Ultimate Back To School Shopping Guide For 2026

If the fastest transfer speeds and the most versatility are important to your dock-buying decision, then, hands-down, consider the SD500T5 as a top choice. It has a smattering of ports for devices old and new. An extremely solid build. And it uses the latest technology, so it will work with your devices for years to come. The mix of ports brings legacy connections to modern devices and the option to expand storage is available (assuming you can afford the eye-watering prices that compact solid state drives are going for these days). Editorial note: this exact docking station has been on my desk and an essential part of my setup since I received it for review last year. If it's out of budget, here's some alternatives.

HP delivers an efficient home office workhorse featuring refillable high-capacity ink tanks with up to three years of ink included in the box. The unit offers automatic two-sided printing, a 35-sheet automatic document feeder, dual-band Wi-Fi with self-healing connectivity, and an intuitive touch screen interface. While initial printhead alignment requires a bit of patience during setup, the low running cost per page and dependable multi-function performance make it a smart investment whether you're printing reports from home every single day, or just want a printer that actually works, every single time, even if it's been a month since you last fired it up.

Funny enough, many aspects that make an accessory good for gaming, also have implications for productivity. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is one of those gadgets that was made for gamers, but the added buttons could be helpful for productivity too! With a native 4kHz wireless polling rate and a 26,000 DPI optical sensor packed into a 61-gram solid shell this can live on your desk or in your school bag easily. It delivers up to 90 hours of rechargeable battery life alongside dual-mode 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. The responsive switches and low-friction skates make it a dependable performer for competitive play or everyday study.

If you're gonna buy a new keyboard for school anyway, get one that's also great for gaming! HyperX updates its mechanical lineup with an 1800 compact full-size layout that retains the numeric keypad while shaving off valuable desk width. It features hot-swappable switch sockets, an ultra-fast 8,000Hz polling rate, vibrant per-key RGB illumination, and a silicone O-ring gasket mount paired with a polycarbonate plate for dampened acoustics. Key customizations for button mapping and colour combintations are available with the free companiion app. The responsive linear red switches and solid modular build deliver a snappy gaming experience.

HyperX brings massive endurance to its entry wireless lineup, delivering up to 80 hours of battery life alongside dual 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. It features large 50mm directional drivers, breathable leatherette memory foam earcups, and a convenient swivel-to-mute noise-cancelling boom microphone. While the plastic-heavy frame prioritizes lightweight comfort over ultra-premium materials, the rotating earcups and reliable multi-platform wireless range make it a solid everyday workhorse. Setup is instantaneous and painless, meaning your writing into your gaming...I mean studies, right away!

When wall outlets are completely unavailable, a heavy-duty portable power bank is a mobile tech essential. This 20,000 mAh battery pack offers a robust 65W total power delivery output over its premium USB-C ports, providing enough high-wattage throughput to quickly charge a MacBook, a PC gaming handheld, or a tablet. It features a three-port configuration that combines dual USB-C slots with a legacy USB-A port to manage three accessories at once. Built-in thermal monitoring protects premium hardware from overcharging risks.

Equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors, this premium 2-in-1 convertible laptop delivers snappy performance paired with strong power efficiency. The 14-inch 3K OLED touchscreen offers deep contrast and vibrant colours, while the flexible 360-degree hinge allows seamless switching between laptop, tent, and tablet modes. The haptic touchpad gives a great tactile experience when you're scrolling around on your device and with a solid all-day battery, you dan ditch the power cord and home and save more room in your bag for your portable console to enjoy between university classes!

Back to school can't be all about study, right? If you need to unwind with some gaming on the go the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a premium portable gaming experience. You can read our full review here, but the short version: with Intel's dedicated mobile gaming procesor paired with 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, an excellent thermal system, and great grips, this is the perfet device for enjoying AAA titles between study sessions.

While the previous suggestion is admittedly a distraction from studies, The Kindle Scribe is the opposite. It keeps you focused on your reading and note-taking with an intentional design that does a few tasks very well. It delivers a tactile, pen-on-paper writing feel for tracking to-do lists, journaling, and reading textbooks, while seamlessly pulling files from Google Drive and Microsoft OneNote. For a complete deep dive on its academic benefits, read our full Kindle Scribe review as a secret weapon for students.

