Amazon's back-to-school sale has deep deals on backpacks, MacBooks, pens and more

CNN

06-08-2025

Amazon has stocked its virtual store shelves with deals on everything you and the students in your life need to head back to the classroom this fall during its annual back-to-school sale. Spread across pages and pages of deals, I've found 26 of my favorite ways to save money on all the essentials you were likely buying anyway. The best deals include up to 50% off school supplies, all-time lows on Apple's newest MacBook, backpacks from top brands and more.
Five Star Spiral Notebook, 6-Pack
Score six of these spiral notebooks from Five Star while Amazon is offering a record-low price. Each one comes in a different color to differentiate classes. It also features 100 college-ruled sheets for note-taking all semester long.
Amazon Basics 44-Piece Student Success Kit
Prepare the student in your life for whatever the upcoming school year throws at them with a discount on this 44-piece kit. In the box, you're getting an assortment of pencils, pens, markers, folders, notebooks and practically everything else you'll need for homework, group projects and other assignments. Amazon takes $5 off just before the fall semester.
Paper Mate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencils, 10-Pack
Save 32% on this pack of Paper Mate mechanical pencils while Amazon offers the best price of the year. Each one uses 0.7mm lead for more precise writing and comes in one of 10 colors for some added flair. There's also a jumbo twist eraser on the back.
Oxford 2-Pocket Folders, 25-Pack
Organize all your notes and assignments in these two-pocket folders. The 25-pack includes an assortment of designs for color-coding coursework and plenty of room for an entire year's worth of work, thanks to room for up to 50 sheets in each pocket. Take 50% off with this limited-time Amazon deal.
Sharpie S-Gel Pens, 12-Pack
If you've used these Sharpie gel pens in the past, you'll know how good of a deal this 12-pack is. If you haven't, now is your chance to see why over 76,000 Amazon shoppers swear by these pens. Today's 33% discount is the best price in months on the bundle.
Cardinal 3-Ring Binders, 4-Pack
This 4-pack of three-ring binders is nearly 50% off at the lowest Amazon price of the year. These are more heavy-duty solutions for keeping your study material organized this school year, with room for 350 sheets in each binder.
Paper Mate InkJoy 100RT Retractable Ballpoint Pens, 20-Pack
These colorful ballpoint pens from Paper Mate are under $10 with today's Amazon discount. Aside from the assortment of colors that make these stand out, the 40% discount makes stocking up on a classroom essential a better value.
Oxford 5-Subject Spiral Notebook
This hefty Oxford spiral notebook comes with 200 sheets wrapped in water-resistant and tear-resistant covers to ensure it can survive the school year. Amazon takes 28% off as part of its back-to-school sale.
Amazon Basics Colored Pencils Set
Whether you're stocking up for your little one's back-to-school shopping list or looking to keep them entertained over the final few weeks of their summer break, this set of 24 pre-sharpened colored pencils is ideal for shading and layering. Today's offer is the second-best price of the year and the lowest outside of a Lightning deal over Prime Day.
Sharpie Permanent Markers, 12-Pack
If your back-to-school kit could use a few old-school Sharpies, this 12-pack is down to $7. Use them to label boxes while packing, mark up folders to identify coursework and more while 27% off the going rate.
Apple 13-Inch MacBook Air M4
If you're shopping for a new laptop this fall, I found the one most worth your money. The MacBook Air M4 has earned praise from CNN Underscored editors and readers alike since launching in the spring. It's now down to one of the best prices at $200 off during the Apple back-to-school sale.Read our review
Hisense 43-Inch QD6 4K Smart Fire TV
This 43-inch television is the perfect addition to any dorm room. It's still on the smaller size for making the most of more compact rooms but offers 4K picture quality, integrated Fire TV smart features and higher-end perks like 120Hz refresh rates and Dolby Atmos audio.
Apple AirTag
When it comes to advice on how to make the most out of tech, there's no one I trust more than CNN Underscored's senior electronics editor Mike Andronico. He just took a closer look at why AirTags are the ultimate back-to-school gadget, and this Amazon discount popped up at an opportune time for you to apply his advice for less. Save $5 at Amazon on each of Apple's beloved item finders.Read our review
Roku Streaming Stick
