10 back-to-school deals that are actually worth your money

Where in the world did the time go? It’s somehow mid-August already, and that means it’s time to talk about back-to-school promotions. After a long summer, students everywhere will be returning to their studies over the next several weeks, and with that comes the annual hunt for the best deals on tech essentials. Whether it’s a new Chromebook for homework or a smartphone to stay connected, the right tech can help set you up for success.

Below you will find a highly curated list of 10 deals we think are totally worth your money. Most of the items are either top picks, or are at least mentioned, in our various buyer’s guides, and they just happen to be at notable discounts right now. This means that not only are you getting a great deal, but you can also feel good knowing you are getting a great product too.

10 back-to-school deals that are actually worth your money

Our top 10 back-to-school deals include everything from wearables to laptops. We have the Galaxy Watch 6, which is one of our favorite smartwatches right now, at $100 off, and HP’s premium 2-in-1 Chromebook Plus with a massive $200 discount. Need a backpack with laptop storage? We got you. Noise-canceling headphones to help stay focused during long study sessions? Yep, we have those too. You’ll also find a deal on a rugged 1TB SSD that’s perfect for carrying large project files and moving them between school and personal computers, and our favorite portable Bluetooth speaker at a near-30% discount. There is a little something for everyone in this roundup.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

A good smartwatch can keep you connected so you don’t miss an assignment, forget a test, or miss a get-together with friends. And when it comes to well-rounded Android smartwatches, it doesn’t get much better than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 . It really hits the sweet spot in terms of performance (think smooth actions and animations), features, build quality, and price tag.

HP 14C 2-in-1 Chromebook Plus laptop

Chromebooks make great laptops for students because they are portable and affordable, and at $200 off, we think HP’s 14C Chromebook Plus makes for a great option. It has a 14″ touch display that can be flipped around and used as a tablet, plenty of performance, and up to 10 hours of battery life. It’s also packed with features like a high-quality webcam for video chats and tuned stereo speakers for enjoying audio from your favorite streaming service.

Samsung Odyssey G55C 32-inch gaming monitor

Perhaps one of the most meaningful purchases for a student, other than a laptop, is an external monitor. It will not only give you a lot more screen real estate to study or do homework on, but it can also be used for binging your favorite movies or shows, and gaming. There are plenty of better, more expensive options available, but if you are looking for a budget display that doesn’t sacrifice size or color quality, we like this deal on the Odyssey.

Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones

A good pair of noise-canceling headphones can help quiet outside noise and keep you focused during long study sessions, and make your commutes to and from classes infinitely more enjoyable. With this in mind, check out this deal on the Sony XM5 wireless headphones . They are our current top overall pick for the best wireless headphones because of their excellent noise-canceling and sound quality, as well as their premium build and features. It doesn’t get much better than this—especially for $300.

Apple iPad 10.2-inch (2021)

You could probably replace most of the gadgets on this list with a good tablet. They can be used to watch TV or movies, play games, study and do homework, and call or text your friends and family. It’s a few years old, with a bit of a dated design, but the size and performance are going to beat out most new Android models in this price range. Plus, Apple’s App Store is notoriously better on the tablet front when it comes to app and game selection.

OnePlus 12R smartphone

The OnePlus 12R is the current premium pick in our buyer’s guide to the best budget Android phones, so the fact that it is currently $50 off makes us love it even more. The handset gives you a ton of features for under $500, including a 6.8″ 120Hz display, a snappy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 50MP camera. Plus, with its beefy 5500mAh battery and OnePlus’ patented superfast 80W charging, you will spend very little time fretting over battery life.

Bose SoundLink Flex portable Bluetooth speaker

The Bose SoundLink Flex is the current best overall pick in our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. This thing is fantastic. It produces great sound, has a very light, yet sturdy build, and can pair with more than one device. It gets loud enough to jam during study sessions or set the vibes during small gatherings, but not so loud that you’ll get kicked out of the dorms. We also like that it’s waterproof, so you can take those vibes to the pool or shower, and that it’s currently $40 off.

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1TB

Storage comes at a premium these days in things like phones, tablets, and computers, so it’s always good to have a high-capacity external drive around to pick up the slack. There are plenty of options available, but we really like the Extreme Portable SSD v2 from SanDisk. It features 1TB of storage, fast 1GB read and write speeds, and 256-bit AES hardware encryption to keep your data safe. It also offers drop protection to 10 feet and IP65 water and dust resistance, so you won’t ever worry about throwing this thing in a crowded bag or pocket.

Anker 737 140W Power Bank

You may already have a smaller power bank that fits in a pants pocket or magnetically attaches to your phone, but it’s a new school year and new you, so it’s time to step your game up. Anker’s 737 Power Bank packs 140W of power, 24,000mAh capacity, two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a digital display for battery status. It’s a bigger unit for sure, but if you can tuck it away into a backpack, you’ll have access to superfast power for your laptop, tablet, and all of your other gadgets all day long.

Solo Re:Define Laptop Backpack

No back-to-school roundup would be complete without a backpack, and here we have a great one for laptop or tablet-carrying students. It’s a stylish bag made by Solo New York out of sustainable materials like recycled PET bottles. The design is pretty standard; you have three separate zippered compartments, and a small front zippered pocket for…pocket stuff. There are also special compartments and organizers for things like a laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc., and it does have the most important thing to me: a strong top handle.