Staff Picks: Best Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) Deals on Our Radar for 2021

Black Friday is an exciting time for deal lovers, but it’s also a huge task for busy folks who simply don’t have time to look through all of the deals that keep pouring in.

Luckily for you, the Slickdeals editorial team stares at deals all day every day – we’ve collected our favorites below.

Get to know the people who bring you your daily shopping news, and discover the best that this year’s Black Friday season has to offer.

Picks from Amy — Director of Content Marketing

• MacBook Air 13.3″ Laptop: M1 Chip, 2560×1600, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD (Gold) — Sale Price: $779.99 | Reg. Price: $999.99
  • If you’re like me and work from virtually everywhere these days, it’s nice to be able to toss your computer in a backpack and go. The ultra lightweight MacBook Air makes it easy as can be, with all the power and performance you’d expect from a MacBook. The Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU delivers incredible speed and all-day battery life. Grab this golden deal before it’s gone.
• Google Nest Learning Thermostat w/ Temperature Sensor — Sale Price: $179.99 | Reg. Price: $249.99
  • Costco knows a thing or two about a good deal! As someone who is either too hot or too cold, the Google Nest Thermostat is a must-have. The temperature sensor learns from your settings and programs itself. At $70 off regular price, throw this one in the Black Friday win column.
• KitchenAid Pro 5 Plus 5 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer — Sale Price: $220 | Reg. Price: $429.99
  • In the world of essential kitchen tools, it’s hard to find a better product than the KitchenAid Pro 5. It does everything you can imagine – and will even make you feel like a professional chef! You can mix up to 9 dozen cookies in a single batch. Need I say more?! At over $200 off regular price, there is no better time to grab this incredible deal. Don’t forget to set a Target deal alert for more finds like this one!

Picks from Louie — Sr. Editor, Tech

This Black Friday, I have my eye on video game deals. With the PS5/Series X celebrating their one-year launch anniversaries, both Sony and Microsoft have been extremely generous, offering discounts on everything but the absolute newest games. I recommend checking out both companies’ sales, as there’s definitely something to be found for everyone amongst the hundreds of sale pages.

On the brick-and-mortar front, we’re seeing lots of all-time-low prices on physical games (which usually tend to dip lower than digital during peak discount periods). I always recommend stocking up on Switch games during Black Friday, and this year is no exception.

Noteworthy Video Game Deals:

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Sale Price: $26.99 | Reg. Price: $59.99
  • This is the lowest I’ve ever seen the Breath of the Wild sold for, beating out the $30 sale price of Black Friday 2019. You can even save a couple more dollars by opting for a used copy, if you’re into that kind of thing.
• Resident Evil Village — Sale Price: $19.99 | Reg. Price: $59.99
  • This game came out in May 2021 and is actually pretty good, so the fact that it’s already $40 off MSRP feels almost criminal.
• Psychonauts 2 — Sale Price: $41.99 | Reg. Price: $59.99
  • This is maybe the only game I actually paid MSRP for in 2021, and now you can enjoy it at an all-time low price.

Picks from Kim — Sr. Editor, Seasonal & Lifestyle

• Victoria Beckham Double Breasted Wool & Cashmere Coat — Current Sale Price: $1,530.00 | Reg. Price: $2,530.00
  • Even though I live in LA, I want to invest in a camel-colored cashmere-blend winter coat that will always be in style for trips to the East Coast. I know over $800 is a lot for a coat, but I’d rather buy a high-quality coat I love and will wear for 10 years than buy 10 cheap coats each year that wear out faster and get tossed out (or donated).
    Slick Tip: I have my top designers and my size bookmarked at Nordstrom.com since they often drop prices on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so I can find the item I want fast and buy it for less than the current sale price.
• Apple Watch Series 6 — Sale Price $379.00 | Reg. Price $399.00
  • I have my eye on an Apple watch with a much larger face and hoping the price will drop even further on Black Friday or for Cyber Monday. The new Series 7 is also ideal for holding all of my music for running but I can still clearly read my time and pacing. (I can also trade in my current older Apple Watch in for a $70 credit if the price does not go on sale this weekend.)
• Waterproof High Definition Binoculars with Universal Phone Adapter — Sale Price $58.50 | Reg. Price $149.00
  • I just ordered these binoculars on sale for bird watching for my mom (they can connect to a smartphone to take photos). They are so nice and also waterproof that I’m getting a pair to keep for sailing and camping!

