If you have a college-bound student, maximizing space and minimizing clutter with space-saving dorm storage is the key to a comfortable dorm living space. Dorm rooms are known to have tiny closets and limited areas to store your student’s much needed items. Your son or daughter will have items like textbooks, clothing, bathroom essentials and more, all competing for space in their dorm room and it can be a challenge to organize it all. Plus a well-thought-out and organized space will make it so your college-bound student can focus on their studies instead of hunting to find what they need in a disorganized space. If you have a college bound son or daughter, we will share some of our favorite space-saving Dorm Storage Ideas and tips.
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Organizing a Dorm Room
Many kids that head off to college have never shared a space with a roommate or roommates. Plus, at some schools, dorms may be impacted and it’s not uncommon for popular colleges to have 3-4 students sharing one dorm room. It is an important adulting lesson for your son or daughter to respect their roommate’s personal space and sanity by keeping their space organized. Plus you will want them to learn this valuable life skill! We found some of the best College Dorm Storage Ideas that are both practical and will make it easy for your son or daughter to keep their room neat and clean, without being overwhelming.
Figuring Out the Dorm Space
College Dorm rooms are all different, so first you will need to do your best to figure out the layout of your student’s new dorm room. One tip is join your son or daughter’s college parent facebook page. Sometimes parents post videos or post pictures of the dorm rooms, on your student’s campus. You might also check Youtube for videos of the dorm rooms on your college-bound student’s campus. Some colleges publish measurements of the various areas of the dorm room, like under-the bed heights, closet widths, etc. The more measurements and information you have, the easier it will be to choose good storage options.
College Dorm Storage Ideas
1. Under The Bed Storage
Most students can store a good majority of their belongings under their dorm bed. Items that get rarely used can go under-the-bed, towards the back and items that get used often can go towards the front area, under the bed. Plastic drawer or lightweight fabric drawer systems are popular because they have a low profile and are lightweight. You can even move your student in with the plastic drawers full.
2. Vertical Storage
Taller storage items, with a small footprint, work great in dorm rooms. These range from bookshelves, to over-the-door organizers to peg boards to floating shelves. Your student can use shelves and wall space to store school supplies and room decor and storage items like hat or shoe organizers that fit over-the-door. One of my favorite dorm storage items is a rolling metal cart. These work great for snacks and kitchen items or bathroom essentials. Plus they can be rolled around the room to fit in corners or inside of larger closets.
3. Maximizing Closet Space
Many dorm rooms have very narrow closets and it can be a challenge for your son or daughter to fit all of the clothing they need, especially if they have thick winter coats or a big hoodie collection. There are so many options to help maximize their closet space. You can create more closet space by adding an extra rod to create two tiers of areas to hang items. The upper rod can be used for longer items and the lower rod can be used for shorter items like pants and skirts. Slim hangers also help create more space or using collapsable hanger that will hold multiple items on one hanger. Hanging fabric shelves, that hang from the closet rod are also popular and each cubbie will hold things like pants, hoodies, tees and more.
4. Multi-Purpose Storage
Finding Multi-Purpose storage items can also help to maximize your space. For example a solution like a storage ottoman can be a stool to help your student get onto a high bed, storage for shoes or other essentials inside the ottoman, plus it can even be an extra seat for guests. The ottoman can also, often be tucked under your student’s bed. An over-the-door pocketed hanging storage solution can hold shoes, medications, bath essentials, snacks and more and takes advantage of vertical space. Peg board wall solutions can support small cups to organize school supplies, plus you can attach a few decor items like photos or memorabilia or even post-it reminders to the peg board.
Space-Saving Dorm Organizing Essentials
If you have a college-bound student, maximizing space and minimizing clutter with space-saving organization will help you create a comfortable dorm living space.
These highly-reviewed Moving and Storage Bags with Backpack Straps are one of the most popular items for college students. They are great for easy moving and can double as storage bags in your student's room, a laundry tote, or even an overnight bag. These great bags hold up to 50lbs. and have 23 gallons worth of space and come with straps that can be carried or worn as a backpack. Plus they are durable, water-resistant and fold flat when they are not in use.
These super popular Sterilite Weave 3-Drawer Wide drawer system is a great choice for under-the-bed storage, for those who have space. Some dorm beds can fit two of these under the bed. I love how lightweight these are and you can even pre-fill them for move in day. They also come in an Espresso Color of the 3-Drawer Wide Weave. Target also carries the regular width Sterilite Weave Drawers and their own version from Bright Room.
These highly-reviewed, 5-Drawer Fabric Dresser makes a great lightweight under-the-bed storage option. You can see how two sets look under this twin xl dorm bed. This fabric dresser has a steel frame with five fabric drawers, with wood handles. Choose from grey or espresso. This set of drawers takes about 30 minutes to assemble. Note: the photo includes two sets of these drawers.
