While plenty of gadgets cross our desks, we at Engadget also end up buying a lot of things for ourselves throughout the year. In 2022, some of us upgraded our TVs while others invested in new cookware and deskaccessories that upped our productivity. But there are plenty of things we've been loving recently that haven't made it onto the site. Here, our staffers look back on the year that was by gushing about their favorite items they bought this year.

Nest Hub Max

Sam Rutherford / Engadget

I got a Nest Hub Max last year for Christmas and over the past 12 months, it’s probably brought me more joy than any other gadget. By setting Google Photos to automatically upload pictures of my son to an album linked to the Nest Hub, every day I’m treated to a slideshow of all the fun times we’ve had. When people say kids grow up fast, they’re totally right. But as a photo viewer with voice controls, the Nest Hub max lets me relive those memories while being also an important part of my smart home control center. – Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

55-inch LG B2 OLED smart TV

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

In prioritizing big purchases for our new home, I knew I wanted to get a better TV and soon. Not only did we need a new one quickly for our living room while my fiance used our old one in the basement he’d claimed as his man cave, but I also wanted to see if I could get a good deal during Amazon’s October Prime Day event. I ultimately decided to splurge on the 55-inch LG B2 OLED smart TV when it dipped under $1,000 during that period. To say the difference from our old LED TV was instantly noticeable is not hyperbole: as soon as we set the thing up, we were stunned by the quality. Blacks are deep and colors are much more vibrant than on any TV we’ve had before.

We’ve watched a lot of things on it so far, from live sports to documentaries to sitcoms and everything looks much sharper and more colorful than we’re used to. We’re also pleasantly surprised by LG’s webOS. This is the first TV we’ve used with it and it was super easy to get accustomed to. We like how you can customize your homescreen and navigate either with the arrow keys on the remote or the convenient little cursor that flies around the TV screen. We now refer to it as the “good TV” in the house, with my fiancé opting to watch his weekly sports games on the B2 rather than in his basement sanctuary. — Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor

Chase Bliss Gen Loss v2

Chase Bliss

I have made no bones about my love of all things lo-fi and broken. What can I say? I like warbles. In my quest to make every instrument I own sound like it’s coming out of an old tape player I’ve tried a number of things, but in June I pre-ordered the Generation Loss MKII and I think my search is now complete.

The Generation Loss is one of the most popular lo-fi pedals ever made, and last year its creator, Tom Majeski of Cooper FX, joined the relentless experimenters at Chase Bliss. One of the first orders of business was updating his classic pedal. It’s pitched as a “VHS duplicator,” but that is greatly underselling things. While the original Gen Loss was just sort of a generalized tape simulator, the MKII version digs into the highly specific sonic characteristics of a variety of tape-based devices.

The company pulled apart and analyzed VHS players, Tascam Portastudios and dictaphones in an effort to find out what makes them unique. It covers everything from the subtle frequency drop off of old ¼-inch tape running through a reel-to-reel machine, all the way to the crushed hum that results when you make a copy of a copy of a VHS cassette. And if you’re not into the newer version that faithfully recreates particular tape formats, you can always throw one of Chase Bliss’ patented dip switches to turn on classic mode. — Terrence O'Brien, Managing Editor

Apple MagSafe Duo charger

Mat Smith / Engadget

I’ll admit it: My favorite gadget of the year is, well, something I bought last year. In spring 2021,I picked up Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger, which can charge both your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time, all in a fold-up, compact form factor. While I could (and have) used it at home to charge my Apple devices overnight, I picked it up as a compact charging kit for when I traveled. As we all know, 2021 was not the year for roaming the globe. But as travel restrictions were lifted this year, I finally got to see if the pricey charger was worth the investment.

Yes, $129 was a lot for a dual charger, but it fulfilled the brief of using just a single cable and being so much more compact than most rival Apple Watch standup chargers. It unfurls like a makeup compact, meaning it can slip into anyone’s luggage with ease. Yes, I could take the Apple Watch cable, but in recent years these cables have USB-C, not USB-A sockets. Unfortunately, a lot of hotels (and charging plugs) still don’t have those, and if I’m visiting a different country, there are only so many things I can charge at once with a travel adapter.

After unfolding the two sides, the magnetic puck for Watch charging can also be folded out at 90 degrees, attaching to the wearable and allowing me to see the time when it’s set up. The small footprint means it fits on most nightstands and bedside tables at hotels, guest rooms and even window ledges. If space is at a premium, you can fold it around to charge a single device, whether that’s the watch or your iPhone. The MagSafe charger spot can also wirelessly recharge my AirPods if I ensure they’re in the correct position.

It’s not perfect. I’m increasingly frustrated at the sluggish charging speed when wirelessly charging my iPhone – even if this isn’t a problem when charging overnight. Hopefully, Apple will bring out another model that’s hopefully cheaper and faster to charge. When Apple eventually ditches Lightning, it’ll need to make a new one anyway. – Mat Smith, UK Bureau Chief

Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro

Bissell

Our new house has carpet on the second floor and, while it’s in pretty good shape, there were some stains we wanted to remove if possible before moving in. We also have a cat who occasionally eats too fast and, well, I probably don’t have to tell you the rest. Investing in a spot cleaner seemed like a no-brainer, and I’m glad I went with Bissell’s SpotClean Pet Pro. It’s fairly light at 13 pounds and not very big, so I can tote it around by its carrying handle to any place in my home. All you have to do is fill the solution tank with the proper ratio of cleaning liquid and water, plug the machine in, turn it on and use the included handle to scrub away stains.

I first used it on some of the carpet’s existing mystery marks and they easily came out after a few minutes of elbow-greased scrubbing. The SpotClean’s handle has a button that lets you control the amount of solution it sprays out, and while it’s running, it’s constantly sucking up excess water, filling up a separate tank with the dirty bits. The hardest part of using it is the scrubbing you have to do, and how much weight you want to put into it is totally up to you. I found most light stains came out quickly and without too much effort on my part, but I did spend more time on tougher spots. I also love that I can use this to deep clean upholstered furniture, like our old couch which is in desperate need of a refresh. This spot cleaner certainly isn’t the sexiest purchase I’ve made for our new home, but it’s one that will keep it looking fresh and clean for longer. — V.P.

