The best back-to-school sales 2026: Tech Radar's recommendations for laptops, headphones, essentials, and more | Tech Radar
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The best back-to-school sales 2026: Tech Radar's recommendations for laptops, headphones, essentials, and more
26 of this week's best bargains for students and teachers
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(Image credit: Dell, HP, Bose, Keurig, Google, Keurig)
Getting ready to head back to school or college? No doubt you've got a shopping list of essentials you need to check off before the semester starts. A good laptop, a decent pair of headphones, or even a new i Pad are all great buys.
Of course, such tech comes with a significant outlay, which is why I've been scanning through all the top retailers to find the best discounts this week. Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon all have 'back-to-school' sales ongoing right now, but with thousands of items on sale, it can be tricky to find the true bargains.
Below, you'll find sections for laptops, headphones, appliances, and other tech. I've focused on college students here (who tend to need the most tech), but there are a few great options here for younger kids too. A Chromebook, for example, is a fantastic low-cost laptop for kids just starting out.
Alongside a selection of this week's best deals, I've also included an overview of today's sales at the relevant retailers, including links. See these below.
Amazon: cheap appliances, smart home, stationery, and essentials
Adorama: education discounts on cameras, monitors, printers
Best Buy: discounts on laptops, headphones, TVs, and more
Dell: cheap laptops with exclusive student discounts
HP: up to 65% off laptops, desktops, monitors, peripherals
Staples: discounts on stationery, office furniture, supplies
Walmart: essentials, backpacks, headphones, tablets
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500 RAM: 4GB Storage: 64GB
HP's range of cheap Chromebooks has always been a good option if you're on a small budget. As a Chromebook, you don't need much to get smooth performance, and this 14-inch model is worth checking out if you just want the basics for studying, emails, or streaming. Despite not being a high-end laptop by any means, this is a relatively portable option with plenty of battery life.
Display - 15.3 inches Processor - Intel Core 3 RAM - 8GB Storage - 128GB
This version of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus offers an impressive amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel Core 3 processor, boosting performance, boot times and load times. Storage of 128GB is a bit miserly for the price, but battery life is solid at up to 10 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough to last a full working day. At a little under $400, it's a smart buy for school or college, or just as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.
Display - 15.6 inches Processor - AMD Ryzen 7 RAM - 16GB Storage - 1TB
If you want a cheap Windows laptop, then this configuration of the Dell 15 Laptop is an excellent buy and terrific value for money. You get an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a large 1TB SSD to ensure good overall performance and enough essential, speedy storage for the price. It's a top buy right now if you're on a budget and need a laptop for general everyday use, admin tasks, light work, or schoolwork.
Display: 13 inches Processor: A18 Pro RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB
The Mac Book Neo just got a price bump, but students can get it cheaper again thanks to Apple's education discount. The latest Mac Book packs a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and up to 16 hours of battery life, all for under $600, which is fantastic value. Discounts have been better in the past, but I think these will be rarer to see over the coming months and this price likely won't be beaten over Black Friday.
Display - 13.4 inches Processor - Intel Core 5 RAM - 8GB Storage - 512GB
The Dell XPS 13 has regularly been one of our favorite laptops here at Tech Radar, and this brand-new version continues that trend. With an Intel Core 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it has everything you need for solid all-around performance at work or college. Students can also save an extra
Graphics card: RTX 5070 Processor: Intel Core 7 Series 2 RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB
If you're looking for a high-end gaming laptop, then one of the best options I've seen at Best Buy is this RTX 5070-equipped Acer Nitro V. You usually don't see laptops with such a powerful graphics card at this price point, although you do sacrifice a bigger storage drive and RAM to squeeze such a component in here. Still, in terms of bang for the buck, this is a very strong contender.
Graphics card: RTX 5060 Processor: Intel Core 7-240H RAM: 32GB Storage: 1TB
It's always worth keeping an eye on the official Dell Store for deals on Alienware gaming laptops. Right now, my favorite listing is on this Alienware 15, which is the brand's new entry-level model. It's still a premium laptop, however, and this spec features an RTX 5060 graphics card, 32GB of RAM, and a decent Core 7 chipset, so it's certainly not lacking in terms of performance.
Graphics card: RTX 5060 Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 270 RAM: 16GB Storage: 1TB
Looking for a lightweight laptop that can still provide excellent gaming performance? The Asus Zephyrus G14 is an outstanding candidate. At 14-inches, it's a little smaller than most gaming laptops, but it features a stunning high-end design and 120 Hz OLED display. Even though this configuration only features an RTX 5060 graphics card and 16GB of RAM, it's a very versatile machine that's worth checking out if you want a do-it-all laptop for college.
Best Buy has Apple's Air Pods 4 on sale for $99.99. The Air Pods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and feature Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You also get a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and support for USB-C for wireless charging.
