Time flies when you’re having fun. Somehow, the time of camps and lazy mornings watching TV is almost over, and school is around the corner (if it hasn’t started already). We hunted down discounts on school supplies and classroom essentials, which, in this day and age, aren’t just backpacks and glue sticks. Everyone can benefit from these deals on headphones, tablets, and other gadgets.
Be sure to check out our Best Dorm Gear guide for additional recommendations and gift ideas, plus the Best Student Discounts and Best Teacher Discounts.
Updated August 20: We’ve removed dead deals, updated pricing, and added the Pixel 7A, Lululemon bag, a futon, a Hydro Flask tumbler, an Anker power strip, and a gaming mouse.
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WIRED Featured Deals
- Our Favorite MacBook: Apple MacBook Air (13 Inch, 2024) for $850 ($250 off)
- Fantastic Over-Ear Headphones: Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones for $248 ($100 off)
- The Best Backpack for School: The North Face Jester Backpack for $53 ($20 off)
- A Slick Tablet: Google Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock for $400 ($100 off)
Tech Deals
Our guides on the Best Laptops, Best Tablets, and Best Earbuds can help you decide.
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
This iteration from March 2024 is our favorite MacBook for most people. The newest MacBook Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t terribly different from older iterations, but it’s steady and reliable when it comes to everyday tasks like doing your schoolwork or catching up on House of the Dragon. It’s not the best for graphics-intensive tasks, but if you are in the market for a laptop that can handle your daily to-do list, this is a solid option at the lowest price we’ve tracked. The 15-inch version is also discounted.
You can pair the 16-inch MacBook Pro with either the M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. This version has the M3 Max, which is overkill if you mostly just use a web browser. But if you’re a content creator, our reviewer Christopher Null notes that its performance is measurably better. Just make sure you’re getting 32 GB of unified memory—16 isn’t enough.
Photograph: Nena Farrell
The Google Pixel Tablet (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite tablet-smart-display-combo. The 11-inch LCD screen is sharp, and the operating system is fun to use. The included charging dock doubles as a speaker, and it converts the tablet into a smart display. The Pixel Tablet also supports Chromecast so you can cast music or shows to it from your device. There’s also support for up to eight multiple users, which might come in handy for big families or small classrooms.
This deal was $25 more a few days ago. The ninth-generation iPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t the newest or most powerful model, but it’s still a great basic and affordable iPad. It still has a Home button with Touch ID, and it’s compatible with some older accessories like the first-generation Apple Pencil. If you want an iPad but you’re on a very tight budget, this is a fine option.
So here’s the thing about the Sony Linkbuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends): They always sell for either $178 or $128, with very few deviations. It’s a pattern that’s been going since June of last year. But right now, they’re $128, making it a better time to purchase than the next time they vacillate back and forth in price. They’re excellent wireless earbuds, partially due to the design, which allows you to hear what’s going on around you.
Photograph: Sony
The only truly bad thing about the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is their name. They’ve got excellent noise canceling, 30 hours of battery life, a comfortable (if a little drab) design, and fantastic sound and mic quality. They’ve since been replaced by the newer, more premium XM5, but the XM4 are still some of the best headphones you can get.
This itty-bitty power bank isn’t listed in our Best Portable Chargers guide, but we generally like gear from Zendure, and the price is absolutely bonkers. This charger is available in a ton of cool colors and the small form factor makes it easy to take anywhere. It has pass-through charging and can top off two devices simultaneously through its USB-A and USB-C ports. It’ll charge your gear up quickly, too.
It’s important to note that we saw this phone fall to $250 during Prime Day back in July. That was the best deal we’d ever tracked by far. This price is more on par with what you’d typically expect a good deal to be for this excellent Android phone. The Google Pixel 7A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) was our favorite Android phone in 2023. It’s since been replaced by the Pixel 8A, and with the Pixel 9 series soon to release, we might see even further price drops in the future. But if you want a good cheap phone, this value is hard to beat. It’s great in nearly every way—our only big gripe is with the battery life. Consider putting some of your savings towards a good power bank.
