I know there are various old threads on “must buys” for college freshmen - looking for best current intel for this winter!
Any ideas now for gifts I can give my (slightly picky) daughter likely heading out of state to college next fall (cross-country plane ride)?
I welcome names of specific luggage brands (rolling duffels?) you like for college-age kids.
Thanks!
https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63916?page=adventure-rolling-duffle-large
These are the best rolling duffle’s I’ve found and they come in several sizes and colors. My son has had his since 2007 and it still looks brand new.
I really like the Flight 001 Seat Pak when I fly. All my stuff is within easy reach.
http://www.flight001.com/in-flight-comfort/seat-pak.html
Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones are a great gift for that age group.
Check the weight of any luggage you are considering. An extra three pounds can be a big difference when selecting a piece of luggage.
Your subject says college senior…but your first post says your kid will be heading to college next year.
So…which is it? HS senior or college senior…because my suggestions are different depending on the answer.
There are quite a few different pieces of luggage at nice prices at Costco as well as Ross that you can check out. We prefer regular suitcases to rolling duffles for regular travel just because it feels the things are easier to find. Rolling duffles DO hold a lot more and more compact to store tho.
Kiddo really likes Ful rolling duffels. They are light for the volume they hold, and they have 2 compartments. The bottom one is more like a suitcase. Either the bottom or top can be opened without disturbing the contents of the other. They held up to travel (many international trips) quite well.
Depending on your child’s interests, you might consider a good quality backpack. My kids both have one and they get tons of use - in lieu of luggage for trips, weekend and week long camping/hiking outings at college, for breaks, multi-day music festivals, etc. My kids are the outdoorsy type - hiking, skiing, surfing, lots of world travel - so if yours have similar interests, might be something to consider.
My Daughter is in her second year of flying between home and school. We got her a Kenneth Cole hardside suitcase that fits in the overhead bin to go along with her larger Samsonite she had in high school. Her LLBean backpack does double duty for travel and for class. Best gift we gave was a life sized portrait of her cat in a fancy frame. Got a poster size print of the cat and picked up the frame at a garage sale. 
I ordered a Keurig today. All 5e schools she’s hoping for allow coffee machines that turn off automatically.
On Black Friday I got her a tool kit at Sears for under $20
@BunsenBurner thanks for the rolling duffle bag recommendation! DD is looking for one right now. I think I will get one for her for Christmas.
If a high school senior, depending on where you live - a nice, heavy winter coat! My son lived in his varsity jacket in HS, but refuses as a college freshman to bring it. NJ had a wicked cold spell recently. Lucky for him he has a retired grandma who couldn’t stand the thought of him walking around in a hoodie with temps in the 20’s and drove the 1.5 hours to bring him a new coat before Thanksgiving!
@bjkmom Love the Keurig and small tool kit idea!
I love the idea of buying my D luggage for Christmas as she’ll be attending college far away. However, I’m worried about storage. I think I’ll wait until I know where she’ll attend and what the dorm storage situation is like before I buy. It’ll likely be a graduation gift. I thought some bluetooth noise canceling headphones would be a good idea, but she’s not interested. So, I’m at a loss. What else do college students need that first year that I can buy now?
^A refrigerator or a microwave.
I would hold off on refrigerator or microwave if your child will be in a dorm. We were told at a couple of tours that the school only allow a specific combo model that they rent on campus. Also, that may be something they would coordinate with a roommate.
Love the tool kit and noise cancelling headphones ideas!
Please consider a gift or two being college related but not all - college is months away from use. (especially things like microwaves).
It’s like getting Christmas tree ornaments for your birthday in July.
This isboring, but we also got First Aid kit for the car, blanket for the car (just in case for warmth, a picnic blanket with a soft side and water resistant bottom, cooler, stadium chairs, husband for the bed - don’t know if there is another name for that. Also The bedding can be expensive. Lots of sales now if you think you can choose one - boys usually don’t care.
^^ Right, but my daughter has asked me not to get her anything that has any sort of design until she has a roommate and they can talk. (So egg crate for the bed is fine, but comforter needs to wait.)
My son didn’t care at all.
The headphones are a good idea. My daughter asked for them (too late) one Christmas because she travels with her team on a bus. I bought her some that were ‘inferior’ (Sony, not Beats as the guy at the store told me Sony were actually better) so she returned them. I have no idea if she ever bought another pair.
You might consider a Southwest Airline gift card so she can go visit schools without feeling she’s breaking the budget. Gives her some control on booking trips. Or she might say “Daytona Beach, here I come.”
I don’t think kids need much for college at all. One kid took very little and that’s how she’s live all the years since. She lives in a house now and still has very little. The other took duffels and duffels full of clothing, a Kurrig; that an almost everything else came home never used/worn. She now heads off with two bags that hold everything she needs, including sheets and towels. And yet her room still looks like a hurricane hit it.
If you go for noise reducing headphones, I highly suggest Bose over Beats.