Best Buy's back-to-school sale also has the Air Pods 4 with active noise cancellation for $149.99, which is the best deal you can find right now. The Air Pods 4 feature a new comfortable design, handy controls, and Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation.
Amazon has dropped Apple's Air Pods Pro 3 to $189.99, which is the best deal I've seen on these buds in well over a month. Upgrades to the Air Pods Pro 3 include improved Active Noise Cancellation and audio, a new comfortable in-ear design, and new features such as live translation and the ability to track heart rate, workouts, and calories burned.
The second-generation model has now been revealed, but the original Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones remain a top choice if you want quality noise-cancelling headphones at a mid-range price. I've been using a pair for a long time now and rate them highly, while our expert testers also scored them an impressive four stars in our review. You get excellent noise cancellation, top-tier audio quality, and 24 hours of battery life in a surprisingly affordable package.
The fantastic Bose Quest Comfort Ultra Headphones have remained available at this price since Prime Day in June, so it's effectively the new standard price for this model. These offer a clear step up in audio compared to other premium cans, with superbly detailed and energetic sound and the best noise cancellation you can get right now, in a light and comfortable design.
Bose's affordable earbuds offer top-tier active noise cancellation, but without a massive price tag. Just be aware that I have seen them for $20 less than this before. Still, in our 4.5-star Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds review, we said they were already "arguably best-in-class value" at full price, so the fact that you can get them for even less makes them hard to beat. We praised their comfort and sound quality as well as the amazing ANC.
The second-generation version of the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Earbuds are some of the manufacturer's best in terms of audio quality and noise cancellation — so good, in fact, that we awarded them the full five stars in our review. This latest model lasts up to 24 hours between both the buds and the case and features new Custom Tune technology that adjusts the audio based on your ear shape. The Spatial Audio also makes the listening experience more immersive than ever with the option to swap between listening modes, depending on if you want to lose yourself in audio or stay alert.
We haven't tested this particular model, but we highly rate Ninja as a brand if you're looking for value for the money. This Single Serve coffee maker from the well-known brand is great for both hot and cold beverages and shouldn't take up too much space on your kitchen countertop.
The Navigator is one of Shark's cheaper vacuums, but it's great value if you just want something reliable that will yield great results. The lift-away mechanism here means you can easily detach the handle from the base for difficult-to-reach high places. Perfect for both carpets and hard floors, the Navigator also features a HEPA filter and a handy brush attachment for pet hair.
The Keurig K-Express is a cheap, convenient coffee maker that can quickly brew coffee using your favorite K-Cup Pods. It can brew 8, 10, and 12oz cups depending on your preference. The 42oz reservoir holds enough water to brew up to 5 8oz cups per refill. With
The Oral-B i O2 works great as a starter electric toothbrush thanks to its modest price point. It offers three brushing modes, including Super Sensitive, Gentle Clean, and Daily Clean, and a timer that lets you know when you've finished brushing your teeth for the recommended two minutes. It comes with a charger and carrying case, too. Be sure to check the "Apply $3.50 coupon" box underneath the list price to get the full discount.
If you're looking for a decent phone on a budget, then the Google Pixel 10a is a great place to start. Today's price cut at Amazon brings it to within $25 of the lowest price I've seen, and there's no doubt you're getting a lot of phone for the money here. The Pixel 10a features the same chipset as the higher-end Pixel 10 with all the latest AI tricks, plus an impressive 30 hours of battery life.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8 / Fold 8 Ultra: up to
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 / Fold 8 / Fold 8 Ultra: up to
Best Buy has a
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: included with a new cellular line at T-Mobile The latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is available to preorder at T-Mobile, and the carrier already has an excellent opening deal. Right now, you can get up to $440 off when you bundle together a device with a new Watch Plan Plus line at the carrier — a discount that's conveniently enough to cover the entire cost of the standard 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 9.
The Blink Mini 2K+ is the ideal camera for keeping an eye on all kinds of things around your home. With crisp 2k video resolution, 4x zoom, and a built-in LED spotlight, it's surprisingly well featured for the money. With a Blink Video Doorbell, you can also use it as a plug-in chime while at all times, you can get notifications when someone walks by, assuming you have a Blink subscription plan.
A truly great, budget mini-LED TV, the TCL QM6K delivers vibrant picture quality along with solid gaming features for a price that won't break the bank. Upgrades here include support for 120 Hz refresh rates at 4K resolution, which is perfect for gamers. This deal knocks a decent $250 off the 55-inch model, making it a truly appealing option for those who want a premium display at a mid-range price.
Alex is Tech Radar's retail editor, specializing in buying advice and general tips on how to save our readers as much cash as possible. He's covered major retail events in some capacity for over seven years now; both in editorial and other ecommerce adjacent roles on Tech Radar, T3, Games Radar, and other Future PLC sites. Alex's expertise touches on most areas, but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer.
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- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
