I’ve been refreshing shopping tabs since Tuesday like some kind of caffeine-fueled maniac, and I’m here to tell you – Black Friday 2025 isn’t waiting until Friday. The deals are already live, they’re kind of insane, and honestly, some of them caught me completely off guard.

We’re talking genuine price drops that actually matter. Not the usual “we raised the price last week and now it’s on sale” garbage that makes you want to throw your laptop across the room. I spent the last 48 hours hunting through the noise, comparing historical prices, and yeah, getting way too excited about discounts on things I didn’t know I needed.

Here’s what’s actually worth your time right now.

The Tech Deals That Made Me Do a Double-Take

Look, I’ve seen a lot of Black Friday hype in my years covering this stuff. Most of it is just that – hype. But some of these tech deals? They’re the real thing.

Apple Finally Joined the Party (Sort Of)

Apple doesn’t do big discounts. It’s kind of their whole thing, you know? They’re like that friend who never apologizes because they’ve convinced themselves they’re always right. But this year, we’re seeing some movement that’s actually noteworthy.

The AirPods Pro 2 are down to around $154 at several retailers – that’s roughly 38% off the usual price. I checked the price history on these going back 18 months, and this matches the lowest we’ve ever seen them. Are they perfect? No. But for noise cancellation that actually works on your commute without making you feel like you’re underwater, they’re pretty solid.

Here’s where it gets interesting though. The M2 MacBook Air is sitting at about $749 for the base model at certain stores. Now, you might think “but wait, isn’t the M3 out?” And yeah, it is. But here’s the thing – for most people doing normal human tasks like browsing, streaming, and pretending to work on their novel, the M2 is more than enough. The performance difference in real-world use? You probably won’t notice it unless you’re rendering 4K video or something equally intense.

The Gaming Deals You’ll Actually Use

PlayStation 5 bundles are everywhere right now, and some of them are actually thoughtful instead of just jamming random games together. We’re seeing the slim model bundled with Spider-Man 2 for around $424. That’s basically getting the game for free if you were planning to buy the console anyway.

But the surprise winner? Nintendo Switch games are finally seeing decent discounts. Nintendo is notoriously stingy with sales – their games hold value like vintage wine or beanie babies (okay, bad example, but you get it). Seeing first-party titles like Tears of the Kingdom drop 30% is honestly kind of shocking.

• Meta Quest 3: Down to $429 with a $75 gift card thrown in at some retailers – that’s a sneaky way to make the deal sweeter
• Steam Deck: Base model hitting $296, which is wild considering how much people were paying scalpers for these not that long ago
• Gaming monitors: The 144Hz models that were living in the $300+ range are now flirting with $199

Home Stuff That’ll Actually Make Your Life Better

I’m generally skeptical of home gadgets. Most of them end up collecting dust next to your bread maker and that juicer you used twice. But some of this year’s deals are on things that actually earn their counter space.

Dyson’s Finally Being Reasonable

Dyson products are expensive. Like, sometimes offensively expensive. But their V15 cordless vacuum is down to about $529 from the usual $749, and okay, I get it now. After testing one for a few weeks (because apparently that’s my life now), the laser that shows you exactly how disgusting your “clean” floor actually is? It’s equal parts helpful and horrifying.

The Airwrap is also seeing cuts of around $100. Is it still expensive? Absolutely. But if you’ve been eyeing one since they launched and you actually use heat styling tools regularly, this is probably your moment.

Robot Vacuums That Don’t Suck (In the Bad Way)

The iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ is sitting at roughly $399, down from $699. This one empties itself and switches between vacuuming and mopping, which sounds gimmicky until you realize you haven’t manually vacuumed in three weeks and your floors still look fine. It’s kind of life-changing in the most mundane way possible.

“The best smart home device is the one you forget you own because it just works in the background.”

Ninja kitchen gadgets are also seeing massive cuts. Their air fryer ovens – the ones that basically replace your actual oven for everything except Thanksgiving turkey – are down 40% or more. I’ve become that person who won’t shut up about air fryers, and I’m not even sorry about it.

