College Dorm Twin XL Mattress Essentials Simplified
The Twin XL Mattress
Did you know that college dorm room Twin XL beds are longer than regular Twin beds? A Twin XL mattress is standard for most college dorm rooms and residence halls. Since Twin XL beds are made with saving space in mind, they do not offer any more width than a standard twin. Twin XL mattresses are longer in length to give more room to stretch out.
Almost every dorm room bed comes equipped with a Twin XL Mattress – that is, Twin Extra Long, as opposed to the standard Twin length. Normal Twin size mattresses measure approximately 39″ x 75″, while college beds are typically 39″ x 80″. That also means you’ll need to buy bedding that accommodates the extra length of the bed. Check ahead with your housing dept before buying to make sure that they in fact have Twin XL beds in your dorm.
Twin XL Mattress Products
Mattress Pad Cover, Mattress Topper, Mattress Encasement – So confusing, but we’re here to help! All of the dorm bedding layers must be sized correctly. You cannot get a Twin mattress pad and expect it to fit your dorm mattress. Look only for Twin XL sized products with a 79″ or longer length.
We’ll go by layer in recommending everything you’ll need for your dorm bed. We purchased everything separately to give us the most flexibility on choices, like color, but you can certainly go the bed-in-a-bag route. We’ll start with separate items and then move to bundles at the end.
A Mattress Encasement is the first layer. Most of the mattresses in a dorm room have been there a while and so it’s recommended that you cover the mattress itself first before placing on any bedding. Pick up this 100% Waterproof Mattress Protector. It also protects against bed bugs and dust mites.
A Foam Mattress Topper is a must for comfort. Most dorm mattresses are older and not super comfortable so you’ll want to pick up a foam mattress topper. Features should be 2″-3″, Ventilated and with Cooling Gel Infusion.
You’ll also need a Twin XL Mattress Pad Cover – Get a deep pocket pillow top cover to cover your Mattress topper.
These Twin XL Sheets are high quality for your dorm bed. Pick up 1 set or maybe even 2 sets to get you through your next laundry day or to have some variety in color or pattern. 45 different colors to choose from and all around $30 a set. These sets are of Hotel Luxury quality and are breathable & cooling.
There are a ton of Twin XL Comforter options out there. Here is a Reversible, Soft and Breathable Lightweight Down Alternative Comforter with a standard pillow sham included. 15 different color combinations available. We also suggest visiting Dormco.com and checking out their huge selection of Reversible Twin XL Comforters. Dormco has student discount prices for all of their products and super cheap shipping.
Here’s a Standard Size Set of 2 Down Alternative, Cooling Hotel Quality 20 x 26 Pillows.
Twin XL Mattress Bedding Bundles
Bundles are a great option, but just make sure you’ll need everything in the bundle. You can go from anywhere between a 5-piece Bundle to an 86-piece Bedding & Essentials Package. Check out some of the bundles below from Amazon and DormCo. Most bundles will not necessarily have everything included so you’ll want to refer to the list above and also to our Dorm Essentials Checklist.
5 Piece Comforter and Sheet Set – Comes in 20 different color combos
5 Piece Reversible Comforter and Sheet Set – Comes in 15 different color combos
8 Piece Dorm Bedding Package – Comes in 10 color options, also à la carte so you can add options.
If you’re looking for a complete Dorm Essentials Checklist we have you covered! Click the button below.
