22 Best Dorm Gifts Every Student Will Love
If you have a student moving into the dorms soon or living in the dorms, you might be looking for dorm gifts. Here are the absolute best dorm room gifts every student will use.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
It can be so hard to know what dorm gifts to get for someone living in the dorms. There is such limited space in a dorm so you don’t want to get them something they won’t use that will sit there collecting dust, and at the same time you might not know what kinds of things they actually need!
After living in the dorms myself, I know exactly the kinds of gifts students actually want and need when living in the dorms. These are things I either used myself in the dorms, or would’ve absolutely loved to receive as gifts that I REALLY would’ve gotten use out of.
After you read this post, you’ll have so many amazing dorm room gifts ideas.
This post is all about the best dorm gifts.
The Best Dorm Gifts Any Student Will Love
1. Memory Foam Mattress Topper
Dorm beds are SO uncomfortable. When I first moved into the dorms I made the mistake of buying a cheap mattress topper, and it ended up being a total waste of my money because I ended up having to get a thicker one anyway because the cheap one did nothing to make my bed more comfortable.
A nice, thick mattress topper is an absolute must have for college students so they’ll be able to sleep, and this is definitely a gift they’d use and appreciate!
2. Weighted Blanket
I received my weighted blanket as a gift from my grandma, and let me tell you, it was a lifesaver in college. It helped me so much with stress and anxiety.
This is a gift that will help your student de-stress and relax.
3. Slippers
Slippers are another must have for the dorms because walking around barefoot isn’t super hygienic. These are super cute and have great reviews on amazon!
Related Post: 31 Super Useful Off To College Gifts For Students They Actually Want
4. Nice Backpack
A nice backpack is the perfect gift for someone going off to college. I know a lot of people who are obsessed with this brand of backpack, and I’ve heard it makes the perfect college backpack!
5. Water Bottle
Every college student needs a reusable water bottle to take to class with them to keep them hydrated throughout the day when they’re in classes. This brand is super trendy right now on college campuses, and any college girl would be so happy to get this as a gift.
6. Coffee Maker
If your student is a coffee lover, this is the perfect dorm gift. It’ll save them TONS of money if they use it instead of buying coffee at coffee shops.
7. Apple Airtag
This is the perfect gift idea for anyone who tends to lose their keys and such. You can put it on a keychain with your keys and then track it with your phone!
8. Cute Shower Shoes
Shower shoes are an absolute essential when it comes to sharing a bathroom in the dorms. These shoes went viral on tiktok last year. I’ve heard they’re super comfy, and they could be worn outside of showering as well!
Related Post: 19 Amazing Care Packages For College Students They’ll Absolutely Love
9. Comfy Robe
A comfy robe is another essential if your student is going to be sharing a bathroom with people. It’ll make it so they don’t have to walk around in a towel!
A robe is also super good to have for emergencies, like if the fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night and they have to evacuate the dorm quickly (happens way more often than you’d think).
10. Nice Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
A small handheld vacuum cleaner is super nice to have in the dorms. I’ve heard that this one is the perfect Dyson dupe and works really well for a fraction of the price!
If you’d rather go on the cheaper side for giving a vacuum as a gift, I’ve heard amazing things from people who used this vacuum in the dorms.
11. Cleaning Supplies
College students living in the dorms don’t need a lot of cleaning supplies because they won’t have the space to store any of it. However, a nice all purpose spray and some laundry stuff would be the perfect gift!
These two are two of the absolute BEST smelling cleaning supplies I’ve ever come across. I have the Calm scent of the Safely spray and it smells heavenly, and I’ve heard this one smells amazing as well! Downy Calm is my all time favorite laundry scent (coming from someone who is obsessed with their laundry smelling good).
12. Nice Raincoat And Umbrella
When I moved into the dorms, I didn’t even think to bring stuff for rainy days. Odds are, if your student is living in the dorms, they’ll probably be walking to class every day. Don’t let them be like me and have to walk to class in the rain with no raincoat or umbrella!
This is the perfect gift because it is probably something they won’t even think about bringing themselves.
Related Post: 29 Best Things To Put In College Gift Baskets That Your Student Will Love
13. Ipad And Apple Pencil
This is definitely a pricier gift, but if you really wanna splurge on a dorm gift, I highly recommend every college student gets an Ipad and an Apple Pencil.
I was so scared to spend the money on this when I was in college, but it was one of the BEST things I’ve ever bought and I don’t regret it at all. Having this pretty much eliminates the need for most other school supplies because you can download books, take notes, etc on an Ipad. It’s a lifesaver.
Even after college I still use my Ipad and Apple Pencil every. single. day. Highly recommend.
14. Snack Box Care Package
The first problem I came across while living in the dorms was not having any snacks. This big box of snacks will last a long time, and your student will be so grateful!
15. Memory Foam Pillow
Getting good quality sleep is super important in college. A memory foam pillow would be such a good gift to help them get the best sleep ever.
16. Travel Mug
If your student likes any kind of hot beverage, this is a must-have so they can take coffee, tea, etc to class with them. I really like this one because the top is spill-proof, so they could carry it in their bag without it spilling on their stuff.
17. Laptop
This is another gift idea that is so pricy but would be so worth it. I got the laptop that I used all throughout college (and am currently using to write this post) as a high school graduation gift, and it is probably the best gift I’ve ever received.
Related Post: 30 Super Useful College Care Package Ideas They Actually Want
18. Bedside Shelf
I’ve only recently discovered that bed shelves are a thing, and I really wish I would’ve known about this while I was living in the dorms. It’s basically a little shelf that attaches to your bed!
Dorm beds are usually pretty high up, so this is super practical for being able to set things on without having to get all the way out of bed.
19. Hammock
A lot of college students like to hammock around campus when it’s nice out and read or do homework. This would be such a great gift so they don’t have to buy one themselves!
20. Polaroid Camera
A polaroid camera is another thing I got as a high school graduation present. This will help them be able to document all their good memories throughout college!
21. Prime Student Account
Having Prime was literally a lifesaver in college. Whether it was buying textbooks or other things I needed last minute, it was so helpful.
A Prime Student membership is one of the best gifts for college students ever!
Sign Them Up For A Prime Student Account Here
22. Airpods
Buying myself a pair of Airpods in college was such a game changer for me. I loved to wear headphones when walking to class, but the corded ones were constantly getting yanked out of my ears.
Airpods made it so much easier and more enjoyable to listen to music while walking to class! They’d be such a great, useful gift for someone who doesn’t have them already.
This post was all about the best dorm gifts to get your student for this year.
More Posts You’ll Love:
31 Super Useful Off To College Gifts For Students They Actually Want
19 Amazing Care Packages For College Students They’ll Absolutely Love
The Complete Dorm Room Essentials List Of Must Haves For 2024
If you liked this post and would like to see more like it, be sure to click the button below to subscribe to my email list to be notified when I post! Thanks for reading and see you next time. 🙂
