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College dorm shopping is a nightmare. The only thing thatโs even more of a nightmare is actually sleeping in a college dorm. From noisy neighbors, unreliable air conditioners, and stiff dorm beds, everything seems to be working against you in your efforts to get a good nightโs rest. Luckily, Mattress Clarity is here to help.
From pillows, to sheets, to an alarm clock, I have assembled a roundup of seven sleep products that will transform your dorm experience. Letโs get into it.
The Mattress Clarity Team has tested over 600 mattresses and hundreds of sleep accessories. We created this roundup using hands-on testing data and proprietary analysis, helping you make informed shopping decisions.
Shopping for college can get expensive, so I chose products for this list that I believe are offered at a value price. While a few of them may be on the pricier side, their quality materials and durable construction mean they should last all four years of college, ensuring you get your moneyโs worth.
They say college is the best four years of your life, and we want to make sure youโre able to get the best sleep of your life, so letโs get into the list.
In the end, the Lucid Memory Foam Mattress Topper is a great value. It provides a memory foam feel and some extra pressure relief at an affordable price. However, stomach sleepers and hot sleepers might want to look elsewhere. The Lucid comes with a 3-year warranty, but we do question its long-term durability.
Getting a good nightโs rest in college can be so difficult when itโs hard to tell the difference between your dorm mattress and a piece of plywood. When most colleges donโt let you bring your own bed to school, the Lucid 2โ Topper is a great way to soften up your bed without breaking the bank.
This topper comes in a 2โ, 3โ, and 4โ version. We tested the 2โ variant, designed for lightweight sleepers, but the thicker options are better suited for average weight and heavyweight sleepers. All three versions are going to be made of memory foam, which will offer the feeling of sinking into bed. This also means that this topper is going to be a great choice for back sleepers, side sleepers, and those looking for some pressure relief.
What We Love About the Lucid 2โณ Topper
A gel infusion in the memory foam will help you stay cool.
Lucid offers mattress toppers infused with charcoal, for additional cooling benefits, and lavender, for a sweet aroma that will help lull you to sleep.
The Lucidโs open-celled design helps prevent sagging and offers additional cooling capabilities.
What To Keep In Mind About the Lucid 2โณ Topper
This topper does not come with a cover or straps, so keeping this topper secure to your bed may be difficult.
This topper should power through your college years, but if youโre searching for a topper with more long-term potential, you may want to look elsewhere.
If you change positions while you sleep, you might feel as through youโre getting stuck in this bed.
Thereโs nothing about a college dorm thatโs exactly reliableโincluding the air conditioning. In order to help stay cool, avoid the stuffy sheets and instead try the Luxome Luxury Sheet Set. Made of 100% bamboo viscose and with a thread count of 400, the Luxome sheets can be found at the intersection between soft and silky while being cool and cozy.
Bamboo is a naturally breathable material with moisture wicking properties, so hot sleepers will stay cool and dry while they sleep. While the sheets are branded as a luxury set with a price to match, this high-quality set should last all four years of college, whether you stay in a dorm room or not.
What We Love About the Luxome Luxury Sheet Set
Luxome currently offers 11 color variants for these sets, giving you the opportunity to match your sheets to the aesthetic of your room.
The bamboo used in these sheets is OEKO-TEX certified, meaning it was processed and produced without the use of harsh chemicals or heavy metals.
There are tags attached to the fitted sheet to help orient them on your bed, so you wonโt have to risk accidentally securing them upside down.
What To Keep In Mind About the Luxome Luxury Sheet Set
These sheets are not for those shopping on a budget, with a twin and twin XL set costing around $145.
If you like the feeling of crisp cotton sheets, these will not be a great option for you. Instead, check out our list of the best cotton sheets.
Layla Sleep is known for memory foam beds with its signature hexagon patterns. Youโll find this shape in all of its bedding products, and its comforter is no different. If youโre looking for a soft cotton comforter that also features a down alternative fill, then this is the comforter for you.
I know just how valuable those post-class naps are, and to help you destress and relax after a long day, you should consider getting cozy with the Layla Comforter. With a cover made of 100% high-quality cotton, the Layla feels softer than other cotton comforters, but is still somewhat crisp. Inside, youโll find a material called โCluster-Loftโ down alternative, which gives the mattress its fluffy feeling.
While some people only use comforters in the colder months, cotton tends to be a breathable material, so you donโt have to worry about it getting extremely hot in the summer or when your dorm air conditioning unit randomly decides to stop working, as they tend to do.
