Back-to-school shopping has evolved far beyond checklists of notebooks, pencils and calculators you pick up on your way into Target. Today's tweens and teens approach the new school year with carefully curated wish lists that are less practical and more packed with trending products that will make them the talk of the hallways this year — think cool water bottles, collectible bag charms and backpacks and shoes that are as fashion-forward as their back-to-school outfits.
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As much as it can be hard to wrap your head around, these are the items that help kids navigate the complex social landscape of middle and high school. A trending water bottle becomes a conversation starter, the right backpack signals belonging to certain groups, and having the latest viral collectible can elevate social status in ways that would have seemed impossible to previous generations. While it may seem silly and trivial to those of us who are older, understanding these dynamics can help kids feel confident and connected as they start a new school year.
In this article: Owala FreeSip Sway Stainless Steel Water Bottle 30 oz in Night Watch, Nike, Unisex, Varsity Elite Backpack an Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera Blind Box
Today's trends show a strong shift toward individual expression (as well as sustainability and self-care). And while these items aren't necessarily easy on the wallet, some of them promote healthy habits and help kids manage school stress. Below, learn about the trends tweens and teens are most excited about as the new school year begins.
Single-use plastic water bottles could never. But Stanley's social media reign appears to be coming to an end — Owala has taken the top spot, thanks to clever designs and a lot of viral marketing. With fun colors, innovative dual-drinking mechanisms and a more approachable vibe that resonates with younger users, Owala is the water bottle that tweens and teens definitely have their eyes on.
Owala FreeSip Sway Stainless Steel Water Bottle 30 oz in Night Watch
This Amazon-exclusive Spider-Man bottle gives Owala’s 30-ounce FreeSip Sway a nearly black makeover with vivid red details. The insulated stainless steel bottle has a cupholder-friendly base, large bucket handle and leak-resistant lid, plus Owala's signature opening for sipping upright or drinking through the built-in straw.
Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw
The FreeSip has a 24-ounce capacity that's perfect for the school day, and dual-drinking technology that allows students to sip hands-free from a straw or use the wide mouth for faster drinking or easy cleaning and refilling. This bottle also comes in tons of fun colors that allow teens to express themselves.
Bag charms add even more personality to backpacks and purses. Kids often don't stop at one, but add multiple charms to every bag — so get ready to collect Labubus, Jellycats and other must-have clip-on collectibles.
Jellycat Amuseables Pair of Marshmallows Bag Charm
This Jellycat set comes with two blushing marshmallows — like a tiny plush friendship bracelet for a backpack. The soft, squishable pair measures about 3.5 inches and hangs from a silver claw clip, making it easy to move between a school bag, purse or set of keys.
Tizee Plush Keychain Otter Charm
For a more affordable (but no less cute) bag charm, this plush gray otter has a soft body attached to a metal buckle for safely attaching it to a bag or keyring. It's about 4 inches long — the perfect size for adding to a backpack.
POP MART The Monsters Big into Energy Series
The Big Into Energy series features seven Labubu monsters to collect, all in different colors that represent different energies. Each one comes in a blind box, so you don't know which one you'll receive until you open it.
Backpacks aren't just practical objects — they're part of your teen's daily outfit. And since they're pretty pricey, most kids can't have multiple colors and styles to switch out like accessories, which means choosing a backpack is a big decision. One backpack has to be stylish enough to go with everything. A tall order if there ever was one.
Nike, Unisex, Varsity Elite Backpack
Built for school days that continue straight into practice, Nike’s 32-liter backpack can hold a full-size basketball in its main compartment, while a separate lower pocket isolates shoes or sweaty clothes, and a laptop compartment and expandable side pockets hold school supplies. It also has padded straps and a trolley sleeve to make it easy to carry.
JanSport Cool Backpack 21% OFF
Jansport was all the rage in the '90s, and all things '90s are back. The Cool Backpack delivers the familiar JanSport shape with two main compartments, six pockets, a padded sleeve for laptops up to 15 inches and ergonomic S-curve straps. Faux-leather trim gives it another hit of '90s-throwback style.
