A collection of back-to-school-related items, including a backpack and headphones. Photograph: Courtesy Photos View image in fullscreen A collection of back-to-school-related items, including a backpack and headphones. Photograph: Courtesy Photos The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
With fall semester due to begin, our tech reviewer lays out the best back-to-school laptops, headphones, writing tablets, smartphones and more to ease back into studies
We found the 30 best deals for students and parents, from headphones and chairs to a shoe rack
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Adam Doud Sat 15 Aug 2026 19.15 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google A ugust is here, which makes it a great time to think about what tech you need to get the most out of college. Whether you need to get around the campus, carry all your stuff from lecture hall to lecture hall, or want to be the life of the party after your studies are complete, we’ve found a wide variety of tech and accessories to help you navigate campus life. Even if this is your final year, we have suggestions to help get you across that stage with your tassel flipped over.
We have tested every piece of tech in this list, and our picks cover a range of prices as well, so if you don’t have the cash for (or want) the latest and greatest, there are some budget options. College is supposed to be fun and a great learning experience. We hope these picks will help you with both.
Be sure to also check out our piece on our favorite back-to-school deals right now .
Earbuds with white noise Soundcore Sleep A20 Buds Read more $101 Buy at Walmart A surge protector for your room Anker Power Strip with 2100J Surge Protector Read more $29 Buy at Amazon A great party speaker JLab Pop Party Read more $23 Buy at Amazon A tablet for handwriting iFlytek AInote Air 2 Read more $429 Buy at Amazon (with case) A tablet for artists Wacom MovinkPad 11 Read more $500 Buy at Amazon A tablet for everything Apple iPad Air M4 (11in) Read more $710 Buy at Amazon A useful smartwatch Amazfit Active 3 Premium Read more $170 Buy at Amazon A versatile backpack Gregory Terros 28 Backpack Read more $110 Buy at REI No room for a TV? Try a projector Xgimi Mogo 4 Portable Projector Read more $479 Buy at Amazon A luxe laptop Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro Read more $1,300 Buy at Samsung A laptop for web browsing Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 Read more $599 Buy at Best Buy A good MacBook Apple MacBook Neo Read more $699 Buy at Amazon Backup battery power Mophie Power Station Plus 5K Read more $40 Buy at Amazon A battery big enough to charge your laptop Baseus Laptop Power Pack Read more $60 Buy at Amazon A MagSafe snap-on battery pack Baseus Picogo Air Read more $50 Buy at Amazon An e-bike for cruising to class Kingbull Ranger Read more $799 Buy at Kingbull Stylish noise-canceling headphones Nothing Headphone (a) Read more $159 Buy at Amazon Our favorite noise-cancelling earbuds Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and Apple AirPods Pro 3 Read more $200 Buy at Amazon (AirPods Pro 3) A massive folding phone Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Read more $1,900 Buy at Amazon (includes $350 Amazon gift card) A great iPhone iPhone 17 Read more $799 Buy at Apple A more affordable phone Motorola Moto G Stylus (2026) Read more $500 Buy at Amazon A monitor for your dorm desk MSI MAG 255F E20 Read more $100 Buy at MSI A docking…