Black Friday is finally here! We're now knee-deep in deals and more are arriving by the minute. Some will vanish almost as quickly as they arrive, while others will stay live through the weekend and into Cyber Monday on November 28th.
Some 180 million Americans shopped during Black Friday 2021, helping to boost holiday season retail sales by 14.1% to $886.7 billion. An estimated 88 million buyers made an online purchase on Black Friday, with Amazon accounting for a whopping 17.7% of those sales. Suffice it to say Black Friday is big business.
Of course, the likes of Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Crutchfield, and everyone else will be adding plenty of their own Black Friday deals to the pile, too. Walmart is a good bet for anyone in the market for a cheap TV deal, while Best Buy tends to slash the price of AirPods and iPads. Amazon, of course, is a jack of all trades when it comes to deals, especially in the world of consumer tech.
Ready to score some seriously deep discounts? Using our extensive back catalog of reviews and in-depth expertise across a wide range of product categories, we'll give you our honest opinion and guide you past any potential pitfalls, making sure you get the Black Friday deals you deserve.
From TVs to headphones, Bluetooth speakers to tablets, from cheap streamers to expensive home theater setups, and every kind of hi-fi kit imaginable, whatever you're looking for will probably be on sale during Black Friday. What's more is that you'll find the best options out there for those deals below.
So, here's a look at what's going on during Black Friday 2022...
Best Black Friday deals quick links
- AirPods 2 (2019):
was $159now $79 at Walmart - Sony WH-1000XM5:
was $400now $348 at Amazon - JBL Charge 5:
was $180now $120 at Amazon - Sony WF-1000XM4:
was $280now $178 at Amazon - Hulu:
$8$2 at Hulu (save $6/month) - Amazon: save $$$ on Amazon devices, OLED TVs & iPads
- Walmart: big screen TVs, cheap AirPods & more
- B&H Photo: flash sales on TVs, soundbars & more
- Best Buy: mega discounts on smart speakers & Sonos
- Samsung QN90B:
was $1197now $997 at Amazon - Target: up to 50% off TVs, soundbars & streaming devices
- Crutchfield: top deals on hi-fi speakers & home theater
- PlayStation Direct: DualSense controllers & video games
- PS5: the internet's lowest console & accessory prices
- Samsung: huge deals on phones, TVs, soundbars & more
- World Wide Stereo: cheap TVs, hi-fi & 4K projectors
- eBay: save big on refurbished tech
- Sony: save up to $1500 on TVs, up to $300 on headphones
- JBL: save up to 70% on select speakers & headphones
- Apple: get an Apple gift card when you buy eligible products
- Microcenter: huge savings on laptops, monitors & PC kit
- Woot: daily deals on everything from watches to Bluetooth speakers
- Gamestop: save $50 on Xbox Series S & tons on video games
- Bose: save up to 50% on select headphones & speakers
- Sonos: enjoy up to 20% off on select Bose products
- Google: big discounts on Pixel phones, watches & buds
30 of the best Black Friday deals
Best Black Friday deals: TVs
Best Black Friday deals: Headphones
Best Black Friday deals: Soundbars
Best Black Friday deals: Projectors
Best Black Friday deals: Bluetooth speakers
Best Black Friday deals: Streaming services
Best Black Friday deals: Hi-Fi speakers
Best Black Friday deals: Turntables
Best Black Friday deals: Hi-Fi systems, separates, portables
Best Black Friday deals: Home cinema
When is Black Friday 2022?
The Black Friday 2022 date is Friday, November 25th.
Cyber Monday 2022 will be Monday, November 28th.
Black Friday always takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which means this year it will fall on Friday, November 25th. Most retailers will want to make the most of what will typically be the busiest 24 hours of the event, meaning we can expect deals going live at midnight and running until the end of the day.
Of course, you can rest assured that Black Friday won't be simply one day of deals – those days are long gone. Instead, expect at least a week of build-up, maybe longer, from many retailers. And of course, the Black Friday sales continue through to Cyber Monday, which is always the Monday after Black Friday.
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday began in the US but in recent years has very much become a worldwide shopping phenomena. It's regarded (and backed up by stats) as the busiest shopping day of the year – both online and in-store – and officially kicks off the holiday season.
Why is it called Black Friday? The date was traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season, when retailers hoped to move out of the "red" (loss) and in to the "black" (profit), hence Black Friday.
What about Cyber Monday?
The term 'Cyber Monday', meanwhile, was coined by Scott Silverman and the National Retail Federation's Ellen Davis in a bid to encourage people to take their shopping online during the Black Friday event. That was back in 2005, when people needed such encouragement! It's always the Monday after Black Friday.
Where to get the best Black Friday deals?
The dominant names in retail, such as Best Buy, Walmart and Target will no doubt want to go big on PS5 and Xbox Series X console bundles during Black Friday 2022, while the Sony WF-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM4 are likely to be some of the biggest sellers when it comes to headphones.
We won't forget the hi-fi and home cinema kit, so will be on the lookout for deals on B&W and KEF speakers, not to mention 4K and portable projectors, AVRs, turntables, CD players, hi-res music players and more. World Wide Stereo usually has lots of specialist deals.
We're confident the specialist audio and home theater retailers will deliver some hi-fi and home theater bargains – last year's What Hi-Fi? Award-winners are a good place to start when it comes to finding a price reduction.
How long will Black Friday last?
Well, Black Friday is 24 hours. And Cyber Monday is 24 hours. But like other big sales events, you always have preliminary and aftermath offers.
For one, deals will run during the weekend sandwiched in the middle of the two days. And in the days and weeks building up to them, there will be plenty of 'early Black Friday' savings serenading the sites.
Are the Black Friday deals any good?
After the initial few years of excitement around Black Friday, we naturally moved to the apathy stage, as people began to question whether the offers were genuinely good deals. And it remains up for debate.
For example, it's not unusual to see discounted products rise in price in the summer months ahead of a "price cut" come Black Friday; naturally this means you're essentially just getting the original discounted price from earlier in the year. That said, there are always genuine deals to be had – it's just finding them amongst the onslaught of offers.
Luckily that's where our service will come in; we'll handpick the best TV, audio and AV deals across retailers to find the ones that are really worth your hard-earned cash.
We'd suggest having a rough idea of what you want in mind – whether that be wireless noise-cancelling headphones under $100, a discounted 55 inch 4K OLED TV or a portable, outdoor-friendly Bluetooth speaker – but restricting yourself only to specific models will reduce your chance of being lucky on Black Friday 2022 and Cyber Monday 2022. Pick the features you fancy, then see what ticks your boxes and has the best Black Friday sale price.
Last year's best Black Friday deals
Last year's best Black Friday headphone deals included $80 off the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and $110 off the excellent AirPods Max in the Amazon sale, while Walmart delivered an impressive $150 off the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM4. For today's best prices, check out our full list of best Black Friday headphones deals.
There were plenty of savings on TVs, too. Like a huge $700 off the 55-inch LG C1 at Walmart and up to $3500 off the stellar Samsung QN900A. Again, for today's For deals on other TVs, check out our guide to the best Black Friday TV deals.
Whetted your appetite? We've listed some of last year's best Black Friday deals below. Many have expired, but they give you a good idea of what's to come...
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