The best back-to-school sales 2025: deals on laptops, backpacks, and dorm essentials

This convenient wall charger is a must-buy for all your gadgets, and it's on sale for just $9.99. The three-sided charger features five outlets, four USB charging ports, a fireproof shell, and surge protection.

My top pick for today's best cheap tech gadget is the best-selling Kasa Smart Light Bulb on sale for only $10.99. The dimmable light bulb can be controlled remotely via the Kasa app, and it is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to use your voice to control your lights.

Need a new keyboard for college? Walmart has an exclusive deal on this Logitech wireless keyboard, on sale for just $18.48. The white keyboard offers a wireless connection of up to 33 feet and features a durable, comfortable design.

The Apple AirTag is Amazon's top-selling tech gadget, and it's on sale for only $22.98, only a few bucks more than the record-low price. If you tend to misplace your keys or wallet or want to track your luggage, just attach the AirTag to anything you don't want to lose, and your iPhone will locate the item.

Need a cheap streaming device to add smart capabilities to a TV? The new version of Amazon's standard Fire TV Stick is half price when you apply the code HDFTVADD at checkout. In our Fire TV Stick review, we found the original version was a cheap way to add essential smart features to your TV, including access to streaming apps in HD, Alexa voice controls, and the ability to control other smart home devices.

The best-selling Fire TV Stick 4K streams shows and movies on your TV in ultra-high-definition 4K resolution and is also on sale for just $24.99 when you apply the code 4KADDFTV at checkout. It's a solid streaming stick with access to all the major apps and support for voice controls through Alexa.

If you're a student looking for a 15-inch budget laptop, Walmart has HP's 15.6-inch laptop for just $219. For that money, you're getting an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of SSD, and up to 10 hours of battery life.

The bright and clear HD display on the Asus Vivobook 16 makes work and play dazzling. Navigate school projects and presentations with precision and speed. It's not the most powerful laptop ever, but it'll handle day-to-day workloads with ease, and Walmart's back-to-school sale brings the price down to $529.99.

Processor: Intel Processor N100
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB

This back-to-school deal on the HP 2-in-1 Chromebook is ideal for students seeking a versatile machine that can handle the basics. As a Chromebook, it doesn't need much power under the hood to run, so the combination of 4GB of RAM and an Intel chipset is perfect if you want something for checking emails or web browsing.

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - AMD Ryzen 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB

One of the best cheap laptops in Best Buy's back-to-school sale is this Lenovo IdeaPad 1 with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a reasonable 256GB SSD that all work together to ensure good overall performance and enough essential speedy storage for the price. Even though I've seen a similar spec for under $300 in the past, I still recommend it now if you're on a budget and need a laptop for general everyday use, admin tasks, light work, or schoolwork.

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - AMD Ryzen 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

There's a big saving on this mid-range Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 at Best Buy. It has some older components, but with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, you have enough power and storage space for everyday use, multitasking, and demanding jobs. It's a top buy right now if you have a reasonable budget and need a strong all-purpose laptop for schoolwork.

Display: 15.6 inches
Processor: Intel Core 7
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

With an Intel Core 7 processor and 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, you get excellent all-around performance and incredibly long battery life, this is a great option for students. Today's deal from Best Buy brings the price down to $549.99, thanks to a whopping $350 discount.

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5-7520U
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB SSD

Need a cheap laptop for the basics? This Dell 15 laptop is easily one of the best on the market right now. At just under 300 bucks you're getting an impressive Ryzen 5 chipset and spacious 512GB storage drive, which is something that's still pretty rare at this price point. Even though this machine still only comes with 8GB of RAM, it's still absolutely perfect for doing school work, browsing, or basic work tasks on a budget.

Processor: Intel Core 7-150U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB SSD

If you want a relatively small laptop on a budget, the Dell Inspiron 14 is a fantastic choice. While it's a little pricier than some options, the combination of an Intel Core 7 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD makes this one great for even relatively demanding applications. At 14-inches, it's also much more portable than some 16-inch and bigger options.

Processor: Snapdragon X Elite
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD

Dell's XPS 13 laptops are always worth keeping an eye out for during official sales, as we often see significant price cuts on what are some of the best laptops currently available. Right now, one of the biggest discounts you'll find is for this Snapdragon-equipped model, which also features an impressive 32GB of RAM. With a Snapdragon chipset, you'll get great performance and almost unbeatable battery life out of this model, although it does lack the Thunderbolt 4 ports that are exclusive to Intel versions.

Apple's entry-level Pencil streamlines the features to offer a more affordable, yet still capable, iPad stylus. For $69, you get precise drawing and note-taking, low-latency, and tilt detection, although pressure detection is missing. As the name implies, this Pencil charges over USB-C.

The Apple AirTag is Amazon's top-selling tech gadget, and it's on sale for only $22.98, only a few bucks more than the record-low price we saw on Prime Day. A great back-to-school gadget, simply attach the AirTag to your backpack or any item you don't want to lose, and your iPhone will locate it.

