The best back-to-school sales 2026: TechRadar's recommendations for laptops, headphones, essentials, and more
Looking for some essentials before you head off to school, college, or university? Here's what we'd buy if we were students this month.
As the academic year gets underway, many students will be on the hunt for essential tech to help them with their studies. Laptops, headphones, and other gadgets can all be pricey, but savvy shoppers can snag some great discounts at major retailers.
Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon are currently running back-to-school sales, with a wide selection of items on offer. However, with so many options to choose from, finding the best deals can be a challenge.
For those in need of a budget-friendly laptop, a Chromebook is a great option, especially for younger students. The HP Chromebook Plus, for example, features an Intel Celeron N4500 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB storage capacity, all for a low price. With 10 hours of battery life, it's perfect for a full day of studying and work.
Other retailers like Lenovo and Dell also offer student discounts on laptops, with deals ranging from 10% to 65% off. If you're looking for a higher-performance machine, Apple and Amazon both have deals on MacBooks and iPads, with up to $150 off Apple products and discounts on iPads at Amazon.
When it comes to accessories, Walmart has a good selection of backpacks, headphones, and tablets, while Staples offers discounts on stationery, office furniture, and supplies. All of these retailers have links for their current sales, making it easy to find the best bargains for your tech shopping needs.
Written by urgent.news from TechRadar's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
