The Best Back-to-School Deals on Laptops, Backpacks, and Earbuds

Summer is Fading away, and school will soon be back in session. We scoured the internet for the best discounts on gadgets and gear for teachers, students, parents, and anyone else in the market for back-to-school fare. Be sure to check out our Best Dorm Gear guide for additional recommendations and gift ideas. 

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Laptop and Tablet Deals

This is the best MacBook for most people (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It has a bright and sharp LCD screen, slim borders for a sleek look, and enough power for everyday tasks. The webcam is 1080p, so you’ll look sharp in all your video calls, and there’s a MagSafe magnetic charging port, so if your roommate trips over the cable, the laptop won’t go flying (the cable will just detach). Read our Best MacBooks guide for more.

This older MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) was the first to use Apple’s custom silicon, but it’s still plenty powerful for sending emails, writing documents, and browsing the web. It uses Apple’s older design, but that might not matter, considering the stellar price. Remember, you can also use Apple’s Education store to score steeper discounts.

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, so most of your work will be done within the Chrome browser. (You can still install Android apps.) This Acer Spin 714 has a 12th-gen Intel Core i5, which should make it powerful enough for most school and office tasks. It’s compact, despite the 14-inch screen, and you get all the ports, including two USB-C ports, an HDMI, a USB-A, and a headphone jack. Read our Best Chromebooks guide for more picks.

This isn’t the prettiest laptop, and isn’t the most portable, but it’s powerful enough for some gaming between coursework. The G15 has a 1080p screen with a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, does a good job with heat management, and doesn’t get too loud. The power brick is bulky though. Read more in our Best Gaming Laptops guide.

If you want a Windows laptop straight from the company that manages Windows, we think the Surface Laptop 4 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best choice for most. The Ryzen 5 chipset can easily handle more than a dozen tabs in your browser of choice, and its 13.5-inch high-res screen looks nice. You get a USB-C port with a USB-A, plus a magnetic charging port. Read our Best Surface Laptops guide for more details.

This is for anyone who wants to enjoy the comfort of a tablet with the productivity of a laptop. The Surface 9’s 12th-gen Intel chip is adept, and you have the option to add 5G connectivity if you want internet access wherever you go. You can read our in-depth thoughts about it here.

This deal nets you the magnetic keyboard cover ($150 retail value) free when you purchase the tablet, and it runs through August 20. We really liked the OnePlus Pad when we tested it (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s an Android tablet, but there are a great many improvements in the software to make multitasking more efficient. The LCD screen is bright and sharp, and it has a 144-Hz screen refresh rate. It’ll get three Android OS updates and four years of security updates too. 

The Surface Go 3 is just powerful enough for simple tasks, like web browsing and writing, and it’s lightweight, which makes it great to tote around everywhere. Just remember that you need to buy the Type Cover ($100) if you want the full experience with the keyboard (though you can also use any Bluetooth keyboard).  

Want a Linux machine? This is a powerful laptop (8/10, WIRED Recommends) with a great selection of ports, and the default Pop!_OS is simple enough for newbies and experts. Read our Best Linux Laptops guide for more recommendations. You’ll automatically get $100 off the laptop after you customize it to your liking.

Backpack and Tote Deals

This is a camera bag, but you need to buy the camera insert separately. Without it, it’s still a perfectly great backpack. The rear pocket can fit a 16-inch laptop (barely), and there’s a stretchy side pouch to fit a water bottle. On the front, the vertical zippered pocket is great for storing smaller items, like chargers and battery packs. The Kodra fabric it’s made of is durable and has a double-layer waterproof coating. We’ve used it for more than two years, and it has held up well. 

Prefer a tote bag? This is the top pick in our Best Tote Bags guide. It distributes weight well, and there are tons of pockets for organization, plus a spot for a 16-inch laptop. There’s ample padding to protect all your gear, and the material is weatherproof recycled nylon. It zips closed to keep everything safe.   

You’ll find this backpack in our Best Backpacks guide—and in our Best Recycled Bags guide because it saves 22 used plastic bottles from landfills. It has a padded, detachable insert with four pockets inside, plus two water bottle pockets. 

It’s not the prettiest bag, but it’s lightweight, and the exterior is made of 100-percent recycled polyester ripstop with a water-resistant laminate. Even when it’s packed full, it feels slim. You can fit up to a 15-inch laptop in the suspended sleeve. 

Router Deals

The Nest Wifi Pro (7/10, WIRED recommends) is one of those set-it-and-forget-it products. It’s super simple to set up and use with the Google Home app, where you can customize settings, set parental controls, and monitor network performance (if you even want to bother). This supports the Wi-Fi 6E standard, so it’s a little more future-proof, and the three-pack means you can set these around a large space (up to 2,200 square feet) to get balanced coverage (you can also just buy a single or two-pack). Read more in our Best Mesh Routers guide.

The Deco X20 is our best budget mesh Wi-Fi system pick. It has great parental control options, and while coverage and speeds are just OK, it was easy to set up the whole thing. It’s a dependable system and hard to beat at this price, especially on sale.  

This one from TP-Link is more powerful than the X20 and supports the newer Wi-Fi 6E standard. It’s easy to set up and delivers good performance, though the range can be limited. We have more details here.