Tushy Classic Bidet 3.0

Tushy

Everyone likes a clean butthole. I don’t think that’s a controversial thing to say. But while toilet paper does a decent enough job, sometimes it just doesn’t get the area clean enough. Which means you end up using more TP, potentially clogging the toilet in the process, and you still might not feel like it’s completely clean. That’s why I recently purchased the Tushy Classic 3.0, an affordable bidet that can fit with my existing toilet.

I’ve long wanted one of those fancy Japanese bidet toilets. But not only are they expensive, they require remodeling my bathroom with an additional outlet, which I simply can’t justify at the moment. The Tushy Classic 3.0, on the other hand, is only $130 or so, and it gets the job done at a fraction of the cost. Installing it is easy. All we did was attach it to our existing plumbing and we were done in about 10 minutes. It doesn’t use any electricity either. Turning the knob adjusts the water pressure while moving the toggle adjusts the angle of the spray nozzle.

We’ve been using it for a few months now, and we really do love it. We almost look forward to going number two, which is a strange thing to say. As a woman with monthly menstruation, I really appreciate that it helps get me much cleaner than with toilet paper alone. I think we end up using less TP as a result, too. I’d probably want to upgrade to a fancier bidet in the future, but for now, the Tushy Classic 3.0 more than does the job. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer

Blueland hand soap

Blueland

Before we moved into our new home, we had nearly exhausted the available storage in our apartment. Our tiny bathrooms had little to no space to store extra hand soap, bath wash and other necessities, so I resorted to stuffing our linen closet to the brim – so much so that I had to lean on the door to get it to close properly. So I turned to Blueland, which makes hand soap, cleaning supplies and the like that come in small tablets inside compostable pouches, and most of their formulas are plant-based, vegan and more environmentally friendly than cleaners you’ll find in big-box stores. All you do is drop the formula tablet into a container of water, shake it up and let it sit for a while until the whole tablet dissolves and then you can use the product.

I was immediately impressed with the foaming hand soap for a few reasons. First, a couple of packets took up significantly less space than even a refill jug of the soap I was previously buying, plus I liked the fact that I was purchasing one less plastic bottle by switching. Second, the soap actually worked as advertised. I had tried a couple of eco-conscious hand and dish soaps before this, and most of them had left me disappointed because I felt like they didn’t clean as well as standard solutions. But Blueland’s hand soap foamed up nicely and actually left my hands feeling clean after every wash, with no weird residue left behind.

I started off using the tablets in a mason jar outfitted with a foaming pump lid, but I’ve since graduated to Blueland’s own glass hand soap bottles, which are hefty and luxe. Ultimately, Blueland solved a few problems for me: I don’t have to waste as much space storing hand soap refills, I don’t have to create as much waste since I’m not buying those single-use plastic bottles anymore and I don’t even have to remember to buy hand soap when I go shopping because I get refills sent to my door every few months. — V.P.

Fujifilm XF 27 mm F/2.8

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

Earlier this year, when I started dabbling in photography as a hobby, I decided the best way for me to start honing my skills was to have my Fujifilm X-T30 with me at all times. The only issue was that, even the relatively light XF 35mm f/2 bought was a little too bulky to go everywhere. I ended up snagging one of Fuji’s 27mm pancake lenses used a few months back, and it’s barely left my camera since. More importantly, my camera has barely left my side since.

With this lens the X-T30 comfortably fits in my Peak Design Field Pouch, along with a cleaning cloth and brush, a notebook and pen, plus my keys. It’s so easy to just grab everything no matter where it is that I’m going. To my parents’ for a birthday dinner? Sure. Grocery shopping? Why not? Just around the block to walk my dog? Seems silly not to.

Obviously, the big feature here is size, but it’s not like you’re making a lot of tradeoffs to get there either. Images taken with the 27mm are insanely sharp. Even wide open at F/2.8 the corners are crisp and contrasty. Would a larger aperture have been nice? Sure. But this is plenty for street photography and family snapshots. My version doesn’t have an aperture ring sadly, but the newer model does. Honestly, my one real complaint is that the minimum focus distance is about 13.4 inches, and I often find myself wanting to get closer to my subject. Still, this is probably the best investment I’ve made in my budding love of photography. — T.O.

Anyday Everyday cookware set

Nader Khouri / Anyday

After a traumatic incident where I accidentally set a small fire in a hotel room during a work trip to Barcelona, I've always been extra careful about leaving metal in a microwave. So when my friend gifted me a set of Anyday bowls, telling me it was safe to place their metal lids in my microwave and cook whole meals with them, I was blown away.

The premise of these glass bowls is that they're designed to cook food in your microwave. The bowls themselves are made from thicker, thermal shock-resistant frosted glass so they'll better withstand temperature fluctuations without cracking. The lids keep steam in the dish to cook your food, and have vents to let out the excess. A silicone rim expands to accommodate extra pressure, and the stainless steel in the lids is curved in a way that Anyday says makes it "100% microwave-safe."

As someone who mostly prizes convenience when it comes to cooking, I'm enamored with my Anyday bowls. I love steaming eggs and fish filets, but I can also cook rice, vegetables, pasta, and make nut butters, cakes and pretty much anything in the microwave with this system. Of course, anything requiring a sear, deep fry or broil won't work, and some of the recipes the company shared on its website are too complicated for my liking. But for making healthy steamed meals, the Anyday system is honestly a godsend (or friendsend). Best part: they're dishwasher safe, so I don't need to deal with the cleanup after. — Cherlynn Low, Deputy Editor

Madewell Zip-Top Transport Crossbody

Madewell

My go-to bag for years has been the Pearl crossbody from Lo & Sons, which I love for its compact size and multiple compartments. But it just wasn’t big enough for all the gear that I wanted to carry around with me. So for my birthday this year, I decided to buy myself a newer, larger, bag. I knew that I wanted it to be a crossbody – it feels more secure to me than a regular shoulder model – and I would prefer it if it had top handles. I discovered Madewell’s Zip-Top Transport Crossbody while I was browsing the web, and it seemed to fit the bill.

I’ve had it for a few months now, and it’s earned its place as my new everyday bag. It’s made from a vegetable-tanned leather that’s soft and worn with a slight waxed finish which feels lovely to the touch. The shoulder straps are detachable so I can swap them out if I want, or I can use just the top handles by themselves. The best thing about it for me is its size: at around 10 x 10 x 3 inches, it’s small enough to not weigh me down, but it’s also surprisingly roomy. It fits all my essentials and then some. That includes my wallet, phone, keys, earbuds, pens, my Kobo Libra 2 e-reader, a portable battery and, if I wedge it in correctly, even my Hobonichi Techo planner.

