37 Back-to-School Basics on Amazon

It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not the holiday season, it's time for back to school! The nights are getting chillier, the kids are getting restless and pumpkin spice is creeping into every aspect of your life - the perfect time to start thinking about what you'll need to make this the best year yet. From school supply boxes to chalk markers to the best ice packs that stay cold for the whole day, we've got your back-to-school shopping covered.

We've also included some things to make your home office work better for you since we're all getting back to a more regular schedule after summer vacations and holidays. From chair pads to computer workstations to the most stylish computer desk, you're going to be working in style and comfort from here on out. So let's get prepared to make the most of school and work this year with everything you need to get started, stay focused, and have some fun!

We hope you find these products as awesome as we do. Just an FYI: We are a participant in the Amazon affiliate program, and may receive a share of sales from links on this page. Prices on Amazon fluctuate so anything mentioned below might change as soon we publish it!

This Pencil Sharpener Is Small Yet Mighty

Amazon

No back-to-school supply list is complete with a good pencil sharpener, and this one from POWERME is a powerhouse. It sharpens both regular and colored pencils and is small enough to throw into a backpack. It also comes in a variety of fun color options.

This Mattress Protector is a Life Saver

Amazon

Back to school can be a stressful time for kiddos, which sometimes leads to nighttime accidents in bed. Save yourself a ton of money not replacing the whole mattress when you use one of these mattress protectors. It'll also come in handy come stomach flu season, just FYI.

These Liquid Chalk Markers are So Vivid

Amazon

These liquid chalk markers are so fun for drawing on chalkboards, vinyl, whiteboards, glass, and mirrors. They're incredibly vibrant, water-based, odor-free, and non-toxic. The cool part is you can reverse the tip for a chisel or round shape for writing and drawing!

This Acrylic Paint Set Helps Imaginations Grow

Amazon

Let little imaginations run wild with this 24-piece acrylic paint set that comes with three brushes! They can paint to their heart's content with a wide range of colors on canvas, wood, ceramic, or fabric. And this kit has over 35,000 glowing reviews for being great quality and easy to use for kids and adults.

This Paintbrush Set Has It All

Amazon

This 12-piece paintbrush set is great for beginners or more experienced artists to let their creative side shine. You can use these for acrylic, oil, or watercolor paints, and even for body and face paint! These brushes come highly recommended with nearly 10,000 glowing reviews.

This Cell Phone Lanyard Makes It Easy to Access Your Phone

Amazon

When you're in a situation when you need to access your phone fast, try this cell phone lanyard that keeps it handily around your neck. There's even a cardholder in the back that holds important things like ID or credit cards. It's made from strong, durable silicone that also provides some drop protection!

This Glow-in-the-Dark Paint is So Fun

Amazon

How cool is this neon glow paint that lights up in the dark? You get an eight-pack of gorgeous colors to use on canvas, metal, wood, fabric, or plastic. People love these for painting pumpkins in the fall, too - such cool and unique effects!

This Flexible LED Light Strip is the Perfect Accent Lighting

Amazon

If you need a little excitement added to any space, try these flexible LED light strips that add a dose of drama wherever you put them! They're especially cool on the back of your TV screen or computer monitor, but also look great in closets and under cabinets. And they come in five sizes to fit most monitors or screens.

This TV Tray Folds for Easy Storage

Amazon / jc93

TV trays are incredibly handy, whether you're eating in front of the TV (guilty) or working on your laptop from the couch. This one's great since it folds for easy storage when not in use! This one has three angle and six height adjustments, plus comes with its own cupholder!

These Down Alternative Gel Pillows are Incredibly Comfy

Amazon

Basically, it's hard to do anything well if you haven't slept well. With nearly 8,500 rave reviews to back these down alternative pillows up, I'd say these are a sure bet for getting a great night's sleep. They also have a zipper so you can remove some filling to get a customized loft level for your sleeping position - just perfect!

These Door Stops Give You Peace of Mind

Amazon

With two kids and a puppy running around, I'm always worried someone's going to get their fingers (or tail!) caught in a slamming door. Now I don't have to worry with these door stops - they work on wood, laminate, carpet, concrete, tile, and linoleum to keep doors safely propped open. They come in a bunch of colors to match your decor, too.

