For nearly 60 years, American shoppers have known the day after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday.” This is the day when many people head to stores in the wee hours of the morning to kick off the Christmas shopping season. Since 2005, the following Monday has also been known as Cyber Monday which is when online retailers observe their own massive shopping kickoff.

These days are traditionally paired with sales that entice customers to leave the comfort of their post-Thanksgiving homes and brave malls and retailers for the best deals of the year. These observances are so popular that even countries that don’t celebrate Thanksgiving get in on the sales. This year, things will look a bit different as shoppers will need to wear masks and do their best to remain socially distant while shopping. The pandemic also may push more shoppers to participate in online sales only.

Black Friday (November 27) and Cyber Monday (November 30) mean big bucks for many shops. To maximize shopping time, many open to “celebrate” as early as the evening of Thanksgiving – though several large retailers have already announced they will not be doing so this year due to COVID-19. Average spending during this weekend is in the US$50 billion range these days, and retailers hope to move their profit margins from “in the red” to “in the black” during this time.

In the past decade, this shopping period has emerged as the perfect time to get items you’ve been eyeing throughout the year at a discounted rate. For those that love technology, this is a great opportunity to save on pricey items that may not have been in your budget before. Here is a roundup of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday tech deals to be on the lookout for soon.

Home technology

Home accessories these days are generally making your in-home experience easier, better and safer – and they are smarter than ever with lots of built-in tech. Here are some of the best home tech items to grab on sale during the holidays.

• Instant Pot – This popular pressure cooker with many timed, temperature and power settings is on sale early at some retailers including Walmart for US$79.
• Security – For technology that makes you feel safe, security cameras are a top choice. The Blink Mini security camera is now US$24.99 at Amazon. Another great security innovation is the Ring Video Doorbell on sale for US$118 at Amazon.
• Robot Vacuums – The iRobot Roomba helps your floors clean effortlessly, and right now it’s on sale for US$177 at Walmart.
• Coffee Maker – If a personal coffee maker is something you’ve been eyeing, then keep the Keurig in mind. It’s on sale at Walmart for US$79 and at Best Buy for US$69.

TVs and accessories

• TVs – This is the perfect time to buy a TV, and each of the retailers listed below has several deals already available. With upcoming sale days, there are sure to be even better deals on television sets. 
  • Walmart – Right now, the Sceptre 50-inch 4K UHD LED TV is on sale for US$199. 
  • Amazon – For a TV with built-in smart capabilities, the Toshiba 32-inch Fire TV is currently on sale for US$129.
  • Best Buy – To get a larger, brand-name 4K TV for under US$350, the LG 55-inch 4K at Best Buy is a great deal for just US$349.
• Accessories – Enhance your home viewing experience with the many streaming and other accessories available on the market and on sale during the holidays.
  • Fire Stick – Add smart tech to your TV with an Amazon Fire Stick on sale for US$29.99 at Best Buy. This small device turns your TV into a smart TV with a built-in dashboard of streaming apps, games and other features. 
  • Roku – Another smart TV option is a Roku streaming media player, on sale now for US$48 now at Walmart.

Video games and systems

Whether you are buying for yourself or as a gift, holiday sales mean the best time of the year to beef up gaming systems and accessories.

• Gaming Laptop – There are several gaming laptops on sale at Dell, Walmart and Amazon ranging from US$199-1099, depending on what you’re looking for.
• Gaming Systems – This year the Nintendo Switch took the world by storm. Right now it’s on sale at both Amazon and Best Buy for just US$299.
• Games – Amazon has several popular games on sale for up to 55% off like “The Witcher 3” for US$27.

Laptops

What was once a novelty computing item is now a household necessity, and you can get laptops at majorly reduced prices in the coming weeks. Here’s a sample of deals at popular retailers.

• Walmart – The HP Pavilion gaming laptop is now US$449 at Walmart.
• Dell – A new Dell Inspiron is currently US$399 at Dell.
• Amazon – Right now the Apple MacBook Air is US$70 off at Amazon – currently US$929.
• Best Buy – The Lenovo Yoga C940 is nearly US$400 off at Best Buy for US$869.

Whether you can take the hullabaloo of heading to stores in person, or you prefer to shop from your couch to score cyber deals, this month (especially the weekend after Thanksgiving) is the ideal time to score deals on tech. This is just a shortlist – you can get even more savings on kitchen accessories, tablets, headphones and more. Lighten the load on your wallet and take advantage of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday tech deals if you’re in need of some of these high-tech upgrades.

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