Are Black Friday deals real? What the numbers say
Some categories really do drop. Many 'deals' don't. Here's what past Black Fridays brought, and the lists worth shopping.
Black Friday: November 27, 2026. Cyber Monday: November 30, 2026. Updated November 5, 2026
Past Black Fridays in numbers
31%
19%
+1,850%
83%
What really dropped, category by category
Headphones
Usually real
Electronics saw the deepest cuts of any category in 2025, and headphones sell like nothing else that week. Big names are the ones to watch.
See the listEarbuds and AirPods
Smaller drops
In Germany, idealo found AirPods Pro 2 only a little cheaper on Black Friday 2024 than in October. Cheaper pairs are a safer bet.
See the listCordless vacuums
Real, not unique
Appliances peaked at 19% off in 2025. But Which? found a Dyson V11 at its Black Friday price on 70 other days at one shop.
See the listTVs
Among the biggest
TVs peaked at 22% off on Cyber Monday 2025, Adobe reported. They kept falling after: one UK TV was cheaper on 134 days in the next six months.
Black Friday shopping lists
Black Friday headphones: the five worth buying
Pick the need that sounds like you, then check today's price.
See the list
Black Friday earbuds: six pairs worth buying
Start with your phone, then your commute. Every pair here earns its place.
See the list
Black Friday cordless vacuums: Dyson V15 and four smarter buys
Your floors and your home's size decide which stick is right.
See the listWill it drop? Our product forecasts
Black Friday 2026 headphone forecast: who drops, who doesn't
What each pair really did last Black Friday, and what we expect this year.
Will the Echo Show 11 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Echo Show 5 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Apple Watch SE 3 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Beats Pill drop again this Black Friday?
Likely a big drop
Will the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Blueair Blue Signature drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar be cheaper on Black Friday?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) be cheaper on Black Friday?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Breville Barista Express drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Breville Barista Touch Impress drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the De'Longhi Magnifica Evo drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the De'Longhi Rivelia drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Dreame L40 Ultra drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Dreame X50 Ultra drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Dyson Airstrait drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Dyson HP2 De-NOx drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Dyson Supersonic Nural drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Garmin fēnix 8 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Garmin Forerunner 165 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Garmin Forerunner 265 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Garmin Forerunner 570 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Garmin Forerunner 965 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Garmin Forerunner 970 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Garmin Instinct 3 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Garmin Venu 4 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Garmin vívoactive 6 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Google Pixel Watch 4 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Instant Pot Duo Plus drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Instant Pot Pro drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the JBL Charge 6 be cheaper on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the JBL Flip 7 get cheaper on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Levoit Core 400S-P drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the LG C5 OLED drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the LG G5 OLED drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Marshall Acton III be cheaper on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Ninja Combi drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a small drop
Will the Ninja CREAMi Scoop & Swirl drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Ninja Crispi drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Ninja DoubleStack XL drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Ninja SLUSHi drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Oral-B iO Series 9 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the PS5 Pro drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the PS5 Slim drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Roborock Q7 M5+ drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Roborock Qrevo Curv drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Galaxy Watch8 Classic drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Samsung S95F drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a big drop
Will the Sonos Arc Ultra drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Sonos Era 100 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Sonos Era 300 be cheaper this Black Friday?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Sonos Move 2 be on sale this Black Friday?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Sonos Roam 2 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
Will the Sony WH-1000XM6 drop on Black Friday 2026?
Likely a moderate drop
How to spot a real deal
01
Check the month before
A real deal beats the price from the weeks before, not the crossed-out one. Look at a price history before you buy.
02
Watch the whole week
Adobe saw the deepest electronics discounts on Cyber Monday, not Black Friday. Prices move all week.
03
Check the model year
Older models get the biggest cuts. Make sure the name matches the model you wanted.
04
Ignore list prices
A saving against a list price nobody charged is not a saving. Compare with what shops really asked.
Questions people ask
Are Black Friday deals actually real?
Some are. Adobe found electronics at their deepest discounts on Cyber Monday 2025. But a UK study by Which? found most Black Friday 2024 deals at the same price or lower at another point in the year.
Is Cyber Monday better than Black Friday for electronics?
In 2025, Adobe reported the peak electronics discount on Cyber Monday, off the listed price. Watching both days, and the days between, gives you the best chance.
What should I buy on Black Friday?
Categories with real past drops, like headphones and TVs, are the safest. Pick the model first, then check whether the offer beats its price from the weeks before.
How we reached this
Figures come from published price studies, named next to each number. None use Amazon data. We add no prices of our own.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Adobe: Cyber Monday 2025 online spending and discounts, Which?: Most Black Friday deals the same price or cheaper at other times (Nov 2025), t3n: idealo Black Friday price analysis 2025 (AirPods Pro 2).