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Must-have tech for school under $100

Get ready for the new school year with a tech upgrade that won't break the bank!
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor

Upgrade your tech before heading off back to school -- but without breaking the bank. Here is a selection of hand-picked, must-have back-to-school tech to get this year either for yourself or someone else.

And the best part is it all costs under $100.

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Best school tech for under $100

RAVPower 61W PD 3.0 USB-C charger

RAVPower 61W PD 3.0 USB-C charger

Charge your devices

A tiny USB-C charger that's ideal for tucking behind a couch or bed, and yet powerful enough to charge up smartphones and laptops up to 13 inches that feature a USB-C port. This $50 charger can fully charge a 12-inch MacBook in only two hours.

Anker PowerCore Slim 10000

Anker PowerCore Slim 10000

Keep recharged during the day

This $32 portable power bank is small enough to slip into your pocket but has enough power to recharge a modern smartphone a couple of times, which should be enough to get you through a long day.

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd-gen

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd-gen

Let Alexa entertain you

Pretty much everyone can find a use for an Echo Dot, from asking it what the weather will be like, to playing music, to maybe even getting Alexa to help with homework! It's currently on sale for $30, too.

Amazon Fire 7 Tablet

Amazon Fire 7 Tablet

Tablet as a hub for your entertainment

This is a snappy 7-inch tablet for under $50 that will play movies, games, and ebooks, access the internet, and even handle tasks like email and shopping with ease! A great tablet at an unmissable price.

Anker 7-in-1 USB-C hub

Anker 7-in-1 USB-C hub

Add a hub to your laptop

Chances are your laptop only has a few USB-C ports on it, and very little else. While it is possible to live with USB-C alone, having a hub that gives you a few different ports can make life a bit easier. This $35 hub gives you a good selection of ports without being too bulky -- or too expensive!

Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo Bluetooth earbuds

Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo Bluetooth earbuds

Speakers… but for your ears!

They may not be AirPods, but they sure sound amazing, and at a fraction of the price ($40)! Perfect when out and about or chilling in the dorm, these will allow you to block out the hustle and bustle of busy school life and give you a little bubble of peace.

OontZ Angle 3 Bluetooth speaker

OontZ Angle 3 Bluetooth speaker

Party time!

Make it a party wherever you go with a portable Bluetooth speaker. This $26 splashproof and dustproof speaker is perfect for the beach or beside the pool and comes with a built-in battery that's good for 14 hours of runtime.

CyberPower CSP600WSU Surge Protector

CyberPower CSP600WSU Surge Protector

Protect your tech from damage

Perfect for protecting all your gadgets -- like laptops and TVs -- from power surges, spikes, and lightning. This $11 hub also features two USB ports for keeping other devices charged up and ready to go!

Samsung 256GB EVO microSD card

Samsung 256GB EVO microSD card

Give your Android smartphone a storage boost

Why buy a new smartphone when you can give it a storage upgrade for $40? Adding a MicroSD card is also a great way to get a lot of storage space for taking media with you on the move -- especially movies.

HP OfficeJet 3830 All-in-One wireless printer

HP OfficeJet 3830 All-in-One wireless printer

Easy printing, scanning, copying and faxing

If you find yourself needing to print, scan, copy documents, or fax, then this one unit does it all at a low price of $50. It's a small yet high-quality printer that's also quiet when in use so that it won't disturb your roommates.

What do you think I've left off the list of back-to-school tech for under $100? Let me know below!

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