The best backtoschool tech and accessories to buy in 2025

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Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He’s reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.

A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.

He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and moneysaving advice guides and edited thousands of indepth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.

He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.

You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.

“,”jobTitle”:”Technology Editor”,”image”:”https://hips.hearstapps.com/rover/profile_photos/4ce2e87213f0455d8dd56368b2f0729b_1749637372.file”,”email”:”Simon.cocks@hearst.co.uk”,”sameAs”:[“www.instagram.com/simonrcocks”]},”about”:{“@type”:”ItemList”,”numberOfItems”:11,”itemListElement”:[{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:1,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”MacBook Air M1 (Refurbished)”,”description”:”Buying a refurbished MacBook is a brilliant way to get a fast, longlasting Mac on a budget. We use a MacBook Air M1 every day for work, so we know that older models still excel at everyday productivity jobs and get the latest Apple software. Make sure you get a 12month warranty and pick a refurbisher that offers a good returns policy too, like the Apple official store or Back Market.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1753124115b8f6f0c1d4f446938150b112d5371b641_65777b30bf5d42e68f4621bf2affb9c5.jpg”,”sku”:”b8f6f0c1d4f446938150b112d5371b64″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Apple”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”MacBook Air M1 (Refurbished)”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.backmarket.co.uk/engb/p/macbookair202013inchwithm18coreand7coregpu8gbramssd2tbqwertyenglishuk/b8f6f0c1d4f446938150b112d5371b64″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”393.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”backmarket.co.uk”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:2,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Aspire 3 A31544P”,”description”:”This is a great value pick whether you’re after a capable Windows laptop for schoolwork or university. It offers solid and reliable performance, a long battery life and plenty of ports. The design is simple but dependable, and it has a big touchpad, HD webcam, and a decent display. Just note that it’s not made for gaming or heavy workloads.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1753121827812uBdtpX2L.jpg”,”sku”:null,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Acer”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Aspire 3 A31544P”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://ao.com/product/nxksjek003aceraspire3a31544plaptopsilver100045251.aspx”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”379.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”AO”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:3,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Chromebook Plus 14″,”description”:”A Chromebook is an ideal budget laptop if mostly using a web browser, for things such as Google Docs, research and video streaming. This one has a speedy performance and strong battery life, and you also get a generous amount of storage for a Chromebook.For more of our top picks for school or university, read our guide to the best laptops for kids.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/171948776761czEPGrML.jpg”,”sku”:”B0CVL2RMKT”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”HP”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Chromebook Plus 14″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CVL2RMKT”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”259.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:4,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”JBuds Lux ANC Headphones”,”description”:”These are great sub£100 overear headphones with soft ear pads, lively sound and up to 40 hours of listening with active noisecancelling – which makes them great for the library and commute. They’ve not got the best build quality we’ve seen, but they have a good app for customising the sound, dualdevice multipoint connectivity and a ‘Safe Hearing’ volume limit. If only the best noisecancelling will do, though, consider premium picks like the Sony WH1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort, or QuietComfort Ultra.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/175561261361piglvpYPL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0CRM4Q1W1″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”JLab”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”JBuds Lux ANC Headphones”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CRM4Q1W1″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”49.95″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:5,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Buds 2″,”description”:”These are bassforward, funsounding earbuds with surprisingly effective noisecancelling for the money, plus a comfy fit and a tiny case. You can customise the sound and controls in the handy companion app, too. We’d still recommend Apple fans look to the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation or the AirPods Pro 2, while Beats like the Studio Buds + remain a great affordable option for crossplatform use on Android or iOS – but those picks are all pricier than this pair from CMF.