Best Black Friday deals to shop right now

As Thanksgiving inches closer, it can be hard keeping track of all the Black Friday sales flooding your inbox and TV screens. And with echoes of global supply chain issues threatening delayed gifts, Black Friday sales have begun exceedingly early this year — experts recommend starting your holiday shopping as early as possible. Now just a few days from the big day (Nov. 26), major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Target — which began rolling out their Black Friday sales as early as October — are dropping some of their best deals of the year.

To help you comb through the enormous amount of sales this Black Friday, we’ve compiled a list of some notable sales and deals to shop that we’ll be updating regularly throughout Cyber Week. To ensure the quality of these sales and deals, we’ve checked their current prices on price tracker platforms like  Honey  and  CamelCamelCamel. We also spoke with retail experts about what to buy during Black Friday this year and how to make the most of the shopping holiday.

We’ve compiled this list of Black Friday sales based on Select reader interest and previous coverage. Sales include multiple deals, and not every product listed in a sale is going to be the best deal around.

• Amazon: Save on thousands of items, from laptops and TVs to office furniture, coffee makers and its own devices, like the Fire TV Stick (bookmark our deep dive into Amazon’s Black Friday sale for the latest highlights this week and next.)
• Away: Up to 40 percent off travel essentials through Nov. 29.
• Bed Bath & Beyond: Up to 55 percent off select kitchen gadgets and small appliances, up to 50 percent off select health and beauty products, up to 60 percent off select home decor and more through Dec. 5
• Best Buy: Up to 60 percent off select small kitchen appliances, up to $500 off on select Windows laptops, up to $250 off on select floor care and more (bookmark our deep dive into Best Buy’s Black Friday sale for the latest highlights this week and next)
• Brooklinen: Up to 20 percent off sitewide
• Casper: Up to 20 percent off bundles and mattresses and 10 percent off pillows, sheets and more
• Etsy: Up to 60 percent off home decor and more through Dec. 1
• Home Depot: Up to 40 percent off select tools, up to 30 percent off select kitchen appliances and more
• Kohl’s: Take 15 percent off and earn $15 Kohl’s Cash with every $50 spent with code ENJOY15 through Nov. 26 (bookmark our deep dive into Kohl’s Black Friday sale for the latest highlights this week and next.)
• Lowe’s: Up to 50 percent off smart home products, 40 percent off select tools and more
• Macy’s: Up to 50 percent off handbags, 70 percent off women’s coats, 50 percent off beauty tools and more (bookmark our deep dive into Macy’s Black Friday sale for the latest highlights this week and next.)
• Our Place: Up to $125 off popular products like the Homecook Duo
• Sur La Table: Up to 55 percent off select cookware, dinnerware, cutlery and more
• Target: Up to 60 percent off video games, 50 percent off smart home devices and headphones, up to 30 percent off select TVs and more (bookmark our deep dive into Target’s Black Friday sale for the latest highlights this week and next.)
• Walmart: Save on video games, toys, home appliance and more (bookmark our deep dive into Macy’s Black Friday sale for the latest highlights this week and next.)
• Wayfair: Up to 50 percent off bedroom furniture, up to 80 percent off wall art, up to 70 percent off bedding and more
• Williams-Sonoma: Up to 40 percent off Le Creuset cookware, up to 35 percent off All-Clad roasting pans, up to 40 percent off cutlery and more

We rounded up the best Black Friday deals on highly rated products Select readers have shown interest in — we also note the value of each discount against historical pricing.

iRobot Roomba i3+ (3550) Robot Vacuum

• Lowest price since May, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.5-star average rating from 9,245 reviews on Amazon
• The Roomba’s i series are the brand’s more advanced models, as we note in our guide to Roomba robot vacuums. The vacuum maps your home using sensors and is capable of emptying itself for up to 60 days using its base. You can customize cleaning schedules using the iRobot Home App and control it using voice assistants like Google Home or Amazon Alexa.

