Best Deals on Electronics Right Now

This latest version of Samsung’s smartwatch is an incremental update of the Galaxy Watch4 aimed squarely at consumers who use Samsung’s smartphones. The Galaxy Watch5 has a bright display and also features a microphone and speaker for handling phone calls. From a features point of view, the Galaxy Watch5 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 claimed to measure body fat. You will, however, need a Samsung Android phone to tap the watch’s full capability, including an array of fitness features under the Samsung Health umbrella. The Galaxy Watch5’s claimed battery life of two days is also relatively short.

Why it’s a good deal: Amazon’s price matches the best price we’ve seen for this smartwatch all year.

The TCL 40S355 is a 1080p TV, which is getting harder to find even in this screen size. It delivers very good overall picture quality, though its sound quality isn’t great and its viewing angle is fairly narrow. This set is a Roku TV, so you can access a lot of streaming services right from the TV.

Why it’s a good deal: The price for this TV just dropped back down to the same low price we saw in July, so it’s an excellent time to buy.

This 65-inch 4K set, the Amazon B08T6J1HG8—a step-up model in the company’s own line of Fire TVs—did well for overall picture quality, though it had only limited HDR effectiveness. Compared with the entry-level 4-series Amazon sets, it has a slimmer design and support for Dolby Vision HDR, plus built-in far-field microphones for hands-free operation.

Why it’s a good deal: This is a nice discount, and only $40 more than the low price we saw last month. This set usually sells for about $200 more.

The Toshiba 32V35KU is a 720p TV, so you get HD, not 4K, resolution. Its picture quality is decent, if unexciting, but it’s at a low price for that second or third set for a smaller room of the house. It has the Amazon Fire TV smart TV system, so you have access to streaming services, plus the Alexa digital voice assistant built in.

Why it’s a good deal: The current sale price is $10 less than the best price we’ve seen so far this year, making it a great time to buy.

For a higher-end camera, consider the Arlo Pro 4. It connects directly to WiFi (no need for a hub) and features a built-in spotlight for color night vision, a rechargeable battery, a siren, and voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. In our tests, it offers great response time for alerts, robust data security, and plenty of smart features. The only flaw is that its video quality doesn’t match its claimed 2K resolution. Cloud video storage and additional features (such as person, package, vehicle, and animal detection) require an Arlo Secure subscription.

Why it’s a good deal: Both the single camera and the bundle are about $20 cheaper than they were last week, matching the same low price we saw for Prime Day and making this an excellent time to buy.

The Ring Video Doorbell 3 is among the best smart doorbells you can buy, offering impeccable video quality and strong data security in our lab tests. Its features include a removable rechargeable battery, voice control via Amazon Alexa, monitoring zones, alert schedules, and privacy zones that let you black out areas you don’t want to film (such as a neighbor’s house).

Why it’s a good deal: This doorbell is still at its Prime Day price, just $10 more than the low price we saw for Black Friday last year.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim EP25 is very easy to use and set up, based on our expert evaluations, and it offers decent data security. It’s also one of the most versatile smart plugs on the market, offering energy monitoring and compatibility with all four major smart home systems: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings.

Why it’s a good deal: You can get this four-pack for just $3 more than it sold for on Prime Day.

The Bosma Aegis retrofit smart lock receives high scores across the board in our tests, including for its ease of remote access. It also comes with plenty of features, such as auto-locking, auto-unlocking, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, electronic keys, an access log, a door open/close sensor, and a tamper alarm to warn you of a possible break-in.

Why it’s a good deal: With the on-page coupon, this is now $5 cheaper than the best price we’ve seen this year.

If you need a highly portable laptop that can easily slip into a bag without weighing you down, you might consider this 12.4-inch notebook from Microsoft, which is now nearly $10 cheaper than it was during Prime Day. It has an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 gigabytes of memory, and 256GB of solid-state storage. Given that “Go” is part of the name, you shouldn’t be surprised that it’s quite light (2.5 pounds) and has a battery that can last 11 hours while handling lightweight tasks like browsing the web.

Why it’s a good deal: This is an impressive discount. But it was $50 cheaper recently, and the price may dip that low again for Amazon’s fall sale this October, so you may be better off waiting if you don’t need a new laptop right now.

Thin, light, and powerful, the 2020 MacBook Air is still at its Prime Day price. It’s a great machine, even though there’s a newer MacBook Air for shoppers to consider. The older laptop 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 processor 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.

Why it’s a good deal: For the last two weeks, this laptop has been at the best price we’ve seen all year, beating the previous low by $50.

This full-sized tower desktop PC has better specs than the CR Recommended HP Pavilion TP01-3003w. It has an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16 gigabytes of memory, a 512GB solid-state drive, and a dedicated AMD Radeon graphics card, which makes it a good choice for playing games or crunching numbers.

