Best Deals on Electronics Right Now
There are some great prices on TVs, laptops, headphones, and other popular tech gadgets
By Samantha B. Gordon
When you’re in the market for new headphones, a bigger TV, or other tech products, it can be hard to save money. And even though Labor Day weekend is over, we’re still seeing some great prices on everything from Bluetooth speakers and wireless routers to fitness trackers and laptops.
Of course, the best sales involve more than a good price. You want the product you buy to work well, no matter how much you spend. So our experts look for price cuts on items that stand up to Consumer Reports’ rigorous testing. The list below features this week’s top picks.
Viewing on a mobile device? Click on the links below to skip to each section.
• Streaming Devices
• Bluetooth and Smart Speakers
• Laptops, Chromebooks, and Tablets
• Headphones
• Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches
• Televisions
• More Deals
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Spotlight Deal
Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)
The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s smallest smart screen. Our testers report that the sound is subpar for a music-listening device, but the sound isn’t why you should consider this one. It’s a utility machine that works well on a night table or desk. You get all the Amazon Alexa functionality featured in other Echo devices, plus some added value, thanks to the small screen and camera.
Why it’s a good deal: The Show 5 was $5 less at Amazon for Prime Day, but this is still a significant discount.
Streaming Devices
Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen)
The 4K-ready Fire TV Cube is essentially a mashup of two of Amazon’s popular Alexa-powered devices—the Fire TV streaming player and the Echo Dot smart speaker. But it adds an interesting element into the mix: universal remote-control capability that lets you control a host of other compatible A/V gear, including TVs, soundbars, receivers, and even some cable and satellite boxes. You can use voice commands to find shows and movies, navigate to specific channels and programs, and call up streaming services that support it.
Why it’s a good deal: This device does not go on sale often, and this discount is just $10 more than the lowest price we saw during Prime Day.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
The Fire TV 4K Max is latest stick-style streaming player from Amazon. It’s also the company’s fastest, thanks to a more powerful processor, so apps launch quicker than on earlier models. Also, it includes WiFi 6, the latest WiFi version. This 4K model supports the HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR formats, as well as Dolby Atmos audio.
Why it’s a good deal: This is just $5 more than the best price we’ve seen all year.
Bluetooth and Smart Speakers
Edifier S1000MKII
The Edifier S1000MKII has long been our favorite wireless speaker and is the best-sounding model we’ve tested. It’s pretty straightforward—it comes in a matched, powered pair that can pair by Bluetooth and a variety of inputs, but it offers no multiroom capability. But Edifiers sound sublime, with plenty of volume and bass, and a bit of magic in the midrange that can almost convince you that the musicians are standing right in front of you.
Why it’s a good deal: At any price, the Edifier represents a smart investment in music, so even a modest discount like this is icing on the cake. The price has dipped below $300 during major sales in the past, so you may be able to save more if you wait for the holiday shopping season.
Sony SRS-XB13
For less than $50, the pocket-sized Sony SRS-XB13 is a bargain. It’s a take-anywhere speaker that can go to the park or the beach without fear of an expensive piece of electronics getting lost, stolen, or destroyed. The Sony’s bass isn’t very strong, and it lacks the smoothness and detail of more expensive speakers, but the speaker’s sound can fill a small room.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a great value for the quality and portability, but it was $10 less on Prime Day. So you may be able to save a bit more if you can wait.
Sony SRS-XB23
The Sony SRS-XB23 is proof that less can be more. While older Sony speakers came with superfluous features like lights and sound effects, the more straightforward SRX-XB23 still performs its primary function admirably—and at a great price. It’s a midsized speaker that checks a lot of boxes. It’s relatively inexpensive, and Sony claims that it’s water-resistant.
And it sounds good. According to our testers, the low bass of the SRS-XB23 is a bit lacking and the midrange lacks some of the clarity of the very best portables. But on balance, the speaker delivers satisfying sound.
Why it’s a good deal: The sale price has been fluctuating between $88 and $98, so get it now while the price is on the low end.
Laptops, Chromebooks, and Tablets
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook
The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is one of the highest-rated Chromebooks we’ve tested. It’s a 13.3-inch convertible with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 gigabytes of memory, and 256GB of solid state storage. Those specs are almost overkill for a Chromebook, so you can expect very good performance here. Our testers say that they would have liked a little more battery life, given that it tops out at 7 hours on a single charge; we’ve seen more from similarly situated models. Still, this is a good price on a great Chromebook.
