School will be back in session before you know it, and before it is, you’ll want to take advantage of the best deals and sales on tech. Laptops, portable hard drives and other tech gadgets have become essential to the modern student, be them in primary school, high school, university or TAFE, and to get the best results you’ll want to be well equipped for the 2025 academic year.
So why not start the year with a bargain? Creating presentations, writing essays and studying generally doesn’t require a huge spend on your tech, and properly preparing yourself for school doesn't have to cost you an arm and leg. In fact, there's savings to be had on some of the best gadgets available right now. It’s also important to consider the best tech for your current stage of education; you wouldn’t want to equip a university student with a cheap Chromebook, nor would it be particularly good value to send a Year 2 student to school with a Dell XPS!
No matter if you’re shopping for yourself or for your child going through big school, we’ve put together the best back to school tech essentials to properly equip students for upcoming tests and assessments.
Where to find the best back to school sales
- Amazon: deals across tech, stationary and other essential school supplies
- Apple: Big savings for students and teachers
- Bose: Savings on sound accessories
- DigiDirect: Prices slashed on cameras, laptops and more
- Dell: Student discount coupons on laptops
- eBay: Huge discounts on tech, stationary, and other education necessities
- JB Hi-Fi: Bargains on phones, laptops, tablets and more
- Lenovo: Prices dropped on laptops, desktops and other devices
- Rebel Sport: Huge savings on footwear and school sport essentials
- The Good Guys: Deals on speakers, headphones, laptops and more
Best back to school deals
Save on Apple with education discounts
Apple is offering big discounts to students and teachers across both Macs and iPads, perfect for hitting the ground running when the school year begins. Apple isn’t known for running hugely generous sales, but that changes when it comes to education – even if Apple tech still sits on the pricier end of things.
Just keep in mind that, to qualify for Apple’s education discount, you’ll need to either be a student (full-time or part-time) above the age of 18 with a verifiable student ID card, a parent purchasing tech for their child attending an Apple-approved institution, or a staff member (such as a lecturer or teacher) at an Apple-approved institution.
If you fit into one of these categories, get ready to save! Even better yet, if you make an eligible purchase before 13 March, 2025 you can score a free pair of AirPods 4 or an Apple Pencil. If you don’t want these, you’ll also be eligible for a discount towards AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max headphones.
- For more Apple discounts, we’ve rounded up the best Apple promo codes right here
Laptop & tablet deals
Phone deals
Monitor deals
PC peripheral deals
Printer deals
Back to school deals: key information
When do back to school sales start?
Earlier than every student in Australia wants to see advertisements for back-to-school necessities. Seriously though, there is no specific date for back to school sales to begin like there is for Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day or Boxing Day. Individual retailers handle their back-to-school deals differently, with some seemingly popping up the instant that the new year begins, while others won't start until halfway through January.
And, while some shoppers like to get ready to return to school early, Australia Day – which falls on January 26th of each year – signals to many that it's time to quickly get their school shopping done before it starts.
Who has the best back to school sales?
Which retailer is best for you will depend on what you or your child need for school. However, when it comes to having everything you could need within arms reach, Amazon is hard to beat. From stationary and backpacks to laptops and a new phone, it's a great first port of call for your back-to-school needs. Plus, new deals are popping up every day – so you can grab a solid discount on a pair of kid's Skechers one day and noise-cancelling headphones for uni the next.
However, if you're after more specific back-to-school tech or are loyal to certain companies, brands like HP, Dell, Lenovo are all offering some heavy price-cuts on top-tier laptops, PCs, tablets and PC peripherals to get you ready for the new school year. Plus, Apple has updated its education offers for the 2025, with bonus AirPods or an Apple Pencil with a new Mac or iPad on top of already-cheaper prices through the education store.
And, of course, if you're not seeing any mouthwatering deals from the above brands, JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys will be key retailers this sale season as they usually are. Even if their actual deal offerings don't blow you away, the fact that they both price-beat means that they will usually offer the best price even when they aren't advertising the biggest discount.
Lastly, eBay should be on your checklist for back-to-school deals. Not only can you shop from reputable retailers through their eBay stores and enjoy limited-time deals, eBay also offers a wide array of refurbished tech. With mobile phones, smartwatches, laptops, tablets and more all on the menu, eBay's blue-tick certified refurbished devices let you grab as-new and used tech that is in perfect working order, at considerably lower prices than you'd find when buying brand-new, with a minimum one-year warranty.
Are there any back to school vouchers I can use?
Unlike 2023 and the days of the pandemic, there are no longer Government-issued back to school vouchers for parents to use on school supplies. However, you can earn some extra savings by checking out our coupon codes.
We've included some key coupon codes for back-to-school tech below:
- Adobe coupon codes
- Amazon coupon codes
- Bose coupon codes
- Dell coupon codes
- eBay coupon codes
- HP coupon codes
- JBL coupon codes
- Lenovo coupon codes
- Microsoft coupon codes
- Samsung coupon codes
- Secretlab coupon codes
- Sony coupon codes
Back to school shopping tips
Feeling overwhelmed by the massive list of items you need for school? We're here to make your back-to-school shopping a little easier with some tips to help you stick to your budget when buying new supplies for any eager students.
1. Make a list
The first step to simplifying your shopping journey is to make a succinct list of items that you actually need (or want) to have for school. You don't want to walk around with a massive piece of paper filled with supplies, when you only need 25% of what's listed.