That said, I wish it had more compartments. It only has two inside pockets, which themselves are not that big. As a result, it’s easy for smaller items to get lost; I often have to spend time searching for my lipstick or hand sanitizer. My current solution is to keep these items in a separate small makeup pouch that can fit inside the bag so that it’s easier to fish out. It’s not perfect, but at least for me, the good outweighs the bad. — N.L.

Purist Mover water bottle

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

I spent $50 on a water bottle earlier this year, and surprisingly, I don’t feel like an idiot months later. That’s because the bottle is the Purist Mover, and it has largely solved the problem of my water picking up a metallic taste after a few weeks. The trick is an ultra-thin, unbreakable layer of glass that lines the interior and helps prevent odors and tastes from transferring. To my taste buds, this has actually worked. I still need to wash the bottle every so often, of course, but so far my water has never tasted like anything other than water.

This might seem like a pointless thing to brag about, but the Mover just feels nice, too. Its textured finish is pleasing to the touch, and its simple design looks high-end – for a water bottle, at least. There are multiple lid and size options available; I went with the 18-ounce model and “Union” spout cap, which has been fine, though the lid tends to make a whistling sound that sounds uncannily like hitting a bong. (Be warned if you’re ever off-camera during a work call.) I still can’t tell anyone they should spend this much on a water bottle, but the Mover does the thing I want, and I’m spending way less on wasteful plastic bottles as a result. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer

A game that is easy to learn, but difficult to master. This was the concept Atari founder Nolan Bushnell instilled into Allan Alcorn, a then-24-year-old engineer, prior to the development of one of the most recognizable games of all time, Pong, just over 50 years ago.

Pong, a video game in which a square is bounced between two rectangles controlled by players, was released on November 29th of 1972 by Atari, only a few days more than 50 years ago. Atari sold more than 8,000 Pong arcade cabinets, and a few years later, the home version would become an instant success, selling about 150,000 units of a console that played nothing but Pong. However, despite how much time has passed, and the massive changes the gaming industry has endured, Pong's — and Atari's — influence on the world of video games remains prevalent today. Watch the video below for the full story.

For the past couple of years, Cyber Monday has been almost an extension of Black Friday. In the tech deals space, lots of the discounts and sales we saw at the end of last week are still available now as Cyber Monday deals. There are some new ones, though, which means that even if you bought most things on your gift list during Black Friday, it's worth taking another look online to see if there's anything else you need or something you can get as a gift while on discount. We've collected all of the best Cyber Monday tech deals here so you don't have to go searching for them.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

The latest AirPods Pro have dropped to $200 for Cyber Monday.. That $50 discount is the most significant we've seen on these buds that just came out a couple of months ago. The new Pros earned a score of 88 from us for their improved sound quality, excellent Transparency Mode and solid active noise cancellation. We also appreciate the addition of the U1 chip inside the buds' wireless charging case, which enables Precision Finding using the Find My app.

Apple Pencil (2nd gen)

The second-generation Apple Pencil is back down to a record-low price of $89 for Cyber Monday. There are still a couple of iPads that only work with the first-gen stylus, but most of the higher-end models support this one. We consider it to be the best stylus for the iPad, and we like it for its low latency and built-in magnets that let it attach to the side of your tablet.

Apple 10.2-inch iPad

The 2021 iPad remains on sale for $270, which is the best price we've seen it. While Apple did just come out with an updated version, that latest model is much more expensive, coming in at $449. The 10.2-inch iPad is still a great option if you want iPadOS but only have so much to spend. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid performance, improved front cameras and excellent battery life.

MacBook Air M1

Apple's M1-powered MacBook Air is down to $799 for Cyber Monday which is the best price we've seen. Although the M2 laptop is available now, the M1 machine remains a good option if you're upgrading from an aging Intel model. We gave it a score of 94 for its blazing fast performance, lovely Retina display and lack of fan noise.

Apple Watch SE (2nd gen)

The second-generation Apple Watch SE is on sale for $229, which is an all-time-low price. Apple upgrade a lot in this smartwatch — it has a new SiP and a larger screen, both of which help the new SE look and feel more modern. Apple still left some features to the Series 8, include an always-on display, ECG reader, skin temperature sensor and a few others, but if you can live without those upgrades, the Apple Watch SE gives you a ton of value at its relatively affordable price.

Xbox Series S

Not only does Amazon have the Xbox Series S for $60 cheaper than usual for Cyber Monday, but the online retailer will also give you a $40 credit to use on future purchases when you buy the console. That's a total of $100 in discounts and credits, which is one of the best we've seen this holiday season. We gave the Series S a score of 85 for its slim design, 4K gameplay support and FPS boost technology.

iRobot Roomba s9+

iRobot's high-end Roomba s9+ is on sale for $229 if you go to Wellbots and use the code ENG220 at checkout, or $799 at Amazon and other retailers. It earned a spot in our best robot vacuums guide thanks to its slick design, its ability to better clean room corners, its strong suction power and its included clean base.

Chromecast with Google TV

The 4K Chromecast with Google TV has dropped to $40 for Cyber Monday. It's one of the most affordable ways to get Google's streaming OS into your home, along with 4K content support. We like this Chromecast's compact design, handy remote and its smart integration with the Google Assistant.

Sony DualSense controllers

Sony's DualSense controllers for the PlayStation 5 are down to $49 in several finishes. That matches the lowest price we've seen, and depending on what color you choose, comes in either $20 or $25 below the pad's usual price. In general, the DualSense is harder to hook up with a PC than its Xbox counterpart, but its D-pad isn't as clicky, it doesn't rely on AA batteries and its haptic feedback system is much more nuanced.

Crucial MX500 (1TB)

Crucial's MX500 internal drive is down to a new low of $68 for the 1TB version, and you can find discounts on the other configurations, too. We've long recommended this drive for its standard form factor, its sequential reads/write speeds of up to 560/510 MB/s and its AES 256-bit hardware encryption. It also has integrated power loss immunity, which saves all of your work even when there's a power outage.

