Buy This, Not That: This is the No. 1 thing to buy on Black Friday if you want great deals

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Electronics are the thing to buy on Black Friday if you want great deals, says Michael Bonebright, consumer analyst with DealNews.com. Indeed, you’ll get excellent deals — sometimes items will be at their lowest prices of the year — on some electronics including select smart home devices, TVs, gaming consoles and small appliances, says Kristin McGrath, shopping expert and editor at BlackFriday.com. Adds Bonebright: “There are fantastic bundles as well.” (One of them — as highlighted in Offers.com’s list of best deals — is this Ring Video Doorbell 2, which comes with a free Echo Show 5, for $139.00 — that’s 52% off.)

Of course, there will also be plenty of electronics of so-so quality that you shouldn’t buy just because they’re cheap, and plenty that you’ll be able to find for a lower price at another time of the year. (And Lauren Greutman, a savings expert at deal site Flipp, notes that you should skip the latest iPhone and iPads altogether during Black Friday.) So MarketWatch asked deal experts to identify which electronics were particularly good deals this Black Friday week. Here’s what we uncovered.

Smart home devices

“Smart home is a huge category [to find deals] for Black Friday,” says Bonebright — which includes everything from voice-activated speakers to video doorbells and more. “Amazon goes hard on Black Friday particularly on their own devices, says Angela Moscaritolo, editor at PCMag. That means you’ll see some of the lowest prices of the year (typically matched only by Prime Day) on smart home items like:

Amazon

The Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote is just $24.99 ($25 off)

This powerful device is one of PCMag’s Editors’ Choice picks for budget media streamers. This voice-controlled Fire TV stick lets you watch streaming content and websites on your TV; and control the volume, power and mute functions. “Fire TV Stick devices have more storage for apps and games than any other streaming media stick,” Amazon notes. Don’t have a 4K TV? You can also get the Fire TV stick for $19.99.

Amazon

The Echo Dot for $22 on Amazon (that’s $27.99 off regular price) or a 3-pack for under $65

The Echo Dot is a compact, voice-activated speaker that can play music, answer questions, read the news, check the weather, set alarms, turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more. This deal will be released this week, and you can watch for its release here.

Amazon

The Echo Show 5 for $49.99 and the brand-new Echo for $59.99 (both $40 off)

The voice-activated Echo Show has a 5.5” display that allows you to watch movies, TV and news, in addition to managing your calendar, getting weather and traffic updates, cooking along with recipes and more. This deal will be released this week, and you can watch for its release here.

Get the Ring Video Doorbell 2 + Echo Show 5 for $139.00
and the Ring Video Doorbell Pro + Echo Show 5 for just $179.00.
This Wi-Fi-enabled doorbell monitors your home with high-definition video and infrared night vision. You can also talk to visitors through compatible Echo devices and see, hear and speak to visitors from your phone, tablet and PC. Read more here.

Not to be undone, Google is unleashing great deals on its voice-activated smart home speaker, the Google Home. You’ll find:

Google

The Google Home for $49 at Target — that’s the lowest price of the year, says McGrath

“The Google Home accurately answers almost any question you can think to ask it. It’s loaded with cool features that allow it to make calls, control your smart home, help out in the kitchen and more. It even sounds pretty good when playing music and can control your TV,” CNET writes of this voice-activated speaker.

Google Home Mini for $19 at Walmart — also the lowest price of the year, says McGrath. “The Mini sounds surprisingly good for its size and features a colorful design that can blend into your home’s decor, CNET writes, but adds that it “doesn’t do enough to supplant the [Echo] Dot at the top of the list.”

Televisions

“If you want to buy a new TV, you’ll find some of the best deals of the year on TVs during Black Friday,” says Moscaritolo. Adds McGrath: “You’ll get more screen for fewer dollars.” Indeed, you can expect $100 to $300 off on 4K sets, and some discounts of $500 or more on certain larger-screen models over 60 inches, McGrath says.

Amazon

One of Offers.com’s top picks for TVs this Black Friday week is the 32-inch Insignia HD Smart LED TV — Fire Edition for $99 on Amazon, down from $170. This is just one of the many TV deals you can score this Black Friday. MarketWatch highlighted 9 TV deals you won’t want to miss here.

Gaming consoles

McGrath says we are seeing big deals on gaming consoles like the PlayStation 4, XBox One and XBox One X for Black Friday. “Video game bundles are an especially great buy,” says Greutman. Those bundles might include a console, game and even gift cards, McGrath adds. Here are some of the best deals.

BestBuy

Xbox One X for $350 at Best Buy (bundled with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Deluxe Edition),Walmart (bundled with Gears 5), and Target (also with a Gears 5 bundle). That’s $150 off.

Nintendo Switch with Mario Kart Bundle for $299 at Walmart

PlayStation 4 Pro with $25 gift coupon for $299 at GameStop. That’s $100 off.

Small appliances

You’ll find 40% off some appliances at major retailers, says McGrath, who adds that you should “look out for gift cards when you buy multiple appliances, free installation and other perks.” Moscaritolo adds that robotic vacuums are a big deal category as well. Here are a few of the best deals.

The iRobot Roomba 675 is $199.99 and the iRobot Roomba 960 at $399.00 on Amazon.

You can control these robot vacuums with Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands or an app on your phone from anywhere. They come equipped with smart sensors to pick up debris from all over your floor and allow you to schedule cleaning times. The iRobot Roomba 960 has even more power, so you’ll see improved pickup. Watch for this deal to hit Amazon here.

Instant Pot 6-quart duo 7-in-1 for $49 at Walmart. You’ll save $30 on this perennial holiday favorite. You can watch for this deal to go live here.

Dyson Slim Ball Animal Origin Vacuum for $199.99 at Target.

Dyson is known for its high quality vacuums, and this one — which is getting a $150 price cut here — automatically adjusts between all floor types to better clean your floors. You can watch for this deal here.