If you have an aging television that you're planning to bring with you back to campus this fall, give it an upgrade with this 1080p Roku Streaming Stick. It plugs into any TV's HDMI port in order to offer modern smart streaming features with an easy-to-use interface.Read our review
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Don't let a loud roommate break your concentration while studying now that the newest pair of AirPods Pro 2 is $80 off at Amazon. I've been rocking these myself and love that I can tune out my surroundings when it's time to focus. Read our review
Herschel Supply Co. Classic XL Backpack
Take 30% off the crosshatch version of Herschel's ubiquitous Classic XL bag. It earned our praise as one of the best laptop backpacks around by sporting a clean design and ability to carry a decent amount of gear like MacBooks, headphones, water bottles and more. Now, it's up to $19 off at Amazon just in time for back-to-school season.
JanSport SuperBreak Plus Backpack
There's nothing more classic than a JanSport backpack, and this one with a padded laptop sleeve won't break the bank while it's up to 40% off. Various styles and prints are on sale at Amazon right now, with prices starting at $25.
Amazon Basics Backpack
If you're looking for the most affordable way to outfit your little one with a new backpack this fall, this Amazon Basics option is it. It's down to $18 because of this nearly 40% price cut. It also comes with high ratings from over 17,000 Amazon shoppers.
Under Armour Hustle Sport Backpack
Send your student athlete back to school with this heavy-duty backpack on their shoulders. It not only has room to hold all their books and school supplies, but its bungee sleeves let them stow away any jackets or cleats. Plus, the entire thing is water-resistant for keeping everything dry.
Lego Brick Backpack
I may be biased, but this is my favorite backpack deal from Amazon's back-to-school event. Four colors of this quirky Lego brick design are on sale at up to 22% off right now. I love that the Lego studs on the back double as pockets.
JanSport Main Campus Backpack
Circling back to JanSport, another one of its backpacks is also on sale. This one features two interior pockets on top of a side mesh water bottle pocket, and it is $20 off.
Bentgo Prints Insulated Dinosaur Print Lunch Bag Set
Bentgo makes some of our favorite lunch boxes, and right now, you can bundle one of them with a Kids' bento-style lunch box for 31% off. The kit includes two back-to-school essentials, each complete with functional insulated fabric designs and fun dinosaur prints.
Owala Kids 12-Ounce Insulation Stainless Steel Tumbler
This 12-ounce Owala tumbler comes in several fun colors and is seeing a rare discount of 28%. Parents will certainly appreciate its spill-resistant lid and easy-to-clean removable straw even more now that it's at an all-time low price on Amazon.
Stanley All Day Julienne Mini Soft Cooler Lunch Box in Lilac
Speaking of rare deals, this Stanley soft cooler bag is on sale for one of the first times. The 20% discount only applies to the Lilac style, but if you don't mind its pink hues, you can keep your lunch fresh all day long since Stanley claims it will keep contents cold for up to 12 hours.
Hydro Flask 21-Ounce Standard Flex Cap
Keep water cold all day long with this 21-ounce HydroFlask bottle. Amazon takes $10 off the stainless steel bottle. Its cupholder-friendly design ensures you have access to a chilled drink while on the go.
Bentgo Classic Adult Bento Box
This all-in-one stackable lunch box container offers three compartments, plastic utensils and a nylon sealing strap for separating all the contents of your lunch. The bento box is BPA-free and comes in different discounted colors at nearly 50% off. CNN Underscored's deals experts are constantly shopping for the best discounts on the web. Outside of holiday weekends, we cover weekly guides on the top price cuts from retailers. While these back-to-school deals might not quite be down to all-time low prices, many of them are nearing those record lows. With the fall semester around the corner, buying a new device for a recent graduate or yourself means you can save on a classroom essential.
I'm constantly tracking price cuts across multiple online storefronts to ensure the deals are as good as the retailers say. The rest of the deals team and I dive into the price history of each product while cross-referencing reviews and guides from other CNN Underscored editors to determine if it's worth your cash.
Quite simply, our goal here at Underscored is to save you money. Our senior deals editor, Rikka Altland, has been doing just that for nearly a decade, and that kind of experience extends to the rest of our deals team. Being an advocate for buyers to make sure we're only recommending the best prices on the best products is what we're all about, and that focus comes across in our work.