Goodbye summer shenanigans, backpacks, smart pens, tablets, and the feng shui of bedroom life. Yes, the days are getting shorter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy putting together an arsenal of stylish back-to-school gadgets.
Here’s TIME’s list of recommended e-readers, cameras, photo printers, handheld gaming systems, and more to round out any academic year. All prices listed are MSRP.
Kindle Paperwhite E-reader – Black, 6″ High-Resolution Display
Nothing is as exhausting as the first week of a class book-shopping ritual, when you have to carry dozens of books from the campus store to your dorm room. Forget heavy lifting and choose a Kindle Paperwhite, which can store all the books you need for a semester in just 7 ounces. Along with highlighting and note-taking features, Paperwhite is also a great study companion.
Kindle Paperwhite offers Bookerly, a special font designed from the ground up for reading on digital screens. Warm and contemporary, Bookerly is inspired by the art of the best fonts in modern print books, but handcrafted for great readability at any font size.
The typesetting engine reproduces the words just as the author intended for the beautiful rendering of the pages. With superior character and hyphen support, justification, kerning, ligatures, and capitalization, our best-in-class typeface helps you read faster with less eyestrain.
Enjoy reading with large fonts without compromising your reading experience. Page layout and margins are automatically optimized to work well even with the largest font sizes. Typography and layout enhancements are available on more than half a million books, including many bestsellers, with more miles being added every week.
Apple AirPods
Whether at the gym or on the way to class, Apple AirPods wireless headphones are reliable, comfortable, and provide more than enough audio fidelity for casual listening. There’s no need to dig into your iPhone’s settings menu to check if they’re connected, as AirPods automatically sync with your phone as soon as you open the case. They are very easy to use as they can detect whether or not they are in your ear and pause the audio accordingly.
Belkin Wall Mount Surge Protector – 3 AC Multi Outlets & 2 USB Ports
Power strip with high-speed USB port: Power everything on your desk with a compact, surge-protected extension outlet. This iconic mini power strip has 3 AC outlets and 2 fast-charging USB ports (2.1A combined) with surge protector for your laptop, phone, camera and more. A charging station for a tidy desk.
PORTABLE TRAVEL CHARGING STATION: Small, wall-mountable power charging bar provides extra outlets without the extra cords. Provides convenient, single-source charging for your smartphone, tablet, and more on the go. With damage-resistant housing for long-term durability for workstation use.
Compact, Rugged, and Space-Saving – Designed to take up minimal space, it features a 360-degree swivel AC plug for easy plugging into any wall outlet. Widely spaced outlets provide enough area to accommodate large plugs without obstruction. To enable the plug’s swivel function, simply press the button below it.
Safe Safety Surge Protection – The power strip has an energy rating of 918 Joules providing a reliable extended outlet to protect expensive computers, consoles, appliances, home theater systems and more. Protect your electronic equipment from overloads, short circuits, voltage spikes, electrical discharges or fluctuations.
Reliable products and services: Every purchase is worry-free as it’s backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty and protected by a $75,000 Connected Appliance Warranty. See full specs: 36,000A peak peak amps, dual 2.1A USB ports, and 3-prong swivel plug. Buy with confidence and protect your devices.
Canon EOS M6 (Black) EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM Lens Kit
Kindle Paperwhite Offers Bookerly, A Distinctive Font Designed From The Hill For Reading On Digital Screens. Warm and Contemporary, Bookerly Is Inspired By The Art Of Major Modern Book Fonts, But Handcrafted For Great Legibility At Any Font Size.
The Words Typesetting Engine reproduces just like the author’s son for the beautiful rendering of the pages. With Superior Compatibility Between Characters and Gynes, Justification, Kerning, Ligatures and Capitalization, Our Typography, The Major In Its Clez, Will Help You Read Faster With Less Eyestrain.
Difruit reading with large fonts compromator your reading experience. Pejina Layout and Optimization Margins Automatically Work Well Even With Larger Font Sizes. Typography and Design Majors Are Available In More Than Half A Thousand Books, Including Many Best Sellers, And Thousands More Are Adding Up Every Week.
HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer, Print Social
A photo printer for fun on the go – print and share 2×3-inch snapshots or stickers from your iOS or Android device with a simple tap
COMPLETELY PORTABLE – About the size of a smartphone, this lightweight, portable photo printer fits easily into a pocket or backpack
EASY WIRELESS PHONE PRINTING: Set up the sprocket at parties and events, and everyone can connect to your mobile printer using Bluetooth connectivity (HP sprocket app required).