Why it’s a good deal: The $100 discount marks the best price we’ve seen in months.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (128 GB) Wifi
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is our top recommendation for the average person who wants a budget-priced Android tablet, making it especially good for students. The screen looks good, and the device will handle just about any task unless you’re playing a graphics-heavy game or doing something like editing video. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite also delivers solid battery life, lasting just over 12 hours in our web-browsing tests.
Why it’s a good deal: The sale price of this tablet usually swings between $280 and $350, so this discount might not last long.
HP 14A-NA0023CL
This 14-inch Chromebook from HP is good for people who simply need a functional laptop to do things like browse the web and check email. It has an Intel Celeron processor, 4 gigabytes of memory, and 32GB of flash storage. As with other Chromebooks, the idea is that you’re going to be storing most files online. It scores okay in our tests, with our testers noting somewhat middling performance but highlighting its 13-hour battery life while browsing the web.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a significant discount on an already budget-priced laptop, only $20 more than the lowest price we’ve seen all year.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (64GB)
Microsoft has several Surface devices to choose from, but the relatively inexpensive Microsoft Surface Laptop Go could be a good option for consumers looking for a smaller laptop, especially at this hefty discount. It has a 12.4-inch display, an Intel Core i5 processor, 4 gigabytes of memory, and a sparse 64GB solid state drive, which you can supplement with cloud storage.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go scores well in many of our tests, though the performance is a bit sluggish compared with other options. The model is lightweight (2.5 pounds), offers decent battery life (just under 12 hours in CR’s web-browsing test), and has a bright, color-accurate display. There’s a touchscreen for flipping through those photo galleries.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a decent discount on the typically $400 laptop, but it was $50 less during Prime Day. So you may want to wait to see if the prices fall again during this back-to-school shopping season.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus
The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is a solid option if you’re looking for a tablet. It aces CR’s tests for performance, convenience, and versatility. And the Samsung brand gets great scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in our member survey. The tablet boasts impressive speeds for everyday tasks as well as 128GB of storage, and a bright screen with a wide viewing angle. Our testers found it easy to use.
Why it’s a good deal: This tablet hasn’t been on sale in weeks, and the discount might not be available for long.
LG Gram 16 (Core i7)
This is quite the deal on a laptop that always does well in our ratings. The LG Gram 16 Laptop has an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 gigabytes of memory, and 512GB of solid state storage. The model we tested is very similar (we added a bit of extra storage space when we bought it), and it more or less aced all of our tests. Worth highlighting is its relatively light weight for a laptop this size (3.2 pounds) and a battery that lasts more than 18 hours while under a light load.
Why it’s a good deal: The price has dropped $20 since last week. But the laptop cost only $900 for Prime Day, so it could be cheaper again during the next big sale.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (128 GB, Wifi)
The Galaxy Tab S8 is a great option for people who want an Android tablet with high performance. Just keep in mind that top performance isn’t necessary for simple tasks such as reading email, watching movies, and surfing the web. The Galaxy Tab S7 is also on sale if you need a fast device but want something a little cheaper.
Why it’s a good deal: This is back to the best price we’ve seen all year.
Headphones
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX
Normally a whopping $500—more expensive than higher-rated headphones—the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX headphones are at an impressive discount right now. You can still find noise-canceling headphones that cost a bit less and arguably sound better, but for fans of the brand, they could make sense.
Why it’s a good deal: These headphones haven’t been discounted in weeks, and while it’s not the lowest price we’ve seen, a $100 discount is impressive.
Apple AirPods Pro
The Apple AirPods Pro aren’t the best-scoring noise-canceling headphones in our ratings, but they might be the most popular. And unlike the earlier generations of AirPods, the Pros deliver when it comes to performance, with solid sound quality and fantastic noise cancellation.
Why it’s a good deal: If you’ve been thinking about picking up a pair, these are now just $10 more than the Prime Day price.