THE NORTH FACE Jester Everyday Laptop Backpack
North Face's commuter backpack has practical features like a huge main compartment and a laptop sleeve, but tweens and teens love it for its sleek style that goes with any outfit.
For teens and tweens, comfortable shoes are acceptable as long as they look sufficiently cool — think chunky sneakers and cozy slip-on boots. And just in time for back-to-school season, Famous Footwear is offering BOGO half off on many teen- and tween-approved styles.
The Lowmel combines a chunky skate shoe silhouette with the soft materials associated with UGG boots. The suede upper uses wide laces and a padded collar, lined with UGGplush faux sherpa material that cushions the foot. The versatile Sand color goes with jeans, leggings, dresses and everything in between.
adidas Samba Indoor Soccer Shoe
The Samba is known as an indoor soccer shoe, but it's also super stylish. The leather upper with suede overlays and a padded collar is made in an instantly recognizable black-and-white design sporting the adidas logo, all in a low-profile, retro look teens love.
Birkenstock Women's Arizona Sandal
Birkenstocks are another classic shoe that's seeing a comeback among trendy teens, who all wear them with socks (of course, they do). Teens love them for being comfortable, practical and durable.
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star High-Top Sneakers
These classic high-top sneakers maintain their status as a shoe that appeals to pretty much every demographic. Chuck Taylors aren't making a comeback because they've pretty much never gone out of style.
Today's teens and tweens love nostalgia — even when it comes to electronics. And as more and more schools ban phones during class time, they're looking for ways to take pictures and listen to music without needing a smartphone, which is where "analog" devices like these come in.
Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera Blind Box
Part camera and part collectible surprise, the Kodak Charmera arrives in a blind box containing one of several retro designs. The tiny 1.6-megapixel camera captures photos and video, adds vintage-style filters and a date stamp, and can clip onto a bag (making it a bag charm too, which is also super trendy). This bundle also includes a 32-gigabyte microSD card and cleaning cloths.
AGPTEK 64GB MP3 Player with Bluetooth
This MP3 player isn't technically analog, but with the current guidelines of no phones in schools sweeping the nation, this is a way kids can still listen to music during the day. It comes with 64GB of built-in storage, a speaker, FM radio and a 2.4-inch display. Adding a microSD card can expand its storage by up to 128GB.
Skullcandy Method 360 ANC Wireless Earbuds
One of our editors and her teen daughter tried out these earbuds and had only positive things to say. The active noise cancel is truly incredible, and the tap controls on the earbuds are super responsive. Once you memorize how to tap for each function, they are very easy to use. The battery life is very long with up to 11 hours in the earbud itself and 29 hours in the case. They come in five trendy colors and the case has a handy clip, making it easy to attach to a backpack.
Skin care and personal care are not just for adults anymore — teens and even tweens now have morning and night routines, filled with colorful packaging and fruit-inspired formulas marketed toward their age groups. There's no such thing as too young to take care of your skin, right?
Glow Recipe Banana Moisturizing Cream & Shimmer Lip Treatment Duo
This limited-edition duo comes with two easy steps: Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream and Banana Milk Glass Balm. The moisturizer uses banana extract, magnesium and hyaluronic acid for lightweight hydration, while the nonsticky lip treatment adds golden shimmer. Both formulas are vegan and cruelty-free.
Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer Spray, TROPICAL Trio Set
This set of three travel-size sanitizers in mango passion, beach coco and watermelon scents makes hand sanitizer less of a chore and more enjoyable thanks to its even coverage spray and appealing fragrances.
LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balm: Sheer Tinted Lip Moisturizer with Shea Butter
This sheer tinted lip moisturizer with shea butter provides hydrating shine that appeals to teens seeking low-maintenance beauty products with skin care benefits.
Sol de Janeiro Hair & Body Perfume Mist
This Brazilian Crush fragrance mist has become the signature scent of choice for teens seeking a sophisticated yet playful fragrance for daily wear. Plus, being able to use it on both hair and body boosts its value for teens.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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