Back to laptops, if the big splurge in your student spending is going to be a new computer, ASUS has some great options. The Zenbook A16 weighs just 1.2 kg, making it lighter than many standard 13-inch and 14-inch notebooks. This means lugging it in your backpack will feel like less of a chore on those long days on campus. Plus it boasts up to 21 hours of battery life meaning you can leave your power brick behind without fear! With a special back to school deal, you can save a massive $450 off the usual $1849 price tag, so if you're due to upgrade, and want a premium laptop, ASUS is making it easy on you.

On the flipside if you just need something good for all-around use and not too expensive the Vivbook 16 is a fabulous option. It includes a smart mix of modern and legacy ports, ensuring you can plug in older flash drives, monitors, or peripherals without buying extra dongles. With snappy app performance and up to 19 hours of battery life, it gives you the essentials that most students need (plus a little privacy shade for the camera), without breaking the bank thanks to a limited time Back To School Price of $200 off the usual $899.

Constructed from recycled water bottles, this eco-friendly backpack features integrated Apple Find My technology to track your bag directly from your iOS devices. The dedicated padded compartment fits laptops up to 16 inches, while structured interior organization and ergonomic shoulder straps make daily commuting comfortable and secure. *Editorial note: *I have an overpriced TUMI backpack I use for travel, but when I'm at home, this is legit my everyday bag and has been for two years and I have zero complaints.

This is super expensive, but WOW does it work well! If you're too busy studying to clean, this DJI robot will vacuum and clean keeping your living space beautiful with minimal work on your part! It combines precision solid-state LiDAR navigation, dual spinning mop pads, and anti-tangle dual roller brushes with a low-maintenance self-cleaning base station. While its 98 mm clearance profile requires decent space under low furniture, the obstacle recognition and automated floor-care performance make it a powerful all-in-one cleaning hub. This all adds up to you not having to pre-clean to let the robot vacuum clean. You truly set it and forget it!

This may seem outside-the-box, but go with me. What if, you could take a massive, 174-inch virtual display with you everywhere you go? You could enjoy movies from your phone as if you were at a theatre in between classes. Or game away without needing the space for a giant TV in your dorm. That's what you can get with the VITURE Beast XR glasses. The unique feature of these compared to other glasses is the on-device controls (cheaper glasses require an app to let you do the coolest stuff). They are the most expensive pair VITURE makes, but also the best. If you place an order, use promo code DrewKozub with the link below to get a 10 percent discount on your order. Full review here.

If your interest was sparked from the last entry but the price scares you off, don't worry, there's another option. VITURE has just revamped their Pro glasses to give you the core XR experience (a giant, virtutal, sharp display wherever you go) at a lower price. Simply plug these into your laptop, phone, or gaming console (you may need the pro dock for certain consoles) and get the core XR glasses experience with the lower cost VITURE Pro 2. For a deeper dive into these glasses check out my YouTube review.

Keep tabs on the slew of emails, schedule changes, and invites to fun post-school activities can be done at a glance with Samsung's latest smartwatch. The Galaxy Watch9 doesn't reinvent the wheel for Samsung, but it is a great companion if you want a large, legible display to quickly glance at notifications without getting pulled out of the moment by pulling out your smartphone. Plus it's an excellent fitness tool if you need to get mobile after sitting at a desk in a lecture hall all day.

No one needs a new smartphone for a new school year. Especially considering how expensive they are. But, if you're due for an upgrade anyway (and can ideally get your carrier to subsize this for your) the Z Fold8 is one of the most unique phones we've seen in awhile. For the last many years phone design has played it safe. This has an interesting new form factor that's more squared off and small than the traditional slab phones. But it opens up into a beautiful 7.6-inch display. This gives you the pocketability of a small phone, but the versatility of a tablet.

If you have lots of gadgets and hate clutter, this charging station from Gitryin is a game-changer! It allows you to charge devices in so many ways (built-in, retractable cables, front-facing USB C ports, rear AC ports). You can remove a power block from the modular station for charging on the go, and the vacant spot reveals a place to connect in an additional AC plug. Whether you take one of these portable bricks to school to top up your battery when it's low or you want to prevent your desk from turning into a rat's nest of cables, this is one of the coolest and most elegant chargers you could have in your home.