Best Early Black Friday Deals on Health, Fitness and Beauty Products
For gifts or for you, there are plenty of great discounts on yoga mats, curling irons, exercise equipment, and more
By Samantha B Gordon
The holiday shopping season is here, and many major retailers are holding sales to get the ball rolling with savings. Consumer Reports’ experts are keeping a close eye on all the sales, including any discounts on fitness, health, and beauty products we’ve tested in our labs and homes.
Don’t see what you’re looking for below? Keep checking back. Holiday sales at all the major retailers—which usually begin in earnest in November—are almost here. We’ll be bringing you the best holiday deals on tested products all season long.
Consumer Reports tests personal care items and fitness equipment like ellipticals and adjustable dumbbells, and health and beauty products such as curling irons and toothbrushes—and we’re keeping a close eye on everything that performs well to alert you when they’re discounted. We’ll be updating this article regularly, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for now, keep checking back for the latest.
Viewing on a mobile device? Click on the links below to skip to each section.
• Curling Irons and Hair Dryers
• Yoga Mats
• Sports Bras
• Exercise Equipment
• Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches
• Headphones
• Kitchen Tools
• Electric Toothbrushes
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Curling Irons and Hair Dryers
Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron
In our recent evaluation, we found that the Bio Ionic’s extra-long barrel and multiple temperature settings produced bouncy, shiny curls that lasted for days for most users. The sleek design put it over the top, making it our Editor’s Choice of the models we tried—and at just $89, it’s a great bargain right now. Note: One tester felt the barrel was too long for her shorter hair.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a nice discount on one of the best curling irons we’ve tried.
GHD Curve Classic Curling Iron
Our evaluators with thick hair loved the bouncy, long-lasting curls they achieved with the GHD. But with only one temperature setting, many worried that it might damage their hair.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a substantial discount, and matches the price we saw during the Prime Early Access Sale.
GHD Helios Hair Dryer
The Helios is a great option if you want the power and performance of a pricier model but don’t want to spend close to $500. It scored well in our drying speed lab tests but is the loudest model we tried. Even though it was loud in our lab tests, it didn’t sound loud to users at home.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a solid discount for a powerful performer.
Yoga Mats
Iuga Pro Non Slip Yoga Mat
With a highly grippy surface and a medium amount of cushioning, this is a great mat for novice and experienced yogis alike. Plus, it comes with a carrying strap.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the usual discount. It has been $10 less recently and may drop again closer to Black Friday.
Gaiam Foldable Yoga Mat
This mat dries quickly but offers minimal cushioning. It offers only a fair amount of grip on the floor and on its dry top surface. Instead of rolling up, it folds into a 10x12-inch rectangle, which could be nice if you like to pack up quickly after your practice.
Why it’s a good deal: This is an impressive discount on an already budget-friendly mat.
Manduka Eko Superlite Travel Yoga Mat
This mat dries quickly and has an excellent grip on the floor. Its dry top surface also offers excellent grip. It has minimal cushioning, as well, which some people prefer.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a nice discount on one of the better mats we tried.
Gaiam Performance Yoga Mat
Consumer Reports tested 19 yoga mats to find out how each one holds up to regular use. Gaiam’s Performance mat aces the drying and grip tests CR put it through but offers somewhat less cushioning. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; a firmer mat can provide more stability for standing poses and can be easier on the wrists.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the same sale price we’ve seen for the last few months.
Sports Bras
Adidas Don't Rest Alphaskin Sports Bra
The Adidas Don’t Rest Alphaskin Sports Bra is a traditional compression style, with a racerback and no adjustable features. The racerback is made with a thin, loosely knit material that’s ultra-breathable. It offers a great fit for some, but the long, nonadjustable straps limit its audience to those with longer torsos.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a solid discount, and it’s available for similar prices in a few color options.
Under Armor Armour Women's UA Infinity High Sports Bra
This comfortable combination-style bra from Under Armour offers good support to people doing medium-impact workouts such as cycling and gentle jogging. It won’t overly flatten the breasts like compression-style bras, and because it’s convertible, it can be worn with a variety of tops.
Why it’s a good deal: This is 40 percent off the usual price.
