It's “back to school” season for some and “been back in school” season for others, but regardless of your specific situation, now is the time of year when retailers are discounting all the school essentials. We've hunted down discounts on the best back-to-school gear our reviewers have hand-tested, from laptops and mattress toppers to bags and chairs.
Be sure to check out our related guides, including the Best Back-to-School Laptop Deals, the Best Dorm Gear, and the Best Kids Backpacks.
Top Back-to-School Deals
Tech Deals
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
The MacBook Air M4 (2025) is a rock-solid MacBook for college students. It's our favorite laptop overall and the Best MacBook you can buy, and it gets you excellent value for the money. It strikes a fantastic balance between performance and price, and it'll have no trouble handling multiple browser tabs or lasting you all day. It has support for external displays and Apple Intelligence, a high-resolution 12-MP webcam, and a thin form factor that won't bother your back while you're toting it around.
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a very good Chromebook for students, especially if you need a solid laptop and your budget is tight. The 2-in-1 design can be used in laptop mode or tablet mode, and while the battery life could be better, the performance is smooth. It's hard to find more laptop for the price.
The Apple iPad (2025, A16) sells for this price pretty frequently, but it does jump back up to its MSRP of $350 regularly and rarely falls much below $300. It's the best iPad for most people, and it's a solid contender if you want some of the capabilities of doing basic schoolwork without a traditional laptop. It's compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil, the USB-C Apple Pencil, the Smart Folio, and the Magic Keyboard Folio. We have more recommendations in our iPad Accessories Buying Guide.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
The OnePlus 13 came out earlier this year, and this is the best price drop we've seen for it so far. It's a great Android phone, especially if you care a lot about the battery: Not only does it last up to two days, depending on what you're doing, but it can also be charged from zero to 100 in just over 30 minutes. Battery aside, the rest of the phone is good, too: Snappy performance, water resistance, and a slick triple-lens camera. If you order from OnePlus directly, you'll get a free phone case or pair of earbuds. It's a very solid deal if you want to upgrade your phone for the new school year.
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