The Verge’s 2024 back-to-school gift guide: laptops, backpacks, and more

A simple, compact notepad is like a trusted companion, one that can help you get your thoughts and tasks in order. The real, functional beauty of this Maruman Mnemosyne notebook is its top-oriented spiral binding, which makes it lay flat and offers corner-to-corner writability, even for southpaws.
Price: $5.40+

If you own a MagSafe-compatible iPhone, you’re doing yourself a disservice by pairing it with an old-fashioned power bank that relies solely on cables. All you need to do with Belkin’s portable charger is slap it onto the back of your phone, providing you with enough juice to recharge even a Max-sized iPhone while on the go. The kickstand and fun color options are just a bonus.
Price: $30.71+

Choosing a bag you will carry with you all day, every day, for years to come can be tough. Timbuk2 offers deep customization options for its 22-liter Prospect Backpack, however, allowing you to pick the colors for up to six exterior panels. Needless to say, you can go full peacock with vivid hues or as subdued and sleek as you’d like.
Price: $112.59+

Noise-canceling headphones can help you focus by suppressing distracting sounds, and the Beats Studio Pro are a good choice for anyone who doesn’t want to be locked into a single ecosystem. They offer good sound, a helpful transparency mode designed to let the outside world in, and most importantly, native support for both iOS and Android features.
Price: $179.95+

The Steam Deck OLED is the perfect way to relieve stress between classes. Valve’s handheld PC plays all sorts of games, ranging from a vast array of indies to even some open-world 3D titles like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077. It certainly beats trying to play games on a school-assigned Mac or Chromebook, so long as you can keep the procrastination to a minimum.
Price: $549+

The real OG of retractable fountain pens is Pilot’s Vanishing Point (which you should get if you can afford its very high price), but this imitator is a fine substitute for us normies. The Majohn A1 writes great and makes note-taking or journaling with a traditional pen speedier and more casual, namely because its steel nib appears with a satisfyingly quick click.
Price: $36.79

Hand and wrist pain, often a result of marathon computer sessions, can really put a hamper on your work. The Logitech MX Vertical may not pull double duty for gaming like most wireless mice, but its tilted, upright positioning can help prevent those long days doing research at the library from coming back to haunt you.
Price: $81.99+

Owala’s insulated bottles keep drinks chilled all day, and their swing-top lid keeps dirt off the spout while concealing a hidden internal straw for easy sipping. It’s kind of like you’re getting the best parts of a conventional water bottle and those uber-popular Stanley cups, all without feeling like you’re succumbing to another trend that may one day age like milk.
Price: $32.94+

If you’re an iPhone user, Apple’s AirTags are a great way to help find your keys, backpack, or handbag should you ever misplace them. Those textbooks cost enough money as it is — you don’t want to have to buy them twice.
Price: $22.99+

Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is an easy choice among e-readers for just about anyone. It has a massive ecosystem of books, an easy-to-read 6.8-inch display with adjustable warmth for nighttime reading, and a battery that can easily last a month. It’s even waterproof, allowing for a bit of poolside reading or, at the very least, some “oops” protection.
Price: $149.99

Late-night cram sessions can be a huge strain on your eyes, especially if you don’t want to turn on the lights and disturb your jerk of a roommate who had the audacity to get their studying done on time. Thankfully, Glocusent’s ultra-nerdy Book Light is a subtle, low-light alternative that’s not nearly as limiting as a clip-on book light.
Price: $17.99+

Regardless of what Google might tell you, Apple’s latest MacBook Air is the quintessential student laptop. The M3 machine offers a great display and enough battery life to get through a full day of classes, along with enough performance headroom to tackle everyday tasks and light creative work for years to come.
Price: $849.98+

If you’re a student, chances are you’re going to spend countless hours tap-tap-tapping away at a keyboard. So, why not make the experience as enjoyable as possible with a touch of nerdy fun? The Keychron V1 Max may be the best gateway into mechanical keyboards we’ve seen, with satisfying typing feel and sound, hot-swappable switches, and loads of customizability.
Price: $94+

