Black Friday deals are off to an epic start, and we still haven’t carved into our Thanksgiving turkeys yet. With Turkey Day officially here, we expect Black Friday sales to only get better.
From PS5 restocks and mattresses to 4K TVs and laptops, the entire Tom’s Guide team is here to help you save time and money as we curate the best Black Friday deals multiple times per day.
Consoles have been hard to find all year, but we’ve been seeing a noticeable increase in PS5 restocks from the likes of Walmart, Sony Direct, and Best Buy. There’s likely to be more restocks as we inch closer to Thanksgiving and Black Friday. (GameStop has hinted of a possible restock later this week).
Meanwhile, we’re seeing plenty of Black Friday deals on 4K TVs. Big-screen 50-inch TVs are on sale for as little as $199, whereas the price of OLED TVs has plummeted to $896 at Amazon. While we’ve yet to see 55-inch 4K TVs hit the $199 mark as they did last year, those sales should be coming soon. In the meantime, Amazon has a wide range of smart TVs on sale from $99.
Likewise, home and furniture deals are also increasing. Black Friday mattress deals from the likes of Nectar, Avocado, and Casper can save you close to $500. The annual Herman Miller sale is also underway, knocking 15% off sitewide. The sale includes the excellent Aeron chair.
Finally, Black Friday deals on Apple devices are finally heating up! The MacBook Air hit $799 at Amazon and Walmart has the Apple Watch 3 for just $109, which is the lowest price ever for Apple’s budget smartwatch. Even the new Apple Watch 7 received a price cut at Amazon, while iPad deals are proving tricky to track down. If you see Apple’s tablet go on sale, jump on that right away.
The Tom’s Guide team is working 24/7 this season to bring you the best deals of the season. So bookmark this page and check back often as we track all of the best Black Friday deals of 2021.
Black Friday deals: Quick links
- Adidas: tees, hoodies, workout clothes from $9 @ Amazon
- Alienware: up to 20% off + gaming laptops from $999
- Amazon: save on 4K TVs, Ray-Ban, Apple devices, more
- Best Buy: save on Chromebooks, air fryers, treadmills, and more
- Dell: laptop sales from $229
- Dyson: $50 off select vacuums @ Dyson
- HDTVs: smart TVs from $99 @ Amazon
- Herman Miller: 15% of sitewide flash sale
- Home Depot: up to 40% off DeWalt, Milwaukee, more
- HP: laptops on sale from $209
- Lowe’s: up to 50% off vanities, smart home devices, more
- Nectar: $399 off mattresses+ free $399 gift @ Nectar
- Newegg: up to 55% off gaming laptops and accessories
- Overstock: holiday home sale 70% off
- REI: up to 40% off jackets, base layers, wool clothing and more
- Target: Top deals on appliances, clothing and more
- Verizon: up to $1,200 off Android phones with trade-in
- Walmart: 50% off toys, apparel, and more
- Walmart Plus: get early access to Black Friday sales
- Wayfair: up to 50% off desks, coffee tables, more
Top 25 Black Friday deals today
Top 25
Black Friday deals live now
TVs
Mattresses
Weighted blankets
Chromebooks
Laptops
Tablets
Streaming
Kitchen
Standing desks
Headphones
Gaming
Wearables
Fitness
Phones
Furniture
Smart home
Vacuums
Holiday decor
Bedding
Cameras
Home audio
Restocks
Toys
Personal grooming
Black Friday deals to expect in 2021
Black Friday is traditionally the best time of year to make any major purchase. From TVs to mattresses, retailers save their best deals for the holidays with the majority of sales starting the first week of November. However, 2021 will be slightly different in that the pandemic is causing shortages of labor and essential material/parts.
PS5 restock, for instance, is still near impossible to find. Numerous furniture companies are also backed up with delivery dates that are taking months instead of just a few days. New outbreaks in countries like Vietnam are causing factory closures, which in turn means less inventory for shoppers.
You can expect these shortages and delays to last through the end of the year, which means Black Friday deals may be in large demand, but low supply this year. So we recommend consumers get their shopping done earlier than usual this year.
Black Friday deals and Apple
iPhone 13: The iPhone 13 will be on many people’s shopping list this year. This Black Friday, expect retailers to offer Apple’s new phone for next to nothing. Already, carriers like Verizon and AT&T are offering iPhone 13 freebie deals. As we approach Black Friday, you can expect to see better trade-in deals, wherein you’ll get a better/higher credit for your older phone. We also expect to see Apple’s older phones get steeper price cuts. iPhone 12 deals, for instance, continue to plummet in light of Apple’s new phones.
MacBook Air M1: The Editor’s Choice MacBook Air dropped to an all-time price low of $749 this past summer. However, it was a students-only deal at Best Buy. (Non-students paid $849). Amazon didn’t match Best Buy’s price, but they did drop the base model to $849. Sadly, we may not see that $749 price point again. Instead, the base model will crash to $799 at both Best Buy and Amazon. This time, the deal will not require a valid edu e-mail.
