Best Black Friday deals 2020: Best Black Friday sales right now

Black Friday has officially arrived with its massive retailer-wide sales — early Cyber Monday deals are likewise in full force.
Coway White HEPA Air Purifier, ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr, Beats by Dr. Dre Solo Pro Headphones, Fire TV Stick 4K, Dyson V10 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum
Shop early Black Friday sales and deals and save on everything from air purifiers and cosmetics to tech and appliances.NBC News, Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Sephora

When to shop for Black Friday deals

We asked Cohen what the most important thing is for Black Friday shoppers to keep in mind this year. “These are usually very good deals,” he said. “This year there are key products that will sell out. So don’t dawdle, purchase early.”

To help you navigate some of the best ongoing and massive sales right now, we broke out top options below into different buckets from tech and apparel to home and kitchen, fitness and more, and finally highlighted some of our favorite ongoing deals.

Best Black Friday sales: Reader favorite brands and retailers

Shopping readers have gravitated to a variety of brands and retailers this Black Friday, ranging from Burt's Bees to GAP-owned brands, including Old Navy and Athleta. With an eye towards spending more time indoors, it also appears Shopping readers care about investing in home wares, such as the highly-rated Grommet Curtain Panel and Walmart Mainstays Marjorie Sheer Voile Curtain Pane. After you purchase a new heavily-discounted smart TV, fully upgrade your streaming game with a 72-percent off monthly subscription to Hulu.

Best Black Friday deals

1. Apple AirPods Pro

This is the lowest price the AirPods Pro have ever been. For shoppers who are able to invest a bit more in wireless earbuds for personal use or for a lucky gift recipient, the AirPods Pro model are the best wireless earbuds for Apple users. Apple’s AirPod Pros dominated this year’s Prime Day and we don’t expect things to be any different for Black Friday and Cyber Monday this holiday season.

2. Beats by Dr. Dre Solo Pro

According to Honey, this is the second-lowest price these headphones have ever been in at least four months — with the lowest being $170 from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2. The wireless headphones include active noise cancelling technology to block out distractions, as well as transparency mode for when you want to be able to hear the world around you. They are ergonomically designed for comfort and feature 40 hours of battery life when fully charged. Plus, you can find them in a variety of colors, including Red, Light Blue and Black.

3. Kinsa Quick Care Thermometer

Rating: 4.6 star-average rating, more than 140 reviews

This highly-rated smart thermometer provides fast temperature readings in less than eight seconds. It’s designed to provide personalized information based on a person’s age and symptoms, too. The QuickCare thermometer can be used orally, rectally or under the arm. It also provides a detailed log of your family’s health history that can be shared with your doctor. You can learn more in our guide to the best thermometers.

4. LG 27UL850-W 27-Inch UHD IPS Display

According to price comparison site camelcamelcamel, this is the lowest price this LG TV has ever been listed on Amazon. It’s 27-inches wide and includes a thin bezel with an adjustable stand. It features the VESA DisplayHDR 400 for a wider range of colors and brightness, as well as better contrast. It also has USB-C connectivity so you can view content in 4K video display, transfer data and charge your laptop and smartphone devices.

5. Samsung Food Showcase 4-Door French Door Refrigerator

According to Honey, this is the lowest price this Samsung refrigerator has ever been in at least four months. It’s energy-efficient and features black stainless steel with a fingerprint-resistant finish for a sleek design that’s also functional. The refrigerator also sports a Food Showcase Door, FlexZone Drawer for additional storage and built in pitcher. Plus, it’s Wi-Fi enabled and comes with Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant, so you can easily adjust the temperature settings.

6. Our Place Always Pan

Our Place created the Always Pan, a three-pound pan, which the company says can replace eight pieces of cookware, including a skillet, frying pan, saute pan, steamer and more. The non-stick pan comes with a nesting steamer that doubles as a colander, a spatulate and built-in spoon rest and a handle that stays cool while you cook. Right now, all six colors are discounted when you enter the code SUPERSALE at checkout, including Blue Salt, a new edition released in late October, plus Steam and Char, two bestsellers.