Kasa Smart Light Bulbs

• Lowest price ever, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.5-star average rating from 3,752 reviews on Amazon
• One of the our favorite color smart bulbs, this option from Kasa offers 16 million color options that can be controlled using the Kasa Smart app, so they don’t require a hub to connect to Wi-Fi. Users can dim or schedule lights via the app, which also offers lighting presets and monitors bulb energy usage in real time. They’re compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and other virtual assistants.

Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker

• Lowest price since November 2020, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.6-star average rating from 50,355 reviews on Amazon
• The Keurig K-Mini is less than 5 inches wide and a compact size for small spaces, according to the brand. It’s capable of brewing cup sizes between 6 and 12 ounces using Keurig’s K-cup pods, and features a removable drip tray to accommodate travel mugs up to 7 inches tall.

Cuisinart Professional Series Stainless-Steel 11-Piece Cookware Set

• Lowest price since November 2020, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.7-star average rating from 2,981 reviews on Amazon
• This stainless steel 11-piece cookware set from Cuisinart comes with an 8-inch nonstick frying pan, a 2-quart saucepan, an 8-quart stockpot and more, along with four tempered-glass lids and a steamer insert. Each pan and pot feature CoolGrip handles that are not only contoured for a comfortable grip but can also stay cool while you’re cooking, according to the brand.

Fitbit Versa 3 Health & Fitness Smartwatch

• Lowest price since April, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.5-star average rating from 24,019 reviews on Amazon
• One of Fitbit’s latest smartwatch models, the Versa 3 features built-in GPS that can track your pace and distance in real-time, while also monitoring your resting heart rate to determine your exercise intensity and keep track of your fitness goals. The built-in microphone and speaker allows you to take Bluetooth calls and access to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa lets you control and access your phone hands-free.

Tuft & Needle Original Foam Pillow

• Lowest price since July, according to Honey
• 4.4-star average rating from 3,904 reviews at Tuft & Needle
• One of the our favorite cooling pillows for hot sleepers, this pillow is designed to keep its shape while wicking warmth away using its foam, graphite and cooling gel materials. The foam pillow itself isn’t machine-washable, but the pillow cover is — the brand recommends washing it in cold water with light colors. You can purchase this pillow in a Standard or King size.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

• Lowest price ever, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.7-star average rating from 53,789 reviews on Amazon
• The Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones was our pick for one of the best noise-canceling headphones due to how well they block out noise and create a “decently balanced sound signature that isn’t overly bassy,” according to tech expert Whitson Gordon. It also features voice-control using Amazon Alexa for access to music, settings, texts and more.

Levoit LV600HH Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier

• Lowest price since December 2020, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.5-star average rating from 18,453 reviews on Amazon
• This ultrasonic humidifier from Levoit features dual temperature control that lets you choose whether you want cool or warm mist to disperse around your room. This humidifier can handle spaces as large as 753 square feet, Levoit says, and can continuously humidify for up to 60 hours so you don’t have to worry about constant refills, according to the brand. It also features a remote control that allows you to turn the humidifier on and off and control mist levels.

Google Nest Learning Smart Wifi Thermostat

• Lowest price since July, according to Honey
• 4.8-star average rating from 13,445 reviews at Best Buy
• The Google Nest Learning Thermostat features humidity sensors and a built-in activity sensor that detects when people are home in order to adjust heating accordingly, according to Google. You can purchase separate external sensors that let you create heating zones in certain areas of your home or save energy in empty rooms. This thermostat sports a circular glass face — which can light up when someone enters the room to show temperature or time — and is offered in four colors, including Copper and White.

AKRacing Core Series EX-Wide Gaming Chair

• Lowest price since February 2020, according to CamelCamelCamel
• 4.5-star average rating from 620 reviews on Amazon
• If you’re looking for a reclining gaming chair this season, this highly rated one from AKRacing features a durable steel frame, padded seating and adjustable armrests. The chair also features a contoured back that provides ergonomic support and includes pillow support on the headrest for comfort, according to the brand. You can purchase this chair in several colors, including Blue and Red.

Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe

• Lowest price since July, according to Honey
• 4.8-star average rating from 747 reviews at Brooklinen
• Made from Turkish cotton, this plush robe from Select reader favorite brand Brooklinen features a piped collar, pockets and an adjustable waist tie. It comes in three colors — White, Smoke and Graphite — and you can choose between three sizes: XS/S, M/L and XL/XXL.

Black Friday deals are massive and ongoing. In addition to the sales and deals we highlighted above, we compiled a list of sales we think you should know about across categories Select readers have shown interest in, including tech and wellness. Each sale includes multiple deals, and not every single one is going to be the best deal around.

• Dell: Up to 50 percent off select laptops, desktops and more
• GameStop: Up to 60 percent off select Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch games
• Google: Up to $50 off Google Nest devices and the Pixel 5A smartphone
• HP: Up to 57 percent off select laptops, PCs, monitors and more
• Lenovo: Up to 68 percent off select doorbusters, up to 66 percent off select laptops, up to 84 percent off select electronics and more
• Microsoft: Up to $600 off select PCs, up to $200 off select Surface Laptop Go, up to 67 percent off select Xbox games and more
• Nomad: Up to 30 percent off sitewide on various tech accessories
• Playstation: Up to 60 percent off select video games
• Samsung: Up to $1,000 off The Frame TV, up to $3,500 off on QLED 8K TVs and more through Nov. 29

• Allswell: 20 percent off sitewide with code THANKFUL through Nov. 23
• BioLite: Up to 25 percent off sitewide through Dec. 6
• Boll & Branch: 25 percent off purchases of $200 or more using the code CYBERWEEK.
• Brooklyn Bedding: 25 percent off sitewide through Nov. 28 using the code BLACKFRIDAY21
• Burrow: 10 percent off on orders up to $2,199 through Nov. 27 using the code BF21
• The Company Store: Up to 40 percent off specials and up to 20 percent off sitewide with the code FRIYAY21
• Dyson: Up to $200 off select vacuums, humidifiers and more
• KitchenAid: Up to 25 percent off select countertop appliances
• Nutribullet: 25 percent off sitewide with code GRAVY through Dec. 2
• OXO: 20 percent off OXO Bakeware through Nov. 30 and 20 percent off the 8-Cup Coffee Maker through Dec. 5
• Overstock: Up to 70 percent off area rugs, extra 25 percent off mattresses and bedroom furniture and more through Dec. 11
• Stasher: 25 percent off sitewide and up to 30 percent off select colors through Nov. 29
• Tineco: Up to 30 percent off select vacuums and accessories
• Vitruvi: 30 percent off sitewide through Nov. 29

This Black Friday could be the biggest one yet: The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicted there’ll be about 2 million more holiday shoppers taking advantage of doorbuster deals from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday this year compared to 2020. And shoppers are expected to shatter records with their holiday spending this year, too — the NRF reported sales during November and December will grow between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over last year.

As we’ve previously reported, the expected influx of shoppers paired with congested ports, staffing shortages and low inventory caused Black Friday sales to start exceedingly early this year across retailers. Jessica Young, director of research data at Digital Commerce 360, told us the biggest challenge for many retailers “is getting enough merchandise into their warehouses to accommodate all orders” due to raw material and shipping container shortages in addition to backed up ports.

With retailers finding it difficult to restock their shelves and meet high demand this year, retail experts told us shoppers shouldn’t hold out for better deals to come around — not even on Cyber Monday — as shopping last minute for the holidays may not be an option this year.

“Even if shoppers think they’re shopping ‘early enough’ to account for shipping, they might find that the item they want is out of stock until after the holidays — if there’s a must-have on your list and it’s on sale, buy it now,” said Kristin McGrath, editor at RetailMeNot. Research shows many shoppers have taken that advice: A report by McKinsey & Company found that 45 percent of shoppers said they started holiday shopping in early October.

