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9 hours ago
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As far back as I can remember, back-to-school season was one of my favorite times of year (probably because it also meant cider and doughnuts were soon to follow). Fresh notebooks, mechanical pencils, a new backpack that perfectly reflected my new persona — it was the closest thing to reinventing myself without moving to a new school. These days, you don't need a homeroom to enjoy that fresh-start energy. Sure, maybe most of your energy will be focused on getting the kids new laptops, tablets and headphones, but it's a good time to level up your own workspace too. This year's best back-to-school deals cover everything from high-tech essentials to good old-fashioned pens and paper — because sometimes analog just works better.
Best back-to-school deals
My first MacBook was a game-changing purchase — sleek and gleaming, it stood out in a world of clunky PCs. I relied on it for countless college papers, photo and video edits and even animation projects. It lasted nearly a decade before I had to give it up. But Apple kept me coming back for more, and why not? MacBook Airs are the gold standard: sleek, fast and endlessly reliable.
The first-gen iPad was released over 15 years ago, just in time for me to graduate college and miss out on using it for all of its reading and note-taking abilities. That was fine, it's price, $499, equal to over $700 today, was a bit steep for my shoestring college student budget. These days it is much cheaper and way more powerful, not to mention there are a bunch more options as far as ebooks go than there were back in the day. Couple it with a wireless keyboard and the Apple Pencil and you don't really need a laptop. Don't need all of that size? The iPad mini is down to just $399 and it's my favorite tablet out there.
The son of a spreadsheet wizard, I learned quickly how to use a numeric keypad without looking. To this day, it is the thing I miss most about primarily using a laptop. Technically this combo isn't "on sale", but at a quarter of the price of the wireless Apple keyboard (without the mouse), it's still a deal in my book. Pair this bad boy to your PC, Mac or iPad and you'll be good for up to a year before needing to recharge it.
If you've read this far, it is easy to tell that I am completely engulfed in the Apple ecosystem. But that's not to say Microsoft is bad; it's just different. If you or your spawn would like a laptop-comparable tablet for your time away at school, the Surface Pro is a great option, as it functions as both, comes with 256GB of storage and, much like the iPad, can be used with an external keyboard and pencil to write paper and take notes.
This is it. This is the workhorse that got me through four years of college. I was a film and video major so I needed a bit more power than my English major friends who were mostly writing papers, but the MacBook Pro handles everything I needed to do with ease, from photo and video editing to more complex graphics and VFX creation.
With a stand like this one and a wireless keyboard, my laptop basically turns into a desktop whenever I'm at home, the best of both worlds.
When you buy a laptop, you're paying not only for the computer, but the screen and the fact that they had to design every part to fit inside of a small, thin, lightweight, metal container. Desktops like the iMac are a bit cheaper because there is more room to fit things, but in some instances, you're also paying for a 5K screen.
The Mac mini takes that a step further. Most of us have a monitor lying around (I have three, and I'm starting to think I may have a slight hoarding problem), which means all you really need is a computer to plug into it. That's exactly what the Mac mini is: Apple's speedy M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of hard drive space, which is easily expandable with an external hard drive.
I am very easily distracted, which means, when I was in college, instead of being able to hang out in my apartment and write a paper in my room, I would have to spend hours and hours across campus at the library, for fear of being sucked into watching the Red Wings game. These days, I am much better at focusing, with a lot of credit going to these little buds, which rarely leave my ears during the workday and always have noise cancelling turned on. If only I had these 20 years ago.
Want something a little more budget-friendly and still a part of the Apple ecosystem? AirPods 4 are just $99.
Sure, there are newer versions of these, but these are still some pretty top-notch cans. With top-tier noise-cancelling tech, they let you block out the world and dive into your music, podcasts or calls with clarity, all for under $200.
They boast a solid 30 hours of battery life as well as quick charging (a 10-minute charge will get you five hours of playback), so you won’t be hunting for an outlet mid-listen. And with touch-sensor controls, adjusting volume or skipping tracks is as easy as a tap.
My dorm room TV was a thrift store gem I found for 8 bucks (one dollar for each inch of screen size) and it had a VCR built-in. I was living the life. It sat on my desk for 4 years, with an N64 plugged in right beside it so I could get in games of Goldeneye and Mario Kart in between writing papers. My senior year I was gifted a 32-inch screen for Christmas and I felt like a king. Thirty-two inches is the perfect size for a dorm room — to be fair, there usually isn't much room for anything bigger — and at just $80 this set is perfect for a coed's budget as well.
I've always loved putting pen to paper. In an ideal world, that's how I would write everything, but it's harder to edit and publish on Yahoo that way. That said, I still find time every day to write and the best pen is one out of which the ink flows freely without making a mess. These Pilot Varsitys take the best features of disposable and fountain pens and combine them into a nice, inexpensive package.
This backpack features a weather-resistant, durable fabric that withstands rain, dirt and scrapes, while the 25-liter capacity fits all your essentials without added bulk. Inside, a padded laptop sleeve and multiple pockets keep your gear organized. Ergonomic straps and a lightweight design ensure comfort all day, whether you're hiking or navigating city streets on your commute. It's on sale in four colors as well as the larger 32-liter size.
I don't recall what backpack I had when I was a freshman; all I recall is that it fell apart by the end of my first year. That summer I walked into an outdoor gear shop and pulled a backpack from The North Face off the shelf. It was $100 and I paid full price. I still have that backpack today. I've sent it in for one repair but other than that it has held up incredibly well. This one is much cheaper, especially on sale, but shares the same features, a laptop sleeve, side water bottle holders and enough pockets for anything you'll be hauling around campus.
After a long night of studying in the library, you can easily misplace your backpack or car keys. One quick glance at your phone and your AirTag will point you right back to them — no detective work required.
College was when my coffee habit started and these days it is still going strong (I tried to cut back to just one cup today and I am grumpy and have a headache). Instead of being like me, snag this 42 ounce mug, fill it with caffeine-free, sugar-free iced tea — my go to is Tazo Passion — and get hooked on that instead. You'll stay hydrated, won't rely on caffeine to function and it is calorie-free.
More back-to-school deals to shop
New backpacks for them, new gadgets for you. (Getty)
(Getty)
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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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