AirPods are a back-to-school essential, and Amazon has Apple's all-new AirPods 4 on sale for $119. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and feature Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You also get a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and support for USB-C for wireless charging.

Apple's best-selling AirPods Pro 2 sound excellent, offer top-tier noise cancellation, feature Dolby Atmos spatial audio, which is amazing for movies, and they even have an unlosable case, thanks to technology that points you to where it's hiding (and a speaker to help, too). Today's deal is the best price you can find right now.

If you're looking for a budget smartwatch this school year, Amazon has the Apple Watch SE for $169, which is the cheapest price we've seen this year. The Apple Watch SE tracks activity, sleep, and calories burned and will notify you when a high or low heart rate is detected. The water-resistant smartwatch also helps you stay connected by allowing you to receive notifications, take calls, and reply to texts directly from your wrist.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is Apple's latest flagship smartwatch, and it's down to nearly a record-low price – it was $20 cheaper on Prime Day. All of its upgrades are integrated into a thinner, more comfortable body. It includes all the standard health and fitness tracking features, as well as some more advanced ones like an ECG for monitoring heart irregularities, overnight metrics to identify issues like sleep apnea, and more. As with past models, it remains an ideal fitness partner that can track activity levels and health metrics and push you toward your fitness goals.

You can get the latest Apple iPad A16 on sale for a great low price. The most significant upgrade compared to the previous generation model is the latest A16 chip for faster performance. You also get double the storage of 128GB as standard, a sharp 11-inch Liquid Retina display, and solid 12MP front and back cameras.

Apple iPad Air: from $599 $549, plus free AirPods at Apple
The Apple iPad Air is a great choice if you're headed out to college. It's a model that features a great balance between price and performance, with a beautiful premium lightweight design. Today's back-to-school sale at Apple knocks $50 off both the 11-inch and 13-inch model and also throws in a free pair of AirPods or another eligible accessory of your choice.

Apple iPad Pro: from $999 $899, plus free AirPods at Apple
The iPad Pro is overkill for basic tasks, but it's a fantastic high-end choice for design and creative work. With an incredibly powerful M4 chipset and stunning OLED display, it's easily the best Apple tablet money can buy right now. Today's sale at Apple offers a $100 upfront discount and free accessories, somewhat offsetting the high asking price for this one.

Apple's cheapest MacBook, the MacBook Air M1, is in stock and on sale for just $599 - an incredible price that I can't imagine will last long. Not only is this an outstanding price for such a powerful laptop that still holds up well for 2024, but it may also be the last chance to pick one up now that it's officially discontinued. Don't miss this incredible deal if you want a great bang for the buck MacBook for the upcoming school year.

Processor: Apple M4
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB

Amazon has a $50 discount on the latest MacBook Air - a fantastic deal if you're looking for an everyday laptop. While this particular model is a relatively iterative upgrade over the previous 2024 M3 version, it remains more powerful and more power-efficient, and features 16GB of RAM right out of the box. Overall, it's an excellent purchase for students looking to upgrade to a MacBook laptop.

Processor: Apple M3
RAM: 24GB
Storage: 512GB

The Apple MacBook Air M3 is ranked as TechRadar's top laptop for students. Although the M3 chip isn't the latest processor, it still delivers excellent performance for the price, featuring 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It also has up to 18 hours of battery life, while the display is a Liquid Retina one with 1 billion colors. Spatial Audio is also great for listening on the move, making it an ideal all-rounder. Today's deal from Amazon is a record-low price.

Processor: Apple M4
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

If you're looking for a 13-inch MacBook, here's a $150 discount on the M4 configuration. Apple is currently listing a record-low price on this excellent machine, so it's an easy recommendation to make.  With the latest chipset, unbeatable battery life, and a gorgeous design, this model is a fantastic choice for those seeking a reliable, lightweight laptop for daily use.

The Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) is one of the most powerful MacBooks available, with ample power ready to tackle intensive tasks. With a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU, productivity and gaming are a breeze, and it also helps that you'll have 24GB of unified memory. While still quite pricey on sale, it's a generous deal for a laptop that will serve you well for years.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is perfect for college, thanks to its Transcript Assist with Galaxy AI, which can transcribe lectures and conversations and summarize them instantly. It’s slim and lightweight, which is perfect for students to carry from class to class.

The highlights of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE are its great-looking 10.9-inch display, IP68 water and dust resistance, and an included S Pen stylus for when you need to be more precise with your actions. Perfect for students, the Galaxy Tab S10 also packs an impressive 20 hours of battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is a 13.1-inch tablet that comes with Samsung's dynamic S Pen stylus. It's a powerful, full-featured tablet ready for multimedia, productivity, gaming, or anything you throw its way. Today's back-to-school deal is on the 256GB version, which is on sale for $699.99.

