If you’re looking to beat inflation and save some cash on essentials, then it’s never to early to starting thinking about the back to school sales. Previously a rather small tie-in opportunity for retailer’s, over the past few years we’ve seen these sales grow to encompass a huge number of products.
Unlike more defined events, the back to school sales tend to be a collection of limited-time promotions at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Generally speaking, they run from around mid-July to mid-September, although you can often find similar promotions even earlier than this.
Whether you’re looking to snag a deal on a new laptop, tablet, or headphones or looking for bargains on backpacks, dorm-room furniture, or appliances, we’ve put together this back to school sales guide to get you clued up. Right now, we’re just getting started so you’ll find a quick overview of last year’s back to school sales, what to expect, and a few buyer’s tips.
As we draw closer to the event, we’ll also be updating this page regularly with all the best deals as soon as they land. It’s likely to be a few weeks yet before any good promotions land but we’ll be keeping an eye out for sure. If you’re interested, we’d highly recommend bookmarking this page for later.
When do back to school sales start?
Back to school sales are unique from other big retail events in the way they’re generally not unified around a single date. Generally speaking, they run from mid to late July, through August, and up until mid September. Compared to something like Black Friday deals or the Amazon Prime Day sale, that’s a really, really long time period.
Throughout this time, you can expect back to school themed sales to pop up with fair regularity at most of the big retailers. It’s likely they’ll keep the back to school branding absent from their sites until late August but you’ll generally see great sales on things like backpacks and laptops throughout the summer months. Amazon Prime Day in particular is a great event to pick up all your school essentials as it spans across the whole breadth of the retailer’s site.
Back to school sales: what to expect
Tons of deals on stationary, backpacks, laptops and Chromebooks – the latter of which being particularly suited to school work. In recent years, we’ve also seen retailer’s looking to tie-in a rapidly expanding number of categories to the sales. Subsequently, you can even expect deals on things like furniture and appliances, both of which are a little more loosely related to school but more aimed at college students looking to furnish accommodation.
Who has the best back to school sales?
Due to its vast inventory and its excellent Prime Day deals event in mid-July (12th &13th this year) Amazon is probably the best overall retailer for back to school sales. It’s a great place for everything from cheap Chromebooks to backpacks, and you can order them all at the same time, which is a plus.
For tech deals, Best Buy, Walmart, HP, and Dell are all fantastic options if you’re looking for something computing related. The former two in particular always feature super-cheap laptops and TVs – perfect if you’re a student looking to furnish your dorm.
Lastly, the past few years Apple has run its own back to school themed promotions – one of the rare times the retailer actually offers deals throughout the year. Apple’s products can be pricey, and you’ll have to prove you’re a student, but we’ve seen it bundle in a free pair of AirPods with every Mac or iPad purchase previously. This is a promotion that its run the past two years previously so it’s highly likely it’ll crop up again.
Back to school sales: last year’s best deals
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 11.6-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook: $299 $168 at Walmart
Save $130 – While this 4GB RAM / MediaTek MT8183C processor / 32GB storage configuration is regularly found in laptop deals at this price point, picking up the Acer Spin 311 provides extra 2-in-1 functionality that usually carries its own premium. We rarely find convertible laptops under $200, so if you’re looking for excellent portability and a flexible experience without breaking the bank this is a fantastic option.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet (2021): $149.99 $99.99 at Amazon
Save $50 – The Amazon back to school sale has the all-new Fire HD 10 tablet on sale for a record-low price of $99.99. The 10-inch tablet packs the powerful octa-core processor, works with Amazon Alexa, and provides an impressive 12-hours of battery life. This is the first discount we’ve seen for the 2021 tablet, and we probably won’t see a deal like this until the upcoming Black Friday sale.
