Black Friday 2021: When is it and what are the best UK deals to expect from Apple, Dyson and more?
Black Friday is without a doubt the biggest shopping event of the year: there are millions of deals to be found across everything from tech to beauty products, with every retailer imaginable taking part, from Next and Boots to Currys and Amazon.
The event originally began in the US, when brands marked the start of the Christmas shopping season the day after Thanksgiving by slashing the prices of products in-store and online.
It’s since expanded across the Atlantic and is now longer than just a one-day event, with many retailers starting their sales earlier and earlier. Notably, for Black Friday 2020, Amazon’s deals spanned the entire month of November.
Black Friday 2021 typically runs across the weekend beginning 26 November and into the following Monday, which is also known as Cyber Monday.
Across the mega sale, IndyBest will be bringing you the biggest and best savings on laptops, TVs, smartphones, coffee machines, kids’ toys, clothing and beauty, to name just a few, but before the shopping event kicks off, we’ve got the lowdown on what to expect in 2021.
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What is Black Friday?
Black Friday began as a one-day sale in the US, the day after Thanksgiving, to mark the start of the festive shopping season.
Over the past decade, it’s made its way onto our shores and now many UK retailers take part, slashing prices on thousands of products and big-name brands such as Apple, Dyson, Shark and Samsung.
For our extensive list of the retailers that took part in Black Friday 2020, read our guide here. Once brands start talking about the sales later in the year, we will be updating it with the relevant discounts.
When is Black Friday 2021 in the UK?
Traditionally Black Friday has taken place on 26 November, but for most retailers, it now spans the entire weekend and finishes on 29 November – also known as Cyber Monday.
However, each year the Black Friday weekend increases in size so you can expect to see deals from online giants such as Amazon, Argos, Currys, and Very beginning weeks ahead, and we’re expecting the same to happen for the 2021 event, so keep your eyes peeled for early-bird deals.
In 2020, Amazon unveiled deals four weeks before the Black Friday weekend, which was two weeks longer than the early deals that it had offered in 2019. For 2021, we’re expecting the event to follow a similar format.
When is Cyber Monday 2021?
Cyber Monday marks the Monday following the Black Friday weekend and falls on 29 November this year.
Traditionally it has always been exclusively online, and especially so in 2020 due to the pandemic – the UK was mostly under lockdown, with non-essential shops remaining shut throughout November.
Cyber Monday is your last chance to bag a bargain before Christmas, and there’s often a broad range of retailers that slash prices across smart TVs, tablets, sofas, mattresses and more.
What were the best Black Friday deals from last year?
All the best deals last year were found online, as many retailers encouraged customers to shop from home rather than visiting stores due to the nationwide lockdown in place.
IndyBest hand-picked all the biggest deals to shop and below are a selection of the savings that we found across big-ticket items – some of which we can expect to return for 2021.
Best Black Friday laptop deals
Some of the biggest savings in the Black Friday sale can be found on tech products, so if you’re in need of an upgrade or want to treat a loved one to a new laptop, there will be plenty of choices.
It’s also one of the few times you’ll find Apple items discounted – the brand is so popular that it doesn’t need to join in with big sales events, but you will find reductions at third-party retailers such as John Lewis & Partners and Currys. So if you’ve had your eye on a MacBook, Black Friday is the best opportunity to snap up a decent saving.
Last year, the Apple MacBook pro 13in (£1,759.98, Amazon.co.uk) was reduced by £170.
It is also featured in our roundup of the best high-end laptops for great performance with sleek design, where our reviewer said: “The keyboard is supremely comfortable and the trackpad is huge and very responsive. Unlike the MacBook air, there is a fan in this model which means the fast performance can continue for even longer. Additionally, the entry-level pro includes a slightly more powerful graphics chip.”
This Acer 715 15.6in Chromebook (£349, Currys.co.uk) also saw big savings, as it was down from £499 to £329.
Best Black Friday TV deals
TVs also see savings across big-name brands such as Philips, Samsung, Toshiba and Panasonic on Black Friday.
In 2020, the Samsung QE55Q60T 55in had a huge reduction of £500, from £1,199 to only £699 (Very.co.uk).
