All of us at WIRED have complicated desk setups that make working from home easier. You don’t have to go that hard for a dorm room, and you probably only have so much space to spare anyway. See our full work-from-home guide for more options, but these are some of our favorite desk accessories worth considering—plus some more options for around your dorm room.
Photograph: Kat Merck
Aecooly Chic Touch Control Desk Fan for $25: I’ve been testing this small cordless fan all summer for our Best Fans guide, and my friend’s son just took it to school for his first year at the University of Colorado. It’s going to be hot for move-in week, and this fan is not only powerful, its 8-inch-tall body fits in a suitcase, it’s USB-C rechargeable, and it’s quiet enough (36 decibels on low) that it won’t bother roommates or interfere with study. —Kat Merck
BenQ ScreenBar Computer LED Lamp for $109: WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu swears by this desk lamp, which only works if you have an external monitor on your desk. It hangs over the top of the screen and illuminates your workspace. Best of all, it takes up zero space on your desk!
Monoprice Extra Wide Length Microfiber Desk Mat for $25: This mat is soft and doubles as a mouse pad if you’re going to add a separate keyboard and mouse.
Ikea Skubb Underbed Storage Case for $10: When former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano lived in a tiny NYC jail cell (er, apartment), she stowed four of these storage bins under her bed to hold every item of clothing her closet couldn’t accommodate. College beds have ample room underneath, and these can hold off-season clothing, shoes, or anything else you need, like party supplies. Amazon has a bunch of options too.
Dalykate Backpack Laundry Bag for $17: You may need to hike your laundry down a few flights to the laundry room. This hamper has a pocket to hold your detergent and backpack straps for portability, and it’s not as bulky as a laundry basket. It’s what WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu uses to head to his laundromat.
Crocs Classic Clogs for $50: You need a pair of shower shoes. Trust me when I say that you do not want to deal with athlete’s foot in a college dorm. These are my favorite for shared showers—they’re easy enough to walk in, easy to slide out of when you’re balancing on one leg to wash your feet, and they dry quickly too. Alternatively, you could go with a dedicated pair of flip-flops or slides. You might also want to bring some extra bath towels. Don’t forget a shower caddy for your toiletries!
Govee RGBIC LED Light Strip for $44: String lights are cute, but they’re not very fun. Room decor is largely subjective, but we really like this light strip from Govee. You can easily adjust the colors and brightness using the smartphone app, and you can trim the lights down to suit the space.
Basic Cleaning Supplies: I didn’t realize how much stuff I was forgetting when I first moved into a dorm. Make sure you remember household essentials like laundry detergent, paper towels, dish soap, disinfectant wipes, and washcloths. You might also want a little broom and dustpan.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
Set your alarms. Bookmark this page. Refresh like your future depends on it. After reviewing…
Kraken now operates seamlessly across all 30 EEA countries, unleashing compliant access to 450+ digital…
Cardano crypto is flying higher at press time. After the lull in late July, ADA…
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're…
One of the seven countries in this region of Asia has unveiled an impressive accomplishment…
The tech industry is reeling from President Trump’s surprising new deal with Nvidia. Earlier this…