Picks from Brittany — Editor, Tech

Though I wrangle deals on Black Friday, I don’t often have time to shop for them. I’m too busy finding them to toss all the goodies in my cart. But this year, I’m all too happy to pick up a few things I don’t really need, but want. Because a little retail therapy is absolutely needed after another beast of a year. While I’d normally spend most of my money on games, I’ve already got everything I want this year (since I’m a collector), so I’ve chosen a few more…frivolous things.

• Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush — Sale Price: $34.88 | Reg. Price: $59.99
  • I’m really no good at styling my own hair, but I did just get a lot of hair chopped off. That means I need to blow dry properly to not have my ends flip up. So I thought this might help me in terms of saving time and streamlining the styling process.
• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones — Sale Price: $248 | Reg. Price: $349.99
  • I’m always looking for a great pair of headphones, and these were hard to pass up, considering they’re $100 off. They’re a favorite among audiophiles, and though I love my Samsung Galaxy Buds+ for most situations, I needed a reliable pair of over-the-ear headphones.
• Instant Pot Duo — Sale Price: $59 | Reg. Price: $119.99
  • I’ve given away two of my Instant Pots because I thought friends and family would use them more than I do. The third time’s the charm, I guess, and I’ll be trying again, especially at this price. It makes pasta like nobody’s business.

Picks from May — Content Manager

I’m usually not an avid Black Friday shopper, but the deals this year are too good to resist. This Black Friday, I am honing in on several items that have been on my radar for months now.

• De’Longhi Espresso Machine — Sale Price: $134.94 | Reg. Price: $159.95
  • I am not a coffee drinker, so you might be wondering why I need an espresso machine. Ever since I tried espresso-style milk tea at my favorite boba shop, I have been hooked. Best Buy has this De’Longhi espresso machine on sale that I’m looking forward to getting, and I know it will satisfy my espresso-style milk tea addiction. This product is simple and easy-to-use, which is perfect for espresso machine beginners like me.
• Fitbit Charge 5 —  Sale Price: $129.95 | Reg. Price: $179.95
  • Since working from home, I haven’t been as active as I used to, but getting a Fitbit is just what I need to help me stay focused on my fitness goals. I have a few friends with Fitbits as well, which means we can all compete for the best stats. Even better, this latest Fitbit Charge model is on sale across many of the major retailers, including Target, Walmart and Kohl’s. If you shop at Kohl’s regularly, you can earn $30 Kohl’s Cash on this Fitbit purchase.
• GreenPan Ceramic Nonstick 12″ Wok w/ Lid — Sale Price: $127.99 (after extra 20% off w/ code: SCORE) | Reg. Price: $159.99
  • This 12″ nonstick wok is just what I need in the kitchen. It’s wide and deep, which means it’s great for tossing stir fry noodles and cooking in large batches for meal prepping. GreenPan is known for its non-toxic coating, so I feel comfortable using this to cook for the family. Right now, Macy’s has an extra 20% off the item.
• Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Exfoliating Pads — Sale Price: $18.90 | Reg. Price: $27
  • Right now, Sokoglam is having a 30% off sale sitewide now through Black Friday, and it’s the perfect time for me to stock up on my skincare products. I love the Neogen exfoliating pads because it provides gentle exfoliation with noticeable improvements in skin texture (plus it smells amazing!). While I’m at it, I’m going to pick up this Plant Base Collagen Ampoule as well, which has been a staple of my routine for years now.

Stay up to date on all the best Black Friday deals here and check back frequently so you don’t miss a great discount. Additionally, set a Deal Alert for the items on your wish list and we’ll let you know as soon as a new offer is posted.

Up Next:

• The Best Deals from Costco’s Black Friday Ad
• Kohl’s Best Black Friday Deals
• Here are the DSLR and Mirrorless Camera Black Friday Deals You Need to Know About