Why it’s a good deal: The price of this desktop computer fell about $50 compared with last week. It’s still about $40 more than the lowest price we’ve seen, but this is a sizable discount.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 ranks among our top-rated noise-canceling earbuds, and this is a hefty discount. Expect solid audio quality and noise cancellation, a long battery life, and handy features, including an ambient sound monitoring mode that lets you keep an ear on your environment.

Why it’s a good deal: This is a great discount for these earbuds, and Walmart is the only place to get them on sale right now. Just note that they’ve sold for as little as $175 during major sales and are likely to be at a better price closer to the next holiday shopping season.

The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW are top-scoring true wireless earbuds that provide stellar audio quality packed into a pair of sleek and unobtrusive earpieces available in a variety of colors. They offer a number of great features. They’re not noise canceling, but the silicone ear tips provide quite a lot of passive isolation. There’s even an ambient sound mode for when you want to keep an ear on your environment. They have easy-to-use touch controls for volume, playback, and skipping tracks, and they feature convenient USB-C charging. The headphones also include an unusual low latency mode, which reduces the slight lag you sometimes get with Bluetooth headphones, for better performance with games and videos. According to Audio-Technica, they have a 6.5-hour battery life, and the charging case stores an extra 13 hours of power.

Why it’s a good deal: This is just $6 more than the best price we’ve seen and nearly 50 percent off the list price.

Noise-canceling true wireless earbuds at a stocking stuffer price? No, that’s neither a joke nor a typo. The 1More ComfoBuds Pro channel Apple’s AirPods in terms of styling, and our testers report that they’re not far off in terms of performance at a small fraction of the price. You might even think about a second pair so that you can treat yourself to your favorite tunes.

Why it’s a good deal: The on-page coupon takes a nice 20 percent chunk out of the full price of this already reasonable pair of earbuds.

The Sennheiser Momentum 3 is a stylish true wireless noise-canceling headphone that’s aimed at the high-end market. Both the cloth-covered charger and the earbuds themselves exude elegance, and the model delivers sound that’s satisfying if not quite state of the art, though it’s better than the previous Momentum 2. On the feature front, it’s sweat-resistant and compatible with both Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. 

Why it’s a good deal: While we’ve seen these headphones selling for about $30 less in recent weeks, this is still a nice discount.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is a workhorse, earning a spot among the top non-Apple tablets CR has tested. It’s a great option if you want a tablet with a large 12.4-inch screen. It does have a shorter battery life than most, at just 7.3 hours for web browsing. It also has expandable storage with a built-in micro SD reader, and it gets high scores for performance, convenience, and versatility.

Why it’s a good deal: The price for this tablet is a mere $20 more than the lowest we’ve seen.

Black-and-white laser printers don’t get enough love from everyday shoppers. A machine like the HP LaserJet M209dwe can be far cheaper to operate than almost any inkjet while spewing out very sharp, clear text at impressive speeds. Now this is a bare-bones machine. It prints only in black and white. It’s pretty inept at producing graphics, and it lacks the ability to copy or scan documents. Oh, and about that six-month deal on cartridges: You’ll need to set up an HP account and maintain the printer’s internet access. (Note that the printer accepts only HP toner cartridges.) If you’re okay with all that, the HP LaserJet M209dwe can be a good deal. What it does, it does extremely well, while consuming a modest corner of a desk—and a smaller slice of a household budget.

Why it’s a good deal: A reliable printer for less than $100 is rare but perfect for someone with basic printing needs.

As with other reservoir- or tank-style printers, the EcoTank Photo ET-2400 does away with pricey replacement cartridges in favor of tanks that can be replenished with low-cost bottles of ink. Our estimates show the typical yearly cost to keep this printer running is just $5, a fraction of the figure for conventional inkjets. The model scores well for text and graphics quality, but it’s relatively slow compared with other inkjets and offers only basic features: WiFi connectivity, scanning and copying, and a 100-sheet paper tray. If you own the model for a few years, however, it becomes one of the cheapest printers in our ratings, especially for those who routinely churn out recipes, book reports, tickets, schedules, graphics-heavy school projects, and the like.

Why it’s a good deal: This is the same sale price we’ve seen for the past few weeks. We haven’t seen it dip any lower in some time.

The Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t much different from the previous Series 7 version. The Series 8 features new body temperature sensors for retrospective estimates of ovulation and a high-speed g-force sensor for car crash detection. It also has an ECG function designed to detect unusual heart rhythms. There’s no change in battery size, though the latest version of the Watch operating system adds a new function that can double the life per charge, Apple says, albeit at the expense of some functionality. In our ratings, the Series 8 falls just a bit short of the Ultra, performing less well in the scratch test. But the Series 8 still ranks toward the top of our smartwatch ratings.

Why it’s a good deal: This model has been available at this sale price for months, but Walmart is the only retailer offering the discount.