Wireless earbuds are great, but sometimes, dealing with a small wire feels easier than dealing with another rechargeable battery. Apple’s basic USB-C EarPods work with just about any current phone, tablet, or laptop — even those without a 3.5mm audio jack. What’s more, the mic on these cheap-o buds sounds better than what you might get with a premium pair of Bluetooth headphones.
Price: $17+

Fool the kids into learning with League of Lexicon, which is kind of like if Trivial Pursuit was all about words, languages, and their origins. It’s also a beautifully designed quiz game, with terrific art and an easy learning curve for kids as young as 10 years old.
Price: $39.99

Storing precious files and documents between classes is not something to be taken lightly, as data loss can be a nightmare. Samsung’s portable T7 drive is a good balance of speed, reliability, and price. The aluminum-clad SSD offers plug-and-play functionality for both Windows and macOS machines, as well as iPads.
Price: $99.99+

In terms of design, dorm rooms range from the mundane to giving off borderline-prison vibes. Luckily, a simple LED strip is an easy way to make things feel cozier and more dramatic. The Philips Hue Solo Lightstrip tucks behind or around furniture and can mimic the warmth of the sun (or any hue) throughout the day, making it easy to add a splash of light to any space.
Price: $54.34+

When you account for laptops, most keyboards have done away with the classic number pad. But what if it returned as a wireless, ambidextrous numpad that also happened to function as a standalone calculator? That’s what 8BitDo has built with this lovely bit of retro-styled tech, which flaunts classic IBM colors and clicky mechanical switches.
Price: $44.99

Nobody should have to lug their dirty laundry home or to the laundromat in a plastic trash bag, especially when a simple backpack like Azhido’s does the job for so little. The inexpensive, jumbo-sized bag features both backpack straps and tote handles, rendering it a useful tool for the cleaners or your next trip to the beach.
Price: $22.49+

JisuLife’s portable, folding USB fan has a rechargeable battery that will keep you cool for hours, whether you’re holding it or using its built-in stand to prop it up on a table. Plus, it looks like a cute little bear when packed up to throw in your purse or bag. I don’t think you can ask for much more from such a cool cub.
Price: $14.39+

Campus life can be rife with food waste from the dining hall, but you don’t have to let those leftovers go unloved. Instead, use a reheating method that best preserves the taste and texture. An air fryer is basically just a small convection oven, which makes it perfect for dorm / apartment living — because nobody wants soggy french fries or mushy pizza.
Price: $89.99+

Sometimes, group discussions and late-night cram sessions call for more than the occasional cup of the black stuff. A Nespresso machine may sound like a bit of a luxury, but it will feel well worth it when you’re running on fumes during finals week and have both coffee and espresso at your fingertips.
Price: $99.99+

Google’s new Fitbit Ace LTE gives parents some peace of mind with GPS tracking and a selection of fun, step-activated games that motivate your child to keep moving. The smartwatch requires a $9.99 monthly subscription, but at least it doesn’t require you to go through a carrier or purchase your kid a phone before they’re ready.
Price: $229.95

Making sure the kiddos actually eat the lunch you’re sending them to school with is no small feat. That being said, your little learners are sure to take some pride in brown-bagging it if you let them customize their tray and lunch bag with a custom-ordered PlanetBox (and magnet pack).
Price: $25.46+

Help teach a youngin’ how history isn’t boring at all when you interact with it and see how it relates to you today. Votes for Women is an upcoming card game based in the women’s suffrage movement of the US, allowing for some light education that can be played either competitively or cooperatively.
Price: $74.99+

Rechargeable batteries power much of our lives these days, and this satechi charger can handle just about everything for both work and play. Plug this 200W-capable hub into a wall outlet at your desk and you’ve got six lovely USB-C ports at your disposal to power everything from your laptop to your phone and all the odds and ends.
Price: $149.99

Study up your STEM with these Python programming flash cards. These 101 cards quiz you on syntax, vocabulary, and more in the versatile programming language. The beginner-friendly cards are great for light and quick study sessions to help keep you sharp.
Price: $21.63+