This Underbed Storage is Perfect for Shoes

Amazon

With two growing girls who like shoes as much as I do, we're rapidly running out of space to store all our footwear. A genius solution is these under-bed storage containers that hold up to 16 pairs of shoes! They're great for storing off-season footwear or just ones the kids are waiting to grow into.

This Chair Cushion is Heavenly

Amazon

If you spend a long time sitting at your desk, you're going to want to check out this supremely comfortable chair cushion. You can also use it in cars, wheelchairs, and outdoors, so it's pretty versatile. It promotes a stronger seated posture so it'll help with back pain, too.

These Ice Packs Stay Cold Forever

Amazon

My kids take lunches to school on the daily, and I've been on the hunt for an ice pack that doesn't poop out by mid-morning. These ones definitely fit the bill as they tout an eight-hour cooling time! The pack softens at 18 degrees and stays there for hours, which is more than enough to last until lunchtime.

These Chair Replacement Casters Work On Any Floor

Amazon

If you need to replace the casters on your office chair try these extremely durable, strong ones. Not being able to roll as you want in your chair is not only frustrating but super uncomfortable if you have to get up every time you want to adjust your seat. These casters let you roll freely and support a lot of weight without making any creaking or grinding sounds.

This Vinyl Chalkboard Sticks to Any Surface

Amazon

I love this peel-and-stick vinyl chalkboard for creating a writable space pretty much anywhere. We've got ours in the kitchen and keep the family calendar highly visible so everyone knows what's going on when. It comes in 7.5 or 9 feet, but you can cut it to size to fit exactly where you need it!

This Vinyl Whiteboard is So Handy

Amazon / Deirdre Lyons

This vinyl whiteboard is incredibly handy since you can stick it anywhere you'd like as long as it's a flat surface. Use it to keep your calendar organized and visible, for the week's meal planning board, or for writing shopping lists or fun notes. It comes in 7, 9, or 18 feet and is easy to cut to fit whatever size you need.

These Paint Markers are Vibrant and Long-Lasting

Amazon

Use these vibrant, long-lasting paint markers on anything from rocks to canvas, ceramic, wood, glass, terracotta, porcelain, and plastic to create fun designs, drawings, or lettering. You'll get 12 acrylic paint markers with opaque, water-based ink and reversible fine and chisel tips! The paint's odorless, permanent, and waterproof, making it ideal for all your art projects.

These Crayola Face Masks are Too Cute

Amazon

If your kid's wearing face masks to school this year, try these wonderfully colorful ones from Crayola. They come in 17 packs of assorted colors, patterns, or cute printed faces and two sizes that fit kids or teens and adults and have adjustable earloops for a perfect fit. They're also incredibly highly rated, with nearly 15,000 glowing reviews!

This Charging Station Comes with Six Ports

Amazon

Looking for a fast charge for up to six devices? This charging station has your back - it'll charge up to 58% faster as it recognizes which devices you're charging and delivers the amps needed. For tablets, smartphones, and other electronics, over 8,500 glowing reviews say you can't go wrong with this station.

This School Supply Box is So Convenient

Amazon

Every year, the kids' school supply list sends me into a tizzy, trying to find sold-out items from multiple stores and wasting a whole afternoon doing so. This year I'm getting this back-to-school supply box that has what they need for a successful year. From crayons and pencils to erasers to pencil grips to markers to notebooks, this kit comes fully loaded with the essentials so you can make it a one-stop shop.

This Infuser Water Bottle Works Perfectly

Amazon

We all need to drink more water, and what better way than to use this infuser water bottle to make it taste so much better? I've been packing mine with lemon and mint for a delicious combo that actually helps me drink more! The 32 oz bottle ensures you're going to stay hydrated without having to refill every hour.

These Stacking Blocks are Classic for a Reason

Amazon

These classic wooden stacking blocks help kids not only with motor skills but literacy, too. They have colorful icons, letters, and numbers on every side so kids stay engaged and interested! These ones are extremely safe, too - the paint is non-toxic, the edges are carefully sanded to prevent splinters, and the blocks are a larger size to prevent choking.

This Laptop Backpack Has a USB Charging Port

Amazon

This slim, stylish laptop backpack works great for back to school or work. It has a USB charging port and built-in charging cable inside, spacious compartments, thoughtful details like pen pockets, and a key fob hook along with a comfortable airflow back design to keep you cool. And it scores a stellar five stars across nearly 45,000 ratings for being incredibly well-made.

