Massive back to school sale at Amazon — 9 deals from $18 I’d buy ahead of Prime Day

MacBook, Beats headphones, and Keurig coffee maker
(Image credit: Amazon)

I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade since the summer just began, but the season is going to fly by! Back to school preparation and shopping will be here before we know it — especially for college students. Our advice? With so many amazing early Amazon Prime Day deals, we recommend getting a head start.

Amazon has major pre-Prime Day discounts on laptops, tablets, streaming devices and more — essentially everything students will need for a successful school year both in the classroom and in their dorms. You can save up to 40% on popular brands such as Apple, Keurig, Roku and more. 

Since Prime Day offers some of the best deals of the entire year, now is your chance to get major discounts on all your back to school essentials. Here are 9 items I would buy right now. 

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Best Prime Day Back To School Deals

Roku Express: was $29 now $18 @ Amazon

Roku Express: was $29 now $18 @ Amazon
Roku Express is the simple way to stream in a college dorm. Just plug it in and connect to the internet and you'll experience fast and seamless HD streaming for any kind of TV. With this great deal, you can feel confident you're getting the most for your money. You'll have access to hundreds of free apps, live TV, movies, sports, and more at the click of a button.

HP DeskJet 2855e Printer: was $84 now $54 @ Amazon

HP DeskJet 2855e Printer: was $84 now $54 @ Amazon
The small, lightweight HP DeskJet 2855e offers an attractive set of basic features for an attractive price. It's typically only $84, but this early Prime Day deals knocks $30 off. The multifunction printer copies, scans and faxes, and you can seamlessly link it the HP app on your smartphone. With a 60-sheet input tray, its compact design makes it the perfect addition to a college dorm. 

Keurig K-Mini coffee maker: was $99 now $59 @ Amazon

Keurig K-Mini coffee maker: was $99 now $59 @ Amazon
The Keurig K-Mini accepts K-Cup branded coffee pods to brew 6- or 12-ounce cups of coffee, tea or hot cocoa quickly and efficiently. It even works with My K-Cup universal reusable pods, letting you enjoy your favorite blend without adding to the landfill. In our Keurig K-Mini review, we said it's super compact and excels at its one function — brewing a pod of coffee. 

Echo Frames (3rd gen): was $299 now $169 @ Amazon

Echo Frames (3rd gen): was $299 now $169 @ Amazon
These smart glasses make your life easier by letting you complete tasks hands-free. You can ask Alexa for the latest news, weather, or have them play music via their built-in speakers. They also work with Siri and Google Assistant. In our Amazon Echo Frames 3rd gen review, we said they're Amazon's best glasses to date. They inject some much-needed style into the smart glasses category, while improving audio quality and boosting battery life.

Amazon 2-Series 40" Fire TV: was $249 now $199 @ Amazon

Amazon 2-Series 40" Fire TV: was $249 now $199 @ Amazon
If you don't need 4K resolution, this 2-Series is a budget smart TV with 1080p resolution and support for HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Audio. The included Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote lets you find your favorite content, get sports scores, control smart home devices, and more with the sound of your voice.

LEVOIT Air Purifier: was $299 now $199 @ Amazon

LEVOIT Air Purifier: was $299 now $199 @ Amazon
This powerful air purifier will bring fresh air to your home, apartment or dorm, eliminating dust, pollen, pet dander, tobacco smoke, household odors and more. You don't have to worry about it keeping you up at night thanks to its Sleep Mode, which keeps noise levels to a minimum. 

Beats Studio3 Noise Cancelling Headphones: was $349 now $154 @ Amazon

Beats Studio3 Noise Cancelling Headphones: was $349 now $154 @ Amazon
The Beats Studio 3 offer a comfy fit, 20 hours of battery life and near-seamless pairing with iOS devices. Their active noise canceling also does a decent job of blocking outside noise, making them ideal for your next study session. Our Beats Studio 3 review said these are a "solid choice," especially for Apple users. 

10.2" iPad (WiFi/256GB): was $479 now $379 @ Amazon

10.2" iPad (WiFi/256GB): was $479 now $379 @ Amazon
Apple's most affordable iPad is currently $100 off! While it may be a bit dated, it is still a very capable iPad. It features an A13 Bionic CPU, 10.2-inch (2160 x 1620) LCD, 8MP camera, 12MP front camera, and an epic battery life of nearly 13 hours. This upgraded model has 256GB of storage. 

MacBook Air 13 (M2/256GB): was $999 now $849 @ Amazon

MacBook Air 13 (M2/256GB): was $999 now $849 @ Amazon
The MacBook Air M2 is one of our most recommended laptops because it's remarkably light and thin yet sports a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, a speedy Apple M2 CPU w/ 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and a great 1080p FaceTime camera. It's ideal for a student or someone who is on the go. In our MacBook Air M2 review we praised this Editor's Choice laptop for its versatility and battery life. 

Olivia Halevy

Olivia is a Deals Writer at Tom’s Guide. She loves all things lifestyle, shopping, and sourcing the best deals from some of the top brands, retailers, and websites around. From fashion and beauty to smart home and tech, she has an eye for finding practical, stylish, and reasonably-priced items that help make life simpler (and a little more aesthetically-pleasing). Olivia has over five years of experience writing lifestyle, commerce, and branded content for Patch.com. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new exercise classes, binge-watching the latest viral TV shows, cooking, spending time with family, and taking long walks with her dog, Gus.