The best school supplies for students K-12

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The best school supplies for students K-12

The best school supplies

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  • You can't send your kids back to school without all the right supplies.
  • Whether your first-born is heading off to Kindergarten or your kid is somehow finishing up their senior year of high school, we've got all the school supplies they need here.

Depending on how you feel about school, going back to the hallowed halls of education either fills you with joy or dread. Either way, there's one thing to look forward to at the very least: new school supplies. Every year, schools send home supply lists with all the gear kids need to make it through the year. While your kids may take this as an excuse to get new clothes, shoes, and gadgets; you need to get all the basics for them, too.

Since the back to school season can do some damage on your wallet, we've worked hard to round up the very best school supplies you can buy, while still saving some money. We cover general supplies that will be on most kids' lists, whether they're going to Kindergarten for the first time or busting through their last year of high school. If you're looking for college dorm room gear, read our guide here.

Read on to find our top picks for backpacks, lunch boxes, pens, pencils, highlighters, notebooks, planners, paper, folders, binders, art supplies, calculators, laptops, and so much more.

Updated on 08/29/2019 by Malarie Gokey: Updated prices and formatting. Added links to related buying guides.

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The best backpack for elementary school

The best backpack for elementary school
The JanSport Superbreak backpack comes in tons of fun colors and patterns.

JanSport is still the go-to backpack brand for tons of school kids. The Superbreak backpack is sturdy, just the right size, and it comes in tons of colors and patterns. The list of options on Amazon is epic. You can read our guide to the best student backpacks here.

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The best middle school backpack

The best middle school backpack
The L.L. Bean Deluxe Book Pack has lots of compartments to hold everything you need.

L.L. Bean makes great backpacks, and the Deluxe Book Pack is perfect for middle schoolers who need to carry more textbooks, binders, and notebooks around with them every day. It has lots of compartments, two water bottle holders, and a fleece-lined pocket for your kid's smartphone.

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The best high school backpacks

The best high school backpacks
The North Face Recon and the Fjallraven Kanken Big Backpack are the best backpacks you can bring to high school.

In high school, a backpack serves two purposes. It's a practical place to toss your books, pens, laptop, phone, and lunch; but it's also a fashion statement. If you just want a practical sporty look, the North Face Recon is the best backpack for you. Those of you who are more interested in style than pure function will like the Fjallraven Kanken Big Backpack.

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The best pre-school lunch box

The best pre-school lunch box
The Bentgo Kids Bento Box is divided into small compartments to match your child's appetite.

The Bentgo Kids Bento Box is made from sturdy plastic with rubber edges, so it won't crack if dropped, and the two clasps are easy for little hands to open and close. The inner tray is portioned into five compartments just the right size for the appetites of the pre-school crowd. Best of all? The foods won't touch. You can read our full guide to the best kids lunchboxes here.

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The best school supplies for students K-12

The best school supplies for students K-12
The Packit Freezable Lunch Bag keeps your child's lunch cold for hours.

The Packit Freezable Lunch Bag is made of poly canvas, with a food-safe, water-resistant lining. It zips shut at the top and also has a Velcro tab for extra security. You can pop it in the freezer the night before school so that the special lining keeps lunch cold all day. It comes in tons of fun colors to make every kid happy.

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The best middle school lunch box

The best middle school lunch box
The L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box hits the sweet spot between grown-up and kid-friendly style.

The LL Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box comes in a wide range of bright colors and equally bright and fun prints, yet it has a simple "grown-up" design that proclaims the owner is no longer a little kid. The rugged outer fabric is strong, and the inner insulation keeps food cold for hours, is easy to clean, and resists leaks and stains. There's a handy mesh pocket in the top of the lunch box to hold sandwiches, chips, utensils, or snacks that are easily crushed, and there's plenty of room in the lower section for drinks, fruit, sandwiches, or plastic containers of food.

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The best high school and college lunch box

The best high school and college lunch box
The L.L. Bean Insulated Lunch Box looks cool, and it has a super sturdy, practical design.

The L.L. Bean Insulated Lunch Box is well-designed with an outer mesh pocket for utensils or small snacks, an inner mesh pocket on the box's lid for sandwiches, chips, or other goodies that might otherwise be easily smashed, and a roomy lower section that's big enough for drinks, plastic food containers, fruit, sandwiches, or whatever else your kiddo enjoys at lunchtime. It's also grown-up enough that your teenager won't roll their eyes at it. Even college kids will like it.

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The best ballpoint pens

The best ballpoint pens
The uni-ball Jetstream RT Ballpoint Pens write smoothly without smearing, and they come in a three-pack.

