The best back-to-school sales 2026: TechRadar's recommendations for laptops, headphones, essentials, and more

(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 iPad 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.Back-to-school sales: quick linksAmazon: cheap appliances, smart home, stationery, and essentialsAdorama: education discounts on cameras, monitors, printersApple: up to $150 off MacBooks and iPadsBest Buy: discounts on laptops, headphones, TVs, and moreBackMarket: cheap MacBooks, iPads, and tabletsDell: cheap laptops with exclusive student discountsHP: up to 65% off laptops, desktops, monitors, peripheralsLenovo: 10% extra off for studentsStaples: discounts on stationery, office furniture, suppliesWalmart: essentials, backpacks, headphones, tabletsBack-to-school laptop dealsBack-to-school headphone dealsBack-to-school appliance dealsBack-to-school other tech Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Alex is TechRadar'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 TechRadar, T3, GamesRadar, 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.