Jabra Elite 3

Jabra's Elite 3 wireless earbuds are on sale for $50, which is the best price we've seen. Considering these buds start out at less than $100, you won't find some advanced features on them like noise cancellation or wireless charging. However, they pack impressive sound quality for the price, along with a comfortable design, reliable onboard controls and good battery life.

Google Nest Audio

We called Google's Nest Audio smart speaker "a steal at $100" when we reviewed it, giving it a score of 87. And now it's half that price for Cyber Monday. For just $50, you get a smart speaker powered by the AI of the Google Assistant, plus a speaker that delivers surprisingly good sound quality for its size and price point. We did note that the Nest Audio sounds even better as a pair, and now might be a good time to grab two.

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

Elgato's Stream Deck MK.2 has dropped to $120 for Cyber Monday, which is a record low. We've recommended various versions of the Stream Deck for a while now as an essential accessory for game streamers, but also a handy peripheral for power users to have, too. The MK.2 has 15 programmable buttons that let you trigger actions like launching an app, muting your mic and more, plus you can truly make it your own with a custom faceplate.

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

The excellent and already affordable ATH-M20xBT are on sale for $59 for Cyber Monday, which is a record low. These are our current favorite budget cans thanks to their good sound quality, comfortable design, Bluetooth multi-point connectivity and 60-hour battery life. They may not have as slick of a design as more expensive headphones, or advanced features like noise cancellation, but you can't beat their value.

Bose QuietComfort 45

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are back on sale for $229 right now, or 30 percent off their usual price. These are some of our favorite over-ear cans thanks in part to their excellent active noise cancellation and clear, balanced audio. The design isn't as slick as some of our other favorites, but they're comfortable to boot, plus their 24-hour battery life means you'll be able to wear them for long stretches of time without interruption.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to $348 right now, which is the best price we've seen since they came out earlier this year. These are our current favorite wireless headphones, and Sony essentially changed only a few things about the previous WH-1000XM4 to make these cans even better. They have improved noise cancellation and sound quality, plus a slick new design and a solid battery life. We also appreciate their Speak-to-Chat feature and multi-device connectivity.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

Google's best earbuds yet, the Pixel Buds Pro, have dropped to $150, which is $50 less than their usual price. These are the Android-maker's answers to Apple's AirPods Pro, and they are, without a doubt, one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds you can get if you don't have an iPhone. We gave them a score of 87 for their deep, punchy bass, reliable touch controls and wireless charging case.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Roku's Streaming Stick 4K is on sale for $25 right now, or half off its usual price. This small dongle connects directly to your TV's HDMI port and streams content in 4K, supports Dolby Vision and offers voice command capabilities via its remote. This updated model also has fast, long-range WiFi and a private-listening feature that lets you listen to your TV's audio video the Roku mobile app.

Fitbit Inspire 3

The new Fitbit Inspire 3 is down to $70 for Cyber Monday, which is $30 off its usual price. We named this the best budget fitness tracker you can get right now, and that's only more true when you can pick it up while on sale. The Inspire 3 is more slim than the Charge 5, and while it doesn't have built-in GPS, you can use its connected GPS feature to map runs and bike rides if you have your phone with you. We also like its automatic workout tracking and long battery life.

Amazon Echo Dot

The latest Echo Dot has dropped to $25, and that's the first real discount we've seen since the device came out a few months ago. Amazon added a bigger speaker inside this Echo Dot for improved sound, and it has a new built-in temperature sensor as well. That will come in handy if you have other smart home devices you control with Alexa because, if the temperature sensor reaches a certain level, you can program a routine to, say, start a fan to keep your environment precisely how you like it. The new Dot can also pair with an Eero WiFi system to add up to 1,000 extra square feet of coverage.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 is on sale for $800 right now. Each iteration of Samsung's foldable phones is better than the last, and the Flip 4 is no different. It has a slick design that neatly folds in half, rendering it small enough to slip into your pocket. Not only do we appreciate its attractive and more durable design, but we also like its improved battery life and the increased number of hands-free applications it supports.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Samsung's Cyber Monday deals include the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which is $400 off and down to $1,400. It's certainly the most polished Fold Samsung has created, and we gave it a score of 86 for its brighter main screen, upgraded main and telephoto cameras, sleeker hinge and noticeably better battery life.

OnePlus 10 Pro

You can pick up the OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone for only $549 right now, which is the lowest we've seen it. The standout feature of this handset is its remarkably fast charging technology: you can get a full charge in just over a half hour using 80W SUPERVOOC charging. However, US users are capped at 65W SUPERVOOC, but that's still the speediest charging standard available stateside. Otherwise, we also appreciated the 10 Pro's lovely 120Hz display and its fast face-unlock feature.

iRobot Roomba j7

iRobot's Roomba j7 is on sale for $349 right now, which is the cheapest we've seen it, and you can get the j7+ for $599. This is one of iRobot's latest robo-vacs and it has enhanced obstacle avoidance which lets it navigate around a robot vacuum's arch nemesis: pet poop. It also has 10x the suction power of a standard Roomba, plus support for smart mapping and Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. With the j7+ model, you're also getting a clean base into which the robo-vac will empty its bin after every job.

Amazon Echo Show 5

Amazon's Echo Show 5 is back on sale for $35 for Cyber Monday. This has been one of our favorite smart displays for quite some time, primarily because it acts as a great smart alarm clock. It has a 5-inch display that shows the date, time, weather conditions and more, plus it has a handy tap-to-snooze feature. And if you want it to wake you up visually, too, its sunrise alarm will slowly adjust the screen's brightness to wake you up more naturally.

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite has been discounted to $95 for Cyber Monday. While we consider the Signature Edition to be the best e-reader, period, the standard Paperwhite comes in at a close second. It has a 6.8-inch display with 17 front LEDs for better illumination, plus a water-resistant design, Audible support and a battery that can last weeks on a single charge.

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

Amazon's most affordable streaming stick is on sale for only $15 right now, which is half off its usual price. This is a good option if you want to upgrade an old, "dumb" TV in your home into a smart one. The Fire TV Stick Lite provides access to Amazon's Fire TV OS, through which you can access services like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and others. The TV Stick Lite supports FHD content, and you can use the included Voice Remote Lite to ask Alexa to show you the content you want to watch. If you want to upgrade a bit to Dolby Atmos, you can get the standard Fire TV Stick for only $5 more.