Create and share memories – connect your social media accounts with the HP Sprocket app and instantly turn any of your online photos into a color print.
Download the HP Sprocket app to create custom snaps using the filters, borders, emoji, and drawings created within the app. You can also scan printed photos and view the entire photo collection.
HP Zinc Photo Paper included – Use Genuine HP Zinc Photo Paper to ensure brilliant photos every time you print. Simply peel off the back of your print and your photos will be turned into stickers in no time.
How to print – Load HP ZINK photo paper in the Sprocket printer. Connect the printer to your mobile device via Bluetooth. Download the free HP Sprocket app and enjoy the fun of mobile printing
Warranty: One year limited hardware warranty
Smartphones may replace point-and-shoot cameras, but that doesn’t mean printed images are obsolete. Photo printers like the HP Sprocket turn a touch of your smartphone into a tangible glow to decorate your bedroom or hang on the refrigerator. HP’s Sprocket is light and portable enough to throw in your bag, and you can remove the back to turn your photo into a sticker.
Logitech iPad Slim Folio: Case with Wireless Keyboard with Bluetooth (Black) – iPad 5th generation
I have a 2017 iPad and it fits perfectly. It also fits the 2018 iPad. I had this version from Belkin and loved it, but when I got it, I loved it even more. The difference is that the Belkin (while reliable and impressive) is flexible due to the way it’s built. The Logitech is more rigid so you can pick it up without flipping it around the screen.
I love that I never have to charge it. I can’t divulge information on battery life as I only have it for a few months. It says it should last 4 years, but I use it a lot. Even if it lasted a year, I wouldn’t mind. It’s great. Once you need a new battery, it’s cheap to replace. Once paired, it works fine automatically pairing with the iPad every time you open it. If you run into an unusual situation where this doesn’t happen, it’s very easy to pair again.
At Belkin, the colon/semicolon button was awkward, which they did to save space and keep the keys in a nice shape. Logitech has this key right where it needs to be.
I highly recommend this case/keyboard. Don’t waste your time on cheap brands. If you can afford it, buy it. You will save money in the long run.
Adding, this is not for iPad Professional.
Mophie powerstation Mini – Universal External Battery for Smartphones (3,000mAh) – Black
Mophie Powerstation Universal batteries power them all to keep phones connected all day, tablets streaming movies all flight, cameras ready for the next shot, or speakers pumping music to keep the party going. The 3000 mAh USB battery pack provides an additional 12 hours of power to give you more work and less worry.
Large enough for any pocket or bag, this high-density Powerstation battery is still capable of delivering a full charge to most smartphones. Press the integrated power indicator button to display your Powerstation’s charging status and current battery life.
Whether you’re using movie videos from your phone for a project or listening to Spotify in the library, you’ll never have enough power. The Mophie Powerstation Mini packs an additional 3,000mAh battery, which is roughly the same size as the battery found in smartphones like the Galaxy S8. It should have more than enough power to last you all day, and it’s slim enough to slip discreetly into a backpack or purse.
Nintendo New 2DS XL – Black + Turquoise
“Gamers of all ages can play in style with the New Nintendo 2DS XL system. It gives you the power of the New Nintendo 3DS XL system in a streamlined, affordable package, and plays a vast library of 2D games. Color accents style , while the sleek clamshell design makes it comfortable to hold and helps protect the screen from scratches when it’s closed.A faster processor delivers faster loading times, so you can start gaming in a flash. in a lightweight package for gaming on the go C Stick offers better controls (like intuitive camera controls) for compatible games, while ZL and ZR buttons give you plenty of options On the bottom screen to enjoy amiibo features Touch a amiibo figure for Near Field Communication (NFC) reader in compatible games Can play all Nintendo 3DS games, New Nintendo 3DS and most Nintendo DS games in 2D on this system, compared to the Nintendo 2DS systems.
New Nintendo 2DS XL (See Time review) The New 3DS XL offers everything for minimalist dimensions. If you haven’t played the 3DS yet, the new 2DS XL is arguably hardware at its best, free of one feature that never seemed obvious for essential handhelds. If you want a smaller-class gaming feel than the Nintendo Switch, with a vast library of deep, acclaimed games, and control the envy of any smartphone, New Nintendo 2DS XL Mobile Gaming is the gold standard.
