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Seasonal · Updated weekly through Cyber Monday.

What to Buy on Black Friday 2026 (and What to Skip at Any Price)

A discount does not make a bad product good. This page takes the top pick and the skip from 96 of our comparisons in the categories where Black Friday cuts are historically real, so when you see a deal you already know whether the product deserves it. 96 worth buying on sale, 96 to skip at any price. No prices here: each link goes to the live listing.

Verdicts current as of October 10, 2026. How we reach them.

Headphones, earbuds and speakers

Audio is where sale discounts are most reliable, and where the gap between a good product and a heavily marketed one is widest.

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Gorgeous materials and audiophile sound, but its maker now sells a newer Px8 S2, and the spec sheet lists no multipoint or LDAC. Buy instead: Sony WH-1000XM6
  • Beats Solo 4 The famous name people grab for a 'noise-blocking' commute - but it has no ANC at all. Buy instead: Anker Soundcore Space One
  • Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 Detailed, lossless-capable sound and replaceable batteries, but only 6 hours with noise cancelling on. Buy instead: Apple AirPods Pro 3
  • Beats Solo Buds Reviewers flatly say steer clear: no ANC, and a charging case that can't even recharge the buds. Buy instead: EarFun Air Pro 4+
  • JLab Go Sport+ A very cheap earhook bud with long battery life, but too many compromises to recommend over the field. Buy instead: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
  • Bose SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) Adorable, tough, and the one speaker here we'd tell you to pass on. Buy instead: Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
  • Bose TV Speaker A premium single bar tuned for dialogue clarity, but with no subwoofer and little cinematic weight. Buy instead: Vizio 2.1 Soundbar SE
  • LG S95TR A big, capable 9.1.5 system that does everything well but nothing best, and it's an older design than the Samsung and Sonos. Buy instead: Samsung HW-Q990F
  • Edifier R1280T A cheap, popular powered pair that looks the part but gives up too much resolution and control to earn a place in a real listening setup. Buy instead: KEF LS50 Meta
  • Crosley Cruiser Plus A charming suitcase player with no adjustable counterweight or anti-skate, so tracking force cannot be set for record care. Buy instead: Fluance RT81

TVs, streaming and home theater

Door-buster TVs are usually a stripped-down model made for the sale. These are the ones we would buy at a discount.

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Samsung Q6F QLED (QN65Q6F) A famous badge on an entry-level panel: no local dimming and a 60Hz refresh rate make it easy to outclass at this price. Buy instead: LG C5 OLED (OLED65C5)
  • LG B5 OLED (OLED65B5) A competent entry OLED that sits too close to much brighter sets to make sense for most buyers. Buy instead: LG C5 OLED (OLED65C5)
  • Google TV Streamer Capable, but overpriced; cheaper players do the same job for most people. Buy instead: Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen)
  • Optoma UHZ55 A capable laser projector on paper, but gray blacks and stiff competition make it hard to justify at this price. Buy instead: Epson Home Cinema 3800
  • Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A8A A beautifully built flagship that is hard to justify once you see what cheaper rivals include. Buy instead: Denon AVR-X3900H
  • Elite Screens Tripod Series Portable Pull-Up Screen A capable grab-and-go presentation screen that struggles to justify itself for a real home theater. Buy instead: Silver Ticket STR-169120 120-inch Fixed Frame

Robot vacuums and cleaning

Last year's robot vacuum at a deep discount is nearly always the better buy than this year's at list price.

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ A familiar name at a tempting sale price, but bankruptcy risk and weak mopping make it the one to avoid. Buy instead: Ecovacs Deebot T80S OMNI
  • Black+Decker POWERSERIES Extreme (BSV2020G) Fine as a cheap backup, but underpowered as your only vacuum. Buy instead: Dyson V15 Detect
  • BLACK+DECKER dustbuster AdvancedClean (CHV1410L) A likeable, tidy little vac that is underpowered for the pet-hair and upholstery jobs most people buy a handheld to do. Buy instead: Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ (CH951)
  • Hoover SmartWash Pet Complete Automatic The automatic push-to-wash idea is genuinely clever, but owner reports of leaks, lost suction, and broken parts pile up too fast. Buy instead: Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus
  • Shark Steam Pocket Mop S3501 Still sold, but a dated single-steam design that over-wets and offers no control, when newer mops cost little more and do more. Buy instead: Bissell PowerFresh Scrubbing & Sanitizing Steam Mop 1940
  • Shop-Vac 16 Gallon 6.5 Peak HP SVX2 Wet/Dry Vac A famous name coasting on nostalgia while newer rivals out-clean it for similar money. Buy instead: RIDGID 14 Gallon 6.0 Peak HP NXT Wet/Dry Vac

Kitchen appliances

Air fryers, multi-cookers and mixers headline every Black Friday. The brand on the box matters less than the model.

