Back to school season has already started, but there is still time to get tech that makes studies and school life easier. In the digital age, it’s important to start the year off fully-equipped with essential gadgets and gear. And as much as it might be tempting for students to just grab the newest, most expensive options on the market, it’s detrimental for the budget that is usually not that big to begin with. To help you save a buck or at least keep within your limits while making your back-to-school buys, we’ve prepared a list of affordable necessities that may stay useful even after graduation.

Headphones

TaoTronics Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones TT-BH22

Price: $54.99

Loud environment is natural for school halls and dorms, so good noise cancelling headphones is a must to stay focused. This TaoTronics model is a fantastic option under $100 with active noise cancellation technology that neutralizes outside sounds and gives impressive 45 hours of uninterrupted playtime. Clean sound with punchy but not overpowering bass will make the listener enjoy every second of their favorite Soundcloud and YouTube music playlists .

Built-in microphone with the ambient noise filtration and sound quality enhancement provide clear, hands-free experience when making and taking calls. Wireless, foldable and lightweight, these headphones is a guarantee your favorite music, podcasts, audio books and lectures can be always with you, with zero hassle.

Earbuds

SoundPEATS TrueFree+ Wireless Earbuds

Price: $34.99

Headphones usually offer superior sound quality in comparison to earbuds, but the latter comes in handy in a variety of situations where headphones are just too heavy, bulky or noticeable to do the job. With earphones, your glasses, earrings and hairstyle remain in tact, ears don’t get sweaty in the gym, and you can discreetly listen to music or your cheat notes during the class. These SoundPEATS are perfectly suitable for active and cunning students because the buds don’t easily fall off the ear due to the movement, produce excellent sound comparable to the much more pricier models and provide seamless playback control and smooth Bluetooth connection without sudden interruptions.

Both earbuds have built-in microphones, and can be used separately (even for 2 different devices simultaneously) and as a pair. SoundPEATS comes with a charge case loaded for 35 hours of playtime in total, and 3.5 hours per charge. They automatically turn off when placed to the case and turn on when taken out of it.

Smart Watch

Updated 2019 Version Smart Watch Activity Fitness Tracker

Price: $45.99

Probably the best affordable smartwatch on the market today. Suitable for both iOS and Android, super easy to set up and use, it offers a plethora of features making it comparable to even Apple Watch, aside from the calls taking. Calls can be declined via the watch though, and notifications of all sorts of messages, reminders and missed calls are also displayed on the screen.

If you want to be active, healthy and informed, this watch has everything you need and more — waterproof design, connected GPS, activity and fitness tracking, sleep monitoring, multi-sport modes, various statistics and reports. It connects with fitness apps at the touch of a button, has steps and calories counters, heart rate and sleep monitors, stopwatch, and reminder. On top of that, this smartwatch supports 14 sports modes, ranging from good ol’ walk, run and hike to basketball, yoga, spinning, and dancing.

Chargers

Charging Dock

Lecone 10W Fast Wireless Qi Charger with Desk Organizer

Price: $29.99

This elegant charger stand has a great potential to render impossible — bring a concept of tidy desk into a student's life. Lecone 10W stand has three sections: pen holder, phone rest, and a place to keep your original wired charger. The pen storage space fits quite a lot of stuff; a whole in the back helps fixing all wires in one place. The design invites for a careful placement of all the necessities into the organizer, as well as for desk declutter, which can actually improve your focus and make studying more productive.

It allows charging in both vertical and horizontal positions, has power input monitoring, foreign object detection, intelligent temperature control and over-charge protection. Anti-slip rubber padding ensures your phone’s safety and keeps it stable in place. With Lecone 10W’s wide compatibility range, you can be certain that it supports your smartphone.

Power Bank

Magnata Orbit 2-Pack Power Bank Charging Station

Price: $35.95

If you are looking for a power bank, you might as well double the power and grab a 2-pack. All jokes aside, having two power banks at your disposal can actually prove to be extremely useful in a number of situations. Take two banks to get you through a long day of active phone use or share one of them with a roommate or classmate in need. Knowing you have a backup and that you are able to backup a friend is quite a powerful feeling!

Magnata Orbit station dock comes in a sleek, modern design with matt graphite finish that looks great in almost any interior and invites admiring glances. The banks themselves are compact, easily fitting in jeans, jacket pockets, handbags and fanny packs. Magnata banks can charge not only smartphones, but any small devices from headphones, readers and mp3 players to cameras, smart watches, hand-held consoles and even some toys. The lights on each battery pack provide convenient visual indication of a current power level.

Charging Cable Set

Digital Ant 3-in-1 Charging Cable

Price: $18.99

Versatile charge cable is an essential thing for students as they often use multiple gadgets simultaneously, with each being in need to be always powered and ready for active use.

This 3-in-1 cable is easy to snap onto your devices due to the magnetic tips. The lack of the need to hunt for the port and correct tip placement, makes the cable use seamless for everybody and especially helpful for drivers, seniors, vision impaired and handicapped persons.

The magnetic tips are also a guarantee it won’t be easy to trip over the cable and accidentally pull it out, thus preventing potential damage for both user and their device. Moreover, the tips attached to your phone’s charging port can protect it from dust and wearing out. Bending resistant and hard-wearing nylon braided cover enhances the cable’s durability, making it last for good.

External Hard Drive

SanDisk 500GB Extreme Portable External SSD

Price: $89.99

SanDisk has been providing quality memory products for many years, and this model is on par with the brand’s best ones. It’s one of the fastest SSD drives on the market today - with up to 550MB/s read speed, it allows transferring files really fast. The drive is remarkably lightweight and compact, can easily fit into a pocket of almost any size. Ruggedized, waterproof and dust-resistant design ensure this SanDisk model will serve your purpose even if you accidentally drop it on the ground and in the water. The solid state shock- and vibration-resistant core adds to the already impressive durability. PC and Mac users, especially owners of one or several older computers, can appreciate the wide range of supported USB types: SanDisk SSD has a USB 3.1 Type-C connector, USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a Type-C to Type-A adapter.

Something Different

Looking through this and other back to school tech lists, you might find yourself thinking they are all pretty much the same. Indeed, gadgets associated with school activities are universal and if you’ve already got your laptop, SSD, headphones, all kinds of chargers, looking through the lists gets dull fast. For those who want to find something special, we’ve prepared a unique item.

3-in-1 Mini Bladeless Fan w/ Humidifier and LED Light

Price: $17.99

This futuristic-looking thing functions as a cooling fan, air humidifier and a night light, all in one. The absence of blades on the fan prevents possible injuries (especially if there are pets or children around) and produces less annoying noise than traditional fans. Humidifier helps reduce snoring, keeps hair and skin moist, as well as brings additional cooling effect when the fan is on. LED light gives a nice warm glow that won’t disturb your vision and helps navigating through the dorm room at night without bumping into stuff. It looks cool, serves many purposes and doesn’t take a lot of space on a desk, which makes it a perfect gift for any student. Treat yourself and make your friend’s day!