5 On Your Side: Best tech deals for back-to-school

As summer winds down, students will probably be asking for a few upgrades to their school supplies -- but with inflation, finding ways to save on school items might be tougher than acing a pop quiz.

Posted 8:45 p.m. Aug 23, 2022 — Updated 9:21 p.m. Aug 23, 2022

Keely Arthur

, WRAL consumer reporter

As summer winds down, students will probably be asking for a few upgrades to their school supplies — but with inflation, finding ways to save on school items might be tougher than acing a pop quiz.

That’s where Consumer Reports can help, with great deals on top-rated products to help families.

Consumer Reports tracks the prices of many of top-tested products all year, so it knows exactly when they go on deep discount. Here are some to look out for in this early school year edition of Best Time to Buy.

School supplies at 5 stores: 5 On Your Side finds the cheapest place to shop

When shopping for school items, comparing prices can help you save upfront. Think about dollar stores, office supply stores and wholesalers, which can be great options for shopping.

If your student needs processing power that can fit easily in a backpack, look no further than a top-rated tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is now $300 at Best Buy. CR says the Android tablet is ideal for students, with a 10.4-inch screen and 128GB of storage.

Next, keep parents, siblings or roommates happy with a new pair of around-the-ear headphones. The Bose SoundLink II are now on sale for $142.49 at Amazon. CR says the lightweight, wireless Bluetooth models delivers very good sound quality.

Next, a successful school year may mean keeping everything organized with a label maker. The Brother P-Touch Cube Label Maker is now $59.98 at Walmart.

And for college kids with early-morning classes, save the trip to the cafe with a coffee maker of their own. The Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker is now on sale for $80 at Amazon.

Finally, here’s an idea for a low-cost way to upgrade a dorm room or kid’s study area. The smart lightbulb from Wyze is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home and is on sale for $15 at Amazon.

Are you looking for something else? CR says other items currently on deep discount are laptops, fitness trackers and smartwatches, Bluetooth and smart speakers, noise-canceling headphones and earbuds, curling irons and luggage.

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