22 things students didn't know they needed on Amazon
Consider this your ultimate back-to-school list.
Credit:
Daewoo/Paper Mate
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Sure, you have the standard back-to-school shopping list that your school gave you... but composition notebooks, pencils, and bed risers—if you're in college—are honestly pretty boring. There are so many cooler, more fun things out there that are also (mostly) necessary, especially on Amazon.
We've rounded up 22 of our favorite finds below so you can prep for the new school year the right way. You're welcome.
1. This backpack that charges your phone
Power up on the go.
Reviews: 5,440 Rating: 4.7 stars
There are regular backpacks and then there are backpacks with a built-in USB charger so you can avoid the struggle that is a dead phone—or laptop—battery. This one from Matein is the number one laptop backpack on Amazon because it's water-resistant, great quality (perfect for tossing into a locker) and has plenty of padded pockets to keep all of your things organized and protected.
Get the Matein Travel Backpack for $31.99
2. This game-changing planner
Your schedule, organized.
Reviews: 221 Rating: 4.4 stars
True story: I couldn’t function—or really live—without my planner. This one is a favorite among Amazon shoppers because it has plenty of room to write all your to-do lists, an easy to organize and use layout, and even a clear front that you can customize with your own pictures.
Get the Blue Sky Day Designer for $19.99
3. This pack of the prettiest pens
Upgrade your note-taking.
Reviews: 5,385 Rating: 4.5 stars
As a writer, I'm a big fan of all Paper Mate pens (they're such good quality!) but these limited edition pastel ones have stolen my heart. And they're more than just literal eye candy—the felt-tip pens have received over 4,000 five-star reviews for being easy and comfortable to hold, lasting longer than regular pens, and most importantly, not bleeding through paper.
Get the Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens for $19.97
4. This adjustable lap desk
Type from the comfort of your bed.
Reviews: 1,203 Rating: 4.3 stars
The only thing that makes doing all your homework more bearable is doing it in bed. But trying to balance your laptop on your thighs is a pain. Enter this lap desk, which not only adjusts up and down so you can type at the most comfortable angle but also has a storage drawer and phone and tablet slots. People gave it high marks for being high quality, durable, and versatile.
Get the Sofia + Sam Laptop Bed Tray for $40.86
5. This adorable multipurpose lamp
Looks like a plant, acts like a lamp.
Reviews: 1,000 Rating: 4.2 stars
Even if you can't keep a plant alive to save your life (guilty!), you can still have one on your desk with this lookalike leafy lamp that doubles as a pencil holder. It's received rave reviews due to its adjustable brightness settings—so you can find that just right amount of light—and its long battery life of up to 15 hours.
Get the iEGrow Touch LED Desk Lamp for $14.99
6. These paper clips for the puppy-obsessed
Put pups on your paper.
Reviews: 150 Rating: 4.9 stars
You can buy dog slippers, dog necklaces, dog pillows, and now, dog paper clips. Not only will they make your homework way cuter but they’re also praised for being sturdy enough to hold a bunch of papers together securely.
Get the EastPin Paper Clips for $7.98
7. Our favorite portable charger
Dead phones will be a thing of the past.
Reviews: 1,632 Rating: 4.3 stars
Between soccer practice, debate team, and your part-time job, you're always on the go—and you don't have time for your phone to inconveniently die in the middle of it all. Keep it fully charged with our experts' number one portable battery pack. We love this one because of its high capacity (it can fully charge your phone multiple times before it needs to be juiced up again) and its slim size.
Get the RAVPower USB C Battery Pack for $49.99
8. These unique sticky notes
Your notebooks are about to get a lot more organized.
Reviews: 2,423 Rating: 4.6 stars
These sticky notes might not be the name brand we all love (cough, Post-It) but customers swear they’re just as sticky and just as good quality. They come in a variety of colors so you can easily divide your notes into any subjects you choose.
Get the Redi-Tag Divider Sticky Notes for $3.71
9. This case that will hold all of the things
Stay organized 24/7.
Reviews: 1,133 Rating: 4.6 stars
Rather than toss your pens and pencils into your backpack (and spend hours digging through it to find them later), keep them all in this clever pencil pouch. Users rave that it holds up well and is small enough to tote around yet spacious enough to fit all of your supplies.
Get the Homecube Pencil Case for $11.99
10. An alarm clock you can’t sleep through
You won't snooze through this alarm clock.
Reviews: 7,142 Rating: 4.3 stars
For anyone who is a serial snoozer, this alarm clock will change your life (or at least your morning) according to the thousands of five-star reviews the Sonic Bomb has. It’s incredibly loud at 113 dB and even has a bed-shaking function that’s sure to wake you up.
Get the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock for $33.02
11. This mini fridge that’s perfect for dorms
So cute, so compact.