If you love ballpoint pens and hate the way gel pens smear, you'll love the Uni-Ball Jetstream RT Pens. The ink is a school-approved black, and it dries almost instantly to avoid any smudges as you frantically take notes in science class. These pens come in a three-pack on Amazon for a reasonable price, so parents will love them, too, though you'll probably need more than three to get through the school year.

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The best gel pens

The best gel pens
The Pilot G2 Retractable Premium Gel Ink Roller Ball Pens write smoothly and help color code all your notes.

If you prefer gel pens and you don't mind the occasional smudge, the Pilot G2 gel pens are the best ones you can buy. Although your teacher will skin you if you turn in homework in colorful ink instead of blue or black, having multiple colors for note-taking can be very helpful. Take it from a serial color coder — it helps. I've been using these pens for the past few years to keep my editorial assignments in order (and color coded!), and I'll never go back to normal pens.

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The best pencils

The best pencils
The Dixon Ticonderoga Wood-Cased 2HB Pencils write well, sharpen easily, and pass every test.

Dixon's Ticonderoga wood pencils might as well represent the word "pencil" in the dictionary. These pencils are iconic for a reason: They write well, last long, and satisfy that "number two" pencil requirement for scantron tests (do they still have those?).

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The best mechanical pencils

The best mechanical pencils
The uni-ball KuruToga Mechanical Pencil lasts long and writes well.

If you hate sharpening your pencils, you'll love the Uni-Ball KuruToga mechanical pencil. It's not your average mechanical pencil, either. It has stronger lead for less breakage and it's very comfortable to hold. You will need to buy more lead and possibly some erasers after a while, but that's the case with all mechanical pencils.

For kids who are learning to write, Papermate's Handwriting Mechanical Pencils are ideal. These pencils are shaped to be flatter and easier to grip for young kids.

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The best highlighters

The best highlighters
The Sharpie Clear View Highlighters come in both wide and narrow sizes, and you get four different colors.

When it comes to highlighters, Sharpie is probably among the best-known brands. These Clear View highlighters come in narrow and wide sizes so you can choose which kind you need. The highlighters will last you a long time even if you're a highlighting fiend, and, you get four different colors in a pack for color coding.

Pros: Both wide and narrow sizes, multiple colors, good highlighting color, long lasting

Cons: None

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The best composition book

The best composition book
The Mead Composition Books are sturdy and classic.

Elementary school students always have to get a composition notebook, but if you like to have one for high school or college, you can get the college-ruled version instead of the traditional wide-ruled option. Mead makes great composition notebooks with sturdy covers and good quality paper, so you can't go wrong here — especially if you get the two-pack.

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The best wide-ruled notebook

The best wide-ruled notebook
The Five Star Spiral Notebooks are the ones every kid wants.

If you were a cool kid in school, you probably had Five Star notebooks. These are great notebooks, even though they're pricier than some. Amazon has this three-pack of notebooks on sale, so you're getting a better deal than you normally would. Check out our guide to the best notebooks here.

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The best college-ruled notebook

The best college-ruled notebook
The Five Star Spiral Notebooks will get you through all your subjects in style.

Once you hit high school, you need a notebook for each subject. This six-pack of Five Star notebooks is a great deal at less than $20. The notebooks are sturdy, the paper is crisp, and the covers come in different colors to help you color code your subjects if that's your jam.

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The best planner for middle school

The best planner for middle school
The Global Datebooks Dated Middle School or High School Student Planner will keep you ahead of the game.

Back in the day, my school used to provide planners for everyone, and they looked just like this one from Global Datebooks. The planner is divided into weeks and each day of the week is divided into sections for different subjects. It's great for middle schoolers or high schoolers, even if the design looks '90s and cheesy with the quotations and all. It also has handy reference charts in there for tough subjects. Read our guide to the best planners here.

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The best planner for high school

The best planner for high school
The Mead Student Academic Planner will help you remember all your homework assignments.

If you're not into the nerdy retro planner above, the Mead Student Academic Planner is a classy alternative. It looks much simpler and more grown up. It's also split up into weeks and has handy charts for math and so on. You can get it in a bunch of different colors, too, which is nice.

Pros: Simple design, multiple color options, good layout

Cons: None

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The best notebook paper

The best notebook paper
The Mead Filler Paper is strong and doesn't let ink bleed through.

You'll go through a lot of paper, so grab a few packs of the Mead Filler Paper in either wide-or-college-rule. It's sturdy and doesn't let ink bleed through.

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The best printer paper

The best printer paper
The Staples Sustainable Earth Sugarcane Inkjet Laser Printer Paper is made of eco-friendly materials and prints perfectly.

The Staples Sustainable Earth Sugarcane Inkjet Laser Printer Paper will let you print out your epic essays and research papers all throughout high school. It's made out of eco-friendly materials, too, so you can save some trees while you're at it.

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The best folders

The best folders
The STEMSFX Heavy Duty Plastic 2 Pocket Folders come in a six pack and they're durable.

No matter how much mom harps on about taking good care of your school supplies, some of you won't pay her any mind. To make your folders last longer, get these heavy duty plastic ones from STEMSFX. You even get six different colored ones in a pack, so you can color code your subjects.

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The best binders

The best binders
The Avery Durable View Binder is durable, sturdy, and long lasting.

You can buy the Avery Durable View Binder in a variety of sizes to suit your teacher's preferences. These binders are known to be fairly durable and the rings are well made unlike the dollar store versions that always fall apart. Check out our guide to the best binders here.

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The best dividers

The best dividers
The Avery Insertable Dividers keep your subjects apart in your binder.

If you have a ton of subjects or you just like being organized, the Avery Insertable Dividers will do a great job of corraling your subjects into sections in your binder. These tabs are sturdy, so they shouldn't rip like flimsier versions.

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The best art set

The best art set
The Crayola Core Pack for Back to School — Grades 3-5 comes with almost every art supply you need.

If you need markers, crayons, and colored pencils for your kid, look no further than the Crayola Core Back to School — Grades 3-5 kit. It comes with pretty much everything your kid needs for art time in elementary school, and its $12.99 price tag is decent.

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The best colored pencils

The best colored pencils
The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are excellent for budding artists.

If you want some colored pencils that are more high-end and suitable for real art, the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are wonderful. You get 12 colors for less than $7 — you can't beat that.

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The best glue sticks

The best glue sticks
The Elmer's Washable All-Purpose School Glue Sticks work well and they're way less messy than glue bottles.

Who wants sticky glue bottles when you can have glue sticks? Elmer's Glue Sticks are better quality than the cheapo ones you'll find elsewhere. The glue is stickier and longer lasting than other brands' glue sticks. You can get them for a good price, too.

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The best scissors

The best scissors
The Fiskars 5-inch Blunt Kids Scissors cut well, last long, and they won't poke you.

Scissors are one of those things that you shouldn't skimp on. Dollar-store scissors don't last long, they break, and they're dull. Fiskars' scissors may be pricey at $10.50, but they are great. These scissors are sturdy, strong, sharp, and safe for kids with their blunt tips. You can also get them with the pointy ends if you're not worried your kid will poke themselves (or a classmate) with them.

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The best sketchbooks

The best sketchbooks
The Strathmore Sketch Spiral Sketchbook is perfect for inspiring creativity.

If your budding artist needs a real sketchbook, you can't go wrong with Strathmore's wares. The paper quality is excellent, and these sketchbooks are even made with recycled paper. I've used these sketchbooks exclusively for more than a decade, and they are top notch.

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The best printer

The best printer
The Epson XP-340 has a built-in scanner and easy-to-use interface, but best of all, it costs less than $50.

The Epson XP-340 has all the features you need for an incredible price. It has a built-in scanner, so you won't need to buy one separately, and it's wireless, so you can print from anywhere nearby, as long as you're connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the printer. It's an inkjet printer, but the ink isn't too expensive if you only print in black.

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The best school supplies for students K-12

The best school supplies for students K-12
The SanDisk Ultra CZ48 is a bargain with a price tag that's less than $10.

If you need to bring documents back and forth with you for sharing or printing, you'll want a flash drive. The SanDisk Ultra CZ48 is one of only a few affordable USB drives that uses the USB 3.0 standard. The drive has transfer speeds up to 100MB/s, which is slower than all the other drives on our list, but it is fast enough for an affordable USB drive, so long as you're not transferring giant files. You can check our guide to the best USB drives for more choices.

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The best calculator

The best calculator
The Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro Engineering/Scientific Calculator will do the math for you and help you pass algebra.

If you hate math as much as I did, you'll love the Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro Engineering/Scientific Calculator. It'll do the math for you and help you pass those math classes with flying colors.

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The best index cards

The best index cards
The Oxford Ruled Index Cards make great flashcards for study time.

If you're a flashcard person and a color coder, you'll love these colorful Oxford Ruled Index Cards. You can easily make flashcards for studying or take notes on them, and the different colors in each pack help you color code by subject or topic.

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The best school supplies for students K-12

The best school supplies for students K-12
The Westcott Stainless Steel Office Ruler won't break or slide when you need to measure or draw a straight line.

Some schools want you to have a good ruler on hand, and the Westcott Stainless Steel Office Ruler is a good bet with its sturdy metal design and non-slip cork base. It's also 15-inches long, so you get a few extra inches.

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The best sticky notes

The best sticky notes
Post-it Notes are amazing for note-takers, color coders, and organization freaks who cannot live without lists.

Take it from a sticky note addict: Post-it Notes are great. They come in fun colors for color coding, they're stickier than imitators, and they'll help you be more organized.

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