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The best back-to-school sales and deals during Prime Day

Before the fall, get savings on backpacks, calculators, pens, pencils and more.
Illustration of kids sitting outside school and different back to school products
Amazon Prime Day offers sales on backpacks, lunchboxes, notebooks, calculators and more back to school supplies.Xavier Lorenzo / Getty Images ; Amazon

Amazon Prime Day 2022 is finally here, with sitewide savings for Prime members on popular categories ranging from matresses and pet products to tech and fitness equipment. And whether you’re looking for a new college laptop or writing utensils to refill a pencil case, Amazon is offering notable discounts on backpacks, calculators, pens and more during the sale.

SKIP AHEAD Prime Day back to school sales on Amazon | Prime Day back to school sales at other retailers

Prime Day’s history traces back to 2015 — and after seven years, it’s grown so big that other retailers like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond are now hosting their own counter sales. To help you make the most of the fleeting shopping holiday, we compiled some of the best Prime Day back to school deals and sales live on Amazon, plus highlighted other notable deals from counter sales at other retailers. And make sure to keep up with our live coverage of Prime Day — we will be highlighting lightning deals and sharing some of our favorite deals throughout the day.

The best Prime Day back to school deals

Below, we’re sharing the best Prime Day back to schooldeals based on our previous coverage and reporting. To ensure the quality of each deal, we’re running deals through price trackers like CamelCamelCamel and Honey — each product is at its lowest price in at least three months.

As you shop for back to school supplies, keep in mind that many retailers offer exclusive student discounts, especially as we get closer to the fall. For example, Amazon offers a Prime Student membership for $69 a year (plus a free six month trial), and students with a Target Circle account can get 20% off a one-time purchase from July 3 to Sept. 3.

Best Prime Day deals on school supplies

Rotring Retractable Mechanical Pencil

  • 4.7-star average rating from 2,935 reviews on Amazon

This 0.5-millimeter mechanical pencil has a non-slip metal grip to help maintain a tight grasp while writing, Rotring says. The lead and sleeve retract when the pencil is not in use, and it has a clip on the side so you can slip the pencil over a page or notebook cover to store it.

Rocketbook Fusion

  • Lowest price ever
  • 4.5-star average rating from 44,262 reviews on Amazon

We previously recommended Rocketbook products in our roundup of the top-rated planners, and this model offers similar features, like reusable pages made from synthetic paper that can be wiped clean. Available in executive or letter sizes, the Fusion has 42 pages with seven different page styles for taking notes, planning and goal making and organizing lists. The notebook comes with a Pilot Frixion Pen and a microfiber cloth.

Five Star Spiral College Ruled Notebook, 6 Pack

  • 4.8-star average rating from 2,835 reviews on Amazon

Each spiral-bound notebook in this pack of six has 100 double-sided college ruled sheets. The notebooks come with a built-in 2-pocket divider to hold loose paper, envelopes or sticky notes. Sheets are also perforated so it’s easy to tear them out when needed.

Five Star 4-Pocket Folders, 6 Pack

  • 4.7-star average rating from 8,923 reviews on Amazon

These folders come with two horizontal and two vertical pockets to keep paper in place. They come in a multicolored set of two and have a 3-hole punch so you can clip them into notebooks. The folders can hold 8.5-inch by 11-in papers and there’s a periodic table, ruler and conversion charts printed on the pockets.

Paper Mate InkJoy Pens, 20 Pack

  • 4.8-star average rating from 55,644 reviews on Amazon

Paper Mate’s pack of 20 pens come in all colors of the rainbow. The pens’ ink dries quickly to avoid smudges, the brand said, and each pen has a 0.7-millimeter pointed tip. Pens are also designed with an ergonomic grip.

Best Prime Day deals on back to school tech

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Android Tablet

  • Lowest price ever
  • 4.6-star average rating from 3,743 reviews on Amazon

We previously recommended Samsung tablets in our roundup of iPad alternatives. This option from the brand is equipped with a 10.5-inch LCD touch screen and is available in 32, 64 or 128 GB options. Its battery life lasts for multiple hours, according to the brand, and recharges with a USB-C cable. And if you own other Galaxy devices, you can share files and other information between them.