AirPods: $89 AirPods anyone? Last year the AirPods dropped to $99. This year they already hit $89 thanks to an epic Black Friday deal from Walmart. Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro hit $169 last holiday season. They were on sale for $179 on Labor Day, and once again Walmart has confirmed it will have them for $159 on November 22. Any new AirPods 3 that may come out this year will likely see modest discounts of $20 to $30 off.
Black Friday deals and next-gen consoles
Let’s be honest: There will be no Black Friday deals on next-gen consoles. Sure, we’ll see plenty of deals on PS5 and Xbox Series X games/accessories, but the PS5 and Xbox Series X will not see any price cuts. That said, we do expect to see Black Friday restocks. Retailers like Best Buy and GameStop are already experimenting with in-store only restocks and we expect these in-store events to pick up as we get closer to Thanksgiving. If you prefer to shop online, no need to worry. We expect to see online restocks as well. Just be prepared for fierce competition as the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be high on many shoppers’ holiday lists. In the meantime, you can still register for invite-only Sony Direct PS5 restocks planned for this month.
When is Black Friday 2021?
Black Friday 2021 is on Friday, November 26. However, Black Friday deals are available now, well before the official Black Friday 2021 date. Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are just a handful of the major retailers currently offering Black Friday deals — even though Thanksgiving is still a few days out.
What are today’s best Black Friday deals?
Shipping delays and labor shortages are causing retailers to get a jump start on their holiday deals. Below are quick links to the best early Black Friday deals we’ve encountered so far.
Amazon: save on Lego, Apple, 4K TVs, more
Walmart: $200 off iPad Pro, $298 55-inch TV and more
Best Buy: $50 Bella Pro Air Fryer, $180 off Beats Headphone and more
Dell: laptop sales from $229
Nectar: $499 off mattresses + free $399 sleep bundle
Target: Top deals on appliances, clothing and more
Saatva: exclusive deal – $250 off $1,000 or more
Samsung: up to $250 off Galaxy phones, free Chromebook, more
Who has the best Black Friday deals in 2021?
Every retailer has Black Friday deals available in November. However, if you’re wondering who has the best Black Friday deals — the answer is based on what you want to buy. For instance, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart tend to dominate when it comes to deals on 4K TVs, laptops, and smartwatches.
For deals on apparel and home goods, we recommend turning to stores like Macy’s, Wayfair, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Home goods is a broad topic and also includes mattresses. If you’re shopping for the latter, mattress manufacturers tend to offer the best and biggest discounts, oftentimes undercutting box retailers like Macy’s and Amazon.
Does Apple offer Black Friday deals?
The Apple Store is renown for not offering deals. However, every November it offers its annual Apple Black Friday sale. The sale varies each year offering free Beats headphones with the purchase of select devices or discounts of up to 10% off on select Mac purchases.
Last year, Apple offered a free Apple Store gift card with the purchase of select devices. For instance, buy an Apple Watch 3 and you’ll get a $25 Apple gift card. To maximize the gift card value, Apple wants you to spend more. So to get the biggest gift card — a $150 Apple gift card — required that you purchase an iMac or a MacBook Pro. This year, iPhone 13 deals will play a big role on Black Friday. Expect to see epic Black Friday deals on Apple’s latest iPhones and iPads. (The best deals will come from retailers and not from Apple).
Are stores doing Black Friday 2021?
Due to the pandemic, the majority of brick-and-mortar stores skipped their traditional Thanksgiving Day in-store events last year. Walmart, for instance, did not open its stores on Thanksgiving and instead released a new batch of Black Friday deals online. Other stores offered curbside pickup to avoid having customers congregate outside their stories. This year things are different.
We’ve seen monthly Best Buy RTX 3080 restock nationwide this summer and there’s even a rumor we may see in-store Best Buy PS5 restock soon. As a result, in-store shopping could make a comeback this year, as could early bird deals that requires shoppers to line up outside stores.
Black Friday deals and what to expect
Black Friday deals are in full force now and the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, projects that the average consumer will spend $997.73 on holiday gifts for themselves and their families. This is on par with what consumers spent last year. Over half (57%) will shop online in 2021, which is slightly down from the 60% who shopped online during the pandemic in 2020. That said, 47% of holiday shoppers are worried they’ll have difficulty finding the items they want. The top items consumers are worried about are electronics (44%), clothes (40%), and toys (28%).
Why is it called Black Friday?
The use of the term “Black Friday” to describe the retail holiday dates back to 1961 in Philadelphia. It was used to describe the crowded pedestrian and vehicle traffic that resulted the day after Thanksgiving. By 1975, the term had gained traction and was being used outside of Philadelphia.
These days, retailers have a different explanation for the term. For many companies, Black Friday marks the point in the calendar year when companies go “in the black,” or finally begin to turn a profit for the year. The profit they make is due to the surge in shoppers looking for holiday deals.