7. BlanQuil Basic Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets are a popular item among Shopping readers and according to Irina Zhdanova, MD, CEO of ClockCoach, the warm hug sensation helps "you feel more secure" and prevents you from disturbing yourself while trying to sleep. She also previously told our friends at NBC BETTER that "being hugged is a very powerful stimulus." BlanQuil's weighted blanket is made from breathable, hypoallergenic materials and can help you feel cozy while trying to sleep or binge watching TV on your couch. According to the brand, the blanket also promotes “compression therapy,” which helps lower stress levels and improve sleep and relaxation.

8. iRobot Roomba i3 (3150)

According to Honey, this is the lowest price iRobot’s Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuum has hit in the last 120 days. It utilizes Reactive Sensor Technology to clean your hard floors and carpets in straight lines, and the multi-surface rubber brushes are great for homes with pets because it can pick up stray pet fur food. The updated iRobot Home App helps organize your cleaning schedule and pairs with both Google Assistant and Alexa to start cleaning with the sound of your voice. iRobot says all i series Roombas boast a filtration system that captures up to 99-percent of dog and cat allergens, dust mites, pollen, mold and other dander.

9. Muse S Headband

According to camelcamelcamel, the 15-percent discount means this is the lowest price the Muse S has dropped down to since mid-January. If you could use some help falling asleep faster, consider sporting this headband that guides you through meditation practices. Muse S boasts a 10-hour battery life and features Go To Sleep Journeys, which includes peaceful soundscapes to help you relax before bedtime. The Bluetooth-enabled gadget provides real-time feedback based on your brain activity, heart rate, breathing patterns and body movements. And it keeps a detailed report of findings that you can review on the Muse app, which is compatible with smartphones and tablets that are running iOS 11 and Android 5 or higher.

10. MYXfitness MYX Plus

From purchasing exercise bikes besides Peloton to shopping for (relatively) affordable spin bikes from top-rated brands like Echelon, Shopping readers have shown a keen interest in indoor exercise bikes. One option worth considering right now is the all-encompassing stationary bike and kit from MYX Fitness, dubbed the MYX Plus, and it is currently $250 off with the code BLACKFRIDAY. The indoor exercise bike boasts a 21.5-inch touchscreen tablet where you can stream numerous fitness classes, including spinning, HIIT and kettlebells. Your kit comes with two mats — one helps stabilize the bike and the other is for your mat workouts, like yoga. The bike boasts a Polar OH1 heart rate monitor, a six-piece set of weights, and resistance bands to help tone your muscles. There is also a foam roller to help you release muscle tension. Choose between two colors — Natural White and Deep Charcoal — and from three weights, ranging from Light to Heavy.

11. Ullo Wine Purifier

According to price comparison site camelcamelcamel, this is the lowest price the Ullo wine purifier has dropped down to since late-August. When switched off, it uses a proprietary filter to remove sulfites and preservatives that may have been added to wines during production. As a result, it helps restore the natural taste of red and white wines, according to the brand. The dishwasher-safe device is made from silicone and BPA-free material, and when turned on, it doubles as a wine aerator, which "is simply the act of introducing oxygen to a substrate,” Cycles Gladiator’s founding winemaker Adam LaZarre previously told us.

12. Netgear Orbi AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Wi-Fi System

This Orbi mesh Wi-Fi system is a two-part mesh system that uses Wi-Fi 6 technology to maintain strong connections throughout the home. According to Honey, this is the lowest price for the Orbi system in the last four months, barring a handful of similar sales earlier this month that last a few days. The Orbi includes eight streams of Wi-Fi 6, speeds up to 6Gbps, 4K/8K UHD streaming and more. The system also includes Netgear’s Armor advanced cybersecurity protection for all connected devices. Users can also connect the device to their Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant accounts to use voice commands to control Wi-Fi throughout the home.

13. Lumi by Pampers Smart Baby Monitor

According to Honey, this is the lowest price this smart baby monitor has been in at least four months. Designed with Logitech, the monitor features 1080p HD resolution for better clarity and offers a 180-degree view. You can watch the video stream from the Lumi App, use two-way audio to soothe and talk to your baby while away and create daily time-lapse videos. Additionally, the device can monitor room conditions, including humidity and temperature, and has access to Wonder Weeks mental development leaps. It also comes in a bundle option that includes the monitor, two sleep sensors and 222 diapers.

