Back to School Tech Accessories to Start the Year off Right

7 min readAug 2, 2018

One thing that is beneficial for every student to have is an Amazon Prime account. Amazon makes it easy for students by giving a special discount ($6.49/month) after a 6-month free trial period. In addition to an Amazon Prime subscription, which not only makes it easier to order things online, but it also gives you the opportunity to have home entertainment at your fingertips, here are some of our favorite tech products that are beneficial for students of all ages.

Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse Smart Writing System

The Pen+ Ellipse is part of a smart writing system by Moleskine that uses an ink-based pen and Ncoded paper technology to capture hand-written notes in real time. The Ncoded paper lets the pen recognize individual pages. The Pen+ Ellipse will save and store all of your writings and drawings on your smartphone or tablet. The Pen+ Ellipse comes with a USB cable for charging, one pen tip ink refill, and the Volant XS Starter Journal. The notes you create on paper are automatically transferred to the Moleskine Notes app. You can store, find, edit, and share your digitized notes. Your strokes are simultaneously captured into the app (as long as the pen is connected to your phone). You have the option to use tags to keep ideas organized, edit your notes using colors and highlighting, sync your notes to Google Drive and Evernote, and you can add real-time audio recordings into the Moleskine app and sync notes straight from the app.

Swiss Digital Circuit Laptop Backpack

The Circuit Backpack is designed to be rugged and is constructed of 1680D ballistic nylon and dobby nylon. There is a molded EVA compartment for housing a portable battery (not included), phone tablet and other electronic devices. The left shoulder strap is prewired with a mesh pocket to hold your phone while it’s charging. The laptop pocket is also molded EVA and it will fit up to a 15-inch laptop. In addition to the laptop pocket, there is also a padded tablet pocket, EVA molded back system, organizer pocket with key clip, and dual-size zip pockets with mesh compartments. The backpack offers the user RFID protection and is FAA compliant with carry-on regulations as it measures 19.5 x 11.5 x 8.26 inches. The Circuit is also TSA approved as the laptop sleeve will allow you to quickly move through security (it opens up fully).

Mophie Powerstation AC Portable Battery

The Powerstation AC is an external battery that has powering options for all your portable devices. In addition to a USB-A 2.4A Quick Charge port and a USB-C PD 30W Fast Charge port, the Powerstation AC also provides a 100W AC port so that you always have a way to charge any device. It’s a 22,000 mAh battery that can provide up to 100 hours for smartphones, 21 hours for large tablets, 15 hours for USB-C powered laptops and 8 hours for DSLR cameras. It’s a bit hefty weighing in at 756 grams, but it’s got a slender profile and can easily be carried in a laptop bag.

Anker PowerCore+ 10500 Power Bank

The PowerCore+ 10050 is designed to handle portable smart devices. It is compatible with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology (18W max) and features a single USB-A port for output charging and a Micro USB port for input charging. The power bank is a high-speed, high-capacity portable battery that can handle most charging tasks. The exterior case is built out of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy for durability and because of that, its look matches most modern phones, tablets, and computer. Anker took some smart precautions when engineering the ‘guts’ inside the battery and included surge protection, short circuit protection, and temperature control to keep both you and your devices safe while using their product.

Sony CH700N Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones

The headphones were designed for a great user experience and meant for people who love music. The biggest feature of the CH700N headphones is the AINC — Artificial Intelligence Noise Cancelling. The AINC adjusts to your environment so that unwanted noise is eliminated as you move from place to place. You can activate the AINC by pressing one button on the bottom of the left ear cup. These headphones are Bluetooth and NFC compatible and they boast an enormous 35-hour battery life (depending on use).

AUKEY PowerHub XL Charging Station

The PowerHub XL from AUKEY is a tower of power. It contained 12 AC outlets and 6 USB ports. All the outlets and ports are orientated to be vertical rather than horizontal. The tower stands almost 7 inches tall and has a diameter of 4.6 inches. The power cable is a heavy duty AC extension cable that stretches several feet for your ease of use. The PowerHub XL provides up to 2.4A per port. That said, it if you have something plugged into every USB port, it will only output 6A total between all the ports. The column design of the charging station makes it convenient for plugging in multiple items at one time. While the PowerHub XL is incredibly powerful, AUKEY has put a lot of safeguards in place to ensure that excessive current, overheating, and overcharging doesn’t occur.

Anker Soundcore Motion Q Bluetooth Speaker

Designed for 360-degree sound sharing, the Motion Q is a portable Bluetooth speaker that utilizes the most modern technologies available. It has back-to-back full-range drivers and dual passive radiators for a full, even sound. In addition to the powerful hardware included, Motion Q utilizes BassUp technology, which analyzes and enhances your music’s bass frequencies in real time. Motion Q was created as a waterproof speaker and even billed as a speaker you can ‘drop in the ocean’. It’s rated IPX7 and can withstand being submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

Logitech MX Anywhere Bluetooth Mouse

The mouse connects through Bluetooth to your computer (or some tablets). You can do this by either pairing to the mouse directly or by using the USB dongle that is provided. The mouse will track anywhere…on any surface…even glass. The MX Anywhere Mouse features a 4000-dpi Darkfield™ sensor that makes it possible to work virtually anywhere.

Tile-Mate

This device is small, made of plastic and can attach directly to your keychain. Once it’s connected to the Tile App, you can use your phone to ‘ring your things’ to find where they are. This is especially great for small items that can easily slip away. It perfect for tracking everything from kids’ lunch boxes to college dorm keys.

August Smart Lock

August Smart Lock allows you to have a completely keyless entry to your home. Its encrypted locking technology is safer than keys, which can get lost and can easily be copied. August’s smart security solutions to give parents more control and visibility over their front door, as kids come in and out.

SwagCycle Pro by Swagtron

The SwagCycle Pro is one of the models of e-bike that Swagtron produces amidst the many e-rideables they design. It’s considered an ‘advanced’ e-bike as it pairs with a companion app for monitoring and fine-tuning controls of the cycle itself. The SwagCycle Pro features a foldable frame for easy storage and can support up to 264 pounds. The bike is rated IP54, which means it’s dust resistant as well as water/splash resistant. You can take the SwagCycle Pro off-road and ride as easily as you can on smooth pavement thanks to the 12” front and 10” back air-filled tires. This cycle can make it easier to get around bigger campuses.