Blink Mini

Amazon has brought back the two for $30 Blink Mini deal for Cyber Monday. This compact, wired security camera is only meant for indoor use and you'll have to keep it close to an outlet, but it shares all of the basic features with the larger Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras. It record 1080p video and supports two-way audio, plus it'll send motion alerts to your phone and you can control it via Alexa voice commands.

Your Cyber Week Shopping Guide: Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter. Also, shop the top Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals on Yahoo Life. Learn about Black Friday trends on In the Know, and our car experts at Autoblog are covering must-shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday auto deals.

Black Friday is finally here and if you haven't started your holiday shopping, now's the best time to do so. While we've seen some of our favorite gadgets go on sale since the start of November, today's the day you're almost guaranteed to find the best prices of the year across laptops, TVs, speakers, tablets, wearables and much more. But, as usual, the sheer volume of deals across the web today makes it even harder to pick out the gems among them. There are absolutely tech "deals" out there today that are not worth your time. To make ease the burden of deal-hunting, we collected the best Black Friday tech deals we could find right here.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

The latest AirPods Pro are on sale for $200 for Black Friday. That $50 discount is the most significant we've seen on these buds that just came out a couple of months ago. The new Pros earned a score of 88 from us for their improved sound quality, excellent Transparency Mode and solid active noise cancellation. We also appreciate the addition of the U1 chip inside the buds' wireless charging case, which enables Precision Finding using the Find My app.

Apple AirTags (4 pack)

A four-pack of Apple's AirTags is on sale for $80 right now, which is $20 off their usual price. That also brings the price per tracker down to $20, which is one of the lowest we've seen. These stocking-friendly gadgets make great gifts for iPhone users who want to digitally keep track of their things. They can use the Find My app to check the last known location of their keys, wallet and other belongings, and use their iPhones to be led directly to their stuff with on-screen directions if it's nearby.

Apple 10.2-inch iPad

The 2021 iPad remains on sale for $270, which is the best price we've seen it. While Apple did just come out with an updated version, that latest model is much more expensive, coming in at $449. The 10.2-inch iPad is still a great option if you want iPadOS but only have so much to spend. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid performance, improved front cameras and excellent battery life.

Chromecast with Google TV

Both the 4K and HD Chromecasts with Google TV are on sale for Black Friday, coming in at $40 and $18, respectively. These two streamers are essentially the same, expect for the resolution that each support: the higher-end model with stream 4K content, while the other tops out at 1080p. They share a compact design and both come with a handy remote that makes navigating the Google TV interface much easier. Plus, you can speak to the Google Assistant through these dongles, calling about it to search for things to watch, answer questions and more.

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

The excellent and already affordable ATH-M20xBT are on sale for $59 for Black Friday, which is a record low. These are our current favorite budget cans thanks to their good sound quality, comfortable design, Bluetooth multi-point connectivity and 60-hour battery life. They may not have as slick of a design as more expensive headphones, or advanced features like noise cancellation, but you can't beat their value.

Bose QuietComfort 45

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are back on sale for $249 right now, or 32 percent off their usual price. These are some of our favorite over-ear cans thanks in part to their excellent active noise cancellation and clear, balanced audio. The design isn't as slick as some of our other favorites, but they're comfortable to boot, plus their 24-hour battery life means you'll be able to wear them for long stretches of time without interruption.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to $348 right now, which is the best price we've seen since they came out earlier this year. These are our current favorite wireless headphones, and Sony essentially changed only a few things about the previous WH-1000XM4 to make these cans even better. They have improved noise cancellation and sound quality, plus a slick new design and a solid battery life. We also appreciate their Speak-to-Chat feature and multi-device connectivity.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

Google's best earbuds yet, the Pixel Buds Pro, have dropped to $150, which is $50 less than their usual price. these are the Android-maker's answers to Apple's AirPods Pro, and they are, without a doubt, one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds you can get if you don't have an iPhone. We gave them a score of 87 for their deep, punchy bass, reliable touch controls and wireless charging case.

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

Elgato's Stream Deck MK.2 has dropped to $120 for Black Friday, which is a new record low. We've recommended various versions of the Stream Deck for a while now as an essential accessory for game streamers, but also a handy peripheral for power users to have, too. The MK.2 has 15 programmable buttons that let you trigger actions like launching an app, muting your mic and more, plus you can truly make it your own with a custom faceplate.

Amazon Echo Dot

The latest Echo Dot has dropped to $25, and that's the first real discount we've seen since the device came out a few months ago. Amazon added a bigger speaker inside this Echo Dot for improved sound, and it has a new built-in temperature sensor as well. That will come in handy if you have other smart home devices you control with Alexa because, if the temperature sensor reaches a certain level, you can program a routine to, say, start a fan to keep your environment precisely how you like it. The new Dot can also pair with an Eero WiFi system to add up to 1,000 extra square feet of coverage.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 is on sale for $800 right now. Each iteration of Samsung's foldable phones is better than the last, and the Flip 4 is no different. It has a slick design that neatly folds in half, rendering it small enough to slip into your pocket. Not only do we appreciate its attractive and more durable design, but we also like its improved battery life and the increased number of hands-free applications it supports.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Samsung's latest flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, is $430 off and down to $1,370. It's certainly the most polished Fold Samsung has created, and we gave it a score of 86 for its brighter main screen, upgraded main and telephoto cameras, sleeker hinge and noticeably better battery life.

OnePlus 10 Pro

You can pick up the OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone for only $549 right now, which is the lowest we've seen it. The standout feature of this handset is its remarkably fast charging technology: you can get a full charge in just over a half hour using 80W SUPERVOOC charging. However, US users are capped at 65W SUPERVOOC, but that's still the speediest charging standard available stateside. Otherwise, we also appreciated the 10 Pro's lovely 120Hz display and its fast face-unlock feature.

iRobot Roomba j7

iRobot's Roomba j7 is on sale for $349 right now, which is the cheapest we've seen it, and you can get the j7+ for $599. This is one of iRobot's latest robo-vacs and it has enhanced obstacle avoidance which lets it navigate around a robot vacuum's arch nemesis: pet poop. It also has 10x the suction power of a standard Roomba, plus support for smart mapping and Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. With the j7+ model, you're also getting a clean base into which the robo-vac will empty its bin after every job.

Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum

The latest version of Shark's AI Robot Vaccum has dropped to $299 for Black Friday. This is one of our favorite robo-vacs thanks to its strong suction power, smart mapping feature and the included clean base into which it empties its bin after every job. We also appreciate that the clean base is bagless, so you don't have to regularly buy proprietary bags for it.

Crucial MX500 (1TB)

Crucial's MX500 internal drive is down to a new low of $68 for the 1TB version, and you can find discounts on the other configurations, too. We've long recommended this drive for its standard form factor, its sequential reads/write speeds of up to 560/510 MB/s and its AES 256-bit hardware encryption. It also has integrated power loss immunity, which saves all of your work even when there's a power outage.

Jabra Elite 3

Jabra's Elite 3 wireless earbuds are on sale for $50, which is the best price we've seen. Considering these buds start out at less than $100, you won't find some advanced features on them like noise cancellation or wireless charging. However, they pack impressive sound quality for the price, along with a comfortable design, reliable onboard controls and good battery life.

Amazon Echo Show 5

Amazon's Echo Show 5 is back on sale for $35 for Black Friday. This has been one of our favorite smart displays for quite some time, primarily because it acts as a great smart alarm clock. It has a 5-inch display that shows the date, time, weather conditions and more, plus it has a handy tap-to-snooze feature. And if you want it to wake you up visually, too, its sunrise alarm will slowly adjust the screen's brightness to wake you up more naturally.

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite has been discounted to $95 for Black Friday. While we consider the Signature Edition to be the best e-reader, period, the standard Paperwhite comes in at a close second. It has a 6.8-inch display with 17 front LEDs for better illumination, plus a water-resistant design, Audible support and a battery that can last weeks on a single charge.

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

Amazon's most affordable streaming stick is on sale for only $15 right now, which is half off its usual price. This is a good option if you want to upgrade an old, "dumb" TV in your home into a smart one. The Fire TV Stick Lite provides access to Amazon's Fire TV OS, through which you can access services like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and others. The TV Stick Lite supports FHD content, and you can use the included Voice Remote Lite to ask Alexa to show you the content you want to watch. If you want to upgrade a bit to Dolby Atmos, you can get the standard Fire TV Stick for only $5 more.

Blink Mini

Amazon has brought back the two for $30 Blink Mini deal for Black Friday. This compact, wired security camera is only meant for indoor use and you'll have to keep it close to an outlet, but it shares all of the basic features with the larger Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras. It record 1080p video and supports two-way audio, plus it'll send motion alerts to your phone and you can control it via Alexa voice commands.

Peloton Bike

The original Peloton Bike is $300 off and down to $1,145 for Black Friday. If you're somehow unfamiliar, this is the company's first exercise bike that comes with a built-in screen for taking cycling classes as well as other strength, yoga and bootcamp routines. Also, one of the company's latest gadgets, the Peloton Guide, is on sale for $245, too.

Sonos One

Sonos' Black Friday deals include the Sonos One speaker for only $175, which is $44 off its normal price. Sonos gadgets rarely go on sale, much less direct on Sonos' site, so the entire sale is one to consider this Black Friday. The One earned a score of 90 from us when it first came out for its attractive design, excellent audio quality and its support for Amazon's Alexa, the Google Assistant and AirPlay 2. Also included in the sale is the Sonos Arc, one of our favorite soundbars, which is $180 off and down to $719.

Your Cyber Week Shopping Guide: Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter. Also, shop the top Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals on Yahoo Life. Learn about Black Friday trends on In the Know, and our car experts at Autoblog are covering must-shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday auto deals.

Black Friday may still be a few hours away, but we're already seeing a bunch of great deals on our favorite tech. This comes after a slow trickle of deals popping up across the web ever since the start of November. While we don't have the supply chain issues we did last year, it's still a good idea to start your holiday shopping as early as possible — even if it's just a few hours before the biggest sale day of the year. The sooner you check off items from your list, the sooner they'll arrive and you'll be ready to go for the holidays. To make things easier for you, we've collected the best early Black Friday tech deals here so you don't have to go searching for them.

Bose QuietComfort 45

Billy Steele/Engadget

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are back on sale for $249 right now, or 32 percent off their usual price. These are some of our favorite over-ear cans thanks in part to their excellent active noise cancellation and clear, balanced audio. The design isn't as slick as some of our other favorites, but they're comfortable to boot, plus their 24-hour battery life means you'll be able to wear them for long stretches of time without interruption.

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

Billy Steele/Engadget

The latest AirPods Pro are on sale for $200 for Black Friday. That $50 discount is the most significant we've seen on these buds that just came out a couple of months ago. The new Pros earned a score of 88 from us for their improved sound quality, excellent Transparency Mode and solid active noise cancellation. We also appreciate the addition of the U1 chip inside the buds' wireless charging case, which enables Precision Finding using the Find My app.

Apple 10.2-inch iPad

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The 2021 iPad remains on sale for $270, which is the best price we've seen it. While Apple did just come out with an updated version, that latest model is much more expensive, coming in at $449. The 10.2-inch iPad is still a great option if you want iPadOS but only have so much to spend. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid performance, improved front cameras and excellent battery life.

AirTags (4 pack)

Chris Velazco/Engadget

A four-pack of Apple's AirTags is on sale for $80 right now, which is $20 off their usual price. That also brings the price per tracker down to $20, which is one of the lowest we've seen. These stocking-friendly gadgets make great gifts for iPhone users who want to digitally keep track of their things. They can use the Find My app to check the last known location of their keys, wallet and other belongings, and use their iPhones to be led directly to their stuff with on-screen directions if it's nearby.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Billy Steele/Engadget

Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to $348 right now, which is the best price we've seen since they came out earlier this year. These are our current favorite wireless headphones, and Sony essentially changed only a few things about the previous WH-1000XM4 to make these cans even better. They have improved noise cancellation and sound quality, plus a slick new design and a solid battery life. We also appreciate their Speak-to-Chat feature and multi-device connectivity.

Chromecast with Google TV

Engadget

Both the 4K and HD Chromecasts with Google TV are on sale for Black Friday, coming in at $40 and $18, respectively. These two streamers are essentially the same, expect for the resolution that each support: the higher-end model with stream 4K content, while the other tops out at 1080p. They share a compact design and both come with a handy remote that makes navigating the Google TV interface much easier. Plus, you can speak to the Google Assistant through these dongles, calling about it to search for things to watch, answer questions and more.