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Gourmia 6-Qt Digital Air Fryer (GAF686) The cheap Walmart/Costco bestseller everyone grabs - but it's built to be disposable. Buy instead: Instant Vortex Plus 6QT
  • Wolf Gourmet Multi-Function Cooker (WGSC100S) A stunning flagship-priced slow cooker that can't pressure cook - you're paying for the badge, not the results. Buy instead: Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker
  • Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Classic Stand Mixer A cheap two-in-one that converts to a hand mixer, but under-mixes and feels flimsy where it counts. Buy instead: KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
  • Beast Mighty 850 A gorgeous personal blender you're mostly paying to look at - cheaper single-serve models blend just as well. Buy instead: Vitamix 5200
  • Hamilton Beach Easy Reach Toaster Oven with Roll-Top Door (31123) Cheap and roomy, but uneven cooking makes it hard to recommend, and Hamilton Beach has discontinued it. Buy instead: Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (BOV900BSS)
  • De'Longhi Magnifica (super-automatic) Convenient one-touch bean-to-cup, but watery shots and nothing to learn - you'll outgrow it fast. Buy instead: Breville Bambino Plus
  • Cuisinart Supreme Grind (DBM-8P1) A cheap real-burr upgrade over a blade grinder, undone by static and inconsistent grinds. Buy instead: Baratza Encore ESP
  • Nespresso Vertuo Next (by De'Longhi) The only machine here that brews the 18 oz carafe, but persistent leaking and failure reports undercut it. Buy instead: Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima (by De'Longhi)
  • Instant Accu Slim Sous Vide (V2) Quiet and simple, but 800W and no connectivity leave it behind the field. Buy instead: Anova Precision Cooker 3.0
  • Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap (70725A) Easy to assemble and cheap, but loud, uneven at chopping, and prone to leaking. Buy instead: Cuisinart Custom 14 (DFP-14BCNY)
  • Mueller Ultra-Stick Cheap and heavily bundled, but owner reports of an early-failing plastic coupler undermine the whole tool. Buy instead: Braun MultiQuick 7 (MQ7035X)
  • BLACK+DECKER RC506 A cheap single-thermostat cooker that boils over and scorches once you push past a small batch. Buy instead: Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 Neuro Fuzzy

Laptops, tablets and monitors

Check the exact model number on sale listings: retailers often discount a lower-spec configuration under the same name.

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • HP Stream 14 Still stacked high at big-box retailers, and still the most common budget-laptop regret in owner reports. Buy instead: Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-51P)
  • Dell 14 (DB14250) A fine budget machine that becomes a false economy - the consumer 'student special' we'd pass on for a four-year laptop. Buy instead: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)
  • HP OmniBook 5 Flip 14 Priced like a modern premium convertible, but built around a last-generation processor. Buy instead: Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition (Gen 10)
  • Asus Chromebook CX1 (CX1500) A cheap 15-inch Chromebook whose 4GB of RAM and slow storage you will outgrow fast. Buy instead: Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 (8.7-inch) The cheapest way into a name-brand tablet, but the larger A9+ is worth the small step up. Buy instead: Apple iPad (A16)
  • LeapFrog LeapPad Academy A well-intentioned learning tablet built on hardware and a content library that 2026 has left behind. Buy instead: Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro
  • Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Color at a premium price that most black-and-white readers will not need. Buy instead: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
  • Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G85SD) A gorgeous QD-OLED held back by a slower refresh rate and smart-TV baggage its rivals don't carry. Buy instead: LG UltraGear 34GS95QE-B
  • ASUS ZenScreen Go MB16AHP You pay in weight and picture quality for a battery you probably will not need. Buy instead: ASUS ZenScreen OLED MQ16AH
  • Samsung Odyssey G5 (G55C) A familiar name that asks flagship-budget money for a basic curved VA panel the rivals beat on every front. Buy instead: ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS
  • SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD Genuinely fast, but a documented history of data-loss failures we can't ignore. Buy instead: Samsung T9 Portable SSD
  • Toshiba Canvio Flex Cheap and cross-platform, but it cuts the software and connector corners that make the alternatives worth owning. Buy instead: Western Digital WD My Passport (USB-C)

