How to Make a Dorm Bed More Comfortable
Dorm beds don’t exactly have a reputation for comfort: A few inches of springs covered in vinyl is hardly the recipe for a cozy night’s sleep. But if you’re heading off to college for the first time — or going back for a new school year and looking to upgrade your dorm room — there are a few simple steps you can take to make a standard-issue dorm mattress feel a bit more luxurious.
First and foremost, buy a mattress topper
If you only buy one “nonessential” item to improve your dorm mattress, make it a mattress topper. When I started college, I remember excitedly picking out dorm essentials like a shower caddy and string lights, but 18-year-old me didn’t give a second thought to the comfort of my bed. I wish I knew then what I know now after writing about mattresses and sleep for the past five years and hadn’t forced myself to suffer on a hard-as-a-rock dorm mattress.
If you have absolutely no budget constraints, I’d recommend the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt mattress topper, my favorite mattress topper overall. But if you don’t have $269 to spend on a top-of-the-line twin-size topper, my runners-up would be the ViscoSoft Select High Density Mattress Topper or Tempur-Pedic’s less-expensive Tempur-Cloud, both of which cost around $150 for a twin XL.
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The ViscoSoft is my favorite less-expensive topper after the Tempur-Adapt. It’s made with high-density memory foam that offers a good mix of support and comfort. Choose from a two-inch, three-inch, or four-inch thickness, any of which will add a substantial amount of material to a dorm mattress. (Dorm mattresses are typically only six to eight inches thick.) It also has a removable cover and straps to keep the topper in place.
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The Tempur-Cloud is a cheaper option from Tempur-Pedic. It’s made from the same Tempur material as the pricier Tempur-Adapt but with two inches of foam instead of three. It also doesn’t have a zippered, washable cover, but that trade-off may not bother students with limited laundry access.
In reality, though, nearly any topper will be an improvement. If you are on a strict budget, look for a memory-foam topper that is at least two inches thick. Any brand or style will do.
Add a mattress protector for good measure
I usually recommend buying a mattress protector to safeguard your expensive purchase of a mattress. With a dorm bed you didn’t buy and don’t care to protect, a protector may not seem worth it, especially since dorm mattresses tend to have plasticky covers anyway. But once you add a topper, layering a protector over it will save you some hassle if anything gross gets on your bed. It may also provide some peace of mind if you’re skeeved out by a mattress that hundreds of other undergrads have slept on before you. Some protectors even include light padding that can further enhance your comfort.
Pick comfy, affordable bedding
Unless you sleep on a twin XL at home, you will need new bedding. And since you probably won’t sleep on a twin XL mattress for the rest of your life, I wouldn’t spend a ton of money on sheets — just enough to get something comfortable and nice-looking. But as someone who hated doing laundry in the dorm, I would definitely suggest getting two sets.
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At $35 a set for the twin XL size, these Threshold sheets are genuinely excellent for the price. They’re cotton sateen, so they should work across seasons, and they are ultrasoft, especially the more you wash them. You can certainly go cheaper on sheets, but I think spending slightly more on cotton — instead of microfiber or other synthetics — is worth it comfort-wise if you’re able.
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For a cheaper option, Strategist bedding expert Lauren Ro says this brushed-microfiber set is surprisingly soft.
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When I lived in a dorm, I had a set of cotton-polyester-blend jersey sheets from Target’s more budget-friendly Room Essentials line. No one will mistake them for hotel sheets, but they are cozy and get the job done.
Get a decent pillow to support your head and neck
Even if your mattress isn’t very comfortable, a good pillow can make a huge difference. So if there is one place to splurge a little, your pillow is it, especially since you’ll be able to bring it with you when you move off campus or into your first apartment after graduating. I’ve written several guides to the best pillows, some of which are pricey, but you don’t need to spend a ton to get something decent. Just be sure to pick one that properly fits your sleep position(s). Get a firmer, loftier pillow if you mainly sleep on your side and a softer, lower-profile one if you sleep on your stomach. If you sleep on your back, a medium-firm, medium-loft is usually best. Here are some of my favorite affordable options.
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If you run warm, certain cooling upgrades may be worth your while
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It’s more expensive than the ViscoSoft topper I recommended above, but if you run warm at night, a cooling topper can help prevent you from overheating — phase-change material in the cover helps pull warmth away from your body.
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We’ve tested a number of high-tech cooling sleep systems, and while many come in twin XL sizing that would work just fine for a dorm room, the only one I’d recommend for dorm use is the BedJet 3, which blows hot or cool air into your bedding with a hose. This mini-version is made to regulate the temperature for half of a queen- or king-size bed, which works perfectly for a twin XL. This is another product you can keep using once you move out of the dorm, since it isn’t specifically sized to a twin XL. (Just keep in mind that the hose may not reach all lofted dorm beds — measure accordingly.)
You may also want to spend a little more on cooling sheets and pillows. Here are some of our favorites.
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If you really can’t hack the twin XL, try a bed extender
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Writer Bella Druckman discovered this twin XL–to–full XL bed-frame converter when she was a student at Barnard. It allowed her to place a full-size mattress on her twin XL frame in the dorm. She used it for two years and says it easily supported a 12-inch full-size mattress. (The caveat to this approach is that you’ll also have to buy your own full-size mattress and make a plan to store the twin XL one until the end of the school year.)
More dorm stuff we recommend
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