But it’s not just shoppers that are adapting to the early shopping boom. Research from Digital Commerce 360 found that retailers like Target, Anthropologie and Uncommon Goods were sending holiday-themed emails by mid-September, according to Young. Retailers and brands are also pivoting to more personalized ads and social media messaging to maintain consumer loyalty, especially as shoppers are “more willing than ever to switch brands or retailers” when items aren’t available, said Greg Kelly, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company who leads their marketing and sales practice globally.

Online shopping is expected to dominate this year’s Black Friday shopping as overall demand and holiday spending surges, and it’ll “continue to increase as consumers are worried about items running out,” said Kelly.

More people relying on e-commerce could bring holiday online spending to over $200 billion for the first time, according to Adobe Analytics’ Holiday Shopping Forecast report. And while you’ll find Black Friday sales and deals both in stores and online, several retailers announced they’ll be closed for in-person shopping on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row, including Best Buy, Macy’s, and Walmart (Target recently announced it’ll be closing its stores on Thanksgiving for good).

As we discussed in our Black Friday deep dive, the rise in demand for online retail sites has been trending upwards in recent years and exponentially increased as contactless e-commerce became the main way to shop during the Covid pandemic. In fact, Adobe reported that Black Friday was the second largest online spending day in U.S. history in 2020, right behind Cyber Monday 2020.

With all the promoted sales and savings events this holiday season, what worthwhile deals should shoppers look out for? McGrath told us that key sale categories are usually the same from one year to the next. That means shoppers can expect to see major discounts on tech like tablets, smartwatches and wireless headphones.

“AirPods and competing earbuds have been the stars of the Black Friday show the past two seasons,” said McGrath, adding that retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Target dropped wireless earbuds and headphones prices to record lows last year and will likely do so again. McGrath said these big name retailers will also host a variety of video games deals, including popular games for the Nintendo Switch — although highly sought-after games aren’t expected to plummet that low.

McGrath emphasized that Black Friday is one of the few times a year where discounts on Apple products are almost guaranteed — a great time to shop considering Apple isn’t known for hosting many deep discounts throughout the year. One of the best sales will be on Apple Watches, according to McGrath: You won’t find many large price drops on the latest Apple Watch Series 7, but you’ll find several discounts (around $50 or more) on older models like the Series 3 and Series 6.

However, shoppers should keep in mind that while tech is typically discounted across the board throughout Black Friday, the Covid pandemic-induced global chip shortage could result in popular tech gifts, including laptops, smartphones and gaming consoles (like the highly sought-after Playstation 5 and the Nintendo Switch), to be even harder to purchase.

Despite the large array of sales, some items can wait. Notably, holiday merchandise will be heavily discounted after the holidays and retailers usually offer better deals on large appliances and mattresses during Labor Day, Memorial Day and other holiday weekends, according to McGrath. She also previously told us that some doorbuster sales — like the ones we usually see for TVs — may be “cheapened for mass consumption” or equip “lower-quality components, fewer HDMI ports and other problems.”

When it comes to finding the best deals to shop on Black Friday, there are several tools to make sure you’re getting the best price. Price trackers and browser extensions like Cently and Honey can automatically apply coupon codes to your cart at checkout, while PriceBlink lets you see the cheapest buying option across multiple retailers. Most of these tools — including Amazon Assistant and the Karma browser extension — can monitor prices and alert you when those drop for certain products.

Several retailers also provide price match guarantee policies, which allow you to notify a retailer of a lower price at another competitor and the retailer will then match that price. Big name retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Target began offering price matches while rolling out their Black Friday sales in October — but there are exceptions. For example, Target and Best Buy will only price match for certain competitors, and Best Buy won’t price match competitors’ special Black Friday pricing starting Nov. 19 through Cyber Monday (Nov. 29).

McGrath recommended shoppers utilize cash back rewards on their early purchases so they “can put money back in their pockets to use later in the season or in the new year — and help ease some costs down the line.” You can use a combination of credit cards and rewards apps to ensure you’re getting discounts, points and cash back on your Black Friday purchases. There are several credit cards available that’ll let you earn cash back and save on products from Apple, Amazon, Walmart and more.

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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com