WIRED’s Reviews team has published its back-to-school gear recommendations, giving students and parents a checklist that starts with laptops and quickly wanders into the practical mess of dorm outlets, second screens and headphones for surviving noisy study spaces.
The list is based on testing by WIRED reviewers Julian Chokkattu, Christopher Null, Boutayna Chokrane, Henri Robbins, Luke Larsen, Simon Hill, Kat Merck and Louryn Strampe, according to WIRED. The publication also disclosed that its editors select products independently, while WIRED may earn compensation from retailer links or purchases through them.
Laptops lead the list
WIRED named Apple’s MacBook Neo its top overall student laptop. The publication listed prices around $699 at Amazon and Apple, and $696 at Walmart. WIRED said the MacBook Air had become more expensive over time, leaving the MacBook Neo as Apple’s entry-level option.
WIRED’s case for the MacBook Neo rests on its build and screen rather than raw horsepower. The review team said the laptop feels comparable to a MacBook Air, comes in multiple colors and has a brighter, sharper high-resolution display than other laptops under $1,000. The compromise is performance, especially the 8 GB memory ceiling, which WIRED said should still cover most students. WIRED also noted a $100 education discount through Apple for buyers using a college email address.
For students who want Windows, WIRED picked the Asus Zenbook A14. The machine weighs 2.18 pounds, which WIRED said makes it more than half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air. Asus uses its Ceraluminum material for the chassis, and WIRED cited the laptop’s OLED display, battery life and price as strengths. A newer model with Snapdragon X2 chips exists, according to WIRED, but costs more.
Screens, audio and power
WIRED selected the Arzopa Z3FC as its portable monitor pick for college. The 16.1-inch display has a 2560 x 1440 resolution and a 180 Hz refresh rate, making it a second screen for classwork and, when the syllabus loses, gaming. WIRED listed it at $145 on Amazon, down from $170.
For noise cancellation, WIRED recommended Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones. The review team said the headphones have seven times the processing power of Sony’s XM5 model, 30 hours of battery life and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. The latest version also folds, ships with a smaller case and uses replaceable faux leather ear pads with memory foam. WIRED listed discounted prices of $398 at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy.
WIRED’s budget earbud pick was JLab’s Go Pop ANC, listed at $25 on Amazon and $30 from JLab. Former WIRED reviewer Ryan Waniata praised their sound and noise cancellation, according to the publication, including their handling of low rumbles and high-pitched noise. The earbuds also include transparency mode and eight hours of battery life.
Dorm gear rounds it out
WIRED recommended Larq’s Bottle PureVis, a $99 reusable bottle with a UV-C LED in the lid. The light sterilizes water every two hours or on demand, according to WIRED, and the bottle is double-insulated, made from BPA-free stainless steel and runs up to three weeks on a charge. WIRED preferred it over Larq’s PureVis 2 with a filter, citing filter fit, water-flow and cleaning issues.
For crowded desks, WIRED picked Monoprice’s 8-Outlet Rotating Surge Strip, listed at $37 on Amazon. Each outlet rotates to make room for bulky plugs, and an LED shows whether surge protection is active. For getting across campus, WIRED listed Segway’s E2 Pro scooter at $500 from Walmart, Best Buy and Segway, down from $600.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