What We Love About The Layla Comforter
Laylaโs signature hexagon pattern ensures that the filling doesnโt bunch or clump around inside the comforter, keeping an even temperature throughout the comforter.
The Layla Comforter is hypoallergenic and OEKO-Tex certifiedโitโs chemical and toxin free.
The Layla is machine-wash safe and can easily be cleaned in a college dorm.
What To Keep In Mind About The Layla Comforter
This comforter is not the best option for shoppers on a budget, however it is extremely durable and will likely last all 4 years of college.
While this should be a good all-year pick, exceptionally hot sleepers might find this comforter to be too warm to use during hot months.
No comfortable sleeping setup is complete without the pillow, and I believe the Marlow Pillow is the perfect way to help you โadjustโ to your new college schedule. With two zippers along the side,you can change the firmness of the pillowโunzipped for plush and zipped for firm.
The Marlow Pillow has a high-quality cotton cover with a shredded memory foam core. Despite its memory foam construction, itโs fairly responsive, making it a good choice for back and side sleepers.
What We Love About The Marlow Pillow
The Marlowโs cotton shell is rather breathable. Combined with mesh lining inside the pillow when itโs unzipped, the Marlow shouldnโt trap heat.
Brooklinen sells the Marlow pillow in value packs of two and four, helping you get your moneyโs worth, but you can also get a single pillow.
Due to its adjustability, the Marlow pillow will work for many different body types.
What To Keep In Mind About The Marlow Pillow
This pillow might be too tall for stomach sleepers, who will want to opt for something thinner.
If you prefer the feeling of down, this pillow will definitely not meet that same criteria.
The iHome Zenergy clock is a multipurpose clock that features a sunrise feature, bluetooth connectivity, and sound options. Itโs a good affordable option for those who want a clock that does it all.
Nothing is more jarring than getting jostled awake by a screeching alarm clock or unpleasant phone ringtone. Thatโs why I recommend you start your day with the iHome Zenergy Sunrise Alarm Clock. With a small, compact design, the clock wonโt take up too much space in your already small dorm. The iHome Zenergy has a natural sunlight option as well as LED options, so you have total control over the intensity of your wakeup.
What We Love About The iHome Zenergy Sunrise Alarm Clock
The iHome Zenergy retails on Amazon for $50, a much more affordable price than other sunrise alarm clocks.
You can set the alarm to wake you up with environmental sounds or white noise.
The clock connects to your phone, doubling as a speaker.
What To Keep In Mind About The iHome Zenergy Sunrise Alarm Clock
There are quite a few buttons on the back of the clock, which could complicate the setup of this clock.
There are limited brightness settings, which limits the clockโs ability to be customized.
The Levoit Smart Humidifier is a humidifier you can set and forget. Select the auto setting and it will turn on and off when your room needs humidity, or has met the optimal humidity level.
If youโre someone who is easily affected by dry air, or just prefer to not wake up with a sore, dry throat, humidifiers are a good option. Breath happily with the Levoit Smart Humidifier. This humidifier has four mist optionsโlow, medium, high, and โauto modeโโthe latter of which will turn on the humidifier when the room dips below an optimal humidity and turn it off again when it rises back to an ideal level.
This humidifier can also be controlled through an app on your phone, making the set up and control of the humidifier fairly easy. The water tank has a large capacity, and can run for up to 60 hours, and easily cover the area of your dorm room.
What We Love About The Levoit Humidifier
You can connect to this humidifier via bluetooth and control it right from your phone.
The Levoit is a cool mist humidifier, which can help you combat your hot, stuffy dorm room.
The Levoit doesnโt make too much noise, so it shouldnโt wake you up if you run it at night.
What To Keep In Mind About The Levoit Humidifier
There is an LED light screen that some may find distracting. However, the humidifierโs โsleep modeโ will turn off this screen.
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Side Sleepers
This bed offers pressure relief at both the shoulders and hips, making it a great fit for side sleepers.
Back Sleepers
This bedโs strong support is ideal for back sleepers because it helps keep the spine neutrally aligned.
Stomach Sleepers
This mattress is ideal for stomach sleepers as its firm support promotes spinal alignment.
Back Pain
This bed is a good match for anyone struggling with back pain, as it cushions the lumbar region and has enough support to keep the spine neutrally aligned.
Couples
This bed has great motion isolation so you will not feel your partner tossing and turning at night.
Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Many college dorms donโt let you bring your own mattress to school, but if youโve lucked out and are able to, I recommend the Nectar Mattress. This is an all-foam bed with a 3โ comfort layer of gel foam. This is going to give the slow-moving feel of traditional memory foam, offering some nice contouring.
