12 Space-Saving College Dorm Items (Because Forced Triples Are Scary)

A basket of eight hair tools would take up way too much real estate on the floor. This professional styler utilizes the same handle with eight interchangeable heads to achieve virtually any hairstyle—from straight, frizz-free locks to voluminous loose curls—without the need for an army of gadgets. Plus, it will never get above 302-degrees to prevent singeing strands and works on all hair types and textures. Her roommate just hit the jackpot.

Is there anything more annoying than lugging a plastic basket down three flights of stairs to the laundry room? Yep, having nowhere to store said laundry basket after the clothes are washed and dried. This collapsible design might just be the greatest invention of all time—It accordions flat for easy storage under the bed or in the closet when it’s not in use. Hey, they might even want to do their laundry more often because of it. Maybe?

Dorm rooms are definitely not the most spacious living accommodations. And once their friends call dibs on the two desk chairs or the extra long twin beds, the only other option is the floor. Unless they have a few of these extremely convenient storage ottomans lying around. They fold completely flat when not in use, so the kids can grab a few without cluttering their limited floor space.

The higher the bed, the more storage space. And these bed risers go the extra step to also include more outlet space (we never really got why there’s only one outlet per side…). Now there will be more room to fit storage bins under the bed and the kids can do work from wherever they so please, without winding a power cord around the whole room.

There is a place and time for irons and ironing boards, but it’s not a miniscule dorm room. Instead, send the kids off with a steamer—it’s easier to use and it doesn’t need a giant board contraption to get the job done. Plus this one holds nearly five ounces of water so they won’t have to fill it up every ten seconds and has an eight foot cord just in case. Oh, and it only weighs 1.65 lbs. Come to think of it, we’re getting one for ourselves, too.

What 18-year-old can fit all their clothes in a few dresser drawers? Um, not ours (they take after us). That’s why these under-bed stacking drawers are their new best friend. Instead of having a giant cover, this one functions like a drawer for easy access to their essentials. Stack a few on top of each other (this is where risers come in handy) for maximum space saving and storage.

Remember when we said our kids take after us? That explains their obsession with coffee. But since counter space is even more limited than it was in our first studio apartment, this mini Keurig is the perfect way for them to get their caffeine fix. It fits easily on their nightstand for an early morning caffeine fix or, better yet, on their desk for all-nighter study sessions without having to trek across campus to Starbucks.

Schlepping to the shower with every single shampoo, hair mask, body scrub and skin-care item in tow is a necessary evil (gotta love communal bathrooms). Why make it harder on them by sending them with a clunky plastic caddy that not only looks hideous, but also harbors bacteria when everything inevitably gets wet? This mesh version is lightweight, breathable and soft, which makes stuffing it to the brim a piece of cake.

This way, they’ll never have to crumple a wet towel up and throw it on the floor for lack of hanging space. This shiny silver over-the-door rack has five hooks for when they just have to use a clean towel for every shower, plus a convenient bar for hanging things like face cloths, hand towels and, let’s be real, more regular towels.

We would never want to pull the top bunk straw, but sometimes things just don’t work in our favor. Thankfully this bunk bed shelf makes it a bit more bearable. It’s fully adjustable, has a raised lip to keep contents secure and even holds up to 25 lbs all without taking up any floor space. Seriously, where did people put their next-to-bed essentials before?

OK we all know just how dismal the closet situation in college dorms is. Shall we remind you? They’re usually hidden behind a curtain and barely deep enough for hangers. Not to mention, if you’re living in a forced-triple situation, the closet might even have to be shared. Oh boy. But this handy rod adds a whole extra level of hanging space to fit as much as possible.

It might be wishful thinking, but living in such a small space with friends in and out on a rotating basis, the kids might want to keep things dust-free and looking presentable. We’d even be happy if they just cleaned up the crumbs from a midnight snack the night before. Either way, this tiny, handheld vacuum won’t take up too much space on the floor or in a storage container and doesn’t require a power cord, thanks to the rechargeable lithium battery-operated design.