Apple AirPods Pro: $249 $179.99 at Amazon
Save $69 – Amazon has the best-selling AirPods Pro on sale for $179.99, thanks to today’s massive $69 discount. That’s the best deal we’ve spotted this year and only $10 more than the record-low Black Friday price. As of right now, the wireless earbuds are currently in stock and ready to ship, so we recommend snapping up this new low price while you can.
iPad Air 4 (64GB): $599 $499.99 at Amazon
Save $100 – Amazon has just the iPad Air 4 on sale for a record-low price of $499.99. The 10.9-inch tablet features Apple’s powerful A14 Bionic chip, packs 64GB of storage, and is available at this sale price in Green and Rose Gold.
Amazon Echo (4th Gen): $99.99 $79.99 at Amazon
Save $20 – If you’re looking for a smart speaker for your dorm room, Amazon has the 4th generation Echo Dot on sale for an all-time low price of $79.99 – only $10 more than the record-low Black Friday price. The powerful speaker delivers rich sound that adapts to any room and works with Amazon Alexa to become a smart home hub.
Apple MacBook Air: $999.99 $899 at Amazon
Save $149 – Amazon has the M1 MacBook Air down on sale for $899, which is the best price you can find right now. The 13-inch laptop features Apple’s powerful M1 chip, 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and provides up to 15 hours of battery life.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7: $959 $599 at Best Buy
Save $360 – Best Buy has the versatile Surface Pro 7 on sale for a record-low price of $599, thanks to today’s massive $360 discount. The powerful tablet features a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, includes a full keyboard experience, and provides up to 10 hours of battery life.
Apple: buy select Mac and iPad models and get free AirPods
For a limited time, Apple is offering students and teachers free AirPods when you buy a select MacBook Pro or Air, iPad, iMac, or Mac Mini device. The AirPods with charging case currently retail for $159, so with this deal, you’re getting a free pair of premium earbuds, plus Apple is also offering 20% off AppleCare Plus.
Keurig K-Slim Coffee Maker: $119.99 $79.99 at Best Buy
Save $40 – Brew a cup of coffee in minutes with Keurig K-Slim, that’s on sale for $79.99 at Best Buy. Perfect for small spaces, the compact coffee maker can brew four cups at a time without refilling the 52-oz. reservoir and features three different sizes so you can make coffee that suits your tastes.
iPad Pro 11-inch 2021 (128GB): $799 $749.99 at Amazon
Save $50 – Amazon has the all-new Apple iPad Pro on sale for a record-low price of $749.99. That’s a $50 discount and a fantastic deal for a newly released Apple device. The 11-inch tablet packs Apple’s powerful M1 chip, 128GB of storage, and provides an all-day battery life.
Dell S2721HN 27-inch Monitor: $309.99 $209.99 at Dell
Save $80 – For a limited time, you can get the Dell S2721HN monitor on sale for only $209.99. That’s an $100 discount and the best price we’ve found for the 27-inch HD display that features a wide 178°/178° viewing angle and a 75Hz refresh rate.
Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm): $399 $324.98 at Amazon
Save $74 – Amazon has the Apple Watch 6 on sale for a new record-low price of $324.98. The 40mm smartwatch features a new S6 processor, blood oxygen monitoring, an ECG app, and elevation tracking. Please note, this deal applies to the Navy Sport Band model.
Amazon Fire 8 Kids Edition: $139.99 $89.99 at Amazon
Save $50- The Amazon Fire 8 Kids tablet is on sale for $89.99 – only $10 more than the record-low Black Friday price. The eight-inch tablet features easy parental controls, a kid-proof case, and a year of Amazon Kids Unlimited, which gives you access to apps, games, books, videos, and more.
Dell XPS 13, Intel Core i5: $1,169.99 $1,117.79 at Dell
Save $52.80 – Dell’s Back to school sale has the powerful XPS 13 laptop on sale for $1,117.79. While you’re getting a slightly thicker bottom bezel on that screen, the components here are outstanding – an 11th gen Intel i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD just can’t be argued with at this price.