The start of the year has flown by, and students are starting to head back to school. While a lot of retailers are wrapping up back to school sales within the next few weeks, you still have time to score some discounted tech to help young students get ahead of the 2024 academic year without breaking the bank.
Having the right gear can make all the difference when studying – though you don't have to buy the latest and greatest tech to ace assessments, reports or presentations. You could even compromise for a Chromebook or a tablet over a laptop, for example, as these cheaper devices will still perform all the tasks a student needs throughout the school year.
Whether you’re shopping for a primary school student or looking to upskill with higher education, we’ve rounded up big savings on some of the best back to school tech essentials so you can ace the 2024 school year.
Where to find the best back to school sales
- Amazon: deals across a variety of school supplies
- Apple: education discounts for students & teachers
- Big W: sale on tech, stationery, uniforms and more
- DigiDirect: laptops, cameras and more discounted
- Dell: Student Purchase Program coupons available
- eBay: back to school deals from a range of sellers
- HP: bundle and save up to 50% off
- JB Hi-Fi: tablets, phones and laptops on sale
- Kogan: up to 55% off office furniture and tech
- Lenovo: education discounts for students of all levels
- Rebel Sport: save on back to school sports gear
- The Good Guys: laptops, headphones and more on sale
Best back to school deals
Save on Apple with education discounts
To kickstart your school year, Apple is offering up some sweet savings on Macs and iPads so you can jump right back into study with one of the latest devices. Plus, there’s some extra bonuses chucked in to make offerings from Apple all the more appealing.
Students and teachers can score a bonus gift card up to the value of AU$240, along with 20% off Applecare+, when they buy a device through Apple’s education site. Additionally, if you have an older Apple product, you might be able to trade it towards your new purchase to save even more.
- For more Apple discounts, we’ve rounded up the best Apple promo codes right here
Laptops
Phones & tablets
Monitors
PC peripherals
Printers
Cameras
Office accessories
Miscellaneous
Back to school deals: key information
When do back to school sales start?
Back to school sales tend to take place in the weeks leading up to the new school year, though this depends on the individual retailers. There’s no specific date, but you’ll typically find offers popping up from early-mid January right up until the first few weeks of the academic year. This makes the back to school sales period unique from other major shopping events like Black Friday or the Amazon Prime Day sale.
Who has the best back to school sales?
This will really come down to what you’re looking for with back to school essentials. Amazon is your best bet for a big variety of supplies including backpacks, stationery, laptops, tablets and more. Deals aren’t exclusive to any one category either – with new deals popping up daily on just about anything and everything.
However, if you’re looking for a specific brand, it might pay to go directly to the source. Microsoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo are all likely to bring out some big discounts across laptops, monitors and PC peripherals, while Apple has already updated its education offers for the 2024 back to school sales if you prefer a MacBook or iPad.
Still, if you can’t find any worthwhile savings directly from the big brands, check out JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys and even eBay. Both JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys will price match other retailers, though you could find additional coupon codes for eBay sellers, which include Microsoft and Lenovo.
Are there any back to school vouchers I can use?
Unlike 2023, there are currently no back to school vouchers for use on school supplies. Parents in NSW are still able to use their 2023 Active Kids or Creative Kids vouchers on eligible activities until February 1, 2024, however, these vouchers aren’t valid for school supplies.
If you missed it, the NSW government offered up to three AU$50 vouchers for parents of school-aged children to spend on school supplies including uniforms, stationery and other essential school items from eligible retailers to help subsidise the cost of getting kids back into the classroom. At the time of writing, a similar scheme is not available in 2024, but we’ll update this section if that changes in the near future.
Back to school shopping tips
To help make your back to school shopping experience a little easier, here are some top tips to help keep you on budget when buying new supplies for any eager students.
1. Make a list
Preparing a list of your much-needed school supplies will help you keep on track when it comes to back to school shopping. Make sure to add notes on any specific specs and features you might need on tablets and laptops, this way you’ll be able to shop around and find the best deal on a device to suit your needs, as different institutions and courses might require specific specs to run certain software. If you’re not sure, see if your school sent out any requirement forms, or check the school’s website for a contact or the necessary information.
