10+ Must Have Products for a Dorm Room

Your college student is probably very excited about choosing the cool new bedding and deciding which pictures to hang up on her/his new dorm room walls. Help your college student and suggest some of these cool products that are not just functional, but also look cool. The best – these are all budget-friendly and all under 70 bucks.

My number one tip for a dorm or any small room – think multipurpose and how you can add extra storage. Second tip – functional necessity can look great.

1. While the bean bags are popular, everyone has them, why not go with something with a little more style like a sleek ottoman with storage inside? A great ottoman is one piece of furniture I’d spend the most money on for a dorm room, but you don’t have to break a bank to get the function and the look. The one pictured from Bed Bath and Beyond  runs around $60.

2. The Lap Desk ($64.99) is a brilliant way to bring an extra desk to a dorm room, whether it’s for studying with a friend or working from the lounge chair for a while. And best of all - it doubles as a night stand or even a small one person dining table.

3. One this is for sure, there's never enough storage in dorm rooms. Add it any way you can, but instead of plastic containers, why not get something a bit more stylish? The large black KASETT boxes from IKEA start at under 5 bucks (the large one pictured is $12.99).

4. Get your student a handheld small vacuum cleaner to easily clean the dorm room. It looks cool and is worth every penny - even if she/he uses it only right before you come to visit, the Eureka 166DX Boss is only $29.99.

5. The shoe organizer is ten bucks at Walmart but worth a ton of saved space in your daughter’s closet.

6. A Storage stool with a removable and washable fabric cover (easily changed to fit the décor) is meant for bathrooms but I think it is perfect for dorms. It's added seating, or add a tray on the top and it doubles as a small table or night table. $29.99 at IKEA

7. Laundry baskets with wheels are popular at dorms, and I like the pictured one ($29.88) the best because you can either wheel your laundry or just pull the laundry bag out. That, and it looks great without being expensive.

8. A good sturdy Tote Bag ($39.50 from Land’s End) will become handy from weekend trips to carrying laundry to grocery shopping. Get a good wall hook and the bag will even become extra storage.

9. For those who don’t have a bathroom in their room, a bathroom caddy ($12.79) is a must for carrying shampoos and such in style.

10-11. Two additional items not pictured here, but which I would definitely recommend for dorm rooms are a storage box/safety with a lock for personal items and a mini-fridge.