23 Dorm Essentials to Pick Up on Your Next Costco Run (From Affordable Storage to Cleaning Staples!)

This two-pack of white cotton pillows is simple and machine-washable. The tight weave of the fabric helps keep allergens from collecting in it and the polyester fiberfill offers cozy support for your head. If you prefer memory foam pillows, this one (also from Costco) might be a better fit!

This waterproof mattress pad will turn your standard, firm mattress into a soft, cozy place to sleep. It wraps securely around your mattress and has a quilted design that prevents lumps from forming in the plush. It comes compressed in a box, so it’ll be compact when you’re moving in, then expand to make your mattress actually comfortable.

This three-piece bundle will set up the basic foundation for a comfy twin XL bed (you’d only need to buy sheets and a comforter separately!). It includes a 2-inch foam topper to make your university-issued mattress more comfortable, a waterproof protector to put over it, and a memory foam pillow with a cooling cover.

This twin XL microfiber sheet set comes in five colors, and it includes one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillowcases for $15.99. I especially love that the sheets are wrinkle- and fade-resistant! The product listing recommends washing them on a cold gentle cycle and tumble drying them on low — and don’t forget to wash them before you use them.

This twin-sized comforter is a perfect basic for your dorm bed because it’s meant to be used all year long — keeping you warm in the winter (or on days when the AC is blasting) and comfortable in the spring. It comes in seven different colors, and it has a simple pattern of squares that “keep[s] the fiberfill from shifting,” according to the product listing.

This Woozoo globe fan is a small but effective way to cool down your room (especially if you don’t have AC). It has five different fan speed settings and three different oscillation modes, meaning you can distribute cool air in every direction. It even has timer settings and a remote so that you can control your fan without having to walk over to it every time. Plus, it’s a 2026 Dorm Therapy Awards winner!

Command strips (in addition to Command hooks) were a lifesaver for me when I was hanging decorations on my dorm walls! As a former RA, I’ve seen so many students get charged for paint and wall damage during move-out — I’ve never had that issue with Command strips.

These machine-washable 100% cotton bath towels come in five neutral shades, and each one measures 30 inches by 58 inches. They cost $32.99 for a pack of two. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, however, this two-pack of ombre bath towels from Costco goes for $16.97!

Priced at $25.99, you’ll pay just over $1 per washcloth — and if you can find people to split the cost of this 24-pack of hand towels with, you could pay even less. They’re basic white towels, but they’re incredibly reliable: 100% cotton, two-ply construction for extra absorbency, and a double stitch detail to prevent wear.

A slightly bigger version of the 2026 Dorm Therapy Awards winner (the Brita 6-Cup Denali Water Pitcher) is available for purchase at Costco! This dorm staple filters tap water to reduce the taste and smell of chlorine, in addition impurities like mercury, copper, zinc, and cadmium. It’s a lot more sustainable than buying plastic water bottles all the time and easier than having to walk to the water fountain every time you want to refill your water bottle.

This 18-piece set of glass food containers might seem excessive, but it’s a great deal (only about $2 per container!) if you have roommates, friends, or family to share them with. It comes with rectangular and circular containers of different sizes to fit all of your food storage needs. They each have airtight, leak-proof lids and the glass containers are safe for the microwave, oven, refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher. Plus, you can write the date or contents of the container on the lid, and easily erase your note later.

A version of this Nespresso machine was a winner in the 2026 Dorm Therapy Awards! It’s compact enough to fit on your desk and comes with a milk frother (great for cappuccinos and lattes), 32 coffee and espresso capsules, and a $20 coffee voucher to Nespresso.com. It’s also super easy to use: All you need to do is fill the water tank, place a capsule into the machine, and press the button on the lid to start brewing.

