The Best Tech Gadgets For Teens Going To College

Last Updated on: 2nd September 2026, 08:05 am

Gadgets For Teens Going To College

Your teen probably knows more about gadgets than you do! But here we are trying to ensure they are kitted out to start college with everything they need. Of course, you don’t want them to be left out in their class, but on the other hand, tech and gadgets can be expensive. As soon as your teen is accepted for college, get them signed up for Unidays (a free student discount app). This will help you both save a little money on the things you need to buy. Here are just a few gadgets for teens going to college that they might need. I have tried to choose affordable things because starting college is expensive.

They Are Going To Need A Laptop

This is an expense that none of us wants to face. But here we are, trying to give them the best to help them. You might have given them a laptop to help with GCSE’s, and they can use that for college. But in my own experience, as soon as you buy a laptop. it starts becoming old and slow. Within months, a newer version will be out. You can buy a laptop from as cheap as £150, with prices going up to £1000’s. You need to remember that you get what you pay for, and a cheaper laptop will only be capable of doing so much. But it will be okay in the short term, so sometimes it’s a good idea to send them back to school with their old laptop and wait for the Black Friday deals or Christmas sales to splurge on something decent.

Your teen’s college might have a bursary available if you are on a low wage or benefits. But that will also take a while to come through, and colleges only have a limited amount of laptops to give or loan to students. I have bought my laptops from Very.co.uk in the past, as you can do the buy now, pay later scheme. My personal favourite brands are Asus, HP and Lenovo. If you are buying a new laptop, it is also a good idea to get protection in case of damage.

A Power Bank For Their Phone

Your teen is going to be out of the house for a much longer time than when she went to school, especially if college is a few towns away. They are likely to use public transport for the first time to be able to get to college. Public transport is not the best in the UK, and buses or trains are delayed or cancelled at a moment’s notice. If your teenager has been using their phone all day, they will be running on empty. And if they are delayed, they will need to call you or drop you a message. Get them a powerbank to pop into their bag. Encourage them to always keep it charged up for emergencies.

Power banks have different battery sizes, and 10000mAh is a good size to power a phone from dead to full. Power banks get heavier as the size increases. So you could go for something higher, but it is also going to make your teen’s bag heavier. I buy power banks that are bright in colour as they are easier to find in the bag. The Voltz power bank from Superdrug is only £15, and it is worth its weight in gold, for the knowledge that you can keep in touch with your teen.

Gadgets For Teens Includes The Extras Like Phone Leads

Teenagers get through these like there is no tomorrow. So make sure you stock up on them for college. You need to ensure that you buy a decent one from a reputable seller. This way, you know it isn’t going to catch fire when they use it. I like the Voltz lead from Superdrug because they are only a fiver and they match the power banks. With them being different colours, they are easily identified as your teen’s property too. Obviously you need to ensure the leads are kept in good condition for them to use.

Headphones For Your Teenager

Earbuds or the cheaper equivalent work well for teenagers, but they do hurt their ears if they wear them for too long. And teens are always losing them! My own daughter falls asleep on a bus, then spends time looking for the earbud that she has dropped. Headphones may be old-fashioned for teens, but they are comfortable to wear, and they block out more of the noise around them. The reason I have chosen JVC headphones is that they were half price in B&M, and cost only £20. They are cordless and connect through Bluetooth.

The headphones charge up with a USB-C charger, and you can press a button to make them have a deeper bass or a clearer sound. They are not noise-cancelling headphones, but this is better for teens because you do not want to block out all noise around them for safety. You can buy these on the JVC website, but you could also pop to B&M and get them half price.

A Laptop Bag To Keep It All Together

If your teen has to take a laptop bag to college, they will need to protect it. Their bag is going to get knocked about running to bus stops, being put on the floor of the bus and placed anywhere in the college classroom. So make sure their tech is protected from damage. We got the laptop bag from Tesco for £13.00, and it even came with notebooks and a pen, which sit nicely in a front pocket.

You can get laptop bags from most stores. Typo has some lovely ones, but they can be pricey. Flying Tiger have a laptop bag, which has a longer carrying handle, and you can also get one from Argos or Amazon. We went with Tesco, because the price was a good one, it came with the little extras and the colour choice was the best that we had seen in the shops.

Phone Grip To Use With Gadgets For Teens

Having a phone grip or phone pop socket is a good idea for teens who walk around carrying their phone. They grip their fingers around the pop socket as they carry their phone. This gives them more grip to prevent them from dropping it. It also makes it harder for someone to grab their phone from them. These are only £3 in Superdrug, and they are easy to add to the phone grip on the back of the phone.

Phone Charger Plug And Lead

Over the years, my kids have bought phone leads and USB plugs from places like Amazon. These don’t last long and end up overheating. So make sure you get a decent one for your college teen. We got this one from B&M for £14, and it came as a full set of plug and lead. The best thing about it? It is an awesome pink colour!

Gadgets For Teens can be pricey, but see what you can get secondhand. You can normally pick up some great bargains from Marketplace or on Vinted. Ask family and friends if they can help, and don’t forget to see if there is a bursary at college.