If you’re a walker who wants a very low-cost, basic fitness tracker, the Amazfit Band 5 should be on your shopping list. The model offers sleep and stress-tracking capabilities but doesn’t have built-in GPS or the ability to load a music playlist. Our testers found the Amazfit Band 5 quite easy to use, and they reported that it counts steps accurately. For monitoring heart rate, however, the Amazfit ranks near the bottom of our ratings, so if you rely on heart rate data for training, you should consider buying a device that delivers better performance.

Why it’s a good deal: This is already a lower-priced option, but the more than 25 percent discount makes it even better.

The Fitbit Inspire 2 fitness tracker has been on sale since mid-April. It’s now only $7 more than the lowest price 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: Walmart still has the same low price we’ve seen for this fitness tracker in recent weeks.

The Fitbit Charge 5 earns solid test scores in key categories and works with Fitbit’s smartphone app. Ongoing access to Fitbit’s full functionality requires a subscription to the Fitbit Premium smartphone app for $10 per month. The Charge 5 adds some features commonly found on smartwatches, including stress monitoring and an EKG (electrocardiogram) function that can alert you to irregular heart rhythms. Claimed battery life for the Fitbit Charge 5 is seven days, though in one reviewer’s experience, this fitness tracker needed to be plugged in after about two and a half days.

Why it’s a good deal: This is the usual sale price for this fitness tracker.

Apple introduced an updated version of its high-value SE watch last September, which has led to a series of solid deals on the first-generation Watch SE. The earlier version 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-generation SE and the Apple Watch Series 8 is that the SE lacks a blood oxygen sensor, which helps boost sleep-tracking accuracy, as well as a temperature sensor that can provide retroactive estimates of ovulation. The SE also lacks the high-speed g-force sensor that can sense when you’ve been in a car crash, a feature found on the latest SE, which starts at $249. But on your wrist, the earlier SE is almost identical to the new SE or even the Series 8.

Why it’s a good deal: This is the most affordable way to get your hands on an Apple Watch.

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.

Why it’s a good deal: This speaker has been on sale for $150 for the last few weeks, but the price just dropped an additional $20, making it a great time to buy.

The latest orblike Amazon Echo tops its predecessor, the classic cylindrical Echo, in a number of important ways. The sonics are significantly improved, with a strong but slightly boomy bass and enough volume to fill a midsized room. Our testers also found that two Echo speakers sound good when paired in stereo, delivering you-are-there appeal.

Why it’s a good deal: While we often see this speaker selling for $65, currently Home Depot is the only retailer offering any discount. If you can’t wait to buy, this is the best way to save. However, with Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale coming in October, you should be able to save at least $15 more by waiting.

The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s smallest smart screen. Our testers report that the sound is subpar for a music-listening device, but that’s not 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: This has been on clearance at Best Buy for some time, and you won’t find a better price.

The Clip 4 is hardly the best-sounding speaker we’ve tested, but it does have two important things going for it: It’s inexpensive and it’s small. The tiny speaker fits easily into your palm and features a carabiner that can clip onto a backpack or a beach bag. JBL claims an IP67 rating, which means the speaker is both water-resistant and dustproof. Our testers found the Clip 4 to be easy to pair, and the prominent controls make it easy to turn up the volume.

Why it’s a good deal: This is a nice discount if you’re looking for a small speaker to take on the go.

The Denon DHT-S217 is a compact all-in-one soundbar that has built-in downfiring subwoofers. (It also has a subwoofer output for adding an external sub.) This model supports Dolby Atmos audio, though it lacks upfiring speakers. It has built-in Bluetooth for streaming audio from a portable device and includes both HDMI inputs and outputs (so you can pass through 4K HDR video signals), as well as an optical digital audio connection.

Why it’s a good deal: Twenty percent off is the typical discount. It was $150 during Prime Day and may reach that low again for Black Friday, so wait if you can. If not, this is a great price now.

Stepping up to the 3.1.2-channel LG S75Q in LG’s lineup gets you support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive sound, although it actually didn’t do quite as well for sound as the LG S65Q model below it. The main enclosure has two upfiring drivers to add the element of height, and like the S65Q model, the LG Sound Sync feature lets you connect wirelessly via Bluetooth to compatible LG TVs.

Why it’s a good deal: The price has dropped about $45 since last week, marking a new low.

This wireless router does quite well in our ratings. It’s not a mesh router, but if a single-unit router is sufficient to envelop your home in WiFi, this should do a good job. Our testers note high speeds (technically referred to as “throughput”) across near, medium, and far distances, as well as useful additional features like automatic firmware updating (which helps keep you and your data safe) and the ability to manage everything from a smartphone app.

Why it’s a good deal: This is about $20 more than its Prime Day price but still a good discount compared with the full price.

It’s hard to argue with a solid wireless router that costs less than $150, and Google WiFi is still at its Prime Day price, $10 below that mark. It gets high scores across most of our tests and has features like automatic firmware updating and smartphone-based management. There are also two built-in Ethernet ports.

Why it’s a good deal: This is about $10 more than the lowest price we’ve seen, but it’s still a stellar price.