Whether you’ve been in school for weeks or are headed back in the coming weeks, it’s that time of year: back-to-school season. We’re ready for new backpacks filled with freshly sharpened pencils and clean, colorful folders. Unfortunately, the older you get, the less fun (and more expensive) shopping gets — like spending over $100 on a calculator. However, plenty of back-to-school deals are here to bring oodles of savings on laptops, headphones, and more.
All the big retailers are hosting back-to-school sales, including Amazon, L.L. Bean, Best Buy, Target, and more. You’ll find savings on the small stuff, like colored pencils for just $0.99, or hundreds of dollars off laptops, including the M3 Apple MacBook Air.
Best laptop deal
Why we like it
Read Mashable’s full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M3).
The MacBook Air with M3 chip is a great college laptop — especially if you’re on a budget. It comes in a light package, weighing 2.7 pounds versus a MacBook Pro’s 3.4 pounds, but it holds the same M3 processing power as the Pro. During back-to-school season, the M3 MacBook Air has been under $1,000 at Best Buy. We’ve been tracking the price at $899 for weeks, saving you $200 for 18% off.
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Asus Vivobook Go, 11.6-inch (Intel Celeron N4500, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $169.99
$229.99(save $60)Acer Aspire 3 (AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $299.99
$329.99(save $30)Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook, 13.3-inch (Snapdragon 7cG2, 8GB RAM, 128GB eMMC) — $369
$499(save $130)Dell Inspiron 15 touchscreen laptop (Intel i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $399.99
$629.99(save $230)Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $649
$699(save $50)HP Envy 2-in-1, 14-inch touchscreen laptop (Intel Core Ultra 5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $749.99
$999.99(save $250)Lenovo Yoga 7i, 14-inch (Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $729.99
$999.99(save $200)Dell Inspiron, 16-inch (Intel Core Ultra 7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,099.99
$1,499.99(save $400)Asus ROG Strix G16, 16-inch (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,164.99
$1,399.99(save $235)Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,299
$1,499(save $200)
Best headphone or earbud deal
Why we like it
If you’re headed to college, you need a pair of headphones so you can listen while walking across campus to class or focusing during a library study session. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones is especially important when you’re dealing with noisy roommates. Luckily, the AirPods Max are a stylish choice for just that.
Admittedly, the AirPods Max may not be the top pick for audiophiles, however, it’s hard to deny their ease of connectivity with iOS devices and stylish design. Normally priced at $549, AirPods Max aren’t cheap. However, they’re currently just $5 away from their lowest price ever at $399. As you head back to school, get these headphones for $150 off for 27% savings.
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Best school supply deal
Why we like it
It’s a rite of passage to get your hands on a clunky graphing calculator for high school math. Luckily these days, the new generation of TI-84s are slim, sleek devices with colorful graphics. Ahead of the school year, get the Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE for just $99, saving you $51 for 34% off.
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Best backpack deal
Why we like it
Maybe it’s just because I grew up 15 minutes away from the L.L. Bean flagship store, but a back-to-school shopping trip isn’t complete without an L.L. Bean backpack. Rarely on sale, you can find the L.L.Bean Deluxe Book Pack marked down to $43.96. It comes in a variety of delightful prints and with 37L there are plenty of rooms for books, sports uniforms, and more.
This backpack is for the rough and tumble kids. The extra tough stitching keeps it strong, and the waterproof fabric prevents soggy homework. Find it now for 20% off and save $10.99.
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Best dorm deal
Why we like it
If you’re headed off to college, your shopping cart is likely exploding with new bedding, towels, and more. But there’s one item we’re begging you not to skip: A mattress topper. Dorm room mattresses are essentially plastic bags full of stiff metal springs guaranteed to give you a terrible night’s sleep, but that’s nothing that several inches of memory foam can’t fix.
Casper’s Comfy Mattress Topper is a favorite and is pricey at $219. Earlier this summer, it was 20% off during its summer sale. While those savings didn’t last, you can still find it for 10% off for $197.10. Those $21.90 are some sweet savings — letting you sleep even more peacefully.
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Best Apple deal
Why we like it
If you want to save on Apple products, our usual advice is to buy anywhere but the Apple store, as they rarely have sales. That is until back-to-school season rolls around. The Apple Education Store lets students and teachers save on Apple devices. Before September 30, with the purchase of a MacBook or iPad you’ll receive a gift card worth up to $150. Plus, when shopping in the Apple Education Store, you’ll benefit from education pricing that saves you an extra $100 on devices.
