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Black Friday typically presents lots of opportunities to smarten up your abode, with everything from connected bulbs to robot vacuums undergoing deep discounts for the holidays. We’ve already seen a few of these items go on sale as part of early Black Friday efforts, and we’ll definitely see more today and over the weekend. These devices include not just the aforementioned bulbs and robot vacuums but also sous vide machines, Instant Pots, Nest Hubs and more. To prevent you from sifting through all these sales yourself, we’ve done the hard work for you. Here are some of the best ones we’ve seen so far.

iRobot Roomba 694

iRobot

One of our favorite robot vacuums, the iRobot Roomba 694, is now $95 off, which brings its price down to $180. It does a great job cleaning both hard and carpeted surfaces, plus the app is easy to use. It has a three-stage cleaning system plus dirt detect sensors that will prompt it to clean high-traffic spots of your home more thoroughly. It navigates obstacles really well too. It’ll even suggest an extra clean during high pollen or pet shedding season. The Roomba 694 is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa as well.

If you don’t mind spending more money, iRobot’s higher-end Roomba i3+ is on sale for $300 (down from $400). It’s a little more intelligent with personalized cleaning suggestions and it automatically recharges itself too. You can also get the i3+ with an automatic dirt disposal unit, where it’ll empty itself out so you don’t have to.

Shark AI Self-Empty XL robot vacuum

Shark

The Shark AV2501 AI robot vacuum with the extra-large HEPA self-empty base is usually $650, but is now at an all-time low price of $450. Not only does it empty itself, but the base actually has a 60-day capacity. That means you can go two whole months before having to take it out. On top of that, the true HEPA filtration captures 99.97 percent of dust and allergens, it has LIDAR technology to accurately map out your home, and you can set up schedules, on-demand cleaning, UltraClean Mode and more via the app, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

iRobot Roomba j7+

iRobot

iRobot's latest vacuum, the Roomba j7+, has dropped to $649 at Wellbots when you use the code ENGADGET200 at checkout for $200 off. This is one of the higher-end robo-vacs the company makes and it has new AI-driven computer vision technology that can detect objects and move around them as it cleans. That means it'll better avoid things like chairs and table legs, as well as unexpected obstacles like pet poop. It also comes with a clean base into which the robot will empty debris at the end of every cleaning job.

Instant Pot Duo Plus

Instant Pot

Black Friday is usually a great time for those looking to score a great deal on an Instant Pot, and this year is no different. Currently, the six-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus is half off, bringing it from $120 to just $60. It’s one we think works great for most people due to its simple design plus it has plenty of features. Not only is it an excellent pressure cooker, you can also use it for slow cooking, sautéing, cooking rice, making yogurt, steaming, sous vide cooking and sterilizing.

Other models are on sale too. The six-quart Duo Crisp is now $100 ($50 off) while the six-quart Pro is $80 ($50 off) and the eight-quart Pro Crisp is $170 ($80 off). The Duo Crisp has many of the same features as the Duo Plus, except it has an additional crisping lid that adds additional features such as broiling, dehydrating and air frying. The Pro adds a few extra features for advanced users, such as five programmable buttons for your own recipes, while the Pro Crisp has an additional air fryer lid.

Ninja Foodi 8 Quart 12-in-1 Deluxe XL pressure cooker

Ninja

Another pressure cooker on sale is the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL. The price has dropped from $250 to just $140, which is a 44 percent discount. The Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL has an 8 quart capacity plus a crisping air-frying technology built right in, so there’s no need to buy two separate appliances. It has 12 different functions: pressure cook, air fry, steam, slow cook, yogurt maker, sear, bake, roast, broil, dehydrate, sous vide and keep warm.

August WiFi smart lock

Engadget

August has dropped the price of its WiFi smart lock to $170. If you’d rather upgrade your deadbolt entirely however, then August’s WiFi Smart Lock is the better option. It’s down from $230 to just $180. It easily installs on any door and you can grant access to friends and family using the app. It has built-in WiFi so you don’t need an external WiFi hub, and it’ll work seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit. Features like Auto-Unlock and DoorSense bring peace of mind, instantly opening the door when you’re nearby and alerting you when it’s locked safely behind you. We praised it in our review for its ease-of-use and security features.

GE's CYNC Full Color Direct Connect

GE

CYNC’s full color direct connect smart bulbs are discounted for Black Friday: the 4-pack is down from $45 to $35, while the 2-pack is down from $24 to just $17. These light bulbs are great because all you need to do is screw them in and connect them directly to GE's app; there’s no need for a separate WiFi hub. They can change to all kinds of different colors plus different color temperatures as well. The app lets you schedule the lights for certain times of day, and you can also use either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to control your lights.

Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 LED smart lights

Philips

Philips’ Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 LED Starter Kit is down from $190 to $140 for Black Friday. This kit comes with three bulbs, a Hue Bridge to connect them to, plus an included dimmer switch just in case you prefer not to use your phone to control the lights. You can sync them with your movie, music or game for a custom mood lighting. The app also lets you schedule wake and sleep routines with the lights. Plus, you can control them with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit.

