Why You Can Trust CNET Best Black Friday Deals: Early 2023 Deals, Sale Dates and More
Black Friday sales are heating up with Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy already launching deals. Here's what you need to know.
Black Friday is almost here, and with it come many of the season's best deals. More than a dozen of CNET's shopping experts are spending over 515 hours each week this month analyzing thousands of offers from trusted retailers and we're reporting them here, with special attention to products that we've tested and evaluated hands-on in our labs. We've rounded up the most notable deals worth shopping this Black Friday below, along with some tips on getting the most out of Black Friday sales and links to all of our coverage.
Best Black Friday deals
If you're looking for a huge upgrade to your entertainment space, the LG C3 is the best high-end TV on the market. It has an OLED screen with incredible picture quality as well as excellent gaming features. Plus, you can save $900 on the 65-inch model right now.
This bundle deal includes the new slim version of the PlayStation 5, as well as a digital copy of Insomniac's Spider-Man 2. The console lists for $500 on its own, so with this bundle offer, you're essentially getting the game (a $70 value) for free.
The Peloton Bike Plus is an upgrade that incorporates the best features from the original model and has new features like a 24-inch HD rotating touchscreen display and a more powerful speaker.
One of our favorite robot vacuums is on sale with a huge $400 markdown. This Roomba model can easily handle plush carpets and pet hair, in addition to clearing up dust on hard floors.
Our favorite 4K streaming device is 38% off for Black Friday. With this early Amazon deal, you can snag the Roku Express 4K Plus for just $25.
If you prefer working with a larger screen but want something budget-oriented, then the Acer Chromebook 317 is a good option. The Intel Pentium Silver N6000 can handle ChromeOS much better than Windows, and the 8GB of RAM should be enough to give you a comfortable experience. It also runs an FHD resolution, so you won't notice a lot of pixelation or issues with the larger screen.
Dyson makes some of the best fans and space heaters, and you can score a huge $120 off this model that can do both. Plus get a further $20 off your order with code HOLIDAY20 if you're new to QVC.
You can grab our favorite compact air fryer for just $30 with this deal at Target. This model has 10 presets to help you air fry, bake, roast and more with just the touch of a button.
More Black Friday tech deals
- Apple iPad (9th gen): $249 (save $80)
- Apple Watch Series 9: $349 (save $50)
- Apple AirPods Pro 2 (Lightning): $189 (save $60)
- iRobot Roomba J6 Plus robot vacuum: $400 (save $400)
- Windows 11 Pro: $23 (save $177)
- Apple 15-inch MacBook Air M2: $1,049 (save $250)
- Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones: $328 (save $72)
- Asus Vivobook 14: $230 (save $200)
- Apple Pencil 2: $89 (save $40)
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: $25 (save $25)
More Black Friday home deals
- Keurig K-Elite: $100 (save $90)
- Samsung Jet 60 Pet cordless vacuum: $200 (save $130)
- Bella Pro Series 9-quart air fryer: $80 (save $100)
- KitchenAid Deluxe 4.5-quart stand mixer: $259 (save $141)
More Black Friday health and fitness deals
- Fitbit Sense 2: $200 (save $100)
- Fitbit Charge 6: $100 (save $60)
- Peloton Bike: $1,095 (save $350)
- Therabody Theragun Mini handheld portable massage gun: $150 (save $50)
Best early Black Friday deals by category
Our Black Friday iPhone deals guide is rounding up the best trade-in savings, prepaid discounts and more this fall.
Black Friday iPad deals
In the market for an iPad upgrade? Save hundreds by shopping our list of the best Black Friday iPad deals.
Black Friday Apple Watch deals
Save on Apple's latest wearables with our guide to the best Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including savings on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra.
Best Black Friday TV deals
Our Black Friday TV deals roundup has got you covered this holiday season, whether you want to upgrade to a premium OLED model or nab a cheap TV set for a guest bedroom.
Black Friday robot vacuum deals
Get a little helping hand around the house with these Black Friday robot vacuum discounts. Save on everything from premium Roomba models to budget picks.
Black Friday air fryer deals
Upgrade your kitchen arsenal with Black Friday air fryer deals across a range of versatile models from Ninja, Instant, Cuisinart and more.
Black Friday headphone deals
We're tracking headphone and earbud prices this holiday season in our dedicated Black Friday headphone deals roundup. Save on brands like Apple, Sony, Bose and many more.
Black Friday laptop deals
Featured deals in our best Black Friday laptop deals guide include Apple MacBooks, Microsoft Surface, Acer Chromebooks and many more. You can save hundreds on your next laptop purchase this fall.
Black Friday PS5 deals
We've got you covered when it comes to Black Friday PS5 deals, from console bundles to game and accessory deals.
Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals
Snag rare Nintendo Switch savings for Black Friday with console bundles, discounted games and essential accessories all on sale.
Black Friday Roku deals
From streaming sticks to full TV sets, there are plenty of Roku Black Friday deals to shop right now with prices starting as low as $20.
Black Friday soundbar deals
Need a Black Friday soundbar deal to go with your recent TV upgrade? We've rounded up deals from Polk, LG, Klipsch and more if you want to give your audio experience a boost.
Black Friday fitness deals
With a plethora of Black Friday fitness deals available now, you can get a head start on your New Year health goals. Save on everything from Peloton bikes and treadmills to dumbells, fitness trackers, shoes and apparel.
Black Friday mattress deals
Black Friday mattress deals offer some of the best prices of the year. If your mattress is a little long in the tooth, now's the time to consider swapping it out for something now.
When is Black Friday?
In 2023, Black Friday is on Nov. 24. The major sale event always takes place the day after Thanksgiving is observed in the US, which is on the fourth Thursday of November each year. That being said, Black Friday sales have expanded greatly in recent years, moving from a post-holiday weekend event to a month-long bonanza.
Read more: Black Friday and Cyber Monday Cheat Sheet
Which stores have Black Friday sales?
Basically all major retailers -- both online and brick-and-mortar stores -- have tons of deals and discounts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday each year. That includes the likes of Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart, as well as more specialized retailers such as B&H Photo, GameStop and Dell.
- Amazon Black Friday sale
- Walmart Black Friday sale
- Best Buy Black Friday sale
- Target Black Friday sale
- StackSocial Black Friday sale
- B&H Photo Black Friday sale
- Twelve South Black Friday sale
- Moment Black Friday sale
When do Black Friday sales start?
Though Black Friday always falls late in the month, Black Friday sales tend to begin much earlier. These days, much of the month of November is dedicated to early Black Friday deals with many of the big retailers launching showing off their Black Friday ads and launching their sales weeks before Black Friday itself.
As well as sharing online sales, we'll be rounding up all of the Black Friday store hours and Thanksgiving store closures to help you decide when to shop in person versus online.
Are the best Black Friday deals available online?
Generally speaking, yes. The days of lining up outside of your nearest big-box retailer in the early hours of Black Friday are essentially over. The number of deals launching exclusively in stores has been dwindling in recent years, and this was certainly accelerated during COVID-19 when crowds were discouraged, with much of the shopping at this time of year moving online. Some retailers -- such as Walmart -- are even launching their Black Friday deals earlier for online shoppers before in-person shoppers get a look in.
Read more: Which Black Friday Sales Are Better? Online vs. In-Store Deals
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday takes place on the Monday after Black Friday, so that's Nov. 27 in 2023. But with Black Friday sales running throughout November, both in-store and online, there's less delineation of the two sales than in years gone by.
How long do I have to return Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases?
This varies by store, but most will offer extended returns windows for items purchases in pre-holiday sales. This should give you some peace of mind when it comes to picking out holiday gifts for loved ones. We'll be rounding up all of the notable holiday return windows here.
Why is it called Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
The term "black" has historically been used to denote distressing or calamitous events. The earliest known use of Black Friday for the Friday after Thanksgiving was to refer to the practice of workers calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving in the early 1950s. Around that same time, US police adopted the term to describe the traffic conditions during the first major holiday shopping date.
After attempts to move to the term "Big Friday" failed, merchants attempted to ameliorate the term Black Friday in subsequent years, suggesting that its origin was not due to the poor traffic conditions the shopping day created, but because the profit it generated put stores "back in the black" in financial terms.
Then, in 2005, the National Retail Federation coined the term "Cyber Monday" because it had noticed a spike in online traffic the Monday following Thanksgiving. At the time, they believed it was because people were making online purchases while they were at work following the holiday so their kids couldn't see any gift purchases and because work computers usually have faster internet connection.
There was some chatter about calling the date Black Monday or Blue Monday -- because hyperlinks are blue -- but eventually, everyone settled on the more futuristic-sounding Cyber Monday. In 2014, Cyber Monday became the biggest online shopping day in the country.
The CNET Deals team will keep you up to date on all of the best deals all year long, so be sure to follow the team on X and sign up for the CNET Cheapskate Deals newsletter.
More Black Friday deals from CNET
CNET is covering a wide array of deals on tech products and much more this holiday season. Find the hottest sales and discounts on the CNET Deals page, as well as the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and offers. Check out our CNET Coupons page for current Walmart discount codes, eBay coupons, Samsung promo codes and more from hundreds of other online stores. Sign up for the CNET Deals Text to get daily deals sent straight to your phone. And add the free CNET Shopping extension to your browser for real-time price comparisons.
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