This Travel Coffee Mug Has a Pour Over Filter

Amazon

Does taking your joe to go get any more convenient than this travel mug with a pour-over filter? It's even eco-friendly since you don't need to use paper filters as the included filter is such a fine mesh it won't let coffee grounds through. And it'll keep your coffee hot for longer thanks to the military-grade stainless steel coating over a copper lining.

This Hanging Wall Organizer Keeps You Sane

Amazon

With two school-age kids, a job, a husband with a busy schedule, and a new puppy, things are a bit chaotic around here, to say the least. I stay sane with this hanging wall organizer that lets me keep the kids' papers and permission slips in order, incoming and outgoing bills and mail in another pocket, and my work inbox in still another pocket. I just keep things color-coded thanks to the colorful pockets, and it cheers up my workspace, too!

This Sleek Computer Desk is Sized Just Right

Amazon

I've been looking for a computer desk to fit into a little nook in our house, and this sleek glass desk is just the ticket. The modern, minimalist design looks great anywhere, and it assembles in just 20 minutes! And you don't have to worry about durability - the glass top is shatter-resistant and the bamboo legs are sturdy whether you're using this as a computer workstation, a makeup vanity, or a homework desk for kids.

This Computer Workstation Adjusts for Sitting or Standing

Amazon

I love the versatility of a sit or stand computer workstation since it's not healthy to sit all day. The top tier of the workstation fits two monitors or a monitor and a laptop, and the removable second tier is great for a keyboard and mouse. It gets great reviews for ease of assembly and making a great addition to your home office.

These Erasers are Beyond Adorable

Amazon

I love fun school supplies like these adorable erasers. These ones are so unique because the eraser part is a roller that you just swipe over mistakes, while the cap collects the rubber crumbs that result from rubbing the eraser on paper. You'll get a set of six cuties; these also make great kid party favors or rewards from the teacher!

This Padfolio Keeps You Together

Amazon

This padfolio has basically everything you need to keep organized at work or school. It can hold a phone and tablet, notepad, ID, credit, and business cards, keys, pens, paper, and more. It even comes with a large zippered pocket to hold other odds and ends like charging cables!

This Pre-Tied Tie is a Game Changer

Amazon

If your kid wears a school uniform that includes a tie, do yourself a favor and snag this pre-tied tie for kids. it adjusts in seconds and it's so easy they can do it themselves, making it a morning game changer. Anything that helps get out of the house faster is a winner in my book!

These Premium Notebooks are Swanky

Amazon

These swanky, college-ruled premium notebooks are just the thing for a stylish student or business person. You'll get a pack of two 130-page notebooks, which work great as journals or note-taking in class or meetings. I love that they're a lay flat design, making them so much easier to write in whether you're a lefty or righty.

This Dry Erase Board is Huge

Amazon

If you've got the space for it, this huge dry erase board on wheels is amazing. It's double-sided, comes with 24 magnets, an eraser, a magnetic ruler, a weekly planner magnet, and four dry-erase markers. Make this your ultimate command center for work or school to keep everyone organized!

These Sticky Notes Come in All Sizes

Amazon

I'm a compulsive note-taker and am so in love with these sticky notes. They come in a ton of sizes, some with tabs so you can stick them on the edge of a book or notebook page to mark your place or jot important notes or ideas. The page marker tabs are great too for organizing your notes or just using them as a bookmark!

This Men's Tie is Premium Woven Microfiber

Amazon

These premium microfiber men's ties come in 26 colors and patterns and two widths - skinny or standard. The matte finish and classic diagonal weave go with pretty much anything and look great for formal or business occasions. They're also under $14, so you can afford to stock up!

This HEPA Air Purifier is Perfect for Home or Office

Amazon

If you want to be assured you're breathing the cleanest air possible, get this air purifier with HEPA filters to remove toxins and odors from your space. It comes with four activated carbon filters along with the HEPA filter, so it'll capture dust and allergens as small as .3 microns. These are so good for allergy season, I love mine in the spring and fall!

This Floor Chair is Their New Favorite Reading Spot

Amazon

My kids love to read, but it seems like they're constantly in uncomfortable positions. This floor chair is going to be their new favorite reading spot since it provides a soft place to land and has an adjustable backrest. This is also great if you're on the floor playing with young kids and babies a lot, it'll save your back and your behind from going numb!