Dorm essentials 2026 list spotlights bedding, storage and tech picks
NBC Selected’s dorm guide arrives as NRF says college households spent about $1,400 on back-to-school supplies in 2026.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
NBC Selected has released a dorm essentials 2026 shopping guide for students preparing to live on campus, with picks spanning bedding, bath, decor, storage, kitchen and tech. The guide is aimed at students trying to make small rooms more comfortable and usable as back-to-school spending rises.
The National Retail Federation said college students and their families spent about $1,400 per household on supplies in 2026, up from about $1,300 in 2025. NRF attributed much of that increase to stronger demand for electronics and computer accessories, while clothing and dorm room decor and furniture ranked as the next most popular spending categories.
What are the best dorm essentials for 2026?
NBC Selected’s top picks include the Becky Cameron Ultra Soft 3-Inch Mattress Topper for bedding, Bronax Cloud Slippers for bath, the Anyday Glass Round Shallow Dish for kitchen use, SNSLXH Stackable Closet Storage Baskets for storage and the TESSAN Surge Protector Power Strip for tech.
The shopping team said its list was built around former college students’ experience with campus living, including items they used and products they wished they had before move-in day. NBC Selected said not every item is required, but the products may help students settle into a new room faster.
What dorm essentials do students usually need?
Students living on campus generally need bedding, bathroom items, storage and closet organizers, and sometimes kitchen supplies, according to NBC Selected. Tech accessories also matter because dorm rooms often have limited outlets and students rely on computers and other devices for classes.
For beds, NBC Selected highlighted Home-It Adjustable Bed Risers, which lift a bed to create room for storage underneath and come in white, black and brown. The guide also included Ikea’s Offelia Vass Duvet Cover and Pillowcase, Brooklinen’s Mulberry Silk Pillowcase, Target’s Threshold 400 Thread Count Printed Sheet Set, the Buyify Folding Lap Desk, Serta White Goose Feather and Down Fiber Pillows and the Milliard Reading Pillow.
The Becky Cameron mattress topper, listed as the guide’s bedding pick, is described by the brand as machine washable and hypoallergenic, according to NBC Selected. The guide says the topper has straps at each corner to help secure it to a mattress and is sold in sizes that include twin XL, a common dorm-bed size.
For sheets, NBC Selected said staffers Estee Yi and Zoe Malin favored Target’s Threshold sheet set as an affordable option. The set is made from 100% cotton and includes a flat sheet, fitted sheet and two pillowcases, with sizes including twin, twin XL, full, queen, king and California king, according to the guide.
The guide also points students toward storage and power solutions, two common dorm-room problems. NBC Selected named a five-pack of SNSLXH Stackable Closet Storage Baskets as its storage pick and a TESSAN Surge Protector Power Strip as its tech pick.
NBC Selected said it independently chooses products to cover and may earn a commission when readers buy through its links. Prices shown in the guide include $59.88 for the Becky Cameron mattress topper at Target, $23.99 for Bronax Cloud Slippers at Amazon and $22.99 for the TESSAN power strip at Amazon.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.