This is one of the lowest prices we’ve tracked for one of the best gaming mice. We like this for competitive gaming, but obviously it works great regardless of whether or not you’re currently playing League of Legends. It’s super fast and snappy, it’s comfortable in either hand, and there are two programmable side buttons.
Enter code ANKER9123E during checkout to get half off this handy power strip. We’re big plans of keeping little power cubes and strips basically everywhere. We’re also big fans of Anker gear in general. This gadget will convert one wall outlet into two AC outlets and two USB-A ports. It’s also pretty compact and flat so it won’t cover the other outlet on your wall. Put it in your car, classroom, home office, or wherever you find yourself using devices throughout the day.
Backpack and Tote Deals
Photograph: The North Face
The North Face Jester is our favorite backpack for school. Various colors are on sale for around $20, some of which don’t drop in price very often. We like the exterior bungee and the roomy interior, and the bag is made of recycled components which is always nice. The bag also stays nicely balanced no matter how much stuff you cram in it.
This deal is even better than what we saw last week. This bag is in our Best Backpacks guide and our Best Recycled Bags guide. It saves 22 plastic bottles from landfills, and there’s a detachable insert to convert the bag’s interior into one that’s roomier or one with more pockets. We’ve seen it drop to about $10 less before, but this deal is still a good one.
The Rains Backpack Mini is an excellent, stylish, waterproof backpack. It has a grown-up aesthetic and enough room to hold a 13-inch laptop as well as a few other essentials. The 8.5-liter capacity isn’t going to be ideal for kids with a ton of stuff to carry, but for teachers and older students, it’s definitely worth a look.
This discount might not seem like much at first glance, but it’s very hard to score a deal on these popular bags. This belt bag has a surprisingly roomy interior, plus a few inner pockets for organization. There’s also a zippered pocket that faces your body where you can stash things like your ID or keys.
Home Office and Dorm Deals
Photograph: Staples
The Hyken is the best budget office chair. It goes on sale often, but this is still a decent deal, although it was $30 cheaper earlier this month. It reclines and the back is made of a breathable mesh fabric. There’s added lumbar support and a headrest as well. If your college-bound kid wants a wider seat, check out our other recommendations.
The Nest Wifi Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is simple to set up and has a cute, unobtrusive design, and the Google Home app lets you customize settings. The three-pack will cover up to 2,200 square feet of your son’s frat house, but you can snag smaller packs if the space isn’t so large. Read more about this in our Best Mesh Routers guide.
The Deco X20 is our favorite budget mesh Wi-Fi system. It’s easy to set up and has great parental controls. The coverage speeds aren’t top-of-the-line, but the system is dependable and affordable—especially thanks to this deal.
Futons and college go hand in hand. It’s a couch! It’s a bed! It’s probably not going to be the best of either world, but if you or someone you love is furnishing an apartment or home office on a tight budget, this is a cheap way to do it.
Deals on Everything Else
Photograph: Ember
We’ve featured this mug in some winter-themed gift guides in the past. Few things are more frustrating than pouring yourself a cup of coffee, getting distracted by a work-related task, and taking a sip only to find that your brew has gone cold. Ember’s smart mug fixes that problem. It’ll keep beverages warm for up to 80 minutes on a full charge, or all day if you leave the coaster plugged in. It also has automatic shut-off for peace of mind.
This is a good price on a cute, large-capacity tumbler. It holds 32 ounces, so you won’t have to refill it too frequently throughout the day. And unlike some other popular tumblers in this style, Hydro Flask doesn’t use any lead when manufacturing the cups. The included straw is flexible and the design allows the cup to be placed in your vehicle’s cupholders. Everything is dishwasher safe. Some other colors are on sale if the purple doesn’t tickle your fancy.
Join Target Circle for free and verify with your student or faculty ID to get 20 percent off a qualifying purchase. That includes everything in your cart that’s eligible. There are a few excluded items, but most school supplies and classroom essentials are eligible for the discount. This opportunity ends on August 24.
This sale at Happy Planner features tons of products that would be good for teachers, including planners. With planner prices hovering around $10, it’s a good way to snag the best weekly planner for much cheaper than usual. Other discounted products include organizational tools for your desk and stickers that might delight your students.
