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Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.
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Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.
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Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.
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Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.
The perfect gift for a college student can be hard to suss out. They’re adults, but not really, and what they need at school swings between “serious academic tools” and “things that make dorm life more bearable” wildly. Whether you’re prepping a freshman to return for the spring semester at a state school or you’re upgrading the gear of a senior at Yale, the right tech, accessories, and comfort items can make a huge difference in their daily routines. Here’s a curated list of tech-focused gifts that any student would like, covering productivity boosters, dorm upgrades, and a fun splurges—many of which are on sale right now.
Academic and productivity essentials
Good grades require good gear. These items are all designed to aid in the “studying” part of going to college, because education is the whole point.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook
A reliable laptop is the most important piece of tech for most students. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook is powerful enough to handle note-taking, Google Docs, and streaming, and, at less than three pounds, it’s light enough to carry all over campus.
Power Strip with USB, 2100J Surge Protector
No dorm room has enough outlets, and few surge protectors have enough USB ports. This power strip solves both problems at once by cramming 12(!) outlets and 6 USB ports—both C and B—into one compact unit. It’s infinitely practical.
Urbanista noise cancelling headphones
These Urbanista over-ear headphones are great for drowning out loud roommates, hallway traffic, and the general chaos of college housing. Plus, they can be used to get, like, really into Pink Floyd. They’re very solid headphones at a very good price.
Ipepul scientific calculator
A phone calculator won’t cut it on exams. Obviously math, science, business, and engineering students are going to need a reliable scientific calculator, but even liberal arts majors are likely to need one for that damn statistics class they have to take.
Kindle Paperwhite
Just as English majors need calculators, STEM students are going to have to take at least on literature class, and a Kindle will make all that reading as painless as possible with its bright screen and go-anywhere size and weight.
Amazon Fire Max Tablet
An Amazon Fire tablet is the perfect item to have with you when a laptop isn’t needed. This flexible entertainment (and study) device lets you stream lectures, take notes, watch movies, and browse the web, and it costs way less than an iPad. It’s just a much cleaner option than a pile of notebooks.
Amazon Fire Max stylus
If you want to take their tablet to the next level, don’t forget the stylus. It’s great for note-taking, sketching, highlighting, and annotating PDFs.
Dorm life and entertainment
College isn’t all lectures, reading, studying, and exams. There’s also navigating being away from home for the first time, figuring our how to live comfortably, and making friends, and that extracurricular activity can be as much of an education as classes.
Keurig K-Express Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker
For many students, caffeine is vital for productivity, wellness, and entertainment. There may be coffee at the cafeteria, but it’s all the way across campus. This dorm-size, single serving coffee maker from Keurig will be greatly appreciated.
A year’s subscription to a streaming service
Whether you sign them up for Amazon Prime, Netflix, or The Criterion Collection, a subscription is one of the most appreciated gifts you can give, and it’s something they’ll definitely use. It’s also super-easy to sign up. Just make sure you check for student discounts so you don’t over pay.
JBL Charge 6 Bluetooth speaker
Portable and loud enough for dorm hangouts, study playlists, and small outdoor gatherings, the JBL Charge 6 sounds great, and it’s tough enough to deal with spilled drinks, drops on the ground, and more. This is a great Bluetooth speaker for college life.
Govee LED lights
These LED strips will turn an impersonal dorm room into a customized den instantly. Plus, the effortless installation isn’t likely to run afoul of the dorm’s rules about making room alterations.
Electactic beverage cooler
A dorm room with a mini fridge packed with midnight snacks and cans of “sodas” is the kind of dorm room everyone wants to hang out in, but before you buy this, make sure setting up a fridge isn’t breaking any rules.
Dyson Hot+Cool AM09 Jet Focus heater and fan
Controlling the temperature in a dorm room can be hard, but this Dyson heater/cooler is perfect for the limited square footage of a typical dorm room. It’s quiet, unobtrusive, and can be used to cool or heat a person or a whole room.
Echo Glow lamp
A color-changing light can makes any dorm room feel calmer and more comfortable, but this attractive Echo lamp has a secret: It’s Alexa compatible so it can be controlled with spoken commands and it also works as an alarm clock.
Meta Quest 3S
A popular pick for VR gaming, fitness, and immersive study breaks, the Meta Quest 3S is also great for virtual hangouts with the friends they left behind when they graduated high school.
What do you think so far?
Personal Wellness and lifestyle
College life can be stressful, so staying physically and mentally fit is vital. These wellness and style focused gifts might help build good habits and take better care of themselves while they’re juggling classes, work, and social life.
Chamelo Music Shield smart glasses
The color-changing gimmick at the heart of these music-playing glasses is perfect for someone who exercises outside a lot, and Music Shields are also perfect for someone who wants to make a fashion impression in a unique way.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
This all-in-one device is great for managing notifications, tracking fitness, and maintaining healthy sleep habits, all things that can make a huge difference in college. Plus, a Galaxy Watch will help them get to class on time and look stylish doing it.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones
These Shokz headphones are perfect for a student who likes to listen to music or podcast while walking, running, or cycling. The open-ear design allows you to hear your surrounding, but they still sound great.
Oral-B iO rechargeable electric toothbrush
A really solid, high-end toothbrush like this Oral-B iO is the kind of thing a cash-strapped student is unlikely to buy for themselves, but will make a huge difference in their daily life. In other words, even though it’s “just” a toothbrush, it’s a perfect Christmas gift.
Oura Ring 4
This unobtrusive finger ring is amazing: it tracks sleep, stress, exercise, and recovery. An Oura Ring 4 is great for students trying to balance classes, work, fitness and social life while avoiding burnout; in other words, every college student.
Does Apple do Black Friday?
Yes, Apple participates in Black Friday, though you may want to compare their sales with other retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. Apple is offering an exclusive $250 gift card for eligible purchases, but so far, the best Black Friday sale on an Apple product is the M4 MacBook on sale for cheaper than ever.
Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?
Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, make the most of it.
What stores have the best sales on Black Friday?
Nowadays, both large retailers and small businesses compete for Black Friday shoppers, so you can expect practically every store to run sales through Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” sales depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to come from larger retailers that can afford lower prices: think places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our live blog.
Are Black Friday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.
Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?
Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, the distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Black Friday Deals Right Now
Deals are selected by our commerce team
