Every September brings the same headache: a school or university supply list that suddenly includes a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and a household budget that hasn’t grown to match. Between rising hardware costs, global memory shortages, and kids lobbying hard for the newest device to fit in with friends, “Back to School tech” has quietly become one of the biggest line items of the season.
The good news is there’s a smarter and more affordable way to buy—refurbished—and it doesn’t mean settling for less.
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Why Back to School tech costs so much
Three pressures are colliding at once. Schools increasingly require students to bring their own laptop or tablet for coursework, turning what used to be optional into a mandatory expense. At the same time, a global shortage in memory chips has pushed up the base price of new devices across the board. Layer on peer pressure—plenty of kids push for the latest brand-name gadget even when a perfectly good device is already sitting in a drawer—and parents are left stretched thin, weighing tech costs against groceries and heating bills.
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Refurbished doesn’t mean second-hand
This is where the mindset shift matters. A refurbished device isn’t the same as a used one picked up second-hand with no guarantees. On Back Market, every product goes through professional inspection, testing, repair, and restoration before it’s resold—closer to buying a certified pre-owned car than rolling the dice on a stranger’s old phone. Devices are typically up to 50% cheaper than buying new, while still delivering full functionality for schoolwork, streaming, gaming, and everyday use.
It’s also a category with real breadth. Back Market isn’t just phones—you’ll find laptops, tablets, 2-in-1 computers, desktops, headphones, speakers, and more, all refurbished and inspected to the same standard. Whatever’s on the school supply list, there’s likely a refurbished option worth checking first.
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The numbers back it up
Demand is climbing fast: searches for iPhones are up over 60% month over month, with mid-generation models like the iPhone 13 and SE converting best—proof that shoppers want reliable performance without paying flagship prices. Every purchase—be it MacBook, iPhone, or iPad— also comes with the Back Market Promise: after its up to 100-point quality inspection, a 1-year warranty, 30-day returns, and free shipping, so the savings don’t come at the cost of peace of mind.
Stack the savings: student and teacher discounts
Parents, students, and educators can save even further with Back Market’s student and teacher discount.
Signing up takes just a couple of minutes:
That discount applies across the board—smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more—stacking on top of the already-reduced refurbished pricing.
Back to School with the best
Back to School shopping doesn’t have to mean choosing between a stretched budget and a disappointed kid. Buying refurbished gets premium brands like Apple into students’ hands at a fraction of the price, backed by real quality checks and warranties—and it keeps devices out of landfill in the process. For families feeling the pinch this September, it’s one of the easiest wins on the list.
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