Best Holiday Deals on Electronics

Thin, light, and powerful, the 2020 MacBook Air is a great machine, even though there’s a newer MacBook Air for shoppers to consider. The older model provides a compelling combination of performance and battery life. Instead of using an Intel chip, as all Apple computers had done since 2006, it’s powered by Apple’s own M1 processor. In our tests, the laptop performs with admirable speed, similar to devices powered by Intel Core i7 processors. The 2020 MacBook Air racks up an impressive 10.75 hours of web browsing per charge in CR’s testing, too.

Use the on-page coupon to get the full savings at Amazon.

Lenovo makes a range of laptops, and this 15-inch IdeaPad offers good value for the money. It has an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of solid-state storage. We rated a similar model (ours had a more powerful Ryzen 7 processor) and found it to be a solid overall performer. One tip: The model ships with Windows 11 in S Mode, which is a simplified version of Windows that only lets you download apps from the Microsoft app store. To get the most out of the laptop, you can upgrade to regular Windows 11 free (via the Settings app).

MSI is best known for its PC gaming products, from laptops like this one to accessories like motherboards and graphics cards. For the price, this 15-inch model makes a nice first gaming laptop for someone on your wish list. It has an Intel Core i5 processor, 512GB of solid-state storage, 16GB of memory, and an Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card. Those are somewhat modest specs for a gaming laptop (we tested a model with a Core i7), but they’ll let you run popular modern titles like Fortnite, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Apex Legends without a problem. And at this price, it’s hard to complain.

If the iPad Mini is a touch too small, consider the iPad Air, now on sale for $50 off. It has a 10.9-inch display, which makes content such as videos and magazines a little easier to consume. It lacks some of the bells and whistles found on the higher-end iPad Pro, such as a faster refresh rate display, but it’s a good choice for those who want something a little more powerful than a Mini or entry-level iPad.

This is back down the the same low price we saw for Cyber Monday, and it may not stick around long.

Apple’s entry-level iPad provides plenty of bang for your buck, especially when you consider the number of high-quality apps and services available for the iPad operating system. The model features a 10.9-inch display, 64GB of storage space, and a refreshed design that resembles that of the higher-end iPad Air, and it comes in a wide range of colors. The Amazon price applies only to the pink version and the Walmart price only to the blue and yellow options.

You might think of the Pixel Buds Pro as Google’s answer to Apple’s AirPods Pro. These noise-canceling in-ear headphones are designed to work best with the company’s Pixel phones and smartwatches and Google Assistant, although you can certainly use them with any phone. Our testers report that Pixel Buds sound a bit bassy but are otherwise satisfying. At this very nice holiday price, the Pixel Buds Pro are worth looking into.

These superb-sounding noise-canceling earbuds are a worthy successor to Sony’s popular WF-1000XM4 model. They’re smaller, lighter, and sleeker, and come packed with plenty of features, including variable noise cancellation, an ambient sound mode to actively pipe in audio from your surroundings, and Speak-to-Chat, which can automatically pause your music when you start talking. But most importantly, the sound quality of the XM5s is state-of-the-art for an earbud and the noise cancellation is top-notch.

These noise-canceling earbuds have been replaced by Sony’s new and slightly more stylish WF-1000XM5, but performance-wise they’re very similar, so don’t be afraid to save some extra money and go with a top-performing model that’s on its way out. The sound quality of the XM4s is among the best we’ve ever tested, and the noise cancellation is very effective.

Bose has been the go-to brand for noise-canceling headphones for years, and its impressive performance in our ratings bears out that reputation. The company’s flagship option, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, is a top-of-the-line product, with great audio quality, adjustable noise cancellation, and a slew of other features. Because Bose products aren’t frequently discounted, this is a solid deal on a high-performance product.

Amazon just chopped $15 off the price from earlier this week, so it’s an even better deal there now.

The Quiet Comfort Ultra is Bose’s new top-of-the-line noise-canceling headphone. And unfortunately, our testers say it doesn’t represent an improvement over its highly rated predecessor, the Noise Cancelling 700. The model doesn’t sound bad exactly, but it lacks the sonic clarity you’d expect from a high-priced headphone. Unless you’re dead set on owning the latest version, we strongly suggest finding the 700s while you still can. You’ll end up with much better headphones, and more than $100 in your pocket, which you can use to buy a nice pair of inexpensive noise-canceling earbuds.

At a deep discount, this over-ear wireless model from Monoprice is dirt cheap, given its decent noise-canceling performance and solid, if unspectacular, sound quality. The BT-300ANC features integrated controls for calls, volume, and playback, and the ear cups fold in and swivel flat for easy storage and transport.

The price has dropped $5 since last week to the lowest we’ve ever seen.