This router (yes, it’s a router) has LEDs on the side because how else would anyone know you’re a gamer? This tri-band router is one of the best-performing mesh routers we’ve tested and has features that let you prioritize traffic to gaming devices so you can get the smoothest experience in fast-paced online games. 

This Asus is not a mesh router, but it’s the best overall Wi-Fi 6E pick in our Best Routers guide (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It has reliable performance and tons of customization options in the mobile app and browser interface, and it comes with parental controls and network security with no need for a subscription. 

Phone and Accessory Deals

This is our favorite MagSafe charger and one of the best wireless chargers on the market. I use mine every night and take it with me on every vacation. It can simultaneously charge compatible iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. You can also purchase the stand version for the same price. The discount code (BTS23) will show automatically during checkout. 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 was just unveiled at the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event. We’re still testing it right now, but this deal essentially gets you double the storage for no extra charge—you’ll get 512 GB instead of 256 GB. The Amazon gift card is the icing on top. If you buy from Samsung directly, you can toggle on the Education Offers at the top for an extra 10 percent off. There’s no Amazon gift card here, but that brings the price of the 512-GB model down to $900. 

Along with the aforementioned Galaxy Z Flip5, Samsung just announced the new Z Fold5. This phone folds like a book and is great for multitasking. The deal is largely similar—you’ll get a gift card and upgraded storage without paying a cent extra. Buy it from Samsung directly to nab it for $1,530 when you toggle on the Education Offer.

These are some of our favorite wireless earbuds (9/10, WIRED Recommends), thanks to the excellent noise-canceling tech and the dual dynamic drivers that deliver clean sound. The fit is comfy, and you get up to five hours of listening time with active noise-canceling turned on. The IPX7 rating means it’s fine to use these in the rain or during sweaty workouts.  

These headphones regularly bounce between $279 and $329. They’ve dropped lower than this price before, but those deals are few and far between. The QC45 headphones are comfortable and have excellent noise cancellation. Find more recommendations in our Best Noise-Canceling Headphones guide. 

More Tech Deals

This deal matches the pricing we saw on Prime Day last month, as well as the historic low, even though Amazon is bizarrely not offering the discount. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is one of our favorite streaming sticks for folks who don’t mind Amazon brazenly shoving its content into their face. 

The newest Echo Dot With Clock is our favorite Alexa speaker for the bedroom. The built-in digital clock combined with the power of Alexa makes this speaker a particularly great nightstand companion. Alexa might even be able to help with your homework.

This is another deal that matches the prices we saw during Prime Day. The stylish Amazon Echo Pop speaker (7/10, WIRED Review) isn’t the best-sounding in the Amazon Echo lineup—but it’s probably the cutest. The front-facing design is fine for a desk or a nightstand. Just don’t expect this gadget to set the mood for your next house party. 

This is an understated mechanical keyboard with low-profile keys. It’s wireless, and the battery lasts for a really long time if you don’t use the backlighting to light up the keys. It’s also super comfortable to type on. You can pair it with three devices and switch between them with the push of a button. 

This is a solid discount on the Garmin Venu Sq fitness tracker (8/10, WIRED Recommends). A newer version of this watch is available, but this original model is still capable, especially for the price. Learn more about it in our Best Garmin Watches guide. 

If you plan on spending $100 at Apple anytime soon, this is an easy way to get an extra $10 for your trouble. Apple gift cards can be used in-store or online, but they can also be redeemed in the App Store and elsewhere. If you subscribe to Netflix through your phone, for example, you can apply this gift card to your membership. 

Deals on Everything Else

You always need more power strips. This one has eight outlets, and each can rotate so that one bulky charging adapter won’t block the other outlet. Smart! 

I’ve never used these journals, but they have solid reviews and seem a bit like Moleskine knockoffs. Either way, $4 per notebook is a decent deal. There’s a little pocket on the inside cover, an integrated bookmark, and an elastic band closure. 

WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar swears by a similar water-filtering pitcher. It’ll filter impurities out of your tap water so you can cut back on single-use water bottles while staying hydrated. Replacement filters are pretty affordable as well. The pitcher might not fit in a minifridge, but it should do the trick if you have a bit more space to work with. 

College students and teachers can get 20 percent off a qualifying purchase at Target through August 26. These deals are redeemed through Target Circle, which is free to join. Some items are excluded, but this is still an easy way to save on all sorts of essentials—especially if you’re placing a big order. 

Laundry detergent, toilet paper, dish soap, and other essentials are included in the massive selection of items. Choose at least $50 worth and you can save $15 with code 961FCE42. This deal is a great opportunity to save if you need to restock your frequently used items. 

Similar to the Amazon deal above, this is an easy way to restock essentials like cleaning supplies and health products. Your gift card will be sent via email once you place a qualifying order. Note that you need to claim the deal through Target Circle, which is free to join.  

Target is offering discounts on throw pillows, with prices starting as low as $10. This includes floor pillows, which are great for adding seating to small spaces. I’ve purchased a few of them and they’re both comfortable and relatively durable. 

This deal gets you a Costco Gold Star membership, plus a $45 Digital Costco Shop Card (which is basically a gift card you can redeem online or in-store). You’ll also get a coupon for $40 off an online order of $250 or more, but note that it expires in October. This deal is only valid for folks who haven’t had a Costco membership since at least March of this year. If you use the digital shopping card, this is essentially like getting a one-year Costco membership for $15.