Gaming

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Razer Kraken Kitty V2 Pro A charming, camera-ready headset that asks a wireless-flagship price for a wired-only USB product. Buy instead: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni
  • Logitech G502 X Plus A heavy, button-loaded mouse that shines for macros and scrolling but lags lighter rivals for pure play. Buy instead: Razer Viper V3 Pro
  • Corsair K70 PRO TKL A capable Hall-effect board undercut by rivals with more refined switches at a similar price. Buy instead: Wooting 80HE
  • SCUF Valor Pro Wireless Controller Genuine pro ergonomics undercut by a flagship price and a spotty support reputation. Buy instead: Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller (Carbon Black)
  • Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody A superb ergonomic chair whose price is impossible to justify for most gamers. Buy instead: Secretlab Titan Evo
  • Nintendo Switch 2 A superb console that cannot touch your PC library, so skip it for this job. Buy instead: Valve Steam Deck OLED
  • Valve Index A once-pioneering PC VR kit now outclassed, with a successor headset announced by Valve. Buy instead: Meta Quest 3S

Smart home and security

Smart home gear is discounted deepest by the platform owners themselves. Buy into the assistant the house already uses.

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Apple HomePod mini Still charming and still great in an Apple home - but this is 2020 hardware and a successor has been widely reported. Buy instead: Sonos Era 100
  • Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa A likeable Alexa alarm clock wearing the smart-display label, but it is not really a smart display. Buy instead: Amazon Echo Show 8 (2025 release)
  • Ring Battery Doorbell Pro Polished hardware wrapped around a cloud-only model that records nothing until you start paying. Buy instead: eufy Video Doorbell E340
  • Wyze Lock Bolt v2 A low-cost fingerprint deadbolt with built-in Wi-Fi, but its own page lists only BHMA Grade 2 and no Apple Home Key or Matter. Buy instead: Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt
  • Wyze Thermostat Cheap and simple, but recurring connectivity and accuracy issues make it hard to trust. Buy instead: Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)
  • Wyze Plug Cheap and compact, but cloud-only control and no Matter make it feel dated fast. Buy instead: TP-Link (Kasa) Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim EP25
  • Nanoleaf Matter Wi-Fi A19 Smart Bulb Dim output and owner reports of shaky software outweigh the Matter support. Buy instead: Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 (75W)
  • Arlo Pro 5S 2K Capable hardware undercut by a subscription you must keep paying just to record anything. Buy instead: Reolink Argus 4 Pro
  • NETGEAR Orbi 970 Series (RBE973S) The fastest mesh reviewers have tested - and priced like a luxury item with its best features rented, not owned. Buy instead: TP-Link Deco BE63 (Deco 7 Pro)
  • TP-Link Archer BE800 Excellent hardware undercut by a U.S. regulatory and security cloud. Buy instead: ASUS RT-BE96U

Wearables and fitness

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Garmin Venu 4 A superb multi-day fitness watch, but too thin on true smart features for most smartwatch shoppers. Buy instead: Apple Watch Series 12
  • Polar Pacer Respected Polar training software held back by a dim single-band, memory-in-pixel design. Buy instead: COROS Pace 4
  • Wyze Watch 47c Cheap and pretty, but it's a glorified pedometer that overestimates nearly everything it measures. Buy instead: Xiaomi Smart Band 9
  • Ultrahuman Ring AIR Genuinely clever subscription-free tracking undercut by widespread reports of premature battery failure. Buy instead: RingConn Gen 2
  • Withings Body Comp A capable scale whose headline extras rarely earn the step up from the Body Smart. Buy instead: Withings Body Smart
  • Therabody Theragun Mini (Gen 3) A lovely little travel gun that's a poor value as your only massager. Buy instead: Ekrin Athletics B37
  • Bowflex SelectTech 552 The original dial dumbbell, grounded by a 3.8-million-unit recall. Buy the redesign, not this. Buy instead: NÜOBELL 580
  • Peloton Tread Vision A 23.8-inch swivel screen and the best classes, undercut by a membership for content, no decline, no folding, and a 12-month warranty. Buy instead: NordicTrack Commercial 1750
  • Echelon Connect EX-5s A capable bike undercut by the stingiest warranty and the shakiest reliability reports of the group. Buy instead: Schwinn IC4
  • Hydrow Wave A near-silent, subscription-first studio rower that stops being worth it the day you stop paying. Buy instead: Concept2 RowERG
  • KingSmith (WalkingPad) WalkingPad X25+ Folding Treadmill A capable full treadmill wearing a walking-pad badge; the wrong tool for under-desk use. Buy instead: KingSmith (WalkingPad) WalkingPad C2 Mini Folding Walking Treadmill

Tools and power

Tool deals are usually bundles. The bare tool is the thing to judge; the extra battery is the sweetener.

