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Article snippet: more product choices and details here. • XL twin sheets are on every residential-life list. You probably won’t use them for more than a few years, so you shouldn’t spend much. But that doesn’t mean you need to settle for scratchy, stiff linens. Wamsutta’s Sateen Twin XL sheets in 400--thread count, around $35 for a set, are nearly as soft, durable and wrinkle-resistant as top performers. But shop early: Extra-long sheets sell out fast. • Dorm beds are hard and unforgiving. The best way to fix this is with a mattress pad. Most colleges give you the option of buying an egg-crate foam topper at the start of the school year. If you want something more luxurious, fiber is the way to go (a low-end memory foam topper holds heat like an oven and can smell like chemicals). The Sweethome chooses the Pinzon Hypoallergenic Microplush, at $35, as the best inexpensive XL pad. • When your roommate pulls all-nighters, you’ll be glad for the light-blocking Nidra Deep Rest eye mask, with deep eye cups that allow your eyes to flutter during REM and won’t smudge makeup. • Yes, condoms are probably an essential. Many dorm resident advisers hand them out for free, but the LifeStyles Skyn wins as best average fit according to several blush-worthy attributes. Test-driven by 32 volunteers. • Because you’ll probably end up doing most of your work in bed, it helps to have a decent lap desk. After spending a dozen hours testing six of the best-reviewed desks available, The Sweethome staffer... Link to the full article to read more