Sonos One

Sonos' Black Friday deals include the Sonos One speaker for only $175, which is $44 off its normal price. Sonos gadgets rarely go on sale, much less direct on Sonos' site, so the entire sale is one to consider this Black Friday. The One earned a score of 90 from us when it first came out for its attractive design, excellent audio quality and its support for Amazon's Alexa, the Google Assistant and AirPlay 2. Also included in the sale is the Sonos Arc, one of our favorite soundbars, which is $180 off and down to $719.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

Billy Steele/Engadget

Google's best earbuds yet, the Pixel Buds Pro, have dropped to $150, which is $50 less than their usual price. these are the Android-maker's answers to Apple's AirPods Pro, and they are, without a doubt, one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds you can get if you don't have an iPhone. We gave them a score of 87 for their deep, punchy bass, reliable touch controls and wireless charging case.

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

Engadget/Will Lipman

Elgato's Stream Deck MK.2 has dropped to $120 for Black Friday, which is a new record low. We've recommended various versions of the Stream Deck for a while now as an essential accessory for game streamers, but also a handy peripheral for power users to have, too. The MK.2 has 15 programmable buttons that let you trigger actions like launching an app, muting your mic and more, plus you can truly make it your own with a custom faceplate.

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

Audio-Technica

The excellent and already affordable ATH-M20xBT are on sale for $59 for Black Friday, which is a record low. These are our current favorite budget cans thanks to their good sound quality, comfortable design, Bluetooth multi-point connectivity and 60-hour battery life. They may not have as slick of a design as more expensive headphones, or advanced features like noise cancellation, but you can't beat their value.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 is on sale for $770 right now. Each iteration of Samsung's foldable phones is better than the last, and the Flip 4 is no different. It has a slick design that neatly folds in half, rendering it small enough to slip into your pocket. Not only do we appreciate its attractive and more durable design, but we also like its improved battery life and the increased number of hands-free applications it supports.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Samsung's latest flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, is $430 off and down to $1,370. It's certainly the most polished Fold Samsung has created, and we gave it a score of 86 for its brighter main screen, upgraded main and telephoto cameras, sleeker hinge and noticeably better battery life.

OnePlus 10 Pro

Mat Smith/Engadget

You can pick up the OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone for only $549 right now, which is the lowest we've seen it. The standout feature of this handset is its remarkably fast charging technology: you can get a full charge in just over a half hour using 80W SUPERVOOC charging. However, US users are capped at 65W SUPERVOOC, but that's still the speediest charging standard available stateside. Otherwise, we also appreciated the 10 Pro's lovely 120Hz display and its fast face-unlock feature.

iRobot Roomba j7

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

iRobot's Roomba j7 is on sale for $349 right now, which is the cheapest we've seen it, and you can get the j7+ for $599. This is one of iRobot's latest robo-vacs and it has enhanced obstacle avoidance which lets it navigate around a robot vacuum's arch nemesis: pet poop. It also has 10x the suction power of a standard Roomba, plus support for smart mapping and Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. With the j7+ model, you're also getting a clean base into which the robo-vac will empty its bin after every job.

Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum

Shark

The latest version of Shark's AI Robot Vaccum has dropped to $299 for Black Friday. This is one of our favorite robo-vacs thanks to its strong suction power, smart mapping feature and the included clean base into which it empties its bin after every job. We also appreciate that the clean base is bagless, so you don't have to regularly buy proprietary bags for it.

August WiFi smart lock

Engadget

August's WiFi smart lock is cheaper than ever at $159 for Black Friday. That's more than $70 off its usual price and a great deal if you're looking for a smart lock that's easy to install over most deadbolts and equally as easy to use. After you put ti on your door, you can use the companion mobile app to remote lock or unlock your home, and you can send limited-time keys to loved ones you who want to have access.

Crucial MX500 (1TB)

Crucial

Crucial's MX500 internal drive is down to a new low of $68 for the 1TB version, and you can find discounts on the other configurations, too. We've long recommended this drive for its standard form factor, its sequential reads/write speeds of up to 560/510 MB/s and its AES 256-bit hardware encryption. It also has integrated power loss immunity, which saves all of your work even when there's a power outage.

Jabra Elite 3

Billy Steele/Engadget

Jabra's Elite 3 wireless earbuds are on sale for $50, which is the best price we've seen. Considering these buds start out at less than $100, you won't find some advanced features on them like noise cancellation or wireless charging. However, they pack impressive sound quality for the price, along with a comfortable design, reliable onboard controls and good battery life.

Amazon Echo Show 5

Amazon

Amazon's Echo Show 5 is back on sale for $35 for Black Friday. This has been one of our favorite smart displays for quite some time, primarily because it acts as a great smart alarm clock. It has a 5-inch display that shows the date, time, weather conditions and more, plus it has a handy tap-to-snooze feature. And if you want it to wake you up visually, too, its sunrise alarm will slowly adjust the screen's brightness to wake you up more naturally.

Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon

The latest Echo Dot has dropped to $25, and that's the first real discount we've seen since the device came out a few months ago. Amazon added a bigger speaker inside this Echo Dot for improved sound, and it has a new built-in temperature sensor as well. That will come in handy if you have other smart home devices you control with Alexa because, if the temperature sensor reaches a certain level, you can program a routine to, say, start a fan to keep your environment precisely how you like it. The new Dot can also pair with an Eero WiFi system to add up to 1,000 extra square feet of coverage.

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite has been discounted to $95 for Black Friday. While we consider the Signature Edition to be the best e-reader, period, the standard Paperwhite comes in at a close second. It has a 6.8-inch display with 17 front LEDs for better illumination, plus a water-resistant design, Audible support and a battery that can last weeks on a single charge.

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

Amazon

Amazon's most affordable streaming stick is on sale for only $15 right now, which is half off its usual price. This is a good option if you want to upgrade an old, "dumb" TV in your home into a smart one. The Fire TV Stick Lite provides access to Amazon's Fire TV OS, through which you can access services like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and others. The TV Stick Lite supports FHD content, and you can use the included Voice Remote Lite to ask Alexa to show you the content you want to watch. If you want to upgrade a bit to Dolby Atmos, you can get the standard Fire TV Stick for only $5 more.

