Every November we spend a significant amount of time telling our readers what to buy in the Black Friday sales – hunting for the very best deals around. But have you ever wondered what Stuff’s team of tech experts are buying?
Well, this article is for you, as we’ll be telling you exactly what we’ll be picking up in this year’s Black Friday sales.
This year we present a varied selection: from LG’s best 4K OLED TV and smart Christmas lights to wet wipes for a toddler in a regular stock-up. So, if you have some cash burning a hole in your pocket, here is some inspiration on what to buy.
Black Friday 2024 is here, and we’re busy covering the best deals across the web. Whether you’re looking for a new phone, laptop, or stick vac, we’ll be highlighting the biggest savings around.
Check out the early Amazon Black Friday deals (US) and the early Amazon Black Friday deals (UK)
Dan Grabham, Editor-in-Chief
I’ve been considering buying a PS5 for ages and still haven’t taken the plunge – however, it looks like there’s a decent discount on the PS5 Slim version, now down to $424 from $500.
Plus, I’ve been wondering about a MacBook Air M2 for family use recently. While it’s a 2022 model, the $749 price makes it an absolute no-brainer. In the UK, the deal isn’t quite as good – down from £999 to £849.
Shark always have some top deals too. The pick of these is the cordless Shark Stratos which has around 50% off, down to $247. In the UK, you can save on the larger XL version. It’s discounted by 41% – now £235 instead of £400.
If you’re looking for an air fryer, try Ninja’s Foodi DualZone at over 40% off, now down to $130. The same model is also on offer in the UK, although only with a very small discount of 5%. It’s now £251.55 instead of £264 – not much of a saving, but good to know if you were planning to buy it already.
Also, I can’t go without pointing out some great deals on headphones that I think are some of the best around this Black Friday. Some of my fave wireless headphones are the Beats Studio Pro – now down to $160 which is a steal. They’re not the best for finish, but they work great with the iPhone, sound great and have 40 hours of battery life. What more could you want? In the UK, they’re discounted by a similar 50% – down from £350 to £179.
I thought I’d also mention the USB-C AirPods Pro, as they are also discounted to the point that buying the AirPods 4 just doesn’t make sense. They’re now nearly $100 down from the slated price. Again, a really great deal. In the UK, they’re not quite as discounted. They’re £50 off – down from £229 to £179.
Tom Morgan-Freelander, Deputy Editor
There’s not much on my personal shopping list this year. But seeing how my mother-in-law has perfectly timed her house move around Black Friday, there’s more in my online shopping basket than usual. The few weeks she spent sofa-surfing at our place while the sale went through converted her to smart home kit, and she’s put me in charge of giving the new pad an Alexa-powered makeover.
Smart lights are top of the list. Govee has been pretty infallible in my experience, so a few of its B22 bulb four packs should cover the entire house. I’m not convinced she’s the colour-changing, music-syncing sort, but then again I’ve never been invited to Bridge night. These would usually cost £36 each, but are down to £24 – a 33% saving. The US alternative, which uses an A19 screw fitting, is also down to $25 from the usual $35 list price.
There’s no TV aerial at the new house, and I don’t fancy getting on a ladder during a cold, wet British winter to fit one, so I’ve also pointed her in the direction of a TV with Freely onboard. The live TV and catch-up service from the bods behind Freeview works entirely over the internet – and any new telly will be an upgrade on 32in LCD she’s been using for the last decade plus.
The 43in Hisense E7 looks like the best Black Friday bargain this year: for £299 (a 40% discount from the usual £429 asking price) you’re getting a quantum dot LED panel, Dolby Vision HDR support, and all the streaming service big hitters.
Spencer Hart, Buying Guides Editor
Black Friday is my favourite time to stock up on essentials so first on my list, as always, is the 18-pack of WaterWipes. These are an absolute must-have living with a toddler, and I love grabbing them while they’re on sale. In the US, they’re down to $37.97 from $45.99, and in the UK, they’re £26.99 instead of £39.99. With a discount like that, I make sure to buy in bulk and keep fully stocked.
I’m also getting something practical for my car this year: the NOCO Boost Plus GB40 jump starter. It’s a compact little lifesaver that can jump-start up to a 6-litre petrol engine or a 3-litre diesel, and it doubles as a power bank for my devices. It’s on sale for $99.95 in the US (down from $124.95) and £79.96 in the UK (down from £109.95), so I figured now’s the time to pick one up and feel a little more prepared for emergencies.
Finally, I’m adding to my Twinkly Christmas light collection with the USB-C Pearls. These app-controlled lights are so much fun, letting me customise patterns and colours to create the perfect festive vibe. They’re $47.59 in the US (down from $69.99) and £49 in the UK (down from £58.34).
Connor Jewiss, Stuff contributor
If you’ve been keeping up with our deals coverage this year, then you’ll know that there are a few things I’m planning to get my mits on. My main purchase will be LG’s best OLED TV yet: the 65-inch G4. The outgoing G3 was one of our top TV picks from last year, and this new one is even better thanks to better AI image processing and tech to make things brighter.
Over on Amazon US, you can score the top-range TV with a discount of 32%. That brings the price down from $3400 to $2297 – a saving of $1103. In the UK, it’s been reduced from an RRP of £2699 to a tasty £2299. Unfortunately, it looks like the TV has sold out over on Amazon UK, but retailers like AO and Currys have it up for sale still.
Also on my shopping list is Anker’s huge 27650mAh power bank that can charge an iPhone more than 4 times. It’s down to $130 on Amazon US and over in the UK, the deal is even better – up for £126 instead of £180. I also need to buy an Echo Pop as a Christmas present this year, and Black Friday is the perfect chance. On Amazon UK, you can get the Echo Pop from Amazon UK for £19, down from the usual price of £45. Or on Amazon US, it’s down to $18 from $40 – 55% off.
Finally, I know that my in-laws are looking for a garden robot that can do everything – ploughing, leaf blowing, and cutting the grass. There aren’t many options, but Yarbo unveiled one at CES this year. It offers different attachments so it really can do everything. For Black Friday, the “everything” bundle is down to $6999 or £9316 with free shipping. Cheap it is not, which means any savings count.