13 Crazy Smart Under Bed Storage Dorm Ideas That Are Actual Lifesavers
Want to know the best ways to fit in extra storage under your dorm bed? Here are 13 brilliant under bed storage dorm ideas that will double your storage space.
Best Under Bed Storage Dorm:
1. Drawer Unit
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A solid drawer unit is great for storing smaller items and supplies that you don’t necessarily need deep drawers for.
For example, any extra school supplies, makeup, toiletries, that don’t have a home anywhere else in your dorm can go in these drawers. You can also label the drawers to keep yourself super organized!
You’re probably going to need more than a shower caddy and a desk drawer to fit all of your beauty and skincare staples, so this is a great way to give yourself a ton more space to keep these items organized.
2. Mini Fridge Food Storage
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If you don’t already have a mini fridge in your dorm (double check on your school’s website), get one to go under your bed. This one is a good size so you can fit a ton of drinks and snacks in it (also has a freezer box for sweet treats :)) but can still fit under your bed.
A mini fridge, even though it’s smaller, still takes up a lot of space in the dorms, so if it can go under your bed, that will free up a lot of extra space in your room! Plus you’ll have easy access to all of your food and can still fit a lot more under your bed next to your fridge.
3. Laundry Basket
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A lot of people put their dressers that their school provides underneath their beds so it’s easy to access all of their clothes when they hop out of bed in the morning. So adding a laundry basket under your bed and next to your dresser will make your life so much easier.
That way you can use your closet space for other items and it’s super easy to throw all of your dirty clothes under your bed and into the basket. So there is no excuse for dirty clothes on the floor. 😉
4. Shoe Organizers
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No one wants to go digging through their closet to find a pair of shoes, so put a shoe rack under your bed instead. It’s a lot easier to grab a pair of shoes from under your bed when you’re in a hurry.
There’s also a lot of vertical space under your bed to work with, so a tired shoe rack will help keep all of your different shoes organized and displayed so you know exactly what shoes you have (if your shoes are hidden away in the closet, it’s easy to forget what shoes you brought with you and what shoes you haven’t worn in a while).
5. Under Bed Desk Area
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If you don’t mind having a lofted bed, it’s a great way to give yourself a ton more space underneath to create your own (more) private space.
This is a great place to put your desk and create a study nook with added storage for all of your school supplies.
You can also turn this area into a lounge/seating area by adding a small couch or a few chairs. You can honestly do so much with this space! And if you’re running out of room in your dorm, just know you can always loft your bed and it will double your storage space.
6. Plastic Drawer Towers
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These plastic drawers are a super easy and affordable way to get extra storage space for your clothes! Because if we’re being honest, the dresser the school provides probably won’t fit all of your clothes.
You can line a couple of these up side-by-side and stack them (depending on how high your bed is) to create your own mini dresser situation under your bed.
And if you don’t end up using all of them at first, you can just collapse some of them and stick them in your closet until you have a use for them so no space is going to waste!
7. Foldable Fabric Drawers
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The great thing about fabric drawers is you don’t have to worry about breaking or chipping like plastic storage containers. And even when you move out of the dorms, you can continue to use these under your bed for storage.
These are great for clothes that you don’t necessarily use every day, but more seasonal items that you only need to get to a couple times during the year.
They’re not super convenient for everyday use, but if you store your seasonal items in these, you can switch them out throughout the year and rotate your clothes in the closet and dresser.
8. Slim Utility Carts or Caddies
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Utility carts are your best friends when it comes to squeezing in extra storage in your dorm room! If you have a small sliver of storage space, you might be able to fit a compact utility cart in there and get a lot more storage!
Any extra makeup, skincare, school supplies, shower essentials, haircare, hair tools, etc. are all great items to keep in these carts. And it’s super functional because you can just roll your cart out from under your bed and bring it over to your desk, the bathroom, or wherever you need it.
9. Small Dressers
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These dressers are great because unlike a lot of other ones, they’ll actually fit under your dorm bed, and they’re super affordable, so you could even get two and line them up next too each other under the bed for double storage!
It’s a lot easier to access your clothes when you’ve got some kind of drawer system to work with. The number one thing students always run out of storage space for is clothes, especially if you need seasonal clothes like winter jackets and coats that take up a TON of room!
This is also a good transitional piece because you can use it when you move into your first apartment too so you won’t have to buy a whole new dresser.
10. Plastic Storage Bins
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If you’re trying to save money, a good old plastic bin will get the job done! It may not look the prettiest, so you might want to add a bed skirt to cover them up, but you’ll definitely get a ton more storage to fit extra clothes and items that don’t have a home.
If you’re going to go for the plastic bins, make sure to buy them in a pack instead of individually to save money. It’s always cheaper when it’s in bulk!
11. Small Media Stand
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If you’re going the lofted bed route, and you want to turn the space under your bed into a little media center/living space, get a small TV stand that will give you storage, hold your TV, but won’t take up too much space.
If you want to collaborate with your roommate on this one, you can either loft both of your beds, and put a media stand and TV under one of the beds (facing out towards the other side of the room) and have the other roommate but a small sofa or a couple of chairs underneath their bed to create a functional living space without making your dorm feel crowded.
You also won’t have to sacrifice any walking space to create this setup. Instead of chairs or a small sofa on one side, you can leave the dorm bed un-lofted and use it as a daybed to watch TV.
12. Double Storage Ottoman
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Storage ottomans are a great hack for getting that extra space, while also adding another sitting area in your dorm. The best dorm ideas are ones that have multiple functions. You don’t have a big space to work with, so we’re trying to be as efficient as possible!
If you’ve ever been in the dorms, you know how tall the dorm beds are (without even lofting them). And if you plan on adding a mattress pad on top too, it’s going to be a couple inches taller. Which doesn’t seem like a lot, but combined with all of the fluffy bedding, it can be a struggle to get up to your bed.
To make your life easier, get a double storage ottoman, sticking one part of it under your bed and leaving the other part sticking out. You’ll have a step stool, more hidden storage, and you can pull it out when friends come over for another place for them to sit.
This is easily one of the best ways to make the most of your dorm and kill two birds with one stone.
13. Storage Trunks
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If you don’t have a bed skirt to cover up the area under your bed, it’s going to be completely exposed. Which is totally fine! But it’s definitely something to keep in mind because if it doesn’t look organized, it’s going to make your room feel chaotic.
An easy way to get around this is by having cute storage! Yes, your storage can be cute and functional at the same time. And that’s the goal, especially in a small dorm room where almost everything is on display.
A trunk is a super nice way to get in extra storage (you would be surprised how much can fit in one of these!) while also decorating your room. Get a trunk that matches the color or theme of your dorm and it will make your room look so much more chic!
Plus you can use it to hide and store items that you don’t want out in the open.
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Bonus Dorm Tips:
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Use bed skirts to hide storage bins and keep the space looking clean
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Color-code storage by category for quick grabbing before class
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Measure your bed height before buying storage bins (many are too tall!)
This post was all about the best under bed storage dorm to make your room feel twice as big.
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