1MORE PistonBuds
Here’s a great option if you’re looking for inexpensive true wireless earbuds. The 1More PistonBuds deliver great sound quality for the price, beating out competitors that cost far more. They have an advertised 3.5-hour battery life—fairly standard for a true wireless model—and come with a charging/carrying case that will recharge the earphones almost five times before the case needs to be plugged in again.
The PistonBuds feature touch controls, and they plug in with USB-C. They’re also water-resistant, according to the company. 1More boasts the highest owner satisfaction rating in this category, based on surveys of CR members.
Why it’s a good deal: The on-page coupon makes a nice dent in the price of these already budget-priced earbuds, but we’ve seen them sell for as low as $20.
Bose SoundLink around-ear headphones II
The Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Headphones II don’t have noise-canceling tech like Bose’s best-known models, but they get a high rating for sound and cost a bit less than other options. They aren’t cheap, but they’re lightweight and portable, and they beat almost every other Bluetooth over-ear model we’ve tested. According to Bose, they have a 15-hour battery life.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a decent discount, but the set was recently $30 less, so you may want to hold off on buying to see if the price dips again.
Sennheiser PXC 550-II
The Sennheiser PXC 550-II is such a great deal that we could almost call it the best and the bargain pick. It’s one of the highest-scoring headphones in our ratings, and it costs hundreds less than many competitors. In our tests, the PXC 550-II outperforms flagship models from manufacturers such as Beats and Sony, and gets almost the same score as the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, one of our other top picks, priced at almost $400.
The PXC 550-II has appealing features, such as adjustable levels of noise cancellation and an ambient sound-monitoring mode that lets noise from your environment back in, so you can hear your surroundings when necessary. Sennheiser says this model will run for up to 20 hours with both Bluetooth and noise cancellation turned on.
Why it’s a good deal: With this discount, this model costs significantly less than similar ones.
Sony WF-1000XM4
The Sony WF-1000XM4 is one of our top-rated pairs of noise-canceling earbuds, and this discount is a hefty one. If you’re in the market for some new audio gear, this model is worth your time. Expect audio quality and noise cancellation that rank among the very best in this category of products. Battery life is long, and there are handy features, such as an ambient sound-monitoring mode that lets you keep an ear on your environment.
Why it’s a good deal: This sale price just dropped $20 compared with recent weeks. We saw it sell for around $200 during Prime Day, so it may get cheaper during the next big sale.
Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 (44mm)
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 has a bright, round 1.3-inch AMOLED display that can showcase a variety of interesting watch faces. The model has a mic and speaker for handling phone calls. It offers a robust suite of health and fitness options, including a blood oxygen sensor, EKG monitoring (which could detect irregularities in heart rhythm), and even a sensor that’s claimed to measure body fat. It works best if you have a Samsung Android phone because that gives you access to all the Samsung Health features.
Why it’s a good deal: The price for this watch fluctuates, but Amazon’s current offer is within a few dollars of the best we’ve seen in weeks.
Fitbit Inspire 2
The Fitbit Inspire 2 fitness tracker has been on sale since mid-April, but the price continues to fall. It’s now only $7 more than the lowest we’ve seen all year. It gets top marks from our testers for step-count and heart-rate accuracy, and it earns a spot among the best fitness trackers for its ease of use, pairing, and readability in low light. The Inspire 2 also has a very generous claimed battery life of 10 days (we don’t test that characteristic) and built-in GPS, a feature not found on many other fitness trackers.
Why it’s a good deal: Amazon’s price is back to the best price we’ve ever seen.
Fitbit Versa 3
If you’re looking for a versatile smartwatch under $200, the Fitbit Versa 3 may be a good option. It has built-in GPS, which allows you to go for a run or ride without taking your smartphone along, plus a blood oxygen sensor, which enhances its sleep-tracking capabilities. It also has a mic and a speaker that allow you to take calls via a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone. Our testers found the Versa 3 to be a solid performer for counting steps and tracking heart rate, and it’s easy to pair with a smartphone.
Why it’s a good deal: This model has been on sale since Prime Day, and this is within a few dollars of the lowest the price has been all year.
Televisions
Insignia NS-65DF710NA21
This 65-inch 4K smart Insignia NS-65DF710NA21 did well in our tests, with satisfying HD and 4K picture quality, although its HDR (high dynamic range) performance is subpar. It also has a fairly narrow viewing angle, but its sound is better than average. It uses the Amazon Fire TV system with the Alexa voice-powered digital assistant.