This MDesign All Fabric and Steel, low profile 5-Drawer Set has over 10,000 positive reviews and will fit under most dorm beds. Your student can choose from more color options to suit their decor. I love the cream and pink options. This MDesign Chest of Drawers is also sold online at Target.
This 3-Drawer Charging Cart from Urban Shop sells out every year as it is taller and serves as a good "nightstand" for tall dorm beds. This Tall Rolling Storage Cart with charging port will give you everything you need. This cart features 3 rolling fabric drawers with a top shelf that has a built in charging port. Choose from black, grey or pink, with measurements of 15.75"W x 11.8" D x 39.4"H. You can also find this cart on Amazon.
This 5-Drawer Chest with a Charging Station is another great "nightstand" option for dorms. This chest of drawers includes five fabric drawers and it is equipped with 2 USB ports and 2 AC outlets on the tabletop to charge phones and more. It measures 11.8"D x 15.7"W x 39.4"H and comes in black and white.
If your student does not need charging capabilities, this Vertical Storage Tower with 5 Drawers makes a great dorm "nightstand". You can choose from three sizes, depending on the height that you need. It includes 5 fabric drawers and a wood top and measures at 11.5"D x 16.1"W x 43.3"H. Choose from white or faux wood and black.
While pricey, this Dormify Storage Drawer with Charging Station makes a great dorm "nightstand". If your student will be living in the dorms for four years, you may consider investing in Dormify's storage tower. The drawers are polylinen fabric and it includes a steel frame and mdf wood top. It measures at 11.8"D x 15.75"W x 39.4"H and comes in bright white, white with grey and all grey.
This affordable, yet sturdy Storage Ottoman with Storage Bin is the perfect small size for dorms. Your student can store small items inside and use it as a stool or seat. It is 15" square and can be assembled either with or without the legs. It can withstand a max of 330lbs and comes in a variety of faux leather and fabric styles.
If your student is looking for a slightly larger and super sturdy, yet affordable ottoman, this Homepop Square Storage Ottoman is often on sale and is sized a bit larger. It is 16.5 inches square and comes in a variety of fabrics, faux leather and prints.
This adorable, yet sturdy Homepop Round Storage Ottoman is a fun, yet not too pricey option for your student. The lid is removeable and it fits smaller items inside. It has chanel tufting and measures at 17.5"W x 17.5"D x 18"H, offering a compact and functional seating and storage solution. Choose from velvet, faux leather, boucle styles and more.
This Room Essentials 3 Cube Organizer Shelf is both super affordable and will give your student the verical storage that they need. These are great for bedrooms, bathrooms and more. Choose from white or dark brown. Target also has larger units.
This super affordable and highly reviewed, Modular Organizer System with Six Cubes can be used inside closets or as shelves. Each cube is assembled individually and then you can use them in several configurations. These closet organizers and storage are composed of thickened panel and high-quality ABS plastic connectors The individual cubes offer DIY possibilities where you can assemble in different shapes depending on the space, maximizing your space utilization. Each cube holds 15lbs and measures at 11.8 x 11.8 x 11.8 inches and comes in white, black or semi-clear.
These highly-reviewed, Amazon Basics Rolling Carts have so many uses. You can put a placemat down and fit some pod coffee makers down on the top level and use the other levels for snacks, kitchen items or you can use this cart to hold makeup, hair products and other bathroom essentials. This cart comes in several colorways.
This Under-the-Desk Metal Rolling Cart is great for school supplies. It is shorter and more compact and can fit under most dorm desks. It has a height of 27.5 inches. It comes in several colorways.
This affordable and slim, Room Essentials Narrow Rolling Storage Cart can fit in all sorts of small spaces like next to a desk, behind a door or even possibly in the closet. The locking wheels on the base of this skinny storage cart provide easy access and transportation, so it's ideal for storing frequently used items, and it's easy to swap contents out or move it to another area of the room. A railing around each of the three mesh shelves keeps items from falling off, and a white-finish steel frame gives the storage cart a stylish modern look, while mesh shelves provide plenty of airflow.
These BedShelfie Bedside Shelf units are great for dorm rooms or bunk beds. Your college-bound student will love having their phone, airpods or laptop right beside their bed or they can use this shelf to hold snacks or a cup of coffee. This style of Bedshelfie uses clamps that attach to the bed railings and comes in four great colors. You can also find BedShelfies that slide under the mattress.
This super simple, affordable and easy to install Bunk Bed Shelf Storage Caddy is great for keeping small items, within reach. Unique bunk bed caddy holds up to 11 lbs. of weight and has a divided caddy and adjustable hooks. It measures 12L x 4.7W x 4.7H inches, perfect to storage small items highly used bedside before sleeping. Plus, it is easy to install, without tools.
