
Bluetooth speaker
![The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3, our pick for best Bluetooth speaker.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/media/2022/11/portablebluetoothspeakers-2048px-3009.jpg)
Top pick
This small, round speaker has a natural sound and a cool design, and it’s built to survive outdoor adventures. But it’s a little chunky, and it uses an outdated Micro-USB port for charging.
You could get better, louder sound from a set of desktop computer speakers, but for most dorm needs, a portable Bluetooth speaker will be good enough, as well as a lot more versatile. We’ve tested hundreds of them over the past several years, and the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is our favorite.
It has lots of useful features, including an Outdoor Boost mode (which makes it louder, at the expense of bass), an ultra-rugged design, stereo/mono pairing, an extra-long Bluetooth range, and a top button that lets you pause and restart the music, as well as skip to the next track. It’s also about the size and weight of a large apple, so it’s easy to carry around campus. For an option under $50, we also like the Tribit XSound Go.
Surge protector
Top pick
Tripp Lite’s three-outlet SK30USB has an auto-shutoff feature and offers almost as much surge protection as full-size models. Plus, it has two 2.1-amp USB ports.
Using a surge protector is an inexpensive way to squeeze extra outlets into a dorm room while also protecting your electronics. The Tripp Lite Protect It 3-Outlet Surge Protector SK30USB is one of the picks in our surge protector guide. Its compact design, with three outlets and two USB ports, is ideal for small spaces, and it won’t take up too much space under your desk, as the bulkier surge protectors we tried did.
This surge protector also comes with an auto-shutoff mechanism, making it one of the few three-outlet options we’ve found that will disconnect the power when the surge protection wears out. Also, its grounded (three-prong) plug and optional screw in the center of the unit help keep it firmly attached to the wall outlet, which is important for preventing electrical fires or shocks.
Food and drink
Before you buy any of the electric items we recommend, such as a coffee maker or an Instant Pot, check with your school’s residential life department to see if these are allowed. We contacted two State University of New York schools, and their dorm policies prohibit anything that has an exposed heating element. Sneaking a forbidden microwave into your room may be a freshman rite of passage, but we can’t recommend that any student burn their dorm down.
Mini fridge
A mini fridge can make a spartan dorm room feel a bit more like home by providing a space to chill drinks, store a few fresh snacks, and keep your leftovers from turning into a science experiment.
After spending 20 hours scoping out the category and considering about 20 models for our guide to mini fridges, we found that almost any mini fridge will be fine, as long as it meets some minimum criteria.
First, it needs to have a real compressor (as opposed to a less-effective thermoelectric cooling element, which will struggle to keep food cold enough). Second, it should have only one door, since these models tend to maintain consistent temperatures more effectively than their two-door counterparts. Otherwise, don’t overthink it. Most mini fridges work just fine, so get one that’s cheap and available—which probably means buying one used from whoever is moving out. It’s easier on your wallet and better for the planet.
![Our mini-fridge pick, door cracked, with a microwave on top.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/mini-fridge-image9.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Top pick
This 1.6-cubic-foot mini fridge holds plenty (at least 30 cans) and runs quietly. Features like adjustable legs and temperature make it easier to use and all the more pleasant to have around.
Buying Options
If you need a new fridge, we suggest the Midea WHS-65LSS1. It’s an extra-compact, cube-style fridge with adjustable temperature and a reversible door. The company offers a two-year warranty on the compressor. It holds at least 30 cans, which is plenty of space for dorm-room eating habits, and it even has a tiny freezer shelf for a small ice cube tray. Best of all, it has adjustable legs to keep it level, which is crucial for ensuring that it operates quietly. That’s a big deal, because you might end up sleeping with this thing next to your head. It’s well rated on Amazon, with 3.8 stars from nearly 1,200 reviewers. Customers note its consistent temps and quiet operation.
Travel mug
![A bright pink-red Zojirushi 16oz mug, sitting on a wooden surface with a blue jacket, iPhone, and set of keys in the background.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/zoji-image3.jpg?auto=webp&quality=60&width=570)
Top pick
The Zojirushi SM-SC (or SM-SD or SM-SA in certain colors) offers amazing heat retention, one-handed usability, and a locking, leakproof lid.
After conducting 78 hours of research and testing over the past five years, we determined that the Zojirushi SM-SC Stainless Steel Mug is the best mug for your backpack.
In addition to offering stellar insulating performance—in our tests, coffee was still hot after sitting in it for eight hours—it has a more intuitive and secure lid-locking mechanism than any other mug we’ve found. You never have to worry about it popping open and spilling in your bag, yet you can easily operate it with just one hand.
It’s on the pricier side, but it’s the only mug we trust enough to put in the same pocket as a laptop or tablet. We like the 16-ounce version for most people’s needs, but you can go with the cheaper 12-ounce version or the slightly pricier 20-ounce version instead. Whichever size you choose, we recommend that you also get an OXO Good Grips Water Bottle Cleaning Set.