Champion Everyday Sports Bra
This adjustable sports bra from Champion is almost like a T-shirt bra, with its defined, lightly padded cups, and indeed, it can double as a T-shirt bra if desired. It has adjustable, convertible straps and three sets of hooks in the band, and comes in sizes XS to 2XL. It’s on the plain side, stylewise, but it’s budget-friendly, versatile bra that one Consumer Reports evaluator still wears regularly.
Why it’s a good deal: It has been on sale at Amazon for $24 for months, but we’ve never seen the price dip this low.
Exercise Equipment
Bowflex SelectTech 552
This Bowflex Adjustable Dumbbell set has a good hand grip and lots of weight settings in the lower ranges—which makes these weights a good option for those who are toning or just beginning to use dumbbells. The dumbbells remain the same length at all weights, which can require some adjustments to range of motion for certain exercises.
Why it’s a good deal: This beats the previous sale price for this model $80.
Schwinn 470
The Schwinn 470 is a very good elliptical with a built in display that provides a well-organized and comprehensive variety of exercise statistics. Its programs can monitor heart rate and automatically adjust resistance level and exercise intensity, and users can create additional custom programs. The machine also includes an electronic incline feature, which means the incline can be adjusted while the elliptical is in use to allow for slight variations in movement and muscles used—an unusual feature at this price.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a modest discount, but we have seen the price dip below $1,000 before, so you may want to wait till Black Friday for a better deal.
Bowflex Treadmill 10
This folding treadmill comes with quick, easy-access speed and incline controls—and four cup holders, in case you prefer to run with multiple beverages.
Why it’s a good deal: At almost $1,500 off its full price, you can snag this well-rated treadmill for just under $1,500.
Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches
Apple Watch SE (40mm) GPS
Apple introduced an updated version of its high-value SE watch in September, which has triggered a series of solid deals on the first-generation Watch SE. The first-gen SE uses a less powerful processor than the new model, but it performs most of the functions that make the SE one of our highest-rated smartwatches. The major difference between the prior-gen SE and the Apple Watch Series 8 is that it lacks a blood oxygen sensor that helps boost sleep tracking accuracy, as well as a temperature sensor that can provide retroactive estimates of ovulation. The prior-gen SE also lacks the high-speed G-force sensor that can sense if you’ve been in a car crash, a feature found on the latest SE, which starts at $249. But on your wrist, the first-gen SE is almost identical to the new SE or even the Series 8.
Why it’s a great deal: Cracking the $200 price barrier, the first-gen Watch SE has plenty of important features and represents an economical entry into the Apple Watch world.
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 (44mm)
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 has a bright 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, ECG monitoring (that 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: This is the standard sale price, and we haven’t seen it drop much lower.
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: It’s now within $1 of the lowest we’ve seen all year.
Fitbit Luxe
The lightweight and stylish Fitbit Luxe looks more like jewelry than a straight-up fitness tracker, and it performs well on basic functions. The device earns high ratings for both ease of use and counting steps, and it includes the stress-tracking features found on the more expensive Sense smartwatch. It isn’t quite as good as other models when it comes to heart rate tracking, though. And the tiny screen can be tough to read, especially for people who have trouble seeing up close.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a great discount for a slim, discreet fitness tracker.
Garmin Forerunner 35
While technically a fitness tracker, this model offers a watchlike feel. You get a 1.3-inch monochrome display that shows your step count and heart rate. The Forerunner 35 has a built-in GPS and a claimed battery life of nine days, and we found in our testing that it makes good on its water-resistance claim of 164 feet. CR testers give the fitness tracker top marks for heart-rate tracking and step-count accuracy, as well as ease of use.
Why it’s a good deal: Though we’ve seen this dip to about $100 before, this is still a solid deal for a trusty tracker.
Headphones
Bose Sport Open Earbuds
Music is great while you’re working out, but cutting yourself off from your environment isn’t always convenient—or safe. Enter the Bose Sport Open Earbuds. This true wireless model has a non-isolating design that lets in outside sound on purpose, so you should have an easier time hearing traffic approaching when you’re on a run.
They have hooks to keep the earbuds in place while you move around, and they sit on rather than in your ears, which some people find more comfortable. And these headphones deliver above-average sound quality. According to Bose, they have an 8-hour battery life and a quick-charge feature for 3 extra hours after 30 minutes of plug-in time. But unlike most true wireless headphones, this model’s carrying case doesn’t double as a portable charger.
