What Teens Actually Want for Back to School
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Back-to-school shopping changes when you have a teenager. The crayons and character lunch boxes are long gone, and suddenly the person who once happily let you pick out everything has opinions . Lots of them.
The good news? The best back-to-school essentials for teens are the things that hit the sweet spot between what they actually want and what parents know they actually need. Think a backpack cool enough to carry every day, a water bottle that won't leak all over said backpack, smart tech that can make schoolwork easier and a few clever organization upgrades that might—might!—help keep the chaos under control.
I recently shared some of my favorite back-to-school finds on TODAY, and I'm rounding them up here along with even more picks designed specifically with middle schoolers and high schoolers in mind. Because after shopping for my own teens, I've learned that the best school supplies aren't necessarily the ones on the official supply list. They're the products that solve the little everyday problems: the charger they can toss in a bag, the headphones they'll remember to bring, the lunch gear they'll actually use and the backpack that can handle a laptop, sports gear and approximately 47 crumpled pieces of paper.
Whether you're shopping for a middle schooler, high school student or college-bound teen, consider this your shortcut to the back-to-school must-haves for 2026—useful, cool and teen-approved enough to make the first day feel a little more exciting.
The New Spill-Proof Water Bottle
Anker The Charger That Does Basically Everything
Apple The New MacBook Made With Students in Mind
herschel supply co. The Low-Key Cool Backpack
Hatch The Alarm Clock That Keeps Phones Out of Their Bedrooms
Fury Strike The Basketball Hoop That Might Actually Get Clothes Off the Floor
Apple The iPad That's on My Daughter's Back-to-School Wish List
pilot The Pens I Thought My Teens Would Think Were Babyish
Segway The Scooter That's Solving Our School-Morning Problem
Sharper Image The Tiny Vacuum for a Cleaner Homework Zone
Tippy Type The Keyboard Cover Made for Teen "Talons"
The Water Filter My Entire Family Uses Every Day
The Lunch Bag That Deflates When You Don't Need It
The Paper Planner for Digitally Obsessed Teens
The Headphones My Daughter Has Used for Years
S'well The Bento Box That Makes Weeknight Meals Easier
DSG The Shorts That Are Basically My Boys' School Uniform
The $160 Sneakers My Daughter Wears All Year
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