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Are you ready for class? What about dorm life? While a standard paper and pencil setup will get you through the semester, it isn’t exactly convenient. These back-to-school tech essentials can help you take notes, make friends, ace tests, study better and stay in touch.
1. Chromebook Carrying Case
With most K-12 schools using Chromebooks, a hard-cover carrying case is easily one of the best back-to-school tech essentials for your family. It comes with a handle, elastic bands and a shoulder strap, making riding on the bus and switching classes a breeze. Best of all, its nylon shell is water resistant — meaning easy to clean and spill-resistant — and shock absorbent.
2. Loop Switch Earplugs
As back-to-school tech essentials go, the Loop Switch Earplugs are one of the best. These reusable, multi-mode, noise-canceling earplugs offer passive hearing protection. They have no electrical components, which means you never have to charge them. Best of all, you can hear conversations clearly while muting background noise using the “engage” mode.
3. Surge Protector Power Strip
If you’re moving into a dorm, you need to protect your electronics. This 1,080-joule surge protector can keep even larger devices from being fried by power surges. Its five-foot braided extension cord — there’s a 25-foot version available, by the way — and keyholes make mounting it easy. It comes with eight 3-pin outlets, 2 USB-A ports and 2 USB-C ports.
4. Apple Watch SE
This smart watch has a 40 mm screen, a secure band and GPS. You can use it to pay with Apple Pay, get messages in class or track your sleep. Its safety features — fall, crash and heart rate detection — can send out an emergency SOS if you’re ever in trouble.
The Apple Watch SE is ideal for older kids who want something more mature but aren’t ready for the responsibility and freedom that comes with a smartphone. It’s also great for college students who want to check texts in class or track their workouts in real time.
4. Rocketbook Core
This smart notebook has no screen or buttons. You write, scan the page with your phone and wipe away the ink. All of your notes are saved digitally. This is one of the back-to-school tech essentials that works for students of any age. While it’s great for kids — they can’t install apps or browse the internet on it, making it safe — forgetful college students will appreciate it, too.
5. Anker Magnetic Portable Charger
Anker’s portable charger uses ultra-strong magnets — they can hold 2.2 pounds — to snap to the back of an iPhone. Its 5,000 mAh battery provides a full charge every time. It uses Minicell technology, meaning it’s especially light and small compared to products from other brands.
7. Amazon Echo Show
The Amazon Echo Show is a smart speaker with spatial audio and an HD display. You can use it to make hands-free video calls, play music or give you reminders. When you’re not actively using it, it can be a calendar, digital picture frame or calendar — great for keeping track of kids and all of their extracurriculars.
8. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition boasts 10 weeks of battery life on a single charge, a 32 GB storage system — it holds thousands of books — and a 6.8” glare-free display. It reads like paper and has no lock screen ads, making it ideal for kids who finish their classwork early, parents stuck in the pick up line or college students who want to relax on the quad.
9. Megawise True Air Purifier
Dorm life can get smelly and stuffy. Be proactive by getting this air purifier from Megawise. It has preliminary activated carbon and HEPA filters to eliminate dust, pollen, smoke and pet dander. It’s lightweight and portable, making it the perfect size for a small bedroom or living room.
10. iPhone 10 ft Charging Cords
Whether students are sitting at desks or relaxing in their dorms, there’s going to be a time when they need to charge their phone but are too far from an outlet. In these situations, a 10-foot cord comes in handy. This pack of Apple MFi certified cords in braided nylon will come in handy.
11. Pivo Pod Lite
This smart phone stand has a five-mode, 360-degree rotation for hands-free photos and videos. Interestingly, it has built-in artificial intelligence for face and body tracking. It boasts a six-hour battery life, seamless Bluetooth pairing and a light body.
12. JBL Tune 770NC Over-Ear Headphones
These adaptive, over-ear, noise-canceling headphones are more noticeable than the Loop Switch Earplugs but block out sound better. Even though they need to be recharged, they can last up to 44 hours on a single charge.
13. Fujifilm Instax Mini 12
Fujifilm’s instant camera can print Polaroid photos in 9 seconds. It comes with a selfie mode, automatic flash control and digital photo storage so you — or your kids — can preserve memories and milestones as they happen.
14. Microsoft Surface Pro 11
People who have creative teens, major in the Arts or love to draw can consider the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 one of their back-to-school tech essentials since this powerful laptop doubles as a touchscreen tablet.
It has a 14-hour battery, an OLED display, 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM. Plus, thanks to its Snapdragon X Elite processor, it’s 90% faster. Its pressure-point-sensitive pen detachable keyboard make it great for Photoshopping, animating, notetaking and researching.
15. Apple iPad Air
The Apple iPad Air was rated the best iPad for students because it can handle demanding tasks, has a great display and is surprisingly lightweight. It has a 12 MP camera on the front and back, all-day battery life, an antireflective coating and a liquid retina display.
16. Apple Magic Keyboard
This keyboard doubles as a protective cover, making it one of the best back-to-school tech essentials if you get — or already have — the iPad Air or Pro. Its floating cantilever design lets you adjust the screen’s angle. It also has a built-in trackpad and backlit keys for easy setup.
17. Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)
The Apple Pencil lets you draw or take notes with pixel precision because it is sensitive to pressure and tilt. It magnetically attaches to your iPad, enabling easy transport and seamless wireless charging.
18. Apple Airtag
If you have kids, chances are that they lose important things at the most inconvenient moment — making the Apple Airtag one of your must-have back-to-school tech essentials. It uses the Find My app to track whatever you attach it to. Thankfully, it’s water and dust-resistant. Also, even though the battery only lasts one year, it’s replaceable.
19. Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker
If you don’t have an iPhone, Tile Mate should be your go-to option. Frankly, it’s a great option for iPhone users, too, since it’s cheaper and has three times the battery life. This tracker has a range of up to 250 feet and is water resistant, making it great for busy students.
20. Logitech Pebble 2 Combo
Logitech’s Pebble line consists of a wireless keyboard and mouse. They’re small, portable and Bluetooth-enabled, making them one of the greatest back to school tech essentials for busy students. The keyboard’s three modes lets users switch between three different devices easily.
Do You Have Everything You Need for School?
Whether you’re a parent looking out for your kids or a college student excited to start the semester, you need to prepare. Back-to-school tech essentials like headphones, charging cords, laptops, carrying cases and Bluetooth trackers will make this semester easier.
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