Not sure what to buy on Black Friday? The post-Thanksgiving shopping event is one of the best times of the year to take care of big-ticket purchases like TVs, robot vacuums, Apple devices, and gaming consoles, as they often hit record-low prices ahead of the holidays. However, it's important to go in with a game plan: Impulse-purchasing something just because it's on sale is an easy way to get buyer's remorse.
As early Black Friday deals start popping up at major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Kohl's, and soon Amazon, some of Mashable's writers and editors are keeping close eyes on items topping our wish lists. Here's what we want to buy this Black Friday — and what sorts of discounts we're holding out for (if any).
1. A premium e-reader
"I bought myself a Kindle Paperwhite during July’s Prime Day at $89.99. My boyfriend was a big 'physical books are better' kind of guy until he tried out my Kindle, so I want to buy him one for his birthday in December. I was excited for October’s Prime Day, but imagine my disappointment when the Paperwhite only dropped to $94.99. I held off on buying the e-reader in hopes that Black Friday would see that $89.99 sale price. If it doesn’t drop back down that low, I’ll still buy it. I’ll just be mad that I could have saved an extra $5." — Miller Kern, Deputy Reviews Editor
2. Some upgraded earbuds
"I’m probably going to buy a pair of Bose earbuds for my partner, since he's currently down to one (1) first-gen AirPod. I’ll likely compare the sale price of the new QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds to the previous-gen QC Earbuds II before buying. I’m guessing the older ones will have a better discount on Black Friday since the new version just came out, but I might spring for the new ones instead if they get down to $250 or less — that's the sale price the QC IIs regularly sit at on Amazon." — Jae Thomas, Deputy Shopping Editor
3. A better Dyson vacuum
"I currently own an old Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 that I absolutely hate: It's heavy, hard to maneuver, and its hose is too taut to be useful. I'm thinking about upgrading to the V12 Detect Slim, a cordless and extremely lightweight stick model that's Dyson's cheapest laser-equipped model vacuum. (My colleague Leah Stodart won me over with her review.) The Absolute variant that tacks on HEPA filtration and a cool gold finish is down to $400 at Walmart during its first Black Friday Deals event, which is the price I'd hoped we'd see for the holidays, but I'd rather order it from Best Buy to make good use of a birthday gift card. Fingers crossed it matches that deal soon." — Haley Henschel, Senior Shopping Reporter
4. A high-end hairdryer
"Well, well, well, if it isn’t a Dyson hair tool on a holiday wishlist. I’ve put off this investment for as long as I could, but I’m taking my hair health too seriously now to keep relying on the extreme heat of my current curling irons and straighteners. (I’m also tired of wrestling with the four tools crowding my drawer and would rather just have a go-to tool to reach for with only attachment swapping to worry about.) Walmart's early Black Friday price on a refurbished model is ridiculously good considering a brand-new one costs $200 more, but I'm also seeing new ones for sale from regular people on Mercari for even cheaper. I'll take return policies into consideration and make a decision based on vibes in the moment." — Leah Stodart, Senior Shopping Reporter
5. A Dyson Airwrap dupe
"My super fine, stick-straight hair doesn't want to do much besides lay flat. I've been using a first-generation Revlon One-Step for the past few years to add some volume and a little shape, but it's clunky and gets pretty hot, so I want to graduate to the Shark FlexStyle: The Coanda-powered multistyler is over $300 cheaper than a Dyson Airwrap, and its base can swivel to turn it into a hair dryer. Shark's build-your-own FlexStyle bundle kits have been on sale for $260 since Prime Big Deal Days; a Black Friday deal of $200 or less would make me finally pull the plug, but that's probably wishful thinking." — Haley Henschel, Senior Shopping Reporter
6. An eco-friendly electric toothbrush
"Hygiene TikTok has made me well aware that not using an electric toothbrush is sinful. That’s another product that I have avoided buying, this time because I, a person who uses chewable toothpaste tablets over a plastic tube of toothpaste, was not about to enter a cycle of buying plastic replacement toothbrush heads and sending the old ones to rot in a landfill for hundreds of years. The SURI toothbrush not only uses recyclable plant-based brush heads, but SURI recycles them for you (via mail backs with free shipping) so that you personally don’t have to mess around with recycling rules in your area. I'll grab it if there's any deal at all on Black Friday." — Leah Stodart, Senior Shopping Reporter
7. Some TikTok-famous fitness gear
"Just about every item in Cassey Ho's expertly crafted athleisure collection POPFLEX has gone viral on TikTok, and I'm dying to try them for myself. Ho, a former fitness YouTuber, creates clothes that are made for working out, but cute and comfy enough to wear all day. She infuses feedback from her loyal customer base of women into each piece, adding elements like larger 'princess' hoods, thumb holes, and seams to flatter every body. I've been eyeing the Zip Cloud Hoodie for at least a year after hearing about how celestially soft it is. I also plan to nab one of her 32-inch yoga mats, which are thicker than traditional mats for added joint support, at any discounted price." — Elizabeth de Luna, Tech Reporter
8. An automatic cat feeder
"As much as I want to wean my cats off dry food completely, it just doesn’t seem feasible with my schedule or their preferences. Simply letting them free feed on dry food when I’m out and about all day isn’t the move, either — so when I saw cat parents on TikTok using an automatic feeder to release freeze-dried chicken or salmon into their cat’s bowl (rather than kibble), I knew Black Friday would be the time to find a cheap-ish one (since I'm buying the expensive wet food now, apparently). I'll be looking for a deal on the PETLIBRO AIR Automatic Pet Feeder that brings it down to at least $39.99, which is the current record-low I saw at the time of writing thanks to a $10 coupon." — Leah Stodart, Senior Shopping Reporter
9. A cozy open-world game
"I'm currently jumping between Elden Ring, The Last of Us Part II, and Resident Evil Village, so while I technically don't need something new to play, I could also use a bit of a breather. (Maybe therapy, too.) Tchia is a breezy open-world indie game for PlayStation and PC that comes highly recommended by Mashable Tech and Games Reporter Alex Perry as a 'really fun little adventure with hardly any combat,' and I've been meaning to add it to my rotation for the winter. It's been hanging out at $19.49 in the PlayStation Store for a few weeks now, but I'm greedily hoping it gets at least $5 cheaper on Black Friday." — Haley Henschel, Senior Shopping Reporter
10. Some stress-saving Bluetooth trackers
"My partner loses his wallet, keys, phone (you name it) with such regularity that a Tile tracker is at the top of my shopping list this year. I know these always go on sale, but I'm waiting for Black Friday to snag a package deal at $50 or less when I know they will certainly be at their best pricing. In reality, this is truly a gift for me since I'm getting tired of tearing the house apart looking for lost items. A win-win!" — Nicole Cammorata, Executive Commerce Editor
Topics Black Friday
