Hello, cash-savvy shopper (well done on that, by the way). Your gift-giving season approaches and thus, our Black Friday deals should get you ahead of the curve and ready for the chaos.
Although the day itself isn't until November 29th 2024, retailers are starting to offer Black Friday headphones deals now – they're going early, to get your purchase. In the US, Best Buy's Black Friday deals start on November 8th, while Walmart follows on November 11th. In the UK, Currys and Argos have already begun their Black Friday sales (and are promising to refund any further price drops if you buy now).
You can see a quick list of the best early Black Friday headphones deals to check out at the moment here. This list will grow and multiply as things heat up in the coming weeks, but for now, the wisest shoppers will bookmark this page for safe-keeping. Stick with us, it's going to be a good one this year!
Oh, and if you wanted earbuds specifically (rather than headphones), I've got a dedicated guide to the best Black Friday earbuds deals around too. My pleasure!
Today's best headphones deals in the US
- Amazon: early deals on Beats and Bose
- Best Buy: big Beats deals now
- Target: save on JLab, Bose & Beats
- Walmart: AirPods Pro 2 down to $179
Today's best headphones deals in the UK
- Amazon: up to 50% off Anker headphones
- Argos: JLab and Technics from £19.99
- John Lewis: Sennheiser flagship cans now £199
- Very: big early Sennheiser deals
I've reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. I've spent five years working on Black Friday headphones coverage, so between my experience of previous deals and of the headphones themselves, I know what's a real bargain.
Black Friday headphones deals: FAQs
When will the Black Friday headphones deals start in 2024?
They're already piling up! Black Friday proper isn't until November 29th, but the actual deals are building up way ahead of the calendar date.
Also, your TechRadar team's been in this game a while and we are not easily fooled: 'Black Friday' branded deals may start in late October, but we'll tell you which are actually worth your consideration and which to steer clear of, because a better offer is likely to come later – though the promises that some retailers offer of refunded any price difference can help.
Amazon actually held a 'Big Deals Day' sale in October of this year, which was basically a second Amazon Prime Day. Several retailers launched sales in thinly-veiled retaliation, so we're in a heightened 'deals season' right now and will be until the new year. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for choice headphones deals right here on this page.
Is Black Friday the best time to buy headphones?
We can't promise you there's no better time to buy, but generally speaking, Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to buy new headphones – it is without a doubt the biggest sale of the year. And you don't need to take our word for it; Adobe Analytics data shows the biggest discounts on electronics happened during the peak of last year's Black Friday sales.
So, if you've been considering an upgrade to your current cans or want to snag yourself a brand-new commuter set (or something for the gym?) ahead of the big day, you'll likely find some of the lowest prices ever on headphones throughout November. Discounts could be especially aggressive this year, given how the market has struggled to find a new icon following Sony's excellent – but let's be honest, getting older – WH-1000XM4 over-ears, alongside the release of some excellent (if a little more niche) planar magnetic sets and of course, Apple's addition of USB-C ports to its AirPods Max… we've tested them all here at TechRadar, so we'll only offer you the best deals we see.
What Black Friday headphones deals should you look out for in 2024?
As mentioned above, we think AirPods Max will be huge this Black Friday. Don't mind a Lightning port? The Cupertino giant updated it's inaugural Apple-branded over-ears to use USB-C in September, which means you may well see big discounts on the older stock. Last year, AirPods Max dipped as low as $395 / £399 in the UK, both at Amazon, so we might look for prices to even dip a touch lower.
Elsewhere, we recently saw a lovely sale on Sony's WH-1000XM5, which dropped back to their lowest-seen price of $298 in the US. In the UK? Well, their lowest-ever price in this region is £239, which happened in January 2023. Our advice? At those prices, they're a stone cold steal.
Any other notable mentions? The superb Bose QuietComfort Ultra recently dropped to their lowest ever prices during Amazon's 48-hour Big Deal Days event in early October. The prices to look for there are $329 in the US and £329 in the UK. If you see these figures or lower, it's a cracking deal.
Finally, Sonos' June 2024-issue headphones, the Sonos Ace. We've heard murmurings that Sonos may drop the price of those too to stimulate better sales, so that's another one to look out for.
As always, we'll be working around the clock and when we see the prices drop, you'll be the first to know.
Why trust TechRadar this Black Friday
As your friendly Audio Editor and writer of this piece, I've covered Black Friday for five years, first as Staff Writer at What Hi-Fi?, then as Senior Staff Writer and finally Audio Editor on TechRadar. I was on the inaugural Black Friday deals team in 2019 on TechRadar's sister publication above. And I see how far we've come.
Today in 2024, I regularly hunt down some of the best prices on headphones and earbuds, not just during sales events but throughout the year. We also have dedicated deals teams in the US and the UK and (it's impossible to write this with humility) we know what we're doing: we emphatically know a bargain when we see it.
I'm also leaning on the expertise of the wider TechRadar team and we've got decades of experience between us – TechRadar itself is over 16 years old. We've spent more time than I'd care to calculate testing and reviewing all of the latest noise-cancelling headphones, planar magnetic over-ears, sports focused earbuds and more. We've reviewed more than 2,400 audio reviews in total, in fact. We know the options that are worth spending money on. Those are the Black Friday headphones deals I'll focus on here. My goal? To get you something that matches both your priorities and your budget.
