When it comes to getting ready for school, people of all ages and school levels, from kindergarten to college, flock to Walmart for great deals. It’s a great place to stock up on paper, notebooks, pencils, pens, and (believe it or not) tech. Check out Walmart’s Back to School tech offering by tapping the button below, or keep reading to see some of the best deals that we’re finding from Walmart right now on the products that we know you want and love.
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 — $369, was $649
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is a perfect mid-tier laptop that has been reduced to budget laptop prices. It has a 15.6-inch screen, Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. If you take a look at our laptop buying guide, you’ll see that these are the figures that have been standard for quite some time and are really just now being surpassed in standard laptops. The 10-hour battery life of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 means that it will see you through your entire school day and, if you have access to even one outlet throughout the day, likely quite far beyond that.
Apple MacBook Air (M1) — $649, was $699
While nowadays you’re going to find that Apple is pushing their M2 MacBook Air as the lowest tier, Walmart still has access to the M1 line and that makes for some killer savings on your end. This laptop has a 13.3-inch screen from corner-to-corner, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It has an incredible 18 hour battery life and, even though it is only equipped with the M1 chip, it is still ready for Apple Intelligence — a sort of privacy-oriented AI system — when it comes into beta this fall.
Acer Nitro 5 — $799, was $890
If you want a laptop with a better screen, more RAM, and some gaming capabilities, check out this deal on the Acer Nitro 5. It’s got a 15.6-inch, full HD screen that refreshes at 144Hz for smooth play. The base hardware and subsequent stat line numbers are as follows: 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, RTX 4050 laptop GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of PCle SSD storage. This means that you can get some gaming done, but also run some more intensive editing software and not blow your whole prepping-for-school budget on a laptop. If you want more options for gaming, be sure to check out our guide to the best budget gaming laptops as well.
Apple iPad 9 (64GB, Wi-Fi) — $249, was $329
The Apple iPad 9 may not be the latest release, but that’s a good thing if you are looking for the best iPad deals. Down to just $249, this tablet has a 2160 x 1620p resolution and 64GB of storage. As mentioned in our Apple iPad 9 review, the base editions of iPads (i.e. not ‘Air’ or ‘Pro’) don’t exactly push any buttons into new territory, but they are the best value for the price and that’s especially true while there is a deal going on.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite — $250, was $349
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is a small, affordable tablet with an included stylus. We’ve already declared that the S6 Lite is a great iPad 9 alternative due to its similar pricing, which we’re certainly seeing in the Walmart deals available. In other words, if you want an affordable tablet, like the idea of having the stylus included, and aren’t in the Apple ecosystem, this is the tablet for you. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has a 10.4 inch 1080p screen, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 12 hour battery life.
Lenovo Tab P12 — $300, was $400
Let’s start out with the important info — the Lenovo Tab P12 is the best Lenovo tablet overall. It has a gorgeous 3K, 12.7 inch screen, runs things well with its MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor, and has a nice 13MP cam. The Lenovo Tab P12 has 8GB of RAM, making it on par with your standard, mid-tier laptop in terms of power. It uses the Android 13 OS, so if you’re used to using the best Android phones, using the Tab P12 will feel immediately comfortable and intuitive. For a surround sound feel, this tablet uses four speakers, two one each side, for a sort of three dimensional soundstage feel. You can always connect to it with Bluetooth headphones, too, of course.
Onn. 32-inch Class HD Roku Smart TV — $88, was $98
If you’re moving into a dorm room this fall, you probably don’t want to take up too much space with a TV. This 32-inch Roku from Onn. is a great way to to get a small screen to gather your crew around. It is only 720p, so it isn’t exactly going to be beautiful, but with its easy Roku interface (and, therefore, quick access to a ton of free content) you’ll be able to start making memories around it quickly, and sometimes that’s the thing that counts. Control the TV via the included remote, the Roku app, or via your voice with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home.
Hisense 40-inch Class 1080p Roku Smart TV — $138, was $168
Just a bit larger than the previous TV, this one comes with 1080p resolution, making it comparable in resolution to the laptops of the not too distant past and, admittedly, many of the present. This TV also ups the game by bringing Motion Rate 120 and a low input lag Gaming Mode. You’ll also really like the TV’s Universal Search mode, which allows you to pop in an actor, director, or title to find programming (both paid and free) that you can watch. If you’re avoiding having too many subscriptions, this is a great way to find an actor’s deeper cuts on services you already have or find that weird movie your favorite director made that’s actually available on a free service.
