Gen Z Students on 2026’s Coolest Back to School Brands

Gen Z and Millennials say the brands cool enough for school are high-quality, trendy, and recommended… 

  • For teens, the coolest back to school brands are the ones their peers already want and wear
  • The coolest brands to young adults are the ones that are reliable enough to be worth the money
  • Millennial parents are taking cues from the kids around them to figure out what’s cool for school
Back to school season has officially arrived, and with it, the annual shopping scramble. YPulse’s Back to School Shopping data shows 54% of 13-39-year-olds plan to do back to school shopping. And while school supplies are obviously still on the list, students probably care more what their peers consider cool to have at school. After all, going back to school shopping isn’t just about replacing a worn-out backpack or buying a new notebook anymore. It’s a chance for students to refresh their closet, upgrade their tech, and set the tone for how they want to show up in the new school year. In fact, 81% of students agree, “Back to school is a chance for me to refresh how people see me.”   For brands, understanding why a brand is considered cool is just as important as knowing which names make the list. That’s why, in YPulse’s Back to School Shopping survey, we don’t just ask 13-39-year-olds which brands they think will be the coolest to have this school year—we...

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