Back-to-school season is in full swing, and we’re all ready to pack new backpacks filled with freshly sharpened pencils and pretty, colorful folders. Unfortunately, as we get older, shopping becomes less fun (and more expensive) and we end up spending over $100 on a calculator. But there are tons of back-to-school sales where you can save big on laptops, headphones, and more.
All the big retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, are running back-to-school sales with discounts on small items like colored pencils for just $0.99 and hundreds of dollars off laptops like the M3 Apple MacBook Air.
Best Laptop Deals
Why we like it
Read Mashable’s full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M3).
The MacBook Air with the M3 chip is a great laptop, especially for students on a budget. It weighs less at 2.7 pounds versus the MacBook Pro’s 3.4 pounds, but the M3 packs the same processing power as the Pro. During back-to-school season, you can get the M3 MacBook Air for under $1,000 at Best Buy, priced at $899, a savings of 18% and a $200 discount. (You can save an additional $50 with a paid My Best Buy membership, matching the lowest price ever on Prime Day.)
More Laptop Deals
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Acer Chromebook 315, 15.6-inch (Intel Pentium N6000, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $219
$349(Save $130) -
Acer Aspire 3 (AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $299.99
$329.99(Save $30) -
HP 17.3-inch Laptop (Intel i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $369.99
$549.99(Save $180) -
Dell Inspiron 15 Touchscreen Laptop (Intel i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $399.99
$629.99(Save $230) -
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop (AMD Ryzen, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $479.99
$729.99(Save $250) -
HP Envy 2-in-1, 16-inch Touchscreen Laptop (AMD Ryzen 5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $499.99
$849.99(Save $350) -
Asus TUF Gaming A15 (AMD Ryzen 5 7535H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $599.99
$699.99(Save $100) -
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $649
$699(Save $50) -
Lenovo Yoga 7i, 14-inch (Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $719.99
$999.99(Save $210) -
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $799
$999(Save $200) -
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Copilot+, 14.5-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $999.99
$1,199.99(Save $200) -
HP Specter x360 14t-eu000 (Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099.99
$1,449.99(Save $350) -
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,299
$1,499(Save $200) -
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD) —$1,699
$1,999(Save $300) -
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M3, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,399
$2,899(Save $500)
Best Headphones or Earphones Deals
Why we like it
If you’re going to college, you’ll need to bring some headphones with you so you can concentrate while walking across campus to class or studying in the library. Noise-canceling headphones are especially important if you have a loud roommate. Luckily, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are a great option for under $200.
In testing by our sister publication PC Mag, the Sony WH-1000XM4 were named our Editors’ Choice for delivering the right balance of excellent noise cancellation and audio that will please even the pickiest audiophiles. Normally $348, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are discounted to $198 at Amazon, which means you’ll save $150 with 43% off.
Headphones & Earphones Deals
Best School Supplies Deals
Why we like it
In high school math, getting your hands on a clunky graphing calculator is something of a rite of passage. Luckily, the new generation TI-84 is a slim, sleek device with colorful graphics. Get the Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE for just $99 before the new school year begins. That’s 34% off, saving you $51.
See more school supplies deals
Best backpack deals
Why we like it
No matter what age or grade level, everyone needs a backpack, and the 26-liter Classic XL Backpack from Herschel Supply Co. is a roomy, minimalist option with one main compartment, a floating laptop sleeve, a front utility pocket, and side water bottle pockets. It’s on sale for $65 on the Herschel website, but it’s on sale for $29.98 on Amazon, which means you save 54%, or just over $35.
Mashable Deals
For younger students, the slightly smaller Herschel Classic Backpack (no “XL”) was also available on Amazon at the time of writing.
Backpack deals
Best dorm plan
Why we like it
If you’re heading off to college, you’re probably getting a shopping cart full of new bedding, towels, and more. But there’s one item we urge you to never buy: a mattress topper. Dorm room mattresses are basically plastic bags filled with hard metal springs, and they’re guaranteed to give you a terrible night’s sleep. But a few inches of memory foam can solve that problem. Casper’s Comfy Mattress Topper is a popular choice and is on the pricey side at $219, but it’s 20% off during their summer sale, making it just $175.20. That’s a pretty stellar deal for $43.80, and it’ll help you sleep more peacefully.
Other Residence Hall Deals
Best Apple Deals
Why we like it
If you want to save money on Apple products, it’s best to shop outside the Apple Store, as sales are rare there, and will continue until the new school year begins. The Apple Education Store offers great deals for students and teachers on Apple devices. Get up to $150 in gift cards when you buy a MacBook or iPad through September 30. Plus, when you shop at the Apple Education Store, you’ll get education pricing that saves you an additional $100 on your device.
More Apple deals
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Apple AirPods (2nd generation) — $79.99
$129(Save $49.01) -
Apple Pencil (2nd generation) — $79.99
$129(Save $49.01) -
Apple AirTags (4-pack) $72.99
$99(Savings $26.01) -
Apple AirPods (3rd generation) — $139.99
$169(Save $29.01) -
Apple iPad, 10.2-inch (A13 Bionic, WiFi, 64GB) — $229.99
$329.99(Save $100) -
Apple AirPods Max — $449
$549(Save $100) -
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $799
$999(Save $200) -
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,299
$1,499(Save $200) -
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD) —$1,699
$1,999(Save $300) -
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M3, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,399
$2,899(Save $500)