TCL 43-inch Q Class 4K QLED Smart Google TV — $298, was $500
This TV strongly defies expectations for both its small size and price. First of all, it is a 4K TV. That’s not unusual for TVs by any means, and you won’t find a TV lower than 4K on any of our picks for the best TVs, but its still not super common to find on a small TV under $300. Of course, this TV is usually not under $300, so that helps. Next, it is a QLED TV, a type of TV with superior brightness. Again, you don’t see these at this size and price too often. If you have enough room for a 43-inch corner-to-corner TV (its feet stand 28.2 inches apart, with the whole body stretching 37.6 inches wide) and want superior tech, this is probably one of the best TV deals for you.
Apple AirPods 2 — $80, was $129
The Apple AirPods 2 are getting a little older, especially if they (like this pair) come with the lightning charge case, but that makes them an excellent product to get on a bargain deal and a perfect fit for those that want a bit of retro style going into the new semester. We expect that you’ll already be somewhat familiar with the 2nd gen AirPods if you’re in the market for them, but checking out our Apple AirPods 2 review is a great way to refresh your memory while getting that 2019 nostalgia buzz. In said review, we emphasized the comfortable fit of the earbuds as well as how convenient reaching Siri was when wearing them.
Apple AirPods 3 — $140, was $169
The Apple AirPods 3 were seen as a big jump in the right direction for AirPods coming from the 2nd Gen. Their design, as explained by our Apple AirPods 3 review, puts them as a sort of middle-point between AirPods and AirPods Pro in all the right ways. However, if you’re spending time here deciding between the AirPods 3 and AirPods 2 for ongoing deals, one of the best upgrades for campus dwellers is the inclusion of IPX4 water resistance. Though there are more improvements (go check out the review for the full story) this simple upgrade will keep your buds from dying out when you have a forced march to class through light rains.
Apple Watch SE 2 (GPS, 40mm, S/M) — $189, was $249
This is the perfect pickup if you’re looking to keep up with both the time and your health this fall. The Apple Watch SE 2 has delightful and fun watch faces for you to keep up with the time without ever having to pull out your phone and has the ability to do basic fitness tracking. Our Apple Watch SE 2 review labels the watch as “simple, cheap, and brilliant” and, really, if you have a busy campus life going on, it may just be the ticket for you. Try this now, and there are always more advanced fitness tracking devices for you, down the line, should you decide you want a more intense overview of your body or need more exercise types tracked.
Mtn Dew 6-Can Mini Fridge — $29, was $39
If you want a personal mini fridge to keep your cans cool and can’t but help want to rep your favorite soda brand, do so with this offering from Curtis. It fits six standard cans of Mtn Dew (or whatever else you want to store in it that has a standard can size) just as you might expect it to. You can plug it in indoors or use your cigarette lighter to keep things cool from your car. Beverages will be cooled to about 27 degrees below the outside temperature. Note that there are also Dr. Pepper and Pepsi versions of this mini fridge available (tap the button below and check the “colors” available below the “Add to cart” button) but they are slightly more expensive at this time.
Personal Chiller Mini Fridge with Dry Erase Surface — $30, was $40
If you want something more practical (the front is a dry erase board!) for your dorm and want to avoid the soda aesthetic, try the Personal Chiller LED Lighted Mini Fridge with Glass Hinged Door. It has a glowing front that’s perfect for writing your homework assignments, important due dates, and messages to your roomies on. The interior actually holds more than six cans (it has a six liter capacity) and it comes with an adjustable ledge, giving you more options about what to store and how to store it. Meanwhile, the exterior is not so huge at just 10.6 x 11.7 x 7.7 inches. This mini fridge uses an eco-friendly Freon-free design.
Frigidaire Retro 10L, 15-Can Mini Fridge — $49, was $63
This small offering from Frigidaire can hold a ton of cans (up to 15 normal-sized cans) or fit in whatever you want with its adjustable shelving. There are even door pockets for small snacks that should stay cool or skincare products that really need to be kept cool. It’s a little bigger than the others on this list, but it is still only 16 inches tall and sits in an 11 by 15 inch rectangle on your floor, so you should still be able to shove it under your desk or table without taking up too much room. If you always want a few soda waters and face masks around, this is the mini fridge for you.
