Back-to-school deals: Best tech, backpacks and supplies for every budget

For Apple fans, these No. 1 bestsellers are a must-have upgrade. They're dust, sweat and water resistant, so no worries about getting caught in a downpour during your morning run. Seamless connection with all your Apple devices makes switching between your iPhone, iPad and Mac a breeze. The battery gives you up to six hours of listening time per charge — and up to 30 hours with the charging case. 

The newest iPad is an ultra-light, thin tablet that's powerful enough to replace your laptop for most tasks but slips into your bag with room to spare. With a spacious 11-inch Liquid Retina display, you're swiping and scrolling in vibrant color and sharpness that makes any screen that came before it feel like an old tube TV.

If you've got a habit of toggling among a dozen apps, streaming videos and replying to messages simultaneously, you're in for a treat. This iPad is ready to keep up with whatever you throw its way. And if you're into gaming, the graphics capabilities mean you can play even demanding games without dropping a frame.

Such a low price for such a powerful (and new) laptop doesn't happen often, so if you've been on the fence about upgrading, consider this sure to be short-lived deal your sign to do it.

The petite powerhouse works like a charm with other Apple gear. 

Never lose your luggage, purse, car — anything, really — again. Just toss one of these smart tags inside the item you want to track, and you'll be alerted of its whereabouts via your phone.

The deal on this 4-pack brings each tag down to less than $18 (they typically retail for about $25-$30 a pop). Grab a few for your, er, forgetful family members!

Amazon's No. 1 bestselling TV is just $80 right now (not a typo)! It features 720 pixel resolution and has Fire TV built-in, for access to over 1 million (!!) movies and shows. There's even an Alexa remote, allowing you to flip through channels with your voice. 

The son of a spreadsheet wizard, I learned quickly how to use a numeric keypad without looking. To this day, it is the thing I miss most about primarily using a laptop. Technically this combo isn't "on sale", but at a quarter of the price of the wireless Apple keyboard (without the mouse), it's still a deal in my book. Pair this bad boy to your PC, Mac or iPad and you'll be good for up to a year before needing to recharge it. 

If you've read this far, it is easy to tell that I am completely engulfed in the Apple ecosystem. But that's not to say Microsoft is bad; it's just different. If you or your spawn would like a laptop-comparable tablet for your time away at school, the Surface Pro is a great option, as it functions as both, comes with 256GB of storage and, much like the iPad, can be used with an external keyboard and pencil to write paper and take notes.

This is it. This is the workhorse that got me through four years of college. I was a film and video major so I needed a bit more power than my English major friends who were mostly writing papers, but the MacBook Pro handles everything I needed to do with ease, from photo and video editing to more complex graphics and VFX creation.

With a stand like this one and a wireless keyboard, my laptop basically turns into a desktop whenever I'm at home, the best of both worlds.

Sure, there are newer versions of these, but these are still some pretty top-notch cans. With top-tier noise-cancelling tech, they let you block out the world and dive into your music, podcasts or calls with clarity, all for under $200.

They boast a solid 30 hours of battery life as well as quick charging (a 10-minute charge will get you five hours of playback), so you won’t be hunting for an outlet mid-listen. And with touch-sensor controls, adjusting volume or skipping tracks is as easy as a tap.

I've always loved putting pen to paper. In an ideal world, that's how I would write everything, but it's harder to edit and publish on Yahoo that way. That said, I still find time every day to write and the best pen is one out of which the ink flows freely without making a mess. These Pilot Varsitys take the best features of disposable and fountain pens and combine them into a nice, inexpensive package.

This backpack features a weather-resistant, durable fabric that withstands rain, dirt and scrapes, while the 25-liter capacity fits all your essentials without added bulk. Inside, a padded laptop sleeve and multiple pockets keep your gear organized. Ergonomic straps and a lightweight design ensure comfort all day, whether you're hiking or navigating city streets on your commute. It's on sale in four colors as well as the larger 32-liter size.

Looking for a smaller version for the kiddo? 

I don't recall what backpack I had when I was a freshman; all I recall is that it fell apart by the end of my first year. That summer I walked into an outdoor gear shop and pulled a backpack from The North Face off the shelf. It was $100 and I paid full price. I still have that backpack today. I've sent it in for one repair but other than that it has held up incredibly well. This one is much cheaper, especially on sale, but shares the same features, a laptop sleeve, side water bottle holders and enough pockets for anything you'll be hauling around campus.

College was when my coffee habit started and these days it is still going strong (I tried to cut back to just one cup today and I am grumpy and have a headache). Instead of being like me, snag this 42 ounce mug, fill it with caffeine-free, sugar-free iced tea — my go to is Tazo Passion — and get hooked on that instead. You'll stay hydrated, won't rely on caffeine to function and it is calorie-free.