You’re also less likely to forget something if you have a list of school supplies – this will save you rushing around at the start of the school year if you’ve missed any essentials.
2. Check out our guides
We know what to look for when it comes to back to school devices here at TechRadar – we’ve been at it for a while! So to help make your shopping experience easier, we have a variety of buying guides and deals pages filled with the top tech for students and teachers alike.
If you’re looking for a new laptop, we’ve tracked down the best student laptops around, and have even rounded up the biggest offers currently available from right across the web on our best laptop deals page.
We’ve even got guides on the best back to school tech essentials, best monitors and best printers, so you can get an idea of what to look for when it comes time to head back to the classroom.
3. Keep to the necessities
It’s tempting to go out and buy the latest and greatest, but that can get expensive real fast, especially if you’re shopping for more than one student. If you’re penny-pinching to afford back to school supplies, you can save quite a bit by sticking to the absolute necessities.
This is especially true when it comes to laptops – you don’t need the flashiest laptop to get through the school day. So long as your laptop meets the basic requirements for your studies and any software you need to run, you’ll be set. Additionally, laptops and tablets get thrown around quite a bit – so it’s likely that your new device won’t look new for long, especially if it’s being carried around in a bag all day, so you’re better off going for something that’s more robust.
Plus, thieves are always on the lookout for expensive looking gear, so opting for a more basic-looking device might save you a lot of money and stress in the long run.
4. Take advantage of education offers
A number of brands have exclusive offers for students and teachers, so now’s the perfect time to take advantage of them. You can find education discounts from the likes of Apple, Samsung, Dell, Lenovo, HP and Microsoft across a variety of devices that are suitable for the 2024 academic year. Additionally, Apple also offers a discount for students on Apple Music with Apple TV Plus thrown in for just AU$6.99 per month.
5. Check out refurbished and second-hand devices
If you don’t mind buying refurbished or second-hand gadgets, you can save even more than buying brand new. Refurbished hardware is an especially good option, as it’s typically been professionally repaired and comes with a warranty. You can find refurbished hardware on eBay from certain sellers like Sony, or shop directly from brands, such as through Apple’s Certified Refurbished site.
6. Reuse and recycle old hardware
If you have an older laptop, you could pass it down to a student to reuse in the new academic year. Most students won’t need a laptop for more than writing essays and browsing the internet, so handing down older devices is a great way to save on buying an entirely new device.
You can upgrade older hardware to give it a massive speed boost, such as swapping out a hard drive for a solid state drive if you have the means to do so. Additionally, making sure it’s running the latest operating system can increase the speed of any hand-me-downs, and we have a full guide on how to install Windows 11 if you notice that your Windows laptop is running a bit slow.
You could also swap over to a lightweight Linux distribution, as these operating systems are primed for use on laptops, prolonging the lifespan even more. There’s a few Linux alternatives to Windows programs, and we have a list of the best lightweight Linux distros to help you pick the best option for you.
Additionally, older handsets and tablets can be passed down to students, though you’ll need to make sure these devices are still supported with ongoing updates for both the operating system and security, especially if you plan to use parental controls on them to keep younger students safe, as out-of-date software might not offer up all the necessary features and benefits.
7. Use free software alternatives
On top of hardware costs, software could also set you back a stack of cash, especially if you opt for a program that has ongoing subscription costs. There’s a few free alternatives out there, including the free LibreOffice, which provides a suite of open source software with file formats that are compatible with Microsoft Office, so students can swap between school-provided and home devices without a worry.
We’ve compiled a list of the best free office software if you want to check out some alternatives, and a list of the best free presentation software perfect for students who’ll be making a bunch of presentations throughout the year,
Now that students spend increasingly more time online, you’ll want to make sure your PC or laptop is protected from malware and viruses. The best antivirus suites can cost quite a bit, so we’ve tracked down the best free antivirus software to suit most needs.
- Want to find even more deals? We've rounded up this weeks highlights in the best Aussie tech deals page
