The first thing that comes to mind when I think of dorm rooms, is tiny. Isn’t that the first thing everyone thinks? Dorms are known for being extremely small, despite all the money you’re paying for room & board. Therefore, you have to shop smart for your dorm by finding great products that help maximize the little space you have.
If you’re like me and are struggling with the idea of how you’re going to fit everything into your dorm, this post is dedicated to you. I included the organization products I loved my freshman, as well as the products I plan to buy for next semester! These are the 20 best dorm room storage products to maximize space in your small dorm!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you! I only recommend products that I absolutely LOVE, and all of my opinions here are HONEST. For more information, please read the full disclosure here.
1. Ottoman Cube
The summer before my freshman year, this was the first thing I purchased for school. I had heard about how high college beds are, so I was going to need something to step up onto my bed – I’m 5’1”. I bought this ottoman, and it of course helped with my short height problem, but it turned out to be a lifesaver for storage. I go to school in New England, so it is cold 80% of the time I’m living in my dorm. Therefore, I stored it with tons blankets, it was extremely helpful. I like this one because it has hand slot so you can pick it up – which is helpful when you are moving items to clean your dorm.
2. Hanging Shelves
I was really skeptical about buying this for my dorm, but my stepmother convinced to get it, so I tried it out anyways. Let me tell you, if you care about your clothes as much as I care about mine, then you need this. You may or may not know this, but not all clothes are meant to be hung on hangers. Hangers can leave these sharp impressions in the shoulders of softer clothes, like sweaters. By the end of the fall semester, I need two of these hanging shelves for my closet because I had so many sweaters! This is a storage-must for dorm living because you can fit way more clothing in your closet.
3. Bedside Caddy
I found out about this product from Sophia Lee last year before entering my freshman year. I was actually really excited to buy this product because I tend to read and/or use my laptop before going to sleep. I loved this caddy because it allowed me to free up space on my nightstand. Highly recommend it if you usually can’t see the top of your nightstand because it’s covered in stuff.
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4. Utility Cart
While I was college shopping for my freshman year, I was seeing these utility carts everywhere. I decided to buy one because it was pretty cheap, and thought it would look really cute in the dorm. It ended up being extremely useful for storage. It was easy to move when we cleaned the dorm, and I was able to fit tons of my books, sweatshirts, and even a lamp! I bought this as an alternative to a nightstand because it was a much more affordable option. (You can also get these at Michaels, Bed Bath & Beyond and Target!)
5. Bed Risers
Personally, my school does not allow bed risers so I don’t use them – but that doesn’t stop my boyfriend. He wanted more storage space under his bed in her dorm, so he bought the bed risers anyways. And 1.) he didn’t get caught, and 2.) and he had so much more space. If you want one of those super high lofted beds, definitely try these! It will allow you to fit more storage bins underneath your bed to maximize space!
6. Drawer Dividers
Drawer dividers are a really great way to help organize your clothes and maximize drawer space. I bought the ones pictured above from The Container Store and they were a lifesaver. They kept my clothes from all ending up in a massive pile in the drawer. Amazon offers much more affordable ones so I would recommend buying them there. But these are an awesome option if you tend to fold your clothes and want to make sure your drawers don’t become a mess.
7. Jewelry Organizer
I personally didn’t by a jewelry organizer, but my roommate swears by it so I had to add it. She wears jewelry quite often so she wanted something that could display all of it. An organizer like this helps you avoid using desk space with a jewelry holder because you can hang it in the inside of your closet door!
8. Desk Cups
The last thing you want when you’re rushing out to class is to search your room high and low for pencils. You want your desk to be organized because when you go to complete your work there, space will be organized and clean. These desk cups are perfect to put pencils in, as well as makeup brushes! I actually just purchased these while making this post and I’m in love with them, they’re so pretty.
9. Drawer Organizers
These are perfect for the desk drawers in your dorm because it will organize your space perfectly. By having an organized space, it can make being productive a lot easier. I bought a ton of these organizers and filled all my drawers with them, this way I was utilizing all the space in my desk.
10. Shoe Slots
I saw the photo above on Pinterest, and now I’m dying to buy these for my dorm closet. I still have not been able to figure a good way to organize my shoes – and this will be my solution! This will make storing shoes a lot easier and neater, because I just had all my shoes in a drawer in a pile – bad idea.
11. Command Hooks
I cannot say this enough, you cannot have enough command hooks! I put these literally all over the dorm room. I used them by my bed, I put them on the side of my desk, and covered my closet in them. It keeps you from leaving stuff on the floor or having to use drawer space. Biggest college student lifesaver when it comes to saving space.
12. Storage Bins
Now, I tend to have trouble packing clothes. Therefore, I knew I would be bringing most of my closet, so I decided to buy extra storage bins to put under my bed. The one pictured above is exactly what I purchased from Target, but I couldn’t find the bins on their website. So I tried to find an alternative on Amazon that looked similar. If you have lots of clothing, I recommend buying two and putting them beside each other!
13. Hangers
My roommate helped me compile this list, and she highly recommended these hangers. She pretty much brought her entire wardrobe to school with her, and I’m joking when I say her entire wardrobe. But she somehow managed to fit everything because she brought these hangers to squeeze everything into the closet. If you’re like her and want to bring lots of clothes with you to school, get these hangers.
14. Tall Night Stand
Again, I swear, my roommate is a genius, and here’s why. She showed up to our college move-in day with this tall, thin nightstand for beside her bed, and it fit perfectly in our tiny dorm! I showed up with this wide, short nightstand and it just took up unnecessary space. I will also be buying this nightstand for my dorm this year because it not only takes up zero space, but you also get more drawers, and can actually reach it from your tall dorm bed!
15. Bedside Shelf
This is an awesome alternative for those who can’t fit a nightstand in their room, or have a lofted bed and can’t reach a nightstand. I personally haven’t purchased one of these, but I am dying to get one this year. I see them all over Pinterest and they have great reviews. This is perfect for saving space because it doesn’t require any floor space, and it’s super convenient for raised beds.
I hope you found something helpful in this post! These are truly products I found extremely helpful when organizing my dorm to maximize space. So I hope you can create some more space in your tiny room/dorm! Thank you so much for reading! Afraid your missing something for your dorm? Here are the college dorm essentials I swear by! ♡
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This post though😍👌🏻 Great suggestions!
thank you!♥️