Reviews: 280 Rating: 4.1 stars
Yes you need a mini fridge for your room but no it doesn’t have to be boring stainless steel. This retro refrigerator is a crowd favorite because it’s small (just 36 inches tall) yet spacious and comes in five cute colors from mint green to bright red.
Get the Daewoo Retro Compact Refrigerator for $249
12. This purrfect tape dispenser
Tape has never looked so cute.
Reviews: 1,006 Rating: 4.3 stars
If you can't get enough cats in your life, here's one more for you—in the form of a tape dispenser. And because it's made by Scotch, it's known for being great quality and for being as functional as it is absolutely adorable.
Get the Scotch Kitty Dispenser for $7.99
13. This brilliant bedside accessory
No nightstand, no problem.
Reviews: 971 Rating: 4.8 stars
If you're like me, you use your phone as an alarm (and for late-night Instagram scrolling) so you need to keep it by your bed—but you also know charging your phone on your bed is dangerous. Instead, put it on this attachable shelf, which is the number two nightstand on Amazon and is beloved for being easy to install and use.
Get the Bed Shelfie for $29.99
14. This smart notebook
Write, erase, repeat.
Reviews: 4,074 Rating: 4.3 stars
Not all notebooks are created equal. Like this smart notebook, which will instantly transfer your written notes to the cloud of your choice (like Google Drive). With nearly 3,000 five-star reviews, users appreciate that it's very lightweight to carry around and that it can easily be wiped off with a damp cloth and used over and over.
Get the Rocketbook Everlast Smart Reusable Notebook for $31.99
15. This backpack to make laundry easier
Laundry day just got a lot easier.
Reviews: 330 Rating: 4.3 stars
College comes with a lot of new responsibilities—including doing your own laundry. This backpack (which even has a pocket for your detergent) will make the trek to and from the laundry room much more bearable. It's one of the top 10 laundry bags on Amazon because it's comfortable to carry and is so spacious that it holds up to three loads of laundry.
Get the Dalykate Backpack Laundry Bag for $13.99
16. This gadget every Type-A person needs
You'll want to label everything.
Reviews: 2,386 Rating: 4.2 stars
Anyone who has (or has had) a roommate is all too familiar with the "who ate the rest of my Cheez-its?" dilemma. Or the "who used the rest of my laundry detergent?" dilemma. The solution is this handheld label maker so you can clearly mark all of your things. This DYMO one is popular because it's very user-friendly and prints good quality (and readable!) labels.
Get the DYMO LetraTag Handheld Label Maker for $28.04
17. This lunchbox must-have
Carry your carrots (or any veggies!) in style.
Reviews: 122 Rating: 4 stars
There are two things I love equally in this world: carrots and hummus and cute containers. So I’m obsessed with this find, which I use religiously. It keeps my dip separately from my veggies and is easy to clean when I’m finished.
Get the Hutzler Snack Attack for $6.49
18. This mirror to help you get ready in the a.m.
Put your best face forward.
Reviews: 1,841 Rating: 4.7 stars
Make your morning routine easier—and prettier—with Amazon's number one personal makeup mirror. Some of its users' favorite features? The LED lights that mimic natural light, the touchscreen switch, and the three different magnification settings so you can use it for anything from doing your makeup to plucking your brows.
Get the Koolorbs Makeup Mirror for $25.99
19. This cord keeper to prevent tangled earbuds
Perfect for carrying cords on the go.
Reviews: 339 Rating: 4.3 stars
If you use earbuds, you are well aware of the struggle that is trying to keep them tangle-free in your bag. That's why people swear by this cord keeper. Made of heavy-duty silicone, they like that it's super sturdy (and won't tear or fall apart easily) yet super lightweight so it's easy to tote around.
Get the ELFRhino Cord Organizer for $4.99
20. This shelf that will double your locker space
Meet your new favorite locker accessory.
Reviews: 411 Rating: 4.4 stars
Lockers are great but they aren't exactly known for being very roomy. If you need more space to store (and organize) all of your things, stick this locker shelf inside, which other students say is very easy to assemble and is sturdy enough to hold even your heaviest textbooks. Plus it's adjustable.
Get the Tools for School Locker Shelf for $14.99
21. These super slim ice packs
Chill out.
Reviews: 5,250 Rating: 4.2 stars
If you're packing your lunch, you'll need a way to keep it cool. Swap out bulky ice packs for these game-changing ones, which have thousands of glowing reviews for being easy to slip into any lunchbox and staying ice cold for longer.
Get the Fit & Fresh Slim Ice Packs for $7.99
22. This white noise machine so you can actually sleep
Choose between white noise or fan sounds.
Reviews: 5,905 Rating: 4.4 stars
College dorms aren’t exactly known for being the quietest places. So if you want to sleep—or even get some studying done—drown out the shouts of the guys next door with this white noise machine, which is in the top 10 sound machines on Amazon. Happy customers enjoy that you can easily control the volume and that it truly does block out unwanted noise.