16 Places to Buy Everything You Need for Your Dorm Room (2025)

Great For: Dorm Lighting

Amazon has so much, it can almost be intimidating to scroll through. But if you want to streamline, you can simplify your search to one category the site is amazing for: lights. Amazon is home to a ton of low-priced lighting options that will save you from relying on any dingy fluorescent overhead lighting. Adding one of their sunset lamps to your dorm can instantly give it a warm and cozy atmosphere.

For more directional lighting, you can buy one of Amazon’s tall standing lamps to brighten up the area. Or, if you want a small source of light that doesn’t take up much space, try one of these clip-on lamps, which can latch on to your desk, bed, or any other sturdy dorm surface. And of course, you can’t forget the Gen-Z dorm room staple: the LED strip light.

Great For: Cozy and affordable bedding

IKEA is every college student’s best friend when it comes to dorm room furnishings. With aisles and aisles of low-cost, easy-to-assemble furniture in this massive store, the options seem almost endless. Where IKEA shines, though, is in their impressive bedding selection. They offer lots of Twin XL options, including machine-washable comforter sets, budget-friendly bed sheets, and mattress protectors. A good night’s sleep is vital for surviving college, and IKEA is the perfect place to go for cute and comfortable bedding that won’t break the bank.

Great For: Kitchen appliances

It’s no secret that Target is a one-stop shop for just about anything and everything dorm-related, but where they stand out in comparison to other stores is their incredible stock of inexpensive kitchen appliances. At Target’s online and in-store locations, you can find everything from small toasters and water filters to a chic, minimalist air fryer and a matching blender. If your housing accommodations come without a kitchen area, Target also sells mini fridges with built-in freezers so you can set up your own.

Great For: Stylish school supplies

While you might be focused on furnishing your dorm, you can’t forget about the school supplies you’ll actually need for class. Walmart is brimming with cute and colorful supplies that will inspire you to stay organized on a budget. Their spiral notebooks come in a range of pastel hues, their multicolored pens will help keep your notes organized (and their pencil pouches will keep them all in one place), and their puffy laptop sleeves will make sure your computer stays safe while you’re running around campus.

Great For: Large furniture pieces

If you’re living in a suite or a room with a larger living space, Wayfair is an excellent source for affordable, comfortable furniture. On their website, you can find everything from modern futon couches — perfect for hosting overnight friends — to tall shelving units for making the most of your vertical storage. They also sell plenty of options for any size of dorm, including folding accent chairs and compact nightstands designed for college students.

Great For: Sizeable storage containers

True to its name, the Container Store is a fantastic source for high-quality containers and organizers of all shapes and sizes. Their prices are in the mid-to-high range, but their containers are high-quality and will be sure to last you all year (and several semesters to come). Their tote-style boxes are easy to carry around and make amazing closet and under-bed storage for your clothes, cleaning supplies, or whatever else you have to stash away.

If you want something a bit more portable, they have foldable plastic chests that zip up and are lightweight and easy to pack away. They sell lots of fun desk organizers, too, as well as desktop makeup organizers and under-bed storage bins that will come in clutch.

Great For: Trendy decor

Urban Outfitters has some of the cutest college decor around. If you want a stylish room, elevate your standard staples like pillows or blankets with statement-making alternatives from Urban Outfitters. Both UO’s website and in-person shops are filled with adorable items, ranging from wall mirrors with bow detailing to ornate jewelry stands and large, patterned rugs to deck out your empty floor space.

Great For: Bathroom necessities

Though inventory varies among these three sister shops (all owned by The TJX Companies), they each offer a huge selection of college essentials, from home decor to everyday clothing — all for incredibly reasonable prices. Their bathroom accessories, however, rival many other stores. No matter which location you go to, you’re pretty much guaranteed to come across an array of cotton bath towels, makeup towels, and bathrobes. Plus, if you’re furnishing your suite bathroom, they have tons of shower curtains, bath mats with fun prints, and nearly every kind of scented hand soap you can think of.