The Random Category Winners Nobody Saw Coming

Every Black Friday has its weird standouts. This year? LEGO and smart home gear are going absolutely nuts with discounts.

LEGO Sets for Adults Who Refuse to Grow Up

The big adult LEGO sets – we’re talking the massive Star Wars builds, the architectural series, the ones that take up entire weekends – are seeing 30-40% cuts. The Millennium Falcon set that normally makes your credit card weep is down to around $639 from $849. Still not cheap, but if you’ve been waiting for a price drop on these collector sets, this is basically as good as it gets.

The botanical collection sets are also heavily discounted. These are perfect for people who want plants but, you know, lack the ability to keep living things alive (no judgment, I killed a cactus once).

Amazon’s Eating Its Own Discount Lunch

Amazon devices are always heavily discounted during Black Friday – it’s basically their loss leader strategy. But this year they’re being particularly aggressive. The Echo Show 8 is under $60, which is kind of ridiculous. Fire TV sticks are hitting prices that make them cheaper than lunch.

The surprising thing? Their Ring doorbells and security cameras are seeing deeper cuts than usual. The Video Doorbell Pro is down to about $109 from $229. Is Amazon listening to everything you say? Probably. But at least you’ll know when your packages arrive before the porch pirates do.

• Kindle Paperwhite: The signature edition with wireless charging is around $134 instead of $189
• Fire tablets: The kids’ versions with the indestructible cases are basically half off
• Blink cameras: Multi-camera bundles that’ll make your house look like a surveillance state for under $150

What’s Not Worth It (Yeah, I’m Going There)

Not everything in the Black Friday circus is actually a deal. Some things are just dressed up to look like one.

The TV Trap

Those doorbusters on 65-inch TVs for $299? They’re cheap for a reason. Budget brands you’ve never heard of, with panel quality that’ll have you squinting at dark scenes and wondering if your eyesight is failing. If you actually care about picture quality – and you should, you’re going to stare at this thing for years – aim for the mid-tier models from Samsung, LG, or Sony that are seeing 20-30% cuts. Those are the sweet spot.

Outdated Tech in Shiny Wrapping

Some retailers are clearing out old inventory and calling it a Black Friday special. That laptop with a 10th gen Intel processor on massive discount? There’s a reason it’s cheap. You’ll be frustrated with it in six months when it’s chugging along trying to handle basic multitasking.

Same goes for phones that are two or three generations old. Sure, the iPhone 12 might seem like a steal, but you’re buying tech that’s already showing its age. If you’re going to invest in something you use every single day, it’s worth stretching for current or last-gen models.

The Actually Practical Shopping Strategy

Here’s what I’ve learned after doing this for way too many years: have a list, know your actual prices, and don’t get caught up in the FOMO tornado.

Price tracking tools are your friend. CamelCamelCamel for Amazon, Keepa, even just checking Google Shopping history. That “70% off” sticker doesn’t mean much if they inflated the original price last month. I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count.

Also, and this might sound obvious, but only buy things you were already planning to buy. I know that’s rich coming from someone who just spent three paragraphs convincing you that you need a $529 vacuum, but seriously. The best deal is still the one you don’t make on stuff you don’t need.

The deals are running through Cyber Monday at minimum, and honestly, some retailers are extending things well into December now. You don’t have to decide in the next six minutes even if the countdown timer says you do (those reset anyway, trust me).

One more thing – if you’re shopping for gifts, factor in return policies. Not every amazing deal comes with flexible returns, and nothing kills the joy of a discount like being stuck with something that doesn’t work out. Read the fine print. It’s boring, but future you will appreciate it.

So yeah, Black Friday 2025 is already in full swing, the deals are actually real this year (mostly), and if you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on certain tech or home purchases, this is probably your window. Just maybe close the tabs for the stuff you absolutely don’t need. Or don’t. I’m not your mom.