Black Friday isn't technically for another week, but early Black Friday sales are already here in a big way. As far as certain big box retailers like Walmart are concerned, calendars
are fungible. Time is merely a suggestion. Holidays—and we mean that very broadly in the case of Black Friday—are meant to be celebrated weeks, maybe months early. In this case, that overeagerness is useful, just like how good it is to be able to buy Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins in late August.
To be fair, most of the early Black Friday sales here in 2020 are just okay. Do not mistake the enthusiasm of Best Buy, Walmart, and Home Depot as unchecked largesse. But after hours of scanning the available listings and cross-referencing with historical data (yeah, we do math), we've found a bunch of genuinely strong deals that'll save you real money on quality things. Are they all sexy, cool things? Not so much. But if you're looking for a phenomenal deal on an InstantPot, toothbrushes, or some Apple AirPods, then good news—these early Black Friday deals are perfect for you.
The Best Black Friday Sales on Clothing and Shoes We've Found So Far
Looking for the best clothing and shoe deals available this year? Don't worry, this is GQ, we have you covered.
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Walmart
Walmart's Black Friday “Deals for Days” sale (an unfortunate name, let's move on) began in earnest on November 4th. The wide-ranging sale includes TVs, kitchen appliances, and … well a bunch of other things you can get at Sam Walton's warehouse. There's a good deal on the first version of AirPods (the ones without the wireless charging case), an older TV that's still likely an upgrade, and a frankly bonkers deal on the InstantPot.
Apple AirPods (was $130, now 24% off)
InstantPot electric pressure cooker, 6-quart (was $100, now 50% off)
TCL 4-Series TV, 55-inch (was $220, now 32% off)
Bose Series II wireless noise cancelling headphones (was $350, now 43% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Best Buy
Best Buy dropped its Black Friday ads in, no joke, October. But unlike last year, it doesn't appear that any have sold out yet. The sale includes basically every major tech category you'd care about, including headphones, large-scale appliances, cell phone accessories, and smart home gear.
Sony WF-1000XM3 true wireless noise cancelling ear buds (was $230, now 26% off)
Philips Sonicare 4100 electric toothbrush (was $50, now 40% off)
Philips Hue Bluetooth smart light bulb (3-pack) (was $135, now 26% off)
Philips Hue smart lightstrip kit (was $105, now 43% off)
JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth speaker (was $120, now 25% off)
Sony SRS-XB32 portable Bluetooth speaker (was $150, now 47% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Target
Target's Black Friday sale is refreshed and updated each week through the actual day. Currently includes some of the company's adequate clothing and some holiday gear, but the best deals appear to be on tech and personal care goods. The discounts we're most excited about now include one of the first sales on the new Apple Watch (announced earlier this fall), a couple of good Beats headphones, a printer, and the slick metal version of the best electric toothbrush for travel we've tested.
Apple Watch SE (was $280, now 18% off)
Beats Powerbeats Pro true wireless headphones (was $250, now 36% off)
Quip metal electric toothbrush (was $50, now 50% off)
Beats Studio3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones (was $350, now 50% off)
Canon PIXMA wireless all-in-one printer (was $100, now 20% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Amazon
Given the fact that Black Friday creep is largely its fault, Amazon's Early Black Friday sales began kind of late? The retailer's deals launched November 20th, just one week before actual Black Friday. The restraint, thankfully, is not reflected in the size of the deals. We'll get more specific deals in the coming days, but for now, these discounts are the ones we're most excited about: a great pair of AirPods, a mesh Wi-Fi system to fix all your internet woes, and a decent streaming stick.
Apple AirPods Pro (was $250, now 20% off)
Amazon eero mesh-networking system (3-pack) (was $280, now 20% off)
Amazon Fire TV stick (was $50, now 40% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Brooklinen
Among the range of home goods manufacturers we evaluate each year, Brooklinen consistently prove themselves to be one of the best makers of home goods. Whenever we test sheets, comforters, and towels, the company's offerings always rise to the top of the crop. This Black Friday coincides with the company's annual 20% off sale. This is typically the biggest discount we see on Brooklinen's gear all year—the company does 15% off during more regular holiday sales. That means it's likely the best time to upgrade your home's software you'll find. Our favorite options are the company's luxe core sheet set (in whatever pattern suits your fancy), waffle towels, and the weighted comforter (embrace the limb-pinning heft!).