Blink Mini

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Amazon has brought back the two for $30 Blink Mini deal for Black Friday. This compact, wired security camera is only meant for indoor use and you'll have to keep it close to an outlet, but it shares all of the basic features with the larger Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras. It record 1080p video and supports two-way audio, plus it'll send motion alerts to your phone and you can control it via Alexa voice commands.

Peloton Bike

Peloton

The original Peloton Bike is $300 off and down to $1,145 for Black Friday. If you're somehow unfamiliar, this is the company's first exercise bike that comes with a built-in screen for taking cycling classes as well as other strength, yoga and bootcamp routines. Also, one of the company's latest gadgets, the Peloton Guide, is on sale for $245, too.

Your Cyber Week Shopping Guide: Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter. Also, shop the top Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals on Yahoo Life. Learn about Black Friday trends on In the Know, and our car experts at Autoblog are covering must-shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday auto deals.

Maybe you have someone in your life who's an avid gamer or game streamer and you want to get them something to take their hobby to the next level. You're in luck — Amazon's October Prime Day has proven to be a boon for gaming deals, discounting everything from gaming laptops to keyboards to controllers and more. A bunch of brands are included, too, like Razer, Logitech, SteelSeries and more, so you may be able to find exactly what they've been asking for at a more affordable price. Here are the best gaming deals we found for the Prime Day Early Access Sale.

Elgato Stream Deck

Elgato

Elgato's Stream Deck is down to $90 for October Prime Day, or $50 off its normal price. This is a handy accessory to have for game streamer because you can customize its 15 LCD keys to do things like open apps, switch scenes, adjust audio and more.

Razer Blade 14

The Razer Blade 14 gaming laptop with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is $800 off and down to $2,000. The Blade is one of our favorite gaming laptops thanks to its sleek design and strong performance, and this model has a 14-inch QHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate. It's part of a larger sale on Amazon where you'll find a number of gaming laptops at discounted prices.

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

SteelSeries

A number of SteelSeries headsets have been discounted in this sale, with one of the best being the wireless SteelSeries Arctis 1 for only $70. It supports ultra-low latency connectivity, a detachable microphone and a USB-C adapter for use with the Nintendo Switch and Android phones.

Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld

Logitech

Logitech's new G Cloud gaming handheld device hasn't even officially come out yet, but you can get it for $50 less than its starting price right now. It supports mobile gaming at 1080p, 60fps, along with haptic feedback, gyroscope controls and remappable buttons.

Logitech Blue Yeti

Logitech's Blue Yeti mic is on sale for $90 right now — not an all-time low, but close to it. It's a solid choice for game streamers, aspiring podcasters or anyone who just wants to sound better on video conference calls. It supports four pickup patterns, onboard controls and a plug-and-play design.

Logitech Blue Yeti Nano

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Logitech's Blue Yeti Nano mic is on sale for $70 right now. This has been a long-time favorite of ours tanks to its compact design, cardioid and omni pickup patterns and its onboard controls.

Razer Seiren Mini

Razer

Razer's Seiren Mini microphone is $10 off and down to $40, which is only $5 more than its record low. It's an ultra-compact, USB mic can come with you anywhere to amplify your voice on video calls and game streams.

Razer Viper Ultimate

Razer

Razer's Viper Ultimate gaming mouse is down to $60 for this sale. We like is ambidextrous design that makes it good for both right- and left-handed gamers, plus its light weight, low latency and eight programmable buttons.

Razer BlackWidow V3

Razer

Razer's BlackWidow V3 mechanical keyboard has dropped to $95 for this sale. It comes with doubleshot ABS keycaps, customizable Razer Chroma lighting and an ergonomic wrist rest.

SteelSeries Arctis 3 Console

SteelSeries

The console version of the SteelSeries Arctis 3 wired headset is on sale for only $34. It works with the PS5, Xbox Series X and S, the Nintendo Switch and other gaming devices, plus it has a clear cast microphone built in and a comfortable yet durable design.

49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 gaming monitor

Samsung

Samsung's massive Odyssey G9 curved monitor has dropped to $1,000, which is $400 off its usual price. It's a QLED panel and it supports both NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, plus a 240Hz refresh rate.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

During the first Prime Day this year back in July, we saw a bunch of our favorite microSD cards, portable drives, internal SSDs and other storage devices drop to record-low prices. Now for Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale, many of those same items have been deeply discounted again. It's a good opportunity to pick up a new microSD card for your Nintendo Switch, a speedy drive for that PS5 you finally got your hands on or a pocket-sized SSD for that person in your life who wants to take all of their digital files with them when they're on the go. Here are the best storage deals we found for Amazon's October Prime Day.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD card

Samsung

Samsung's Pro Plus microSD card in 128GB is nearly half off and down to only $18 for Prime Day. It also comes with an adapter, so you can use it with more types of devices. You'll get read/write speeds of up to 160MB/s and 120MB/s, respectively, and a card that's temperature, magnet- and drop-resistant.

Crucial MX500 SSD

Crucial's MX500 in 1TB is on sale for $76, or 24 percent off its usual price. It’s a good option if you need a standard 2.5-inch drive that works with both laptops and desktops. It also has AES-256 bit hardware encryption and integrated power loss immunity to protect your data.

Samsung T7 Shield

Samsung's new T7 Shield portable SSD is down to $110 for this sale. Samsung just came out with these drives back in April, and they're designed to be more durable versions of the standard T7 series with extra drop protection and an IP65-rated design. The other T7 models are also on sale: you can pick up the 500GB T7 Touch for $70 and the 1TB T7 drive for $95.

Samsung 980 Pro SSD

Samsung's 980 Pro is one of the best internal SSDs you can get right now and it's 44 percent off and down to $129 right now. You're getting the drive and a heatsink, which means it'll be ready to use in your new PS5 almost out of the box. It has sequential read speeds up to 7,000MB/s and it'll work with the PS5 as long as you have a heatsink attached.

Crucial X6 SSD

Crucial's compact X6 portable drive in 1TB has been discounted to $80. It supports 800 MB/s read speeds, plus it works with all kinds of machines include Windows, Mac, Android and iPad devices, and even game consoles if you have the right connecting cable.

Crucial P5 Plus SSD