Best Black Friday bedroom and bedding sales

Best Black Friday laptop deals, TV sales and other tech discounts

Best Black Friday apparel sales

Best Black Friday sales on clothes and general apparel

Best Black Friday sales on fitness apparel

Best Black Friday sales on glasses and jewelry

Best Black Friday shoes deals

Best Black Friday beauty sales

Best Black Friday deals for your home

Best Black Friday sales for the kitchen

Best Black Friday sales for the bathroom

Best Black Friday deals on outdoors and sports gear and apparel

Best Black Friday deals on fitness and health products

Best Black Friday deals on food and drink

Best Black Friday deals: What to buy during Black Friday

“Retailers need to incentivize earlier holiday buying to help their warehouse teams and shipping carriers spread out deliveries for peak times as both already are struggling to keep up with Covid-19-related surges in e-commerce,” said senior research analyst Young of Digital Commerce 360. “Many are speculating consumers will be plagued by out-of-stock items or late packages if they wait until typical holiday rush times to shop.”

Deals are lasting about a week compared to a few days at most in previous years.

Julie Ramhold, Consumer Analyst, DealNews

The NPD Group’s Now in Retail October study found consumers “plan to spend” an average of $691 during this shopping season. Tech and home goods, the year’s “hottest trends,” according to NPD, will “continue their momentum,” and half of consumers are projected to buy clothing, footwear and accessories “as gifts this year.” So what are you planning to get?

Ramhold suggests keeping an eye out for discounted Apple watches with the exception of the new SE and Series 6, clothing sales at up to 75 percent off and massive TV deals. And while Amazon Prime Day lowered prices already on many items across the board, Ramhold said to look out for last year’s generation of devices and some newer ones like the Echo Show 5 and the Fire TV Stick Lite. Finally, while it’s generally recommended that certain products’ savings differ by days, Ramhold said “most often we see a similar distribution across Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday for many of them, with one just barely edging out ahead of the others.”

What can wait during Black Friday

Although there is a plethora of deals to consider, ranging wider than some years past, Ramhold suggested holding off on some items like the new Xbox and PlayStation, which were just released this week. “You can expect absolutely no deals on these items right now, even if bundled with games and accessories you'll likely be paying list price for everything in them.” Ramhold also suggested waiting to buy holiday decorations until the end of December, fitness equipment until January and travel deals in general.

How will Black Friday differ this year than years past?

“Historically, Black Friday was a store-centric retail sales holiday, with consumers braving jam-packed aisles and waiting in long lines to nab doorbusters,” Young explained. In recent years, “retail chains have extended more Black Friday sales to consumers buying online, and a greater share of seasonal dollars are spent on e-commerce sites.” Specifically, retailers are encouraging shoppers to shop online this year with online-only sales on big ticket items and smaller in-store deals. “Walmart is offering things like movies, books, and vinyl albums at discounted prices in-store only, but those deals are also going to last longer than just a few hours, so consumers will have plenty of time to shop them,” Ramhold said.

Retailers are also releasing early sales since late October, so the 2020 Black Friday season is longer than years past, what Cohen calls a “redefined” holiday. “With the migration of so many people shifting shopping online, and the entry of Prime Day and Deal Days in October, we saw a clear shift in timing and where consumers purchase,” he said. Young noted that “nearly a quarter of sites for the largest North American online retailers had already started using holiday messaging by Oct. 15.”

And just as it’s impacted other events in 2020, Ramold said Covid will affect shopping with longer-lasting deals. “Target is releasing new deals every week, and Walmart planned three Black Friday events this year in an effort to space things out. In each case, deals are lasting about a week compared to a few days at most in previous years.” Covid-19, will also result in longer wait times to shop in-store, Ramhold projected, given a larger push from stores to direct customers to curbside pickup and likewise more expected shipping delays. Finally, the delayed Amazon Prime Day 2020 sale likely affected Black Friday as “some deals on Amazon devices for Prime Day have already returned at other retailers since then, including Target and Best Buy, as well as Amazon itself.” While Ramhold says we may see Prime Day prices again, it isn’t likely that they’ll drop lower.

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