Before you buy a kettle, check your dorm residence's policies to confirm it's an approved item. Even if you’re not a regular tea drinker, you can use one to make everything from instant oatmeal to mac and cheese. This kettle can boil water in as little as three minutes (you’ll know it’s ready when the LED ring around the bottom of the kettle turns green) and it even has a removable tea infuser that you can steep loose-leaf tea in!

Foldable tote bags on wheels have become a go-to for people who are tired of carrying multiple backpacks, totes, or purses at once because they have too much to fit in one bag. This oversized tote has two soft handles for your shoulder so that you can carry your belongings up and down stairs, but it also has swivel wheels and a front-facing handle so that you roll heavy belongings across flat surfaces. The bag’s dimensions are 18 inches wide, 14 inches deep, and 24 inches tall, and it can hold up to 75 pounds (read: plenty of room for your school bag, groceries, and any equipment you might need for extracurricular sports or clubs).

This is a great deal for 100 non-slip clothes hangers. If you don’t need or can’t fit them all in your dorm closet, see if a friend or roommate wants to split them with you. However, each hanger is super thin, so you can probably fit more than you think. They also have a velvet-like texture that prevents clothes (especially ones with spaghetti straps) from slipping off.

Fun fact: these two-tier shoe racks that can be securely stacked on top of each other to create an even taller shoe rack! This pack includes two of these bamboo shoe racks. Each is a neutral wood color, has enough space to hold about three pairs of shoes per shelf, and can be assembled without tools. Stacking your shoes vertically is a great way to clear up your floor space.

This eight-pack of 13-quart plastic bins feels like it was designed for under-bed storage. They’re stackable and transparent, so you don’t have to label the boxes to know exactly what’s in them. In addition to being very light (only 1.9 pounds!), each plastic bin is 16.4 inches long, 10.9 inches wide, and 6.5 inches tall — the perfect size for a few pairs of folded-up jeans or whatever you need to corral.

Especially if you go to college in a colder state, you’ll want these vacuum storage bags to compactly pack your puffer coats and comforters — otherwise, one twin-size comforter could easily fill an entire suitcase. This Vacuum Storage Bag Combo Pack includes three large, five extra-large, and two jumbo bags that are airtight and waterproof! You need your own vacuum hose to actually vacuum seal the bag flat, so keep that in mind.

This collapsible storage trunk measures about 30 inches wide, 16 inches deep, and 17 inches tall, and doubles as an ottoman! It comes in black or white, and can hold up to 80 pounds inside the trunk and 500 pounds on top of the seat. When you’re not using it, you can collapse the boxy storage trunk (but not the seat) into a flat rectangle to save space!

This two-pack of collapsible laundry baskets is perfect for anyone who lacks storage space (so, anyone living in a college dorm). To use it as a hamper or a basket to carry to the laundry room, you can expand it to a height of 11 inches to fit your clothes. But when you’re not using it, you can collapse it to just 3 inches tall and store it in wherever you have space.

This five-pack of Clorox wipes will be so helpful in warding off germs, which are way too common on campuses and especially in dorms with communal spaces. Not only do these wipes kill 99.99% of viruses (including COVID-19) and bacteria, they also clean and deodorize. I love that they’re versatile enough to clean up messes, sanitize phones or laptops, and leave a crisp lemon or fresh scent on any surface they touch.

This 152-count container of Tide Pods is the perfect all-in-one laundry solution for college students (it could probably last you an entire year!). Tide Pods are laundry detergent, stain removers, and color protectors that work well in cold or hot water, and these Free & Gentle ones are specifically designed to minimize issues for people with sensitive skin and allergies — they don’t have perfumes or dyes.

These scent booster beads — if your laundry facility allows them — are an easy way to make your clothes smell nicer after a wash, especially if you have a detergent that has a neutral scent or no scent at all. Whimsical Wonder smells like sweet nectar, vanilla musk, and amber, and this comforting fragrance will continue to release for up to three weeks. All you have to do is pour some beads into the cap of the bottle and toss them into the washing machine with your clothes!