Great For: Personalized desk and dorm essentials

If you’re a big online shopper, or love to support smaller businesses, getting your desk essentials from Etsy is a must. Etsy often lets you customize your order to fit your style, and there are hundreds of handmade items on the site, too. For instance, you can get a mouse pad in a color of your choice, personalized with your name; a 3D-printed trinket dish for your keys or jewelry; or a concrete pencil holder. Not to mention, Etsy is a fantastic place to search for wall art!

Great For: Cheap laundry supplies

When you’re doing laundry on your own for the first time, you quickly realize how much money you can spend doing it each week. Luckily, keeping your laundry supplies cheap can help you save over time. At Dollar Tree, you can get detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets for only $1.25 each. Dollar Tree also offers flexible laundry baskets, ideal for lugging heavy loads of clothing to and from your dorm building’s laundry room.

Great For: Cheap charging cords and electronic essentials

Five Below, famous for its low prices, is a great place to get electronic cables for less. Here, you can find long power strips and wall chargers to increase the number of outlets you have access to in your room. They also carry extension cords to give you access to your electronics from further away, as well as power banks to keep your phone charged throughout the school day. (Of course, check your dorm rules for what types of cords are and aren’t permitted.)

Great For: Toiletries and fragrances

Bath & Body Works is home to hundreds of signature soaps and fragrances that can help you feel fresh and clean throughout the school year. It’s a haven for aromatic toiletries of all sorts, from body wash and lotion, to body mist and hand sanitizer (a pocket-sized must-have when you’re going from class to the dining hall and back).

Great For: Paper and plastic products

If your dorm has no kitchen or no place to store dishes, or if you’re looking to have friends over, having a supply of single-use products can save the day from time to time. Aldi’s stores have many different forms of paper dishes, including plates and bowls, as well as classic red plastic cups. Aldi is also a great source for a slew of surprising essentials, like organizers of all kinds and even craft kits ready to make wall art for your dorm. If you live in the vicinity of an Aldi, you can even place an online order to have it delivered right to your door.

Great For: Bulk cleaning supplies

Cleaning supplies are a necessary but annoying group of items to add to your college shopping list — but they don’t have to be super costly. Costco’s enormous warehouses carry these products in bulk, and if your family has a Costco membership, you can take advantage of their 24-count sponges, large jugs of dish soap, and boxes packed with hundreds of trash bags. One shopping trip and you’ll basically be good to go for the whole year! Plus, the discount you’ll get for buying in bulk is well worth it.

Great For: Eclectic organizers

Sometimes, plastic containers and boxes aren’t the most exciting pieces. If you’re willing to spend a bit more on some more aesthetically pleasing storage options, then World Market likely has what you’re looking for. Check out their nesting wicker baskets, gold-wire rolling cart (an elevated take on the three-tier classic), and ribbon-style wall rack for holding all your jackets.

Great For: Inexpensive and unique dorm pieces

Thrifting doesn’t just have to be for cute closet finds — secondhand stores are a trove of gorgeous, affordable, and sustainable options for dorm decor. Your local thrift stores are filled with one-of-a-kind furniture pieces, unique accessories to personalize your room, and plenty of fodder for your next DIY project. For anyone looking to save some time and shop online, Facebook Marketplace is a great alternative. With a little searching, you can find everything from shelves and table lamps to area rugs and throw pillows. Some sellers even list items for free! Just be sure to take safety precautions and meet up in a public space when buying from anyone you don’t know.

Yanel Siqueiros is a 19-year-old student journalist at New York University, where she writes and reports on the culture of a bustling city right in the heart of Manhattan. When she’s not studying English literature or broadcast journalism in NYC, she can be spotted at a sunny beach in her home in San Diego, California. Yanel’s bicoastal perspective on life gives her a grasp on all of the trendy subjects going around the different sides of the U.S. She loves keeping up with pop culture and fashion, and using her skills as a writer to inform others about what is relevant in the zeitgeist.

SchoolNew York University '27

MajorJournalism and English

FavesThrifting, oat milk matcha lattes, Jellycats, and Charli xcx