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

Personal care

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Quip Sonic A stylish, subscription-driven brush whose weak motor cleans barely better than a manual brush. Buy instead: Oral-B iO Series 2
  • Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0 Professional (SF-04) A brush-and-flosser-in-one that costs more and does neither job better than buying the two separately. Buy instead: Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser (WP-660)
  • Philips Norelco Shaver 3600 (Series 3000) A cheap, waterproof rotary built on Philips' basic ComfortCut system, with no way to shave once the battery runs flat. Buy instead: Braun Series 9 Pro+
  • Conair InfinitiPro Ionic Ceramic Hair Dryer A perfectly fine budget dryer that most people will outgrow faster than they expect. Buy instead: Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
  • CHI Original 1" Ceramic Hairstyling Iron A long-lived value classic held back by a single, very hot fixed temperature. Buy instead: ghd Platinum+ Styler (1" Flat Iron)
  • Nood The Flasher 2.0 A likeable, affordable handset that simply does less than similarly priced rivals. Buy instead: Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 (PL5137)
  • Manscaped The Beard Hedger A slick, skin-friendly single-tasker that asks a premium price for less capability than the field. Buy instead: Philips Norelco All-in-One Trimmer Series 7000 (MG7900/49)

Home comfort and sleep

Worth buying when it is discounted

Skip it, even on sale

  • Zinus 12" Green Tea Memory Foam A cheap mattress that is fine for a guest room and a false economy for every night. Buy instead: DreamCloud Classic Hybrid
  • Sleep Innovations 4" Dual Layer Gel Memory Foam Topper A budget dual-layer topper, a 3-inch gel foam core under a 1-inch fiberfill pillow top, that suits short-term use. Buy instead: Saatva Latex Mattress Topper
  • Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud Pillow A well-made single-block memory-foam pillow undercut by heat retention, a fixed low loft, and no returns. Buy instead: Coop Sleep Goods Coop The Original Adjustable Pillow
  • YnM Weighted Blanket The budget default that too often loses its beads and its shape over time. Buy instead: Baloo Living Baloo Weighted Blanket
  • Molekule Air Mini Slick marketing and a premium price, but it's out-cleaned by budget HEPA units. Buy instead: Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty
  • Honeywell HWM705B A warm-mist steam unit whose burn risk and upkeep outweigh its cold-season comfort. Buy instead: Levoit Classic 300S
  • Lasko 751320 Ceramic Tower Heater A cheap, competent tower that too many owners report developing a burning-plastic smell and a hot cord. Buy instead: Vornado VH200 Whole Room Vortex Heater
  • Degrees of Comfort Advanced Microplush Heated Blanket (Queen) Feature-rich on paper, but the maker's own website no longer resolves to a product page, which is a support red flag. Buy instead: Bedsure GentleSoft Heated Blanket (Queen)

Every product on this page we would skip

The same 96 skips in one list, for the reader who only wants to know what to avoid. Each one links to the comparison it lost.

Want the full set? Every skip verdict on the site.

Black Friday questions

Are Black Friday discounts real?

Some are. Electronics, kitchen appliances, robot vacuums and personal-care devices see genuine cuts, often on the previous model year. The trap is a "was" price that the product never actually sold at. Judge the product first and the discount second, which is what this page is for.

Should I buy last year's model on sale?

Usually, yes. For most categories the year-over-year change is small and the discount on the outgoing model is large. The exceptions are products where the new version fixed a known problem; our reviews name those in the cons.

Why does this page not show prices?

Prices move hourly during the sale and a stale number would mislead you. Each product links to its live listing, where the current price and any coupon are shown. Our verdict on the product does not change with the price.

What about a product that is on sale but not on this list?

Search it on this site. If we have compared it, the review will say buy, skip or it depends, and a discount does not change that call.