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones

  • Lowest price ever
  • 4.7-star average rating from 31,068 reviews on Amazon

Some students need silence to study, which noise canceling headphones like these provide even in a busy library or home. Sony’s overhead headphones offer 30 hours of battery life and are equipped with quick charging — the brand said you can get five hours of use if you charge them for 10 minutes. The headphones have touch controls to pause music, answer calls or control volume, and they respond to voice commands.

Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS Scientific Calculator

  • 4.7-star average rating from 25,977 reviews on Amazon

This battery-powered calculator has a two line display to show you calculations and the result at the same time. The brand said it can perform one and two variable statistical calculations, as well as three angle modes, scientific modes and engineering Falsetation modes. To keep the battery that comes with this calculator fully charged, the device also uses the sun as a power source.

Best Prime Day deals on backpacks and lunchboxes

AmazonBasics Laptop Backpack

  • 4.6-star average rating from 16,204 reviews on Amazon

If you carry a laptop to school every day, it may be helpful to purchase a backpack with a dedicated compartment for it, like this one from AmazonBasics. The backpack fits laptops up to 17 inches in size, according to Amazon. You can store the laptop in the bag’s padded sleeve and use the many other compartments to store chargers, notebooks and more. The backpack is also built with mesh water bottle pockets on the sides.

Adidas Santiago Insulated Lunch Bag

  • Lowest price ever
  • 4.8-star average rating from 2,934 reviews on Amazon

Experts we previously spoke to recommended buying an insulated lunch box to pack meals or snacks in. The Adidas Santiago Lunch Bag is designed with a liner in the main pocket to keep food chilled during the day. It has a small zippered pocket on the front to store napkins or utensils and there’s a mesh pocket on the back of the bag for even more storage.

The best Prime Day back to school sales on Amazon

Here are the best Prime Day back to school sales on Amazon right now that we think you’ll want to know about.

  1. Up to 75% off Sharpie, Elmer’s and more
  2. Up to 68% off Rubbermaid, rotring and more
  3. Up to 54% off Sony headphones
  4. Up to 52% off Five Star notebooks, folders and more
  5. Up to 52% off EXPO, X-Acto, Paper Mate, and more
  6. Up to 50% off Kindle e-readers
  7. Up to 50% off back to school kid’s fashion from Amazon brands
  8. Up to 49% off Pilot Pens writing supplies
  9. Up to 48% off Rocketbook Fusion Notebooks and Cloud Cards
  10. Up to 46% off Oxford and Pendaflex office supplies
  11. Up to 46% off Scotch school and office supplies
  12. Up to 45% off learning toys from Osmo and more
  13. Up to 40% off Hand2Mind social and emotional learning games
  14. Up to 39% off Dimex office products
  15. Up to 39% off of ‘off to college’ fashion from Amazon brands
  16. Up to 38% off Fiskars craft and office supplies
  17. Up to 30% off Post-It office products
  18. Up to 25% off learning advantage manipulatives
  19. Up to 23% off Vornado fans and other products
  20. Up to $202 off 3M keyboard trays and office products

The best Prime Day back to school sales at other retailers

In addition to Amazon, the following retailers are offering Prime Day back to school sales we recommend.

  1. Walmart: Up to 75% off select school supplies and up to 50% off select tech
  2. JC Penney: Up to 40% off and an extra 35% off select dorm bedding, bath and other essentials during the Dorm Flash Sale with code DORMBED through July 13
  3. Michael’s: 30% off Happy Planners and 20% off regular price purchases with code 22MADEBYYOUthrough July 16
  4. Target: 30% off select school supplies, art kits and office supplies during the Deal Days event through July 13
  5. Best Buy: Save up to $400 on select Dell computers and find other Back to School deals through July 17

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