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1747737076418HbnarkL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0DZ8DLQGK”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”CMF”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Buds 2″,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DZ8DLQGK”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”36.87″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:6,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W, BuiltIn and Retractable Cables)”,”description”:”This power bank doesn’t come cheap, but it’s a powerhouse that can fastcharge a laptop, tablet and phone at the same time, with handy builtin USBC cables so you won’t forget your cords. The screen shows useful information and, on test, we saw our MacBook Air reach 50% charge in about 40 minutes, it also restored half of our iPhone 16 Pro battery in under 30 minutes.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/175561276071okdpsgf6lacsl150068a4864a1560a.jpg”,”sku”:”a1695ankerpowerbank25000mah165w”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Anker”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W, BuiltIn and Retractable Cables)”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.anker.com/uk/products/a1695ankerpowerbank25000mah165w”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”89.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”anker”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:7,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”BoostCharge Power Bank 20K”,”description”:”You don’t have to spend a lot if you want a highcapacity portable battery and aren’t fussed about fastcharging. This one offers a lot of juice for a low price, so it’s great for topping up your phone multiple times and charging three devices at once. While a USBC port offering up to 15W is fine for phones and accessories, though, it won’t deliver the highwatt laptop speeds you get from pricier models.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/175561280641ZbfJPZjL.jpg”,”sku”:”B09NTNMXL8″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Belkin”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”BoostCharge Power Bank 20K”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NTNMXL8″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”25.19″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}},{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.belkin.com/uk/powerbank20k/PBPB012.html”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”35.00″,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”www.belkin.com”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:8,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”332 USBC Hub (5in1)”,”description”:”Light, compact and affordable, this little hub adds HDMI, two speedy USBA ports and passthrough USBC charging, so your laptop can stay plugged into a display and powered at the same time. Most of today’s slim and portable laptops lack ports that you might need for connectivity, so a USBC hub can end up being the simple fix you need to transfer files from thumb drives and use external screens.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/174723001061bL1JT1rzL.jpg”,”sku”:”B0CH9KN8TB”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Anker”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”332 USBC Hub (5in1)”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CH9KN8TB”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”17.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:9,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”3 Bluetooth speaker”,”description”:”A light and outdoorready Bluetooth speaker is an essential piece of university kit, and the Soundcore 3 is a cheap, tough and properly portable option that we highly recommend. It pumps out punchy, detailed sound and is light enough to slip into a backpack for easy portability.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1755612984A3117.jpg”,”sku”:”40011719377056″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Soundcore”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”3 Bluetooth speaker”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.soundcore.com/uk/products/a3117011?variant=40011719377056″,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”55.99″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”soundcore”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:10,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”Kånken Laptop 13″”,”description”:”The Kånken is a roomy laptop backpack with padded straps, easyaccess pockets and a separate area for your laptop. The main compartment has enough space for books and tech bits. The version we originally tried – which fits a 17inch laptop – can feel a bit bulky, so we’re linking to the compact 13inch size here if you’re buying one for a smaller laptop.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/1755612936kanken_laptop_13_23523031_a_main_fjr.jpg”,”sku”:”kankenlaptop132″,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Fjällräven”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”Kånken Laptop 13″”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.fjallraven.com/uk/engb/bagsgear/kanken/kankenbags/kankenlaptop132/?c=312&sl=One%20Size#”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”115.00″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”fjallraven”}}]}},{“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:11,”item”:{“@context”:”https://schema.org/”,”@type”:”Product”,”name”:”E11C Wired Earbuds”,”description”:”Wireless earbuds are great, but you can’t beat good oldfashioned wired headphones for some things. These offer a clear and balanced sound, plus an inline microphone and controls for excellent call quality. They’re comfy, durable and great value at this price.”,”image”:”https://vaderprod.s3.amazonaws.com/175561289361boNKBHxL.jpg”,”sku”:”B07H2VPWFR”,”brand”:{“@type”:”Brand”,”name”:”Soundmagic”},”review”:{“@type”:”Review”,”name”:”E11C Wired Earbuds”,”author”:[{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Simon Cocks”}]},”offers”:[{“@type”:”Offer”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07H2VPWFR”,”priceCurrency”:”GBP”,”price”:”39.98″,”availability”:”https://schema.org/InStock”,”offeredBy”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Amazon”}}]}}]}}]