Make sure to add notes on any specific specs and features you might need. For example, if you're going to be doing a lot of video editing, reading or gaming on your laptop or tablet, you'll need a more powerful processor, longer-lasting battery and larger screen. Especially when shopping online, this lets you only view the tech that is applicable to you, rather than wading your way through hundreds of laptops that aren't suitable. If you’re not sure, check if your school sent out any requirement forms. If it wasn't sent directly to you, it should be on the school’s website.
Plus, if you have a dedicated list on hand, you're less likely forget something – letting you avoid that last-minute rush the day before school starts.
2. Check out our guides
If you're looking for the best budget tablet, or the best MacBook, it can be hard to know where to start. Especially with laptops, where there's a million different features and specs in the name of each device. Luckily, that's what we're here for! We've been doing this tech shopping thing for awhile now, and we know a thing or two about it.
By checking out our buying guides, you can see what we think is the best tech for a variety of needs, uses and budgets, letting you find what you need, quickly learn about it and buy it in one fell swoop.
We have a buying guide on almost everything, but when it comes to going back to school, you'll want to check out our thoughts on the best student laptops, the best MacBooks, the best tablets and the best phones on the market.
We’ve even got guides on the best back to school tech essentials, best monitors and best printers, so you can get an idea of what to look for when it comes time to head back to the classroom in 2025.
3. Stick to the necessities
It’s tempting to go out and buy the latest and greatest, but that can get expensive real fast, especially if you’re shopping for more than one student or product. If you’re penny-pinching to afford back to school supplies, you can save quite a bit by sticking to the absolute necessities.
This is especially true when it comes to laptops. If you can afford it, paying more for a premium piece of tech is great – but you don’t need the flashiest laptop to get through the school day. So long as your laptop meets the basic requirements for your studies and any software you need to run, you’ll be set. Additionally, laptops and tablets get thrown around quite a bit – so it’s likely that your new device won’t look new for long, especially if it’s being carried around in a bag all day, so you’re better off going for something that’s more robust, rather than the thinnest or coolest-looking device.
And, while we hope it won't ever be us – whether you're going to high school or university, thieves are always on the lookout for expensive looking gear. So, opting for a more basic-looking device, or a device that you wouldn't be devastated if it went missing, is often the smarter purchase. Plus it means you can focus on your studies, rather than keeping one eye on your backpack to ensure your brand new AU$2000 laptop is safe and sound.
4. Take advantage of education offers
A number of brands have exclusive offers for students and teachers, so now’s the perfect time to take advantage of them. You can find education discounts across a variety of devices that are suitable for the 2025 academic year from the likes of Apple, Samsung, Dell, Lenovo and HP. Additionally, Apple also offers a discount for students with big discounts on Apple Music and Apple TV Plus to keep you entertained throughout the school year, as well as the Pro Apps Bundle for AU$299.99 and 20% off AppleCare Plus.
5. Check out refurbished and second-hand devices
If you don’t mind buying refurbished or second-hand gadgets, you can save even more than buying brand new. Refurbished hardware is an especially good option, as it’s typically been professionally repaired and comes with a warranty. You can find refurbished hardware on eBay from certain sellers like Sony, or shop directly from brands, such as through Apple’s Certified Refurbished site. Just remember to look for the certified 'blue tick' on eBay refurbished items – that way you know it's been properly checked and comes from a trusted seller.
6. Reuse, recycle and trade-in old hardware
If you have an older laptop, you could pass it down to a student to reuse in the new academic year. Most students won’t need a laptop for more than writing essays and browsing the internet, so handing down older devices is a great way to save on buying an entirely new device.
Another way to both prolong the life of your device and save money is to upgrade your current device. Upgrading older hardware by swapping out a hard drive for a solid state drive or replacing the battery can give it a massive speed boost and make it last a whole lot longer. Additionally, make sure it’s running the latest operating system to increase the speed of any hand-me-downs or older devices. We have a full guide on how to install Windows 11 if you notice that your Windows laptop is running a bit slower than you'd like, and if it’s too old for Windows 11, it’s likely time to shop for a new PC.
Another option is to trade-in your device when you go to purchase a new one. Apple, for example, is currently offering extra credit on the trade-ins of iPad's, but also except iPhones, Apple Watches and Macs. If you're planning to buy a new device anyway, earning a few extra dollars to go towards your new tech can make a big purchase more palatable. This is also an option at JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys who offer a gift card of a determined amount upon the trade-in of your device.
7. Use free software alternatives
On top of hardware costs, software could also set you back a stack of cash, especially if you opt for a program that has ongoing subscription costs. There’s a few free alternatives out there, including the free LibreOffice, which provides a suite of open source software with file formats that are compatible with Microsoft Office, so students can swap between school-provided and home devices without a worry.
We’ve compiled a list of the best free office software if you want to check out some alternatives, and a list of the best free presentation software perfect for students who’ll be making a bunch of presentations throughout the year,
Now that students spend increasingly more time online, you’ll want to make sure your PC or laptop is protected from malware and viruses. The best antivirus suites can cost quite a bit, so we’ve tracked down the best free antivirus software to suit most needs.
- Want to find even more deals? Check out the all the best laptop deals during this back-to-school season.