Philips is also selling a Bluetooth version of the A19 in a 3-pack for $100 (down from $135). They have the same color profiles and dimming capabilities, and you can connect them to your phone via Bluetooth for instant light control in one room. If you want the full set of smart lighting features however, you’ll still want the Hue bridge mentioned above. If you're more interested in Hue light strips, a starter pack that includes the Hue bridge is 55 percent off and down to $50.

Google Nest Hub Max

Engadget

Google’s Nest Hub Max was originally priced at $230 but is now $180. The Nest Hub Max is basically Google Assistant housed inside a 10-inch display. It works as a digital photo frame and you can also use it to watch YouTube videos and step-by-step cooking instructions. There’s a built-in camera which can be used for facial recognition so that each family member can access their own notes and calendar. You can also use it for video calls via Google Duo, Meet or Zoom. It’s especially useful if you have Nest devices in the house, as you can use it to check out Nest cams and control various other smart home products.

If you’d rather have a smart display without a camera, then consider Google’s 2nd-gen Nest Hub. It is also deeply discounted for Black Friday, with a 50 percent discount that drops it from $100 to $50. It has all of the features of the Nest Hub Max but without the camera, which makes it more suitable for more intimate settings like the bedroom. In fact, the 2nd-gen Nest Hub even has a sleep sensor, which you can use to figure out your sleeping patterns.

Google Nest Audio

Engadget

Google’s Nest Audio is the company’s best smart speaker to-date, and it’s currently down from $100 to just $60. The Nest Audio is attractive, minimalist and best of all, it has really great audio quality. The sound is even better if you have two paired in stereo mode, and since the Nest Audio is so affordable right now, you could afford to get two for not much more than the original price. Like other Google Assistant speakers, the Nest Audio lets you set reminders, ask various questions and control your smart home.

If you don’t care that much about audio quality and size is important to you, Google’s second-generation Nest Mini is on sale now too. Down from $50, it’s 50 percent off at just $25. The tiny hockey-puck like speaker might not sound as good as the Nest Audio but the audio is actually decent for its size. Of course, the main reason to get it is for Google Assistant, which will answer all your queries, let you set reminders and calendar appointments, and control your smart home too.

Google Nest WiFi router

Engadget

Say goodbye to WiFi dead zones with this Google Nest WiFi router 3-pack, which is currently on sale for just $249 (originally $349). This bundle includes one mesh router along with two access points, which is ideal for those with mid- to large-sized homes. Not only does it have a simple installation process, but each access point comes with a built-in smart speaker. This means that you don’t need to purchase an additional smart speaker if you don’t want to; each will have Google Assistant’s smarts baked right in. Plus, the mesh WiFi network will improve your home internet considerably, making it faster and more reliable.

Google Nest Cam Battery

Google

Google’s outdoor Nest Cam Battery is down from $180 to $150, for a total savings of $30. This security camera is meant to be used outdoors due to its weather resistance, though you can use it indoors too if you like. As its name suggests, it’s entirely battery-powered so it doesn’t need to be hardwired into your house. You can have back-and-forth conversations with whoever’s on the other end of the camera and if you have a Nest Aware subscription, you’ll get 24/7 live view recording as well. It’ll even notify you if it sees a person, animal, or vehicle.

Google Nest Learning Smart Thermostat

Google

Google’s top-of-the-line smart thermostat is down from $250 to just $180 for Black Friday. As its name suggests, the Nest Learning Smart Thermostat will learn your home system over time. From there, it’ll change the temperature to make your home more energy efficient. So if you’re usually out of the house between 9AM and 5PM for example, it’ll automatically turn down the thermostat during those times without you having to prompt it. Plus, the Nest Learning Smart Thermostat looks quite sleek as well due to its metal trim.

The more affordable smart thermostat from Google is also on sale right now. The Nest Smart Thermostat has dropped from $130 to just $100 for Black Friday. You can get it in a few different colors — Snow, Charcoal, Fog and Sand. It’s slimmer than the higher-end Nest Thermostat, and it has a touch-sensitive edge and a mirrored display that looks great on the wall. It also has plenty of smarts, with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa controls, plus an Eco mode that’ll keep your home at a specified temperature when you’re out of the house.

Amazon Echo Show 8

Engadget

The Echo Show 8 smart display is on sale for $90, or $40 off its normal rate. It earned a score of 87 from us for its attractive design, stellar audio quality and improved camera for video calls. This smart display has arguably the best sized display for anywhere in the home — its 8-inch screen could work well on nightstand, a kitchen counter, an entry table and many other places. Both the first- and second-gen Show 8s have discounted bundles that include a Blink Mini camera for only $5 extra, too.

If you prefer something a bit smaller, the Echo Show 5 has dropped to $45, or $40 off its normal price. This is the best Echo smart display if you want one as a smart alarm clock. We like its ambient light sensor, smart home controls and tap-to-snooze feature.

Amazon Echo

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Amazon's Echo smart speaker is on sale for $60 right now. We gave it a score of 89 for its solid audio quality, attractive design and inclusion of a 3.5mm audio jack. Out of the popular $100 smart speakers, we think the Echo has the best audio quality of them all, and you'll only enhance the experience if you have two of them playing together in stereo mode.