You can get the latest Apple iPad A16 on sale for a great low price. The most significant upgrade compared to the previous generation model is the latest A16 chip for faster performance. You also get double the storage of 128GB as standard, a sharp 11-inch Liquid Retina display, and solid 12MP front and back cameras.

Apple iPad Air: from $599 $549, plus free AirPods at Apple
The Apple iPad Air is a great choice if you're headed out to college. It's a model that features a great balance between price and performance, with a beautiful premium lightweight design. Today's back-to-school sale at Apple knocks $50 off both the 11-inch and 13-inch model and also throws in a free pair of AirPods or another eligible accessory of your choice.

Apple iPad Pro: from $999 $899, plus free AirPods at Apple
The iPad Pro is overkill for basic tasks, but it's a fantastic high-end choice for design and creative work. With an incredibly powerful M4 chipset and stunning OLED display, it's easily the best Apple tablet money can buy right now. Today's sale at Apple offers a $100 upfront discount and free accessories, somewhat offsetting the high asking price for this one.

Best Buy's cheapest back-to-school TV deal is the 32-inch Insignia HD smart TV for only $74.99. This is a fantastic deal if you're looking to add a smaller display to an extra bedroom. While the Insignia F20 Series lacks 4K resolution, you're getting the Fire TV experience built-in and an Alexa voice remote.

If you're looking for a TV for a small space, Roku's highly rated 32-inch HD smart TV is on sale for just $139.99. For that money, you get Full HD resolution, plus an enhanced voice remote and the excellent Roku smart TV interface.

You can get the best-selling Insignia 43-inch 4K Fire TV for just $134.999 - $10 more than the record-low price, but still very low. The Insignia F30 Series features 4K HD resolution, smart capabilities with the Fire operating system, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa, so you can use your voice to control your TV.

This mid-sized and best-selling Insignia 55-inch TV supports high-quality 4K HD resolution, has smart capabilities with the Fire operating system, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa controls. I've picked out this size in particular as it's the lowest-ever price for the already affordable display. All this for under $200 is an incredible offer for a no-frills TV of this size.

Samsung's Crystal 4K TVs have been best-sellers here at TechRadar, and Best Buy has the 55-inch U8000F Series model on sale for $379.99 - an incredible price. The 2025 TV features Samsung's Crystal Processor 4K, Motion Xcelerator for a smooth viewing experience, and HDR for superior color reproduction. It also features a new sleek design and Samsung's Tizen smart platform.

A $400 saving on one of the best budget TVs around sounds almost too good to be true. The Roku Pro Series TV delivers an incredible 4K picture, thanks to its QLED display and mini-LED technology, which shines with impressive colors and brilliant contrast. It's also a Roku device, so you'll get rapid and easy access to the latest entertainment through all the major streaming apps.

If you're shopping for a big-screen budget TV this school season, this Insignia 70-inch display is an outstanding deal at only $379.99. The Insignia F50 Series TV features 4K HD resolution, DTS Studio Sound, smart capabilities with the Fire OS, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa, allowing you to use your voice to control your TV.

Walmart's best big-screen budget TV deal is this 65-inch display from Onn, which is on sale for only $298. It offers 4K UHD resolution on a frameless bezel for an edge-to-edge viewing experience. The Onn. display also comes with the Roku experience for easy streaming and a compatible app that allows you to use your voice to launch shows, browse movies, and adjust the volume.

If you're looking for a really cheap TV deal for your dorm room, Walmart's back-to-school sale features the TCL 55-inch 4K TV for just $188. At an incredible price for a 55-inch display, you're getting 4K UHD resolution, the Google Assistant, and Chromecast built-in for seamless streaming, along with a handy voice remote.

The JBL Tune 520BT are budget over-ear headphones with impressive sound and renowned JBL pure bass. You're also getting wireless bluetooth 5.3 technology and an incredible 57 hours of battery life. Today's deal from Best Buy brings the price down to just $39.99.

AirPods are a back-to-school essential, and Amazon has Apple's all-new AirPods 4 on sale for $119. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and feature Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You also get a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and support for USB-C for wireless charging.

Apple's best-selling AirPods Pro 2 sound excellent, offer top-tier noise cancellation, feature Dolby Atmos spatial audio, which is amazing for movies, and they even have an unlosable case, thanks to technology that points you to where it's hiding (and a speaker to help, too). Today's deal is the best price you can find right now.

Best Buy has a $100 discount on the Beats Studio Pro headphones. They're gorgeous looking, easy to use, and the sound is good (read about it in our Beats Studio Pro review), so if the lack of multipoint pairing (they do auto-switch with Apple devices, though) and wearer detection doesn't bother you, this is a very solid deal.

The top-rated Beats Solo 4 headphones are on sale for its lowest price yet. This model supports lossless audio playback via USB-C or a 3.5mm audio cable, as well as Spatial Audio, which utilizes head tracking to enhance your listening experience. These headphones also last up to 50 hours on a single charge and can regain five hours of playback time in just 10 minutes of charging.