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12 aesthetic dorm tech essentials to make your room feel like home

Tech that will transform the sights, sounds, and smells of your dorm.
By
Elizabeth de Luna
 on 
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A young women in her dorm room surrounded by tech.
The tech essentials you need for your dorm. Credit: Mashable

There's more to consider than just what supplies to buy this year (though we'll help with that too.)


Dorm life may be vibrant, but the actual living space leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to design. Most dorm rooms are bland white boxes, in need of a new personality.

We've gathered the best tech accessories to transform the sights, sounds, and even smells of your dorm into something stellar so you can inject a little more "you" into your home away from home.

Inviting lighting

Set the mood for studying, celebrating, sleeping, and more with color-changing lightbulbs you can control through an app on your phone (pro tip: skip the bulbs that come with tiny, easy-to-lose remotes). If you're cramped for desk space, a dreamy lamp that doubles as a pencil cup and cell phone stand will be a huge help. A whimsical mushroom clip-on light will come in handy for late-night studying (or scrolling) in bed.

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Cord control

Don't go crazy corralling your cords: Anker's 6-in-1 desktop charger lies flat and includes two USB-C, USB-A, and AC ports for all your charging needs; a pastel pink surge protector can be placed on the floor or attached to a wall with Command strips, and pea-shaped cable organizers will keep your wires in line.

Bathroom buddies

Hygiene is key to looking and feeling your best. To keep retainers and mouth guards from getting gross, pop them in the Zima dental pod and let the device's ultrasonic waves wash the gunk right off (this writer loves her pod!). To stave off gnarlier smells, plug in the Pura diffuser to release poofs of essential oils throughout the day. To keep your shelves in shape, store necessities in HAY's recycled post-consumer plastic crates.

Sounds good

When it's time to study or sleep, Loop earplugs will block out noise from roommates and neighbors so you can focus on the task at hand. The Adidas RPT-02 SOL headphones are a Mashable favorite because they don't need to be plugged in to charge; simply set them on your windowsill so they can soak up the sun when not in use. And use JBL's Go 3 speaker to jam out anywhere on campus — it's portable, waterproof, and sounds incredible.

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Elizabeth de Luna
Culture Reporter

Elizabeth is a digital culture reporter covering the internet's influence on self-expression, fashion, and fandom. Her work explores how technology shapes our identities, communities, and emotions. Before joining Mashable, Elizabeth spent six years in tech. Her reporting can be found in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, TIME, and Teen Vogue. Follow her on Instagram here.


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