Additionally, the Hisense 65U8QFTUK 65in saw its price slashed from £1,199 to £949 (Currys.co.uk).
Best Black Friday Argos deals
Argos is one of the biggest retailers that participates in the Black Friday bonanza – every year you’ll find savings across everything from TVs and headphones to fitness watches and furniture.
In 2020, this Garmin fenix 6S pro smartwatch (£479, Argos.co.uk) had over £100 off – it was reduced from £599.99 to £449.99.
Leading vacuum cleaner brand Dyson also saw its prices slashed in Argos’s 2020 Black Friday sale, with the Dyson V7 animal extra cordless vacuum cleaner (£249.99, Argos.co.uk) down from £299.99 to £199.99.
In our review of the Dyson V7 versus the V11 model, we loved the former for how fuss free it was to use. Our reviewer said: “Whatever type of floor you have, the V7 does the job well – we noticed no difference across carpets, hardwood or laminate, although unlike the V11 you will need to change the floor heads each time. And because it’s nice and light, it’s brilliant for carrying up and down stairs and works a treat on upholstery too.”
Best Black Friday Currys deals
A haven for tech gadgets big and small as well as home and kitchen appliances, Currys is somewhere you’ll want to bookmark ahead of Black Friday 2021.
Last year’s deals included the Nespresso by Magimix vertuo next coffee machine in white (£130, Currys.co.uk) which was £149, but came down to an impressive £74.
Music lovers also got a great deal, with this pair of Beats solo 3 headphones (£189, Currys.co.uk) reduced to £125.
What were the best Cyber Monday deals in 2020?
On 29 November – also known as Cyber Monday – retailers further slashed prices, giving customers a last-minute opportunity to snap up a bargain.
Included were these Apple AirPods pro earbuds with a wireless case (£189.98, Amazon.co.uk), reduced from £249 down to £198.
We were very impressed with them in our guide to the best wireless earbuds, where our reviewer rated them for their comfortable fit and easy setup.
“The microphones, which ensure the noise-cancelling is effective, also work well for hands-free phone calls. Pairing with an iPhone is incredibly simple: open the earbuds’ case near the phone and it’ll pair automatically. The charging case is wireless chargeable, so you can plonk it on a compatible charging pad,” our tester said.
This pair of Veja V-10 leather sneakers that were £115 (Netaporter.com), came down to just £77, which is the lowest price we’ve seen them at.
Our reviewer featured them in our round-up of the best women’s shoes for spring, and said, “Veja’s strong focus on transparency and sourcing Fairtrade, organic materials means it’s a key player in the sustainability game. And these distinctive kicks are the perfect transitional shoe. “
And for those looking to improve their culinary repertoires, this Kenwood KHC29.B0WH prospero stand mixer (£179.99, Argos.co.uk) was reduced from £199.99 to £99.99.
Voucher codes
For the latest discounts on home appliances, tech, toys and more, try the links below:
Read more on Black Friday 2021
Best Amazon Black Friday deals – our pick of the best bargains from the millions out there
Best Currys PC World Black Friday deals – for everything from TVs to laptops, kettles and coffee machines
Best Argos Black Friday deals – find discounts on everything from kids to homeware, fitness and DIY
Best Black Friday home appliances deals – now’s the time to upgrade your vacuum cleaner or coffee machine
Best John Lewis & Partners Black Friday deals – the high street stalwart will have great prices on fashion, beauty, tech, kids and homeware
Best Black Friday TV deals – update your at-home cinema experience without paying full price
Best Black Friday laptop deals – there are hundreds of pounds to be saved on laptops from big-name brands such as Apple, Microsoft and HP
Best Black Friday home appliances deals – now’s the time to upgrade your vacuum cleaner or coffee machine
Best Black Friday beauty deals – stock up on your favourites across make-up, skincare, haircare and fragrance
Best Black Friday mattress deals – rest easy with big discounts on brands such as Emma, Eve Sleep and Simba
Best Black Friday Dyson deals – bag a bargain on the brand’s corded, cordless and handheld vacuum cleaners
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