What to buy on Black Friday and what to avoid

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Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday are insanely awesome. The biggest shopping holidays of the year involve so many products, categories and retailers that it can be difficult to keep track of them. Since Black Friday is no longer just a day, but a whole season primetime To give us a little advice on how to purchase it successfully.

You don’t want to get out your skis and buy everything in sight, but if there’s a good deal on something you need, you don’t want to miss that either. This helps in knowing what to buy and what not to buy. Mashable has a hub for Black Friday coverage that can give you a more in-depth analysis of every shopping category you can imagine, but here are some quick tips on what to buy and avoid while shopping during Cyber ​​Week.

The top 10 deals we’ve already seen for Black Friday 2025

1. Apple AirPods 4 — $69 $129 (Save $60)

2. HBO Max (with ads) – $2.99/month for 12 months $10.99/month (Save $8/month)

3. Amazon Kindle – $79.99 $109.99 (Save $30)

4. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select – $9.99 $39.99 (Save $30 with code STREAM4K)

5. Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones — $248 $399.99 (Save $151.99 + Get $30 Amazon Credit)

6. Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 — $349 $799 (Save $450)

7. Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) – $749 $999 (Save $150)

8. PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Console (1TB) — $449 $489 (Save $40)

9. TCL 65-inch QM8K Mini LED QLED 4K TV – $899.99 $2,499.99 (Save $1,600)

10. Samsung 55-inch The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV — $897.99 $1,197.99 (Save $300)

Best things to buy on Black Friday

Mashable has plenty of recommendations on everything from streaming services to Apple products to TVs, but Cyber ​​Week is a great time to buy things you’ve already planned to buy at some point. don’t spend big just because It’s on sale – buy something you need and get it cheaper than retail price. Here are the top categories to shop on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday.

Recommended deals for you

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Canceling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds

,
$219.99

(List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11″ 128GB Wi-Fi Retina Tablet (Blue, 2025 Release)

,
$274.00

(List Price $349.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones

,
$248.00

(List price $399.99)

Blink Outdoor 4 1080p Security Camera (5-Pack)

,
$159.99

(List price $399.99)

Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device with Remote (2023 Model)

,
$24.99

(List price $49.99)

Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones

,
$298.00

(List Price $429.00)

Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum with XL Self-Empty Base

,
$249.99

(List Price $599.00)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band)

,
$339.00

(List Price $399.00)

WD 6TB My Passport USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive

,
$138.65

(List price $179.99)

Amazon Fire HD 10 32GB Tablet (2023 Release, Black)

,
$69.99

(List price $139.99)

1. Apple Products

Buying a fruit company’s flagship technology during Black Friday is a great hack. If you’re already planning on purchasing some of the most notoriously expensive technology on the market, why not buy it at a discount? You’ll find the best selection of Apple deals on Amazon. In the days leading up to Black Friday, nearly all of the latest AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks were at record-low prices. Competitors like Best Buy, Walmart and Target were matching some of its offers, but not all.

2. TV

TV deals have dominated Black Friday since the early days, when shoppers would line up at 3 a.m. and vie among themselves. This is the best time of the year to buy a TV. So far in 2025, every single TV on Mashable’s list of the best 65-inch TVs is already at a record-low sale price. Be warned: However, these deals sell out quickly.

3. Streaming Services

Black Friday is the only time of year we see massive discounts on streaming services. This year, most of the giants have already jumped into the ring — including HBO Max, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount+. The best we’ve seen so far is HBO Max offering its ad-supported tier at $2.99 ​​per month for an entire year.

4. Amazon Devices

It’s no secret that the biggest Prime Day discounts are usually on Amazon’s own devices, but somehow Amazon tries to outdo itself on some gadgets on Black Friday. Whether you’re working on building out your smart home or you’re finally ready to pull the trigger on a new e-reader, expect record-low prices on Echo devices, Kindles, Fire TVs, and more. Just stay away from Ring cameras (more on that below).

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5. Kitchen utensils

Black Friday sees extensive deals on kitchen appliances, cookware and bakeware. From air fryers to Instant Pots to Mashable’s favorite Ninja appliances, you’ll find the lowest prices ever this season. If you’ve had your eye on that Ninja Slushie, now’s the time to grab it. It’s $100 off at most major retailers, bringing it down to $269.99, the best it’s ever been.

6. Headphones and Speakers

Mashable’s favorite brands of headphones and speakers drop to their lowest prices of the year during Black Friday season — and this year is no different. You can find all of Mashable’s top picks for both headphones and speakers from brands like Apple, Bose, Sony, and Beats on sale at record-low prices even before Black Friday arrives. Note: AirPods 4 are down to just $69 (reg. $129), and the Sony WH-1000XM5s (our former top pick) are down to a new low of $248 and come with a $30 Amazon credit. In the speaker department, the JBL Charge 6 (our favorite Bluetooth speaker) is down to a new low of $129.95.

7. Smartwatch

In addition to hot Apple Watch deals, you can bet Cyber ​​Week will bring deep discounts on Fitbits, Garmin smartwatches, and Samsung Galaxy watches. Already, we’ve seen early deals especially from Apple and Samsung.

8. Gaming Deals

Upgrading your gaming console, laptop, monitor or even buying new games seems like a daunting task – when you’re doing it at full price, that is. Luckily, during Black Friday season, you can find markdowns on both. So far this year, we’ve seen pretty great early bird deals on gaming monitors, gaming laptops, and even the PlayStation 5 Slim. If you need to make a gaming-related purchase, Black Friday is the time to do it at a low price.

9. Toys

With the start of the official holiday season, it only makes sense that all of the most popular toys of the year – including LEGO – are down to all-time lows for Black Friday. If there’s a specific toy on your shopping list for the holidays, you’ll probably be able to get it at its best price of the year. But as one of the most popular items during Cyber ​​Week, toys also sell out quickly.

Things to Avoid on Black Friday

Although there can be some great deals on Black Friday, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here are some quick tips about what to avoid on Black Friday.

1. Third-party sellers

In general, you can trust items sold and shipped by Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy. However, all three of these retailers also allow third-party listings, which often have extremely low prices on high-demand items. Although some of these sellers are genuine, others are less reliable, and you run the risk of purchasing a counterfeit product. If a deal from a third-party seller sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

2. Ring doorbells and cameras

Deep discounts on Ring cameras and bundles may be tempting, but we don’t recommend anything from Ring due to privacy concerns. Not only can these be easily hacked, but Ring is also notorious for giving away people’s information without their consent. There are plenty of home security deals from other brands on Black Friday, and if you need a little guidance on good deals, check out our guide to the best home security cameras.

3. Anything you don’t need

As we mentioned earlier, it’s best to use Black Friday as a way to get something you need at a good discount. What is not right is buying things just becauseSomething you don’t need or won’t use is still something you don’t need or won’t use, no matter how high the price,