Brooklinen Luxe Core sheet set (was $160, now 20% off)
Brooklinen waffle bath towel (was $60, now 20% off)
Brooklinen weighted comforter (was $350, now 20% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Design Within Reach
The luxury home furnishings retailer officially kicked off its holiday sale on November 9th. The sale includes 15% off on items from select designers. Yes, that includes the classic Noguchi table, but it also includes one of the best office chairs we've tried.
Herman Miller "Sayl" chair (was $545, now 15% off)
Eames Hang-It-All rack (was $295, now 15% off)
Noguchi table (was $2,300, now 15% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at HAY
The imaginative Danes at HAY are celebrating Black Friday early too. The company's sale is only on lighting and accessories, leaving out all the company's large furniture. But real heads know the best things at HAY come in small, colorful packages.
HAY "Matin" table lamp (was $195, now 15% off)
HAY "Kaleido" tray set 1 (was $40, now 15% off)
HAY "Snowden" bottle (was $35, now 15% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at REI
REI's sales events are always a good time for outdoor gear nuts and the fashion heads that follow their lead. This year's Black Friday sale includes a whole 50% off select gear (including a good water bottle and hammock) and some solid discounts on other accessories. The headlamp is essential for anyone's whose pandemic plans include spelunking (or running after dark without dying) and the cooler will come in handy when park hangs become weather-permissible again.
CamelBak Chute Mag water bottle (was $14, now 50% off)
ENO Double Deluxe hammock (was $85, now 50% off)
Black Diamond Spot Lite 160 headlamp (was $27, now 26% off)
REI Co-Op soft cooler (was $35, now 30% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at B&H
B&H has a lot of deals available, as you'd expect from the massive tech retailer. Most of them on gear you probably don't really at this moment, like camera mounts and external hard drives. But it is not all bad news. This projector, which supports 4k resolution and has a super bright bulb, is a good option for building out your home theater.
BenQ TK800M projector (was $1450, now 31% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 on Kitchenware at OXO
OXO's Black Friday sale launched with storage containers in early November. The company has since added a bunch of kitchenware, including a couple great coffee makers (in two sizes), our favorite electric kettle, and the best cold brew dripper. It still doesn't include some of our very favorite things (show me...a laptop cleaner!), but we expect an even wider range of discounts to go live from them in the coming weeks.
OXO 9-Cup coffee Maker (was $200, now 20% off)
OXO 8-Cup coffee maker (was $170, now 20% off)
OXO adjustable temperature electric kettle (was $100, now 20% off)
OXO compact cold brew coffee maker (was $30, now 20% off)
OXO glass bake, serve & store set (14-pack) (was $94, now 40% off)
The Our Place Pan is on Sale
Our Place Always pan (was $145, now 34% off with code "SUPERSALE")
The Tappan Collective's Only Annual Sale Is Live
Tappan Collective is a solid source of relatively inexpensive art and photography from a wide range of artists—a shortcut to curing blank wall syndrome. This week, the company is holding it's only sale of the year. With code Tappan-Holiday-20, you get 15% off anything and everything. Highly suggest this photo of an inflatable whale. Brighter times ahead.
Number 19 by Marleigh Culver (was $140, now 15% off with code "TAPPAN-HOLIDAY-20")
Whale in Pool by Gia Coppola (was $100, now 15 off with code 'TAPPAN-HOLIDAY-20")
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Home Depot
Home Depot's early Black Friday sales of 2020 feature some pretty big discounts, but across a single category of items: tools. If you're looking to do some home improvement projects during your pandemic winter, here's your chance to get a powerful drill set and actually compatible bits.
DeWalt Atomic cordless compact drill and tool bag (was $150, now 33% off)
The Best Early Black Friday Sales 2020 at Lightology
Lightology's sale includes 40% off some select designer lighting fixtures, including this handsome pendant shade from Muuto. The company's warehouse is a must-peruse for anyone doing home improvement projects.
Muuto Grain pendant lamp shade (was $291, now 40% off)
Georget Kovas bathroom light (was $337, now 20% off)
The Best Early Black Friday 2020 Furniture Sales at Wayfair
Wayfair almost always has sales around the holidays. But the company's early Black Friday sale takes the cake, with big discounts on bedroom, office, and living room furniture.
Mistana "Hillsby" area rug (was $116, now 64% off)
Langley Street "Tess" desk (was $140, now 46% off)
Mercury Row "Avey" platform bed (was $200, now 20% off)
George Oliver "Hofstetter" armchair (was $208, now 16% off)
