Buying Tips For Dorm Bedding

July & August are my favorite time of year as the rush of newly minted college students and their parents dive right into shopping for their dorm rooms. As a company we pushed the edge this year with more Twin XL products including a new waterproof twin xl mattress pad and new twin xl duvets.

One of the most often questions I get is what size comforter do they really need to buy? Many stores will showcase a twin xl comforter and we ourselves sell a half dozen styles.  But do you really need to spend extra for the comforter or is it more marketing hype?  Well in this case it’s a bit of both.  True enough most dorms use a 39 x 80 bed which is 5 inches longer then a twin bed at home. Furthermore, bed size specific items like twin xl sheets, twin xl pads and twin xl feather beds need to be size specific – no skimping otherwise it won’t fit.  However the dorm comforters themself have more leeway in terms of the minimum size you need to buy. Unless your student  is really tall – like 6 foot plus – you honestly don’t need to spend extra on a twin xl comforter. Of course having one just gives more coverage on the bed and giving it a proper look.

We ourselves sell 3 sizes in twins which can also be used in the dorm room based on pattern, tc. color and filling choices:

• ‘Normal Twins’ – 68 x 86 to 68 x 88
• ‘Oversized Twins’ – 68 x 88 to 68 x 90
• ‘Twin Xl’ – 68 x 92 – the real deal!

For example on our special dorm section we feature a 3 piece dorm bed set that features a down filled comforter and two down pillows (not feather pillows – down pillows). This set measures 68 x 88 and for most students will be fine.

However if your student is taller and or neaurotic about tucked in dorm comforters – then the 68 x 90 to 68 x 92 sizes are ideal. Don’t forget that we recommend dorm comforters to use a duvet that way the students just have to wash the duvet and not the comforter (although all our twin/twin xl comforters are machine washable and dryable).

I’m always available for last minute questions from parents and students alike – drop me a line: shunter@downlite.com.

Warm Regards,
Stefan

Director of eCommerce @ DOWNLITE