Why it’s a good deal: A 40 percent discount is always worth a look.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
The Bose Quiet Comfort true wireless earbuds get top marks from our testers for noise cancellation, which you can turn up or down to suit your environment. while delivering above-average sound quality. They have a number of other appealing features, such as built-in tech that the company says makes it easier to hear your own voice during phone calls, and an auto-pause feature.In our latest member survey, Bose earns outstanding ratings for reliability and owner satisfaction. Note that Bose has just introduced new $299 Quiet Comfort Earbuds II that promise better performance including improved noise canceling–we’ll be testing that claim in our labs.
Why it’s a good deal: Bose models rarely go on sale so this unusual discount is worth considering, though the discount seems triggered by the introduction of the next-gen model.
Skullcandy Dime True Wireless
These earbuds offer remarkable performance for the price. Above-average sound quality and a decent battery life make them a good budget pick.
Why it’s a good deal: Affordable earbuds just got 23% more affordable.
Sennheiser CX Plus
The Sennheiser CX Plus offers really good value in a true wireless noise-canceling earbud. According to our testers, the sound quality is more than solid, while the active noise-canceling performance is among the best we’ve tested and includes a transparency mode so that you can hear traffic while you’re walking. Some users might find the buds a bit bulky, but our testers found the fit to be fine for most users.
Why it’s a good deal: This deal puts the CX Plus earbuds significantly below their list price.
Kitchen Tools
Ninja BL770
This Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System is both a blender and a food processor that ranks in the middle of CR’s ratings. It earns above-average scores for making icy drinks like smoothies, as well as for puréeing soups. However, it’s a bit noisy. The 8-cup-capacity chopper has convenient touch-button controls and three speeds, and comes with accessories including a dough blade, a blender attachment, and a recipe book.
Why it’s a good deal: This $100 discount from Best Buy is the lowest price we’ve seen on this model in a long time.
Calphalon Auto-Speed BLCLMB1
Though this blender isn’t among our top-rated, the Calphalon Auto-Speed BLCLMB1 is one of the most reliable models in our tests. The 1,100-watt blender comes in dark stainless steel with a 68-ounce BPA-free Tritan jar, plus a 25-ounce smoothie cup you can take on the road. It weighs 8 pounds and has a pulse option and a removable blade.
Why it’s a good deal: Amazon has the best price we’ve seen in months.
Stasher Silicone Reusable Storage Bags
Stasher bags fared well in our at-home evaluation of five silicone food storage bags. This bag protects food from freezer burn, has a strong seal that prevents leaks, and bounces back from food stains—something most other bags couldn’t do. The weight of the bag is printed on it, so grocers can tare the weight of your bulk foods during checkout. Stasher bags come in a variety of sizes and colors, and others may be on sale.
Why it’s a good deal: These reusable bags are a good value and a sustainable way to prep healthy snacks to grab on the go.
Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System BN801
Ninja full-sized blenders earned an above-average rating for predicted reliability in our member surveys. The 1,200-watt Ninja BN801 Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ combines impressive performance and value pricing. Whether you crave soups or smoothies, this model has you covered, receiving a top rating for puréeing and a score almost as good for icy drinks. It comes with a personal blender attachment, a 24-ounce to-go cup, and a food processor accessory. The blender’s removable blade also makes cleanup a cinch, a big reason it did very well in our convenience tests.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best price you’ll find for this blender outside of a major sale.
Electric Toothbrushes
Oral-B iO 7 Series
The Oral-B iO Series 7 Electric Toothbrush is an excellent toothbrush that does a great job at cleaning. It has five cleaning modes, a brushing timer, a pressure sensor that can tell you when you’re pushing the brush against your teeth too hard, and top-notch battery performance.
Why it’s a good deal: This almost 20 percent discount is a great reason to upgrade your oral care.
Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100
The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100 is a top performer in the cleaning and battery categories, and also gets high marks for ease of use and noise. It has three brushing speeds, three brushing modes, a pressure sensor, a timer, and a charge-level indicator. Like the other rated Philips toothbrushes, its easy-start option allows it to gently increase vibration during use.
Why it’s a good deal: At $20 off, the kind of discount that makes your dentist smile.
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