This fun White Pegboard Wall Organizer is a great way for your college-bound student to organize small accessories or desk item. This set includes four panels, measuring 11 x 11 inches each, and, once assembled builds a 22x22 inch pegboard system and it includes 18 accessories. This organizer can be installed with Command Strips or screws. Just be sure you use plenty of Command Strips to support the weight (each package is marked with the supporting weight).
Your student can organize their desk with this Expandable Wood Desktop Bookshelf Organizer. You can configure it multiple ways to accomodate a variety of books and small desk items. Choose from several colorways to match your student's room decor.
This highly-reviewed Command Strip Damage Free Floating Shelf, Picture Ledge is a great way to organize small items or your wall decor. This high-quality photo ledge sticks on a variety of smooth surfaces without leaving holes, marks or sticky residue on walls and surfaces and removes cleanly when you want to redecorate your college dorm room. This shelf measures 3.13"D x 21.13"W x 4.13"H and includes 10 command strips and holds up to 5lbs of weight. Choose from cream or black. You can also find this Command Damage Free Picture Ledge at Target. Plus, you can find these at Walmart.
This super affordable Metal Over-the-Door 6-Tier Organizer is a great vertical storage option. This unit is made of durable metal has 6 baskets and will hold up to 60lbs. of weight. It will fit on doors that are 1.4-1.6 thick. Allow at least 5.2 inches of clearance between the door and the metal shelves. Choose from two different colorways.
This Mesh Pocketed Over-the-Door Organizer back is made of moisture-proof, breathable, tough, and tasteless environmentally friendly non-woven fabric. The stitched design between the side pocket makes eliminates tilting. The front, side and bottom of the hanging bag behind the door are equipped with cardboard, which allows it to maintain its shape well, so that it will not deform or tilt when carrying heavy objects. There are 5 large pockets and additional smaller side pockets for smaller items. Choose from three different colorways.
These super affordable and highly-reviewed Hanging Closet Organizers help to add additional closet storage. You can stack t-shirts, pants, sweaters or you can roll up bulky hoodies, towels and more. This system has 6 tiers, with a strong hooks and it measures at 12"D x 11.5"W x 42"H. Choose from several colorways and additional styles.
These highly-reviewed Over the Door Hanger Hooks are great for bathrooms, closets or behind dorm doors. This door hanger fits doors sized at 1 3/4 inches in width and includes padding to prevent movement and to prevent the hook system from scratching the door. Choose from black, silver, bronze, antique copper and white.
Your sneaker kids can stay organized with this set of Drop Front Stackable Shoe Organizers. These space-saving boxes are stackable to fit in your student's closet, under the bed, or on a closet shelf. They made of durable plastic, with a front opening door, and a magnetic latch. This set includes six boxes.
This affordable, lightweight and durable 3-Tier Stackable Shoe Rack works great for under the bed or inside your student's dorm closet. This highly-reviewed rack has metal supports with thick fabric shelving, making it lightweight. Your student can store up to 12 shoes on this rack.
While the velvet hangers sometimes don't hold up, these Space-Saving Heavy-Duty Plastic Non-Slip Hangers are slim and perfect for dorm closets. This set includes 50 hangers and you can find them in several colorways, even in a fun pink!
These Magic Space-Saving Hanger Holders will free up so much space in your student's closet. These Magic Hanger Holders are made from durable plastic and measure at: 9.3" wide and 0.8" thick. Each hanger organizer can hold 5 garments (up to 6 lbs.) horizontally and (up to 8 lbs.) vertically. It's great for hanging your coat, suit, jacket, sweater, shirt, pants, jeans, dress, purse or accessories.
Your student will love the space these Magic Pants Hangers free up. Each hanger can at least hold up 5 pairs jeans, pants or leggings. Maximize to save your closet space and keep it clean and orderly. This set includes 2 hangers.
These super affordable Tiered Skirt and Pants Hangers are great spacing-saving options. Each hanger has 6 tiers with strong clips to hold skirts, pants or even shorts. The hook swivels 360 degrees for easy movement. This pack includes 2 tiered hangers.
When your student is looking for a shower caddy for the dorms, you will want a tall one with deep pockets. This Tall Shower Caddy with Deep Pockets is a good option because it holds larger bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash and the deeper pockets make it harder for your smaller items to fall out of the pockets. This caddy measures at 10.2"(L) x 7.9"(H) x 10.6"(W) and has 7 exterior pockets and it is made of quick dry mesh. Choose from several great colors.
More College Planning and Dorm Essentials Ideas
The Best College Planning Checklist for Girls
The Best College Planning Checklist for Guys
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