Late August is the time to check what your child (or you, if you're a student again) will use for school every day. Notebooks and pens will sort themselves out, but it's better to sort out the tech in advance - so the workspace is comfortable, the connection doesn't drop during classes, the battery lasts until evening, and the backpack survives ten months of daily commuting.
Below is a checklist by category, with specific options in stock and their prices.
Checklist: what tech you actually need
- A laptop stand and a cooling pad - if study involves working on a computer at least part of the time
- A wireless mouse, or a keyboard-and-mouse combo for more serious work
- Headphones or a headset for calls, online classes, and music during breaks
- A power bank - to charge your phone between classes when there's no outlet nearby
- A laptop backpack that can handle the weight of textbooks every day
Workspace: stand and cooling
When a laptop is your main work tool, just a couple of accessories can noticeably improve comfort. The adjustable UGREEN 20471B stand (15.32 €) raises the screen to eye level and eases neck strain during long computer sessions - useful for both homework and lectures from a dorm room. The Conceptronic THANA07B 17-inch cooling pad (15.32 €) is for anyone whose laptop runs for hours and gets noticeably hot. A quiet fan underneath won't add to the heat, while overheating shortens your device's lifespan.
Connectivity and online learning
For typing and working with presentations, the Logitech M185 wireless mouse (10.03 €) is enough - lightweight, with a receiver that's hard to lose. If you need a full set for home or a dorm, the DELTACO TB-114-LT (25.91 €) is a good fit - a keyboard and mouse combo with an LT/EN layout, which is especially handy for Lithuanian students.
For online classes, group calls, or just music during breaks, there are two headphone options. The Deltaco HL-7 (12.13 €) is a simple wired headset for calls, with no extra features and no risk of the battery dying mid-lecture. The BTX700ANC (15.32 €) are wireless Bluetooth headphones for those who want to ditch the cable and listen to music on the way to class.
All-day battery life
Schedule, map app, notes, chats with classmates - a smartphone drains faster than you'd like, and there isn't always an outlet in the classroom or lecture hall. The Power Bank 2.4A LED 10000mAh (14.00 €) has enough capacity for several full phone charges, with an LED charge indicator. Need something more compact, for a backpack rather than just a pocket - the Baseus 5000 mAh (19.05-20.63 €, black or white) charges fast and takes up almost no space.
Carrying it all: a backpack for laptop and textbooks
A laptop, charger, a couple of textbooks, a water bottle - a typical school or student kit weighs quite a bit, and a backpack needs to offer not just capacity but protection for the most expensive item inside, the screen. The Hiro Rhino 15.6" (39.43 €) is a practical everyday option with a compartment for laptops up to 15.6 inches. If you carry a bulkier set of things to class or value well-thought-out compartment organization, take a look at the tomtoc VintPack TA1 (71.77 €) - a backpack with a more serious approach to packing and protecting your tech.
Pick one item from each category - a stand or cooling pad for your laptop, a mouse and headphones for connectivity, a power bank as backup, and a backpack for the whole school year - and by September 1st the tech part of your back-to-school shopping is done. All that's left are the notebooks and pens.