Why it’s a good deal: This model was $40 less last week, but this is still a significant discount, especially for a TV of this size.
Insignia NS-70DF710NA21
This 70-inch 4K smart TV from Insignia, Best Buy’s house brand, is a fine overall performer, but its HDR (high dynamic range) performance is ineffective, mainly because of peak brightness limitations. It uses the Amazon Fire TV smart TV system, and Alexa is built in for using voice commands.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best price we’ve seen for this TV, an especially impressive bargain for the size.
LG OLED65C1PUB
This 2021 65-inch 4K OLED TV from LG, part of the company’s C-series lineup, is one of the best sets you can buy. It’s less expensive than the design-focused G-series models and offers better HDR performance than the less expensive A- and B-series sets. You get top-notch overall picture quality, plus great sound. It has LG’s webOS smart TV platform with support for several voice-enabled digital assistants, and it comes with LG’s Magic Remote that responds to voice commands.
Why it’s a good deal: This model is typically on sale for $100 more, so take advantage of this lower price while you can.
Toshiba 65M550KU
The Toshiba 65M550KU may be a good choice if you want a smart 4K TV and don’t want to deal with a streaming device. It comes with the Fire TV platform built in, so you’re ready to stream as soon as you set up the unit, and while it doesn’t perform quite well enough to live among the best TVs CR has tested, it does get above-average scores for 4K UHD performance. It has a wide viewing angle, too, making it suitable for a family room or other commonly used space in your home.
Why it’s a good deal: This is $10 lower than we’ve ever seen for this model.
Amazon B08T6JZTH4
The Amazon B08T6JZTH4, one of the new Fire TVs sold under Amazon’s own brand, was already at this price before Amazon Prime Day began and was more than $300 below what Best Buy was offering. The TV is in the step-up Omni series, with a slimmer design and a few more features than the Amazon 4-series sets. Those features include Dolby Vision HDR and built-in microphones for hands-free operation. In our tests, this model performed well for HD and 4K picture quality, but its HDR performance was minimal, mainly because of limited peak brightness. The TV uses Amazon’s Fire TV system, with built-in Alexa and a voice remote for voice commands.
Why it’s a good deal: This is $100 more than we saw during Prime Day but is still an impressive discount for a 75-inch TV.
Insignia NS-43DF710NA21
The 43-inch Insignia NS-43DF710NA21—which uses the Amazon Fire TV smart TV system—offers satisfying HD and 4K picture quality, but its HDR performance is ineffective, mainly because of peak brightness limitations. It also has a fairly narrow viewing angle. The TV works best when you sign in with your Amazon account, giving you access to all the Fire TV streaming services plus the Alexa voice-powered digital assistant.
Why it’s a good deal: This TV is only about $40 more than we saw during Prime Day, so it’s still a fantastic discount.
More Deals
Netgear Nighthawk EX7000 WiFi Range Extender
This WiFi range extender from Netgear delivers dual-band WiFi up to a manufacturer-claimed maximum of 1,900 megabits per second. Features include a mobile app for help with setup and network management, parental controls, a DLNA server that allows you to play media on a smart TV or game console, and a USB 3.0 port for faster access to stored media. It also has five Ethernet ports for creating wireless access points and connecting a game console, Blu-ray player, smart TV, or streaming player to your WiFi network.
Learn more: Should You Buy a WiFi Range Extender?
Netgear Orbi AC1200 (3-Pack)
The three-unit Netgear Orbi AC1200 mesh router system performs well in our tests overall. But it doesn’t rate quite as high for speed at midrange and far distances, and it isn’t compatible with the WiFi 6 standard, which might not be ideal for early adopters who want the fastest connections to the latest smartphone and other gadgets. (Don’t worry about compatibility, though; all new devices work with the earlier WiFi standard.) Given the relatively low price, however, there’s a lot to like here, including an easy app-based setup, a built-in Ethernet port, and automatic firmware updates, which protect you from hackers, malware, and other security vulnerabilities.
Why it’s a good deal: This router has been on sale for a while, but it has been under $100 only for the last week or so and we don’t know how long it will remain this low.
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.