For those more concerned about space than audio quality, the tiny Echo Dot has dropped to $30, and you can grab the Echo Dot with Clock for only $35. These are much better suited for small spaces like a home office or a nightstand. We gave the Dot a score of 88 for its good audio quality for the price, compact design and tap-to-snooze feature.

Blink security cameras

Amazon / Blink

The Blink Indoor and Outdoor one-camera kits are on sale for $50 and $60, respectively. These cams are totally wireless, so you can place them almost anywhere. They supports 1080p recording, motion alerts, two-way audio and temperature monitoring, too. If you want something even more compact and don't mind dealing with a wire, the Blink Mini is also on sale for only $20.

Lenovo Smart Clocks

Engadget

Lenovo’s Smart Clock is a few years old now, which is probably why it’s so deeply discounted; it’s down from $80 to just $35. It’s still a really solid alarm clock with plenty of Google Assistant smarts. You can use it to check the weather, stream your favorite tunes and control your smart home too. You can use it to check out compatible Nest cams around the house. It also has plenty of clock features such as different clock faces and the ability to set custom schedules, alarms and timers. You can also just yell “Stop” to shut off the alarm in the morning. There’s a USB port in the back that you can use to charge your mobile devices too.

Alternatively, you can get the newer Lenovo Smart Clock 2, which has dropped from $90 to $70 for Black Friday. It has essentially the same features as its predecessor, but it now has a wireless charging dock attached. That means you can charge a couple of devices at the same time; one on the Qi charging pad and one via a USB cable.

For something a little more basic, the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is down from $50 to $30. It’s a much simpler version of the two other Lenovo Smart Clocks. Instead of an LCD display, all it shows are big LED numbers. But it still has built-in Google Assistant and it has a nightlight as well.

Facebook Portals

Facebook

Facebook’s Portal has dropped from $180 to just $80, making it a really good deal. The Portal is a smart display that’s mostly focused on video calls. It has a smart camera tech that can actually pan and zoom to keep you in frame as you move around the room. Plus, it supports a wide array of video call platforms including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Zoom, Webex and GoToMeeting. It has a lot of video call features as well such as AR effects, fun backgrounds, storytime animations and more. Built-in Alexa also gives it smart home controls and step-by-step cooking instructions as well.

Other Facebook Portal devices are on sale as well. The Portal+ is down from $350 to $300 while the Portal Go has dropped from $200 to $150. The Portal+ has the largest screen at around 14 inches, making it more suitable for larger spaces like a living room or a big kitchen. The Portal Go, on the other hand, is meant to be portable and carried from room to room; it even has a handle on the back.

TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini

TP-Link

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini has dropped from $18 to $13. It’s one of our favorite smart plugs due to its ease of use. It can turn any electronic item into a smart one, be it a simple lamp or a humidifier. When plugged into the Kasa, the devices can be controlled easily using the app. You can turn them on and off, create schedules and set timers using the app. If you want to use voice command, it works with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant as well.

Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera Security bundle

Arlo

Arlo’s Pro 4 Spotlight Camera Security Bundle is down from $600 to $400 for Black Friday. It includes three wire-free cameras, all of which can be used either indoors or outdoors. They can capture 2K HDR footage in color night vision. There’s also a built-in spot light, two-way audio so you can communicate with anyone on the other side of the camera, plus a smart siren that can be triggered automatically or remotely. They’re battery-powered so you don’t need to hard-wire them in too, which is great. The Arlo Pro 4 cameras are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant plus the IFTTT protocol.

Netgear Orbi AX4200 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi system

Netgear

Netgear has a few items on sale for Black Friday this year. One is its Orbi AX4200 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi System, which is down from $750 to $650. The company says it’ll cover up to 7,500 square feet with reliable WiFi. This bundle comes with three different Orbi units along with a built-in cable modem. It’s compatible with WiFi 6 and Netgear promises speeds of up to 4.2Gbps over 40 devices. The company is also offering the system in a pack with one router and three satellites for $550 (down from $650), which will cover up to 10,000 square feet instead.

Eero 6 WiFi system

eero LLC

The Eero 6 dual-band mesh WiFi system is down to $77, or 40 percent off its normal price. One node can cover up to 1,500 square feet and it supports WiFi 6. The Eero Pro 6 is also on sale and it's a bit more advanced than the standard 6: it's a tri-band system that supports WiFi 6 and covers up to 2,000 square feet with just one node.

Breville Joule Sous Vide White

Breville

The Breville Joule is one of our favorite sous vide cookers and its price has dropped by 20 percent; the white version is now $160 while the stainless steel option is $200. Sous vide cookers are wonderful because they’re able to cook foods at precise temperatures. This way you can get perfectly done meats every time, no guesswork required. The Joule is particularly impressive because it’s small, sleek and it fits perfectly inside the kitchen drawer. It works with WiFi and Bluetooth, and you can use the app to control the temperature from anywhere in the home.

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