Water bottle
Top pick
This insulated steel bottle is pleasant to sip from and simple to carry, and it was completely leak-proof in our tests. The wide mouth also fits ice cubes better than many other bottles we tried.
We conducted 120 hours of research over several years and have tested a total of 90 water bottles in all shapes, sizes, and materials. For students, we recommend the Hydro Flask 21 oz Standard Mouth. (The bottle is also available in 18- and 24-ounce sizes.) The mouth is wide enough that you can add ice cubes but narrow enough to sip without sloshing, especially if you’re on the move. And it can adapt to many situations, including being in the car (it fits in a cup holder) or at the gym (you can add a sport cap or silicone bumper). It also comes with a flex cap, a twist-off lid with a flexible carry handle.
If you prefer a plastic, glass, insulated, or collapsible bottle, check out our full guide to the best water bottles.
Coffee and tea supplies
Top pick
This no-frills kettle gets the job done on the cheap.
Whether you’re a coffee person or a tea drinker, you’ll probably end up consuming more caffeine in college than you’d ever thought possible. Having an electric kettle in your room means that you can make a cup at any hour. The Hamilton Beach 40880 Stainless Steel 1.7 Liter Electric Kettle has everything you’ll need. It may lack the bells and whistles of some other models, but it’s cheap and easy to use—switch the kettle’s tab up to boil water, and it shuts off automatically as soon as the cycle is complete. In our tests, the Hamilton Beach 40880 had one of the fastest boil times, the handle stayed cool, and the spout didn’t dribble when pouring.
Top pick
High pressure and lower temperatures mean less bitterness.
To prepare your coffee, we recommend the AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker, which comes with a full set of accessories and about a year’s supply of filters. It works kind of like a giant syringe, using a combination of pressure and lower brewing temperatures to mitigate the excess bitterness and acidity associated with cheaper coffee (and to get great results with better beans).
The traditional brewing method produces a strongly flavored, espresso-strength brew, and the paper filters make your coffee sediment-free. One drawback: The AeroPress has a lot of parts that you could easily misplace. If you want to grind your own beans, here are our coffee grinder recommendations.
![The Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker CE251, our pick for the best cheap coffee maker.](https://cdn.thewirecutter.com/wp-content/media/2022/10/coffeemakers-2048px-5450.jpg)
Top pick
This easy-to-use machine reliably brews hot coffee at the right strength.
If you want something that’s less involved than the AeroPress—especially if you need a whole pot for an all-nighter—the Ninja CE251 is our favorite cheap coffee maker. In our tests we found it easy to use. And it was the only model we tried that reliably brewed at a hot enough temperature to extract good flavor from the beans and make a pot that was pleasingly hot to drink. It was also one of the easiest models to use and program. It comes with a scoop (which tucks neatly into the brewer’s body) and a removable water reservoir (which allows you to fill the machine directly from the sink).
Top pick
Thanks to its large size and fine-mesh walls, this steeper allows more water to flow between tea leaves. It fits the vast majority of mugs and cups, as well as some teapots and thermoses.
For tea drinkers, we compared a dozen top-rated brewing methods and found that the Finum Brewing Basket is the best option because it was easier to use than others we tried. It’s just a small basket of very fine stainless steel mesh held together by food-safe and heat-safe plastic, with a lid that doubles as a saucer. It gives tea leaves ample room to bloom, and it strains out even the tiniest particles when you remove it from your mug or pot.
Pressure cooker
Top pick
One of the most affordable electric cookers we tried, the Duo Mini makes the perfect amount for one to two people, and it’s the easiest Instant Pot to store in a small kitchen.
Buying Options
If you plan on cooking some of your meals, we recommend the 3-quart version of our favorite electric pressure cooker, the Instant Pot Duo 3-Quart. Whether you want to conserve your meal plan or you just want an option for when you don’t feel like walking to the dining hall, an Instant Pot can cook meals quickly. And it controls the heat, pressure, and depressurization itself—making hands-off cooking easy. Inexperienced chefs can use it to quickly make rice, pasta, oatmeal, or even eggs Benedict. The IP duo is small, though, so don’t expect to get a week’s worth of leftovers from any meals you prepare in this.
This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Christine Ryan.
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Further reading
Why It’s Worth It to Spend a Little More on Sheets, Even for a Dorm Room
Here’s our advice on how to shop for quality dorm sheets without breaking the bank.
5 Cheap(ish) Dorm Essentials to Make College Life Easier
Shower flip flops and bed sheets aren’t the only dorm essentials that don’t break the bank.
Headphones and Speakers for College Students—for Masking Noise and Making It
Adjusting to dorm life can be tough for a college freshman, but the right audio gear can help ease the pain.
I Moved Back In With My Parents. These Essentials Are Critical to Making It Work.
Like many Gen Z folks, I returned to live with my parents after college. Here’s how we make it work.