All of this is going to sit on top of a thick support layer of high-density base foam. This helps keep the mattress durable and offers good lumbar support, making the Nectar a great choice for those with hip and joint pain.
What We Love
Despite being an all-foam mattress, the Nectar has a decent ability to stay cool. This is thanks to the gel-infusion in the comfort layer and a cooling outer cover.
This bed is ideal for lightweight and average weight back and side sleepers.
This is a great pick for budget minded shoppers. A twin mattress is often discounted to around $500 for a twin.
What To Keep In Mind
Stomach sleepers will want to opt for a firmer bed, as the Nectar is quite soft.
If youโre a fan of bouncier mattresses and donโt want to get โstuckโ in your bed, you may want to consider other options.
Dorm rooms are known to be incredibly small, especially if youโre sharing with another person, which is usually the case. Knowing the layout and dimensions of your room can help you make informed purchasing decisions. Especially when it comes to an alarm clock, you want to make sure that you have a space to put it, such as on a windowsill or desk. If your room isnโt the most generous when it comes to space, an attachable bedside table will give you a convenient spot to put these sleep devices.
Consider Roommates
Roommates can have a huge impact on what you end up purchasing for school. Some items, such as a humidifier, are things that only one person probably needs to bring. Coordinating with your roommate can help you save money because youโll know not to order an item that they already plan to bring. Itโs much more affordable to simply split the cost.
Sometimes, however, roommates will insist on bringing all their own things and are less open to sharing. In times like these, itโs good to be considerate of your space and how much you are brining so that you can both live in the same room while respecting each otherโs privacy.
Storage
When youโre living in a shoebox-sized dorm, every inch of space is important. One thing that can be hard to budget for, however, is storage space. It can often be tempting to fill your room with as much as you can, but without taking storage into consideration, things can get cluttered very quickly. I recommend that you buy containers or bags to use as storage in your room. Not only will you be able to keep your floor and desk clean, but these storage resources can make moving in and out of your dorm that much easier.
Dorm Rules
As we previously mentioned, many colleges provide mattresses and advise students not to bring their own. Beyond the bed, there usually arenโt many restrictions on what you can bring, but every school is different, so itโs a good idea to check with your schoolโs policies before you make large purchases. Be conservative before you confirm these policies; nothing is worse than spending a lot of money on a dorm essential and then finding out you arenโt even allowed to bring it.
Takeaway
Every item on this list was considered with cost and durability in mind, but at the end of the day, sleep isnโt one size fits all. Mattress Clarity features hundreds of mattresses and accessories, so make sure to explore our other roundups and reviews for more expert opinions such as these. And who knows, you may find an item for your college dorm that wasnโt even mentioned on this list.
The importance of a good nightโs rest in college cannot be overstated, and the right accessories will only improve your ability to refuel after each long day. No matter what you end up choosing, your sleep is in your control with the help of Mattress Clarityโhere to help you make the right sleeping decisions in college and beyond.
FAQs
Is it hard to sleep in a dorm?
It depends on what your dorm situation is. If you are paired with considerate roommates in a nice dorm, it might not be too difficult to get a good nightโs rest. However, noisy roommates and neighbors, old dorm buildings, and sicknesses can sometimes make it hard. Purchasing the right sleep accessories can help mitigate these annoyances.
What size are college dorm beds?
College dorm beds are usually either twin or twin xl sized. A twin and twin xl are the same width, but a twin xl will be approximately five inches longer.
How many sets of sheets do I need to bring to college?
You will certainly have no trouble only bringing one set of sheets to college. However, bringing two sets isnโt a bad idea. If one set is damaged or becomes dirty, you can easily swap it out without the spare set. The same applies to towels and wash clothes.
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Tony Klespis
Staff Writer
About Author
Tony is a staff writer at Mattress Clarity and the brandโs accessories expert. In his role here, heโs tested more than 150 different products โ so if you have questions about weighted blankets, eye masks, sheets, mattress toppers, or more, heโs your guy.
Tony earned an M.A in Mass Communication from Texas State University and a B.A in English with a Creative Writing minor from Sam Houston State University.
After earning his Masterโs Degree, he dove into the world of real estate investing as a digital marketing intern, where his main priority was to update and create blog content. Realizing the world of real estate investing was fascinating, Tony began to realize he loved learning about multiple subjects, and his horizons expanded.
Outside of the world of mattresses and mattress accessories, Tony can be found walking the streets with friends, phone in hand, playing Pokรฉmon Go. When heโs not out doing that, his nose will be in a book, or heโll relax to any and all cooking and baking content the internet has to offer.
