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Black Friday 2023 is almost here, but most retailers simply couldn't wait and have pushed their deals live already. Not that we're complaining, as we do like to get our Black Friday deals covered nice and early - that Thanksgiving dinner isn't going to demolish itself after all. We will, of course, be here throughout the long weekend digging out the best deals for you.
Read more: Amazon Black Friday deals | Walmart Black Friday deals
Our team of expert deal hunters and product testers have decades of collective experience covering Black Friday deals, so you can trust us to sort through the chaff and pick out the genuinely great discounts you won't want to miss.
Black Friday deals you can buy now
We're looking out for top Black Friday deals on tech, gadgets, clothing, beauty supplies, pets, home goods, kitchen appliances, streaming hardware, toys, and much more. For now, though, take a look below at some of the best Black Friday deals live today at retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, and more.
TV deals
Home and kitchen deals
Laptop deals
Fashion deals
Tech deals
- Note: Verizon does you no favors with the tricky checkout process needed to take full advantage of the offer above. Be sure to read the guide we put together for you in our story highlighting this awesome Black Friday Verizon deal.
Mattress deals
Gaming deals
Toy deals
Headphone deals
Are there any more early Black Friday deals?
Mattress sales are starting to ramp up now, so if you want to see a longer list that we're updating regularly, head over to our Black Friday mattress deals page.
Looking to kit out your home beyond the bedroom? Keep an eye on our new Black Friday furniture deals guide as we're seeing new sales roll in already. We're also tracking all of the best Black Friday kitchen appliance deals if you're in the market for a new fridge or cooktop.
We've seen some really strong early discounts on tech as well, including great Black Friday TV deals, Black Friday laptop deals, and Black Friday gaming deals. So if you've been looking to upgrade your home entertainment setup sooner rather than later, there's certainly plenty of opportunities to get big discounts.
If you'd prefer to check out some wider selections, from major stores, we've got you covered with some early roundups of the best Amazon Black Friday deals and Walmart Black Friday deals.
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday 2023 lands on November 24, the Friday after Thanksgiving. Many retailers have already started their Black Friday sales early, but you can expect new deals to roll out throughout the Thanksgiving weekend, leading into Cyber Monday on November 27.
Is Black Friday or Cyber Monday better?
Generally speaking, Cyber Monday tends to have better deals on clothing, smaller giftable items, home goods, and older models of tech products, while Black Friday tends to be the best time to make larger purchases like appliances and pricier or newer tech products for your household.
"Black Friday equals big-ticket items," says Steve Koenig, the vice president of research at the Consumer Technology Association. "With big deals on TVs, laptops, game consoles, and more during Black Friday week, many [people's] purchases end up being for themselves or their own households."
However, the lines between these two deal days are starting to blur, with discounts often beginning days or weeks before Black Friday and running through or beyond Cyber Monday at the same rate. The difference in discounts is also becoming negligible. You may only save a few dollars by choosing one day over the other.
If you're curious to learn more, our former deals editor spoke with several experts to break down the difference between Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday.
Which retailers have sales for Black Friday?
Nearly every online retailer has a Black Friday sale, and big-box stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy host in-store Black Friday sales as well. Amazon is also running a major Black Friday sale online, and smaller retailers and direct-to-consumer brands like Brooklinen, Casper, and Lululemon are hosting big sales, too.
What should you buy during Black Friday?
What you should buy depends mainly on what you either need or want to buy. The difference in discounts from deal holiday to deal holiday is so slim that it's rarely worth waiting for the next one.
The one exception is TVs when the absolute lowest price on most models is often just before the Super Bowl. But smart TVs are still a great buy during Black Friday, especially if you need one right now. This would be the time to ask yourself if it's really worth spending the holiday season without an upgraded TV to save another $50.
Other discounts for Black Friday span every category, from clothing and toys to popular tech products from brands like Apple, LG, and Samsung. For larger purchases like mattresses, we think Black Friday is actually a better time than Memorial Day to make a purchase. When comparing historical discounts, we saw lower prices and better deal bundles during Black Friday.
Can you shop Black Friday deals online?
Yes, Black Friday deals are available online. Still, there will likely be in-store exclusive deals (historically called "doorbusters") from big-box retailers to incentivize visits to brick-and-mortar locations. These are less of a thing each year, though, and in reality, we see most of the best deals are online. So why bother with the chaotic crowds, who, more often than not, end up fighting over what turns out to be a really poor-quality TV? No thanks.
What deals were popular last year during Black Friday?
Apple products like Airpods and Apple Watches had massive discounts, and we saw a huge selection of TV deals across all budgets. The LG C2 in multiple sizes was the runaway winner, though, as it was generally seen as the best OLED out there, especially for gamers. Verizon had a fantastic offer with a free iPad and Apple Watch for new signups on unlimited plans, too.
Streaming services like Disney Plus and Hulu had significant discounts, the best of the year actually. We expect similar offers to happen this year, so if you're not already subscribed, hold off for now or maybe even cancel if you're paying monthly; that way, you'll probably be eligible for the new deal when it comes.
Oral-B electric toothbrushes hit year-low prices, likewise for many home products like robot vacuums, air fryers, and various top mattresses.
Deal predictions for Black Friday 2023
The usual suspects we mentioned earlier from last year will inevitably return. We're really hoping that the PS5 and Xbox Series X will get some proper Black Friday deals for the first time, too, given they're now much easier to find. We're already seeing deals on the PS5 Slim with Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duty, so it's possible we'll see even more promotions like that.
The LG C3 and maybe even the G3 will likely get their best-ever prices and go head-to-head with some great deals on Samsung TVs, too. Standing desks are on the rise (sorry), and this will be an excellent time to get one if you've been thinking about it for a while.
All the big fashion brands will be getting involved, and we'll list the best sales closer to the time in this article, likewise, with beauty products. So, if you've had your eye on a Dyson Airwrap or a Supersonic hairdryer, the lowest prices should be just around the corner.
Why is it called "Black Friday"?
The term "Black Friday" originated on September 24, 1869, after two investors caused a stock market crash by driving up the price of gold. Along with a 20% drop in the stock market that day, farmers also experienced a 50% drop off in harvest value for both corn and wheat.
The term returned nearly a century later in the 1950s. Police officers used the phrase "Black Friday" in reference to the Friday between Thanksgiving and the annual Army-Navy college football game. People would use this day to travel into town to shop, forcing local police forces to work longer hours to manage the influx of traffic and shoppers.
Eventually, businesses began to adopt the term, though they originally tried to coin it as "Big Friday." The new name never stuck, and by the 1980s, "Black Friday" became the go-to phrase associated with the massive shopping day.
Another reason, and the one that fits the most, is that this is such a big day in retail. Traditionally, it's when a lot of their finances for the year move into the black from the red.