The holiday shopping season is just around the corner, and you may already be looking to find the best deals on gifts and gadgets that won’t empty your wallet. If you want to stick to a strict budget this year, don’t worry — you can find some very useful tech products and other gadgets for under $25 that make great gifts, even before the Black Friday shopping weekend begins later this month.
Also: Black Friday 2024: Everything you need to know
We scoured retailers across the internet to find the best early Black Friday deals under $25 so you can start saving on your shopping list early.
Our favorite early Black Friday deals under $25
- TP-Link Wi-Fi Extender: $15 (save $20 at Amazon): Extend the range of your Wi-Fi by up to 1,200 square feet and connect up to 30 devices.
- Renpho Smart Scale : $20 (save $15 at Amazon): Connect this smart scale with popular health and fitness apps like Samsung Health, MyFitnessPal, Fitbit, and Apple Health to track your body fat percentage, muscle mass, visceral fat, water weight, metabolic age, and more.
- Apple AirTag: $24 (save $5 at Amazon): The popular item tracker can be placed in a wallet, backpack, or car to give you peace of mind It’s also listed as our top pick for the best Bluetooth tracker.
- Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds: $20 (save $20 at Amazon): These earbuds have 22 EQ presets and last up to 10 hours on a single charge.
- Roku LE Streaming Player: $20 (save $5 at Walmart): Roku LE lets you stream free, live, and premium TV, as well as connect to your subscribed apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and others.
- USX TV Wall Mount: $23 (save $17 at Walmart): This wall mount fits TV sizes 23-55 inches and can move in full motion to find the perfect angle for your TV.
- Norton 360 Deluxe Antivirus Software: $23 (save $67 at Best Buy): This one-year subscription provides internet security and dark web monitoring for up to five devices.
- Current price: $15
- Original price: $35
For 58% off, this TP-Link extender is dual-band and offers up to 44% more bandwidth than a single-band extender, according to the company. It can handle connections from up to 30 devices. It’s also easy to set up and includes a smart indicator light to help you install it in the optimal place in your home, such as the basement which never gets as good of a connection.
- Current price: $20
- Original price: $35
Pair this smart scale with fitness apps like Samsung Health, Fitbit, Apple Health, and more to easily keep track of your progress. Aside from your weight, it analyzes key body composition areas such as body fat, muscle mass, bone mass, body water, etc.
- Current price: $25
- Original price: $29
While not listed as a huge discount, the Apple AirTag is still the best Bluetooth tracker if you’re an Apple user. Since it uses the Find My network, this coin-sized tracker can find anything it’s attached to, including keys, wallets, and bags.
Also: Apple AirTag review
Even if you lose something in your home, your phone can direct you to the AirTag’s exact location.
- Current price: $20
- Original price: $40
Along with more than 20 EQ customizations, these earbuds have two built-in mics and an AI algorithm that work together to pick up your voice so you never have to shout during a call.
Note that this deal only applies to the blue, white, black earbuds.
Best early Black Friday smart home deals under $25
- Electric Kettle: $20 (save $20 at Walmart): This kettle has four one-touch preset programs for different teas, such as green, white, or oolong. You can boil up to seven cups in seven minutes.
- Amazon Echo Pop: $18 (save $22 at Best Buy): This Alexa-compatible smart home device can control your music, your smart home devices, set timers, answer questions, and so much more.
- Roku Smart Home Indoor Camera: $20 (save $7 at Walmart): This 1080p HD camera shows full color, even at night, through the Roku app. You can even set specific motion detection zones inside your home.
Best early Black Friday office deals under $25
- Rocketbook Core Smart Notebook: $24 (save $13 at Amazon): As one of ZDNET’s top picks for the best digital notebook, this allows you to digitize your notes easily for under $25.
- Insten RGB LED Mouse Pad: $20 (save $11 at Target): This gaming mouse pad has LED backlight of eight static colors and three dynamic settings to set the ambiance while you’re gaming.
- Logitech M535 Bluetooth Wireless Mouse: $25 (save $8 at Target): Use this mouse with laptops or tablets as well as Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, or Android systems.
- Laptop Lap Desk: $25 (save $15 at Walmart): Work comfortably while at home with this lap desk that can adjust viewing angles and has a built-in cup holder for your coffee.
- HP Tri-Color Ink Cartridge: $17 (save $36 at Walmart): This ink cartridge yields up to 100 pages in color and is compatible with most HP printers for your home office.
FAQs
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday always occurs the day after Thanksgiving in the US. This year, it falls on Friday, Nov. 29. However, you can expect deals the week leading up to the day, as well as all weekend long.
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is the Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday and only applies to online deals. This year, it falls on Monday, Dec. 2.
Are deals really better on Black Friday?
For some big-name brands, Black Friday is the only time specific devices go on sale all year. It’s also the time of year that you’ll see the biggest discounts on bigger devices such as phones, laptops, TVs, tablets, etc. So yes, it’s definitely a better time to snag a deal than other sales events.
What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
The main difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday historically is that Black Friday deals can be found both in-store and online, while Cyber Monday deals are almost exclusively online that Monday. However, in recent years, more deals are found online both days.
How did we choose these Black Friday deals?
ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops.
We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.
Where can you shop the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals?
All major retailers should have sales and discounts leading up to and during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Expect deals from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, B&H Photo, and more. If you prefer to shop in person, there will be plenty of in-store deals as well, but we’ve also found that some of the best deals are exclusive to online.