Ready or not, the holiday shopping season is officially upon us.
This evening, Walmart plans to launch the second of three early Black Friday sales. Dubbed “Black Friday Deals for Days,” the sale will begin on Walmart.com on November 11 at 7pm ET. Per Walmart’s pre-Black Friday ad, we can then expect to see even more deals released on Saturday, November 14 as part of the same sale event.
For some folks, this may seem a bit premature—Black Friday is still a little more than two weeks away, after all—but for others, it presents the opportunity to get holiday shopping out of the way. Because the event includes discounts on a range of product categories like electronics and small appliances for less, you’ll likely be able to find what you need. And in a year plagued with shipping delays and stock shortages, it might not be a bad idea to take advantage of the discounted prices early rather than trying to get express shipping for presents the week before the big day.
However, it is important to be wary of Walmart’s doorbuster sale promises. Though the retailer plans to offer great pricing on a number of sought-after products, you might not be able to score what you want once the sale starts. Big name retailers like Walmart often offer too-good-to-be-true deals during Black Friday events with ultra-limited stock, so products sell out fast. Like, gone-before-you-add-it-to-your-cart quick. Others are so well-priced and popular that stock may as well be artificially limited, they’ll sell out so fast. The air purifier deal below could well fit that description if it goes live as planned..
Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t try to nab those deals once the sale officially starts (though we suggest tempering your expectations beforehand). Most of what Walmart is offering during the “Black Friday Deals for Days” sale aren’t Wirecutter picks, but there are a few products up for grabs that our writers and editors would still recommend. Here are the discounts that are actually worth your time—and here’s to hoping you score big in the mad dash to the deals.
Black Friday deals are starting early
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A great price on an excellent Bluetooth speaker
Klipsch The One II Bluetooth Speaker
Deal price: $148 starting Saturday, November 14; street price: $185
If you’re looking for a reliable Bluetooth speaker powerful enough to fill the room, you can’t go wrong with the Klipsch The One II. As the top pick in our guide to the best home Bluetooth speakers, The One II is small, stylish, and offers high-quality sound. Because it has so few controls, it’s fairly straightforward to operate and it’s retro design makes it an aesthetically pleasing addition to any room in need of some flair. This deal, which will be available both online and in-store starting on November 14, is a great opportunity to pick up an excellent Bluetooth speaker for less.
Read our review of the best home Bluetooth speakers.
A powerful air purifier
Coway Airmega 200M Air Purifier
Deal price: $120 starting Wednesday, November 11; street price: $180
A great air purifier has the ability to really improve your life. Whether you live in an area affected by wildfires or you’re just concerned about the air quality in your home, the Coway Airmega 200M can help. The Coway Airmega 200M is almost identical in performance to the Coway Mighty, our top pick—they just look a little different, and the Airmega’s square grille is a nice alternative to the Mighty’s round one. Thanks to its powerful motor, the Airmega reduces particulars by 99.4% on new filters after a half hour, which actually outperforms our top pick by a small margin. Because of recent natural disasters, we’ve noticed a spike in the Airmega’s street price—but even after taking this into account, we still think this is a superb deal for this purifier. The discount, which brings the price down to $120, will go live on Walmart.com on November 11 at 7 p.m. ET.
Read our review of the best air purifiers.
A new iPhone for less
iPhone SE
Deal price: $200 with new activation starting Saturday, November 14; street price: $350
The iPhone SE is great for folks in need of a new phone on a tight budget: Small and lightweight with a fast processor and a good camera, the SE sells for a street price of just $350. This holiday season, Walmart is offering an interesting deal for the SE that would cut that price by $150. Starting on November 14, you’ll be eligible to score the SE for $200 if you sign up for a plan with Straight Talk Wireless, Walmart’s exclusive no-contract cellular plan. We typically avoid posting phone deals that require shoppers to register for a new wireless plan, but we think this is an exceptionally good deal for the iPhone SE—just be sure to research Straight Talk Wireless before making any decisions. Walmart will also be offering store gift cards with the purchase and activation of older iPhones, including the iPhone 11 (which comes with a $400 eGift card), the 11 Pro ($450 eGift card), and the 11 Pro Max ($450 eGift card).
Read our review of the Apple iPhone 12.