The Shure AONIC 40 is a solid performing noise-canceling headphone that offers much of the performance of the more expensive AONIC 50. It becomes a much more attractive buy with this steep discount. Our testers report that the 40s are good-sounding, with a lively personality but a bit of tubbiness in the bass. Users with large heads or large ears will want to try them on right away to make sure they fit right.

This 4K set from Insignia, Best Buy’s house brand, offers very good overall picture quality for a nice price, though its high dynamic range (HDR) is ineffective. The Insignia NS-43F301NA22 uses the Amazon Fire TV smart TV system, so it has the Alexa digital voice assistant built in.

The price is about $40 higher than during Cyber Monday, but it’s still the best deal out there right now for this set.

The Insignia NS-32F201NA23 is a 32-inch 720p set that uses the Fire TV smart system. It’s only a decent performer, so it’s not the best choice for most people’s main TV. But it could be an okay set if you’re looking for a low-cost smart TV that has Amazon Alexa built in, especially for a secondary room in your home.

The 43-inch Amazon B09N6LRBTR is a new Omni-series set that—unlike older, smaller Omni TVs—supports Dolby Vision HDR. This set does well in our tests, especially for 4K UHD picture quality, but like most of the Omni TVs we’ve tested, it lacks sufficient peak brightness to produce a compelling HDR experience. This model supports Amazon’s new “ambient” feature, which lets the TV display artwork and photos when you’re not watching TV programming.

The price has gone up $10 from last week.

People looking for a smaller set for use as a main TV should consider the 48-inch LG OLED48A2PUA, which offers top-notch overall picture quality and very good sound. It’s LG’s least expensive OLED series for 2022. The one drawback is that it doesn’t do as well as pricier LG sets for HDR performance.

This set was $50 cheaper last week.

The TCL 55S450G is a 55-inch Google TV that does well overall in our ratings, though its HDR performance is ineffective and its sound is only fair. It’s a very basic entry-level 4K set with built-in Google Assistant, thanks to the Google TV smart system.

The Vizio M55Q6-J01 is a 55-inch Vizio 4K smart TV that earned top marks for overall picture quality in our tests, though it’s HDR performance was very ineffective.

The price has dipped nearly $20 since last week.

CR didn’t test this 75-inch Omni QLED model, which sits above the regular Omni-series sets. One big difference is that it uses quantum dots to produce a wider range of colors, and it has a full-array LED backlight with local dimming. We’d expect it to have satisfying overall picture quality, though perhaps not great HDR. The TV supports Dolby Vision HDR.

The Roku Express 4K+ player replaces the Roku Premiere, and like that model it’s a small set-top box that offers 4K picture quality, plus support for both HDR10 and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats, though not Dolby Vision, which is found in some pricier models. Compared with the Premiere, it has a faster processor and dual-band WiFi, plus more storage, which the company says will help speed up channel start times.

Amazon’s stick-style streamer, which pops into your TV’s HDMI port, has once again been updated with a faster processor for quicker app starts. It comes with an Alexa remote, which has TV power and volume controls. Despite being limited to HD (1080p, not 4K) video, the Fire TV Stick supports the HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG HDR formats, as well as Dolby Atmos 3D audio. Like other Amazon Fire TV products, it’s a good choice for Amazon Prime subscribers looking to either add or beef up the streaming options on their TV.

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat has been around for a while, but it’s still one of the top models in our ratings, thanks to its impeccable automation skills. It offers a ton of smart features, including an occupancy sensor, geofencing, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. The thermostat is available for a new low price, beating out its sale price during last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday. One note: If your current thermostat lacks a C-wire, you might also need Google’s wiring adapter to complete the installation. It’s sold separately for $25 at Amazon, Google, and Walmart.

While it’s expensive, we find the Philips Hue smart bulb is hands-down the easiest smart lightbulb to work with and offers the most impressive performance in our home evaluation of the best smart bulbs. The bulb generates bright, vivid colors and displays a good range of color temperatures, plus it works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings when paired with a compatible smart speaker or hub. It can be used on its own via Bluetooth but requires the Philips Hue Bridge for Apple Home/Siri integration and additional functionality.

This is a great offer, especially if you’re just starting to build your smart bulb collection and need the hub.

Interested in a smart lock but don’t like hubs and dongles? The August WiFi Smart Lock is one of a growing number of smart locks that connect directly to WiFi, with no hub needed. It’s also a retrofit model, meaning it replaces only the interior side of your deadbolt, so you can keep your existing keys. It performs quite well in our tests, including those for ease of remote access and convenience. Features include auto-locking and unlocking, voice and app control (via Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings), access logs, electronic keys, and a door sensor. Amazon just took $13 off its already on-sale price.

The Apple Watch Series 8 might not be as new as the Series 9, but this model performed well in our labs, delivering the ease of use and functionality consumers have come to expect from Apple Watches. It features body temperature sensors for retrospective estimates of ovulation and a high-g-force sensor for car crash detection. It also has an ECG function designed to detect unusual heart rhythms.

The high-performing Edifier S1000MKII has always been a bargain, even at its full list price, and this discount makes the deal that much sweeter for those who love music. While the MKII lacks the multiroom capability of the newer S1000W, that’s not a dealbreaker. And that’s because the two speakers sound almost the same and that sound is truly admirable.

The Bose Revolve II is a good-sounding, easy-to-use, and very stylish portable wireless speaker. It’s not a stretch to call it a classic, and because Bose products don’t go on sale very often, this is a solid buy.

The Revolve+ II is the slightly larger sibling of the Revolve II. It can play a little louder and has just a bit more bass, but with most music, the two portable speakers sound quite similar, our testers say. We’d usually steer you to the Revolve II, but this discount reduces the price gap between the two models, so the Revolve+ II becomes the more attractive option. 

The JBL Pulse 4 has a transparent dome that covers an array of LED lights, so you can watch it as well as listen. You can adjust the model’s colors or make the LEDs pulse to the music to pump up a light show on Saturday night or tone it down to accent-lamp levels after the guests have gone home. The sound quality is more than adequate, with solid but slightly boomy bass, a clear midrange that doesn’t distort vocals, and enough volume to fill a midsized room. That said, you’re paying a lot for the Pulse 4’s visual effects, so you might consider buying the Flip 5 instead and having enough money left over for a nice lamp.

This is $20 more than last week, but still a good discount.

The Roam SL is the non-smart version of the Sonos Roam smart speaker, the smallest and most portable model in the manufacturer’s lineup. Like its sibling, the SL has that Sonos look and feel, but our testers report that you can get similar sound and overall performance in a cheaper speaker like the JBL Flip 5 . If you’ve already invested in a Sonos multiroom system, note that the Roam SL allows you to bring Bluetooth functionality to all your Sonos gear. And Sonos devices are rarely discounted, so you probably won’t find a better price on the Roam SL.

The Roam, the smallest and most portable model in Sonos’s lineup, has got that Sonos look and feel, but our testers say you can get similar sound and overall performance in cheaper speakers from other manufacturers. If you’ve already invested in a Sonos multiroom system, the model allows you to bring Bluetooth functionality to all your Sonos gear. And Sonos devices are rarely discounted, so you probably won’t find a better price than this one.

The Echo Show 8 offers a lot of device for the money. The voice-enabled touchscreen can be useful in a kitchen when you want to follow a recipe while your hands are messy. The sound quality does have flaws; our testers found the treble to be strident and heard echoes in the all-important midrange. The Show 8 also lacks the Zigbee smart home hub found on the latest-generation Echo.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is a 5.0.2-channel Dolby Atmos model with a lot of features and decent all-around sound. The main bar has a sleek, premium-looking enclosure, with a metal grille and upfiring drivers at the top of the unit. It comes in a choice of either a white or black color scheme, and you can add a wireless subwoofer and wireless rear surround speakers for a true surround-sound experience.

The sale price for this soundbar dropped a whopping $90 from last week’s price. This is the best price we’ve seen for this Bose model., though Amazon had this for $10 less earlier in the week.

We haven’t tested this 2.1-channel soundbar from JBL, which comes with a wireless subwoofer. It’s a relatively basic model that doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or DTS:X 3D audio, but it does have built-in Bluetooth and HDMI ARC input for a one-cable connection to your TV. (An HDMI cable is included.) However, this model was $20 cheaper earlier this week, so you might want to wait a bit to see if the price drops again.

This midpriced tank printer performs well, comes with a variety of useful features, and, according to our estimates, keeps your replacement ink costs at a very manageable $5 a year. The model features reservoirs that you refill with inexpensive bottles of ink. It offers scan and copy functions, an automatic document feeder, Ethernet and WiFi networking, and wireless printing with Apple AirPrint. Just note that the deal is available only through online purchase at Target and Walmart.

This is a good deal for a mesh router three-pack from Nest that did well in our ratings, providing fast speeds even across long distances inside larger homes. There are useful features like automatic firmware updates and app-based management. It’s a WiFi 5 model, which, yes, is the older standard, but it should still provide years of reliable service. The good news: the price just dropped another $30.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a foldable phone that fits easily in your pocket. It has quality cameras on the back for still images and video and a great front-facing selfie camera. And it held up to CR’s rigorous durability testing. The battery doesn’t dazzle but still delivers 28.5 hours per charge, according to our testers.

The price is $50 higher than we saw for Cyber Monday, but it’s still a nice discount.