These 4th of July sales are epic for back to school — 7 deals I recommend

Asus ZenBook OLED laptop shown on desk next to notebook and pencils

(Image credit: Future)

School may be the last thing on your mind right now, but there are plenty of good hidden back to school sales happening today. Although 4th of July sales generally tend to focus on TVs and appliances, a few retailers are getting a jump start on the back to school shopping season with some good deals for students. You just have to know where to find them.

I've been tracking retail holidays like the 4th of July and Prime Day for over 10 years. Below I'm rounding up the best student-friendly deals I've found. This includes deals on MacBooks, tablets, college-friendly mattresses, and anything a student may need as they prepare to go back to school next month.

Best 4th of July deals for back to school

Sling TV: $25 off first month @ Sling
Sling TV is an affordable live TV service that offers flexibility and lots of customization. For a limited time, new Sling subscribers get $25 off their first month. You can sign up for Sling Orange ($40/month) or Sling Blue ($45/month) — or a combination of both packages ($60/month). After discount, prices for the first month are $15, $20, or $35, respectively. In our Sling TV review, we called the Editor's Choice service a cheap and flexible option for cord-cutters.

Amazon 43" 4K Omni Fire TV: was $399 now $99 @ Amazon
Maybe you need a new TV for college, maybe you don't. Either way, this deal so amazing I need to mention it. Right now, Prime members can get the Amazon 43-inch 4K Omni Fire TV for just $99, which is the cheapest 4K TV we've ever seen. Note that you'll need to log into your Prime account and request an invite to buy it. (It'll go on sale during Prime Day). The 43-inch Omni Fire TV is the latest TV (released March 22) in Amazon's TV lineup. This new smaller size brings HDR 10/HLG support to a smaller 4K screen for those who can't fit a 50-inch or larger TV into their living room. In our Amazon Fire TV Omni review, we said it's solid for gaming thanks to its low lag time, but you should only buy it when it's on sale as there are better/cheaper options for your money. However, at $99 — this is an unbeatable deal.

Allswell Mattress: was $227 now $170 @ Allswell
Great for college! The Allswell Mattress is a hybrid mattress, which means it's made from both memory foam and individually wrapped coils. Backed by Walmart, it delivers comfort at an affordable price. In fact, we named it the best mattress for college students due to its super affordable price, 100-night trial and 10-year warranty. Use coupon "STAR25" to take 25% off the hybrid mattress, which is a very rare discount. After discount, you can get the Allswell Mattress (twin) for $170 (was $227), whereas the queen costs $252 (was $337). That's one of the best cheap mattresses we've ever seen. Great alternative: Nectar Memory Foam from $359 @ Nectar

10.2" iPad (WiFi/64GB): was $329 now $249 @ Amazon
Lowest price! The 10.2-inch iPad features Apple's A13 Bionic CPU, a 12MP front camera, and 64GB of storage (instead of 32GB like its predecessor). You also get support for Center Stage, which uses machine learning to adjust the front-facing camera during FaceTime video calls. In our iPad 10.2-inch review, we called it a solid tablet with a great screen, smooth performance, and good battery life for a reasonable price. It's an all-time price low right now. Note: The 256GB model is also on sale for $399 at Amazon ($80 off). Check other retailers: $329 @ Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy A54: was $449 now $399 @ Amazon
The Galaxy A54 is the best budget smartphone you can buy. In our Samsung Galaxy A54 review, we said it offers solid battery life, a bright and colorful display, and an improved main camera that's great when the lights are low. It features a 6.4-inch FHD AMOLED 120Hz display, Exynos 1380 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Rear camera lenses include a 50MP main (f/1.8), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2), and 5MP macro (f/2.4). On the front you'll find a 32MP (f/2.2) lens. Great alternative: Pixel 7a for $449 @ Best Buy

MacBook Air 13 (M2/256GB): was $1,199 now $979 @ B&H Photo
The MacBook Air M2 boasts a load of cool features. It includes a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), Apple's new M2 w/ 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, 1080p FaceTime camera, four-speaker system with Spatial Audio, and MagSafe charging. In our MacBook Air M2 review, we called the Editor's Choice laptop an unbeatable combo of performance, design, and battery life. Huge footnote here — while $999 is an epic price, B&H Photo beats Best Buy with a slightly cheaper $979 price point (albeit in Midnight color only). Check other retailers: $999 @ Best Buy | sold out @ Amazon

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As deals editor-in-chief at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets, appliances, and apparel. With over 10 years of deals-hunting experience, Louis price checks against multiple retailers and searches high and low for the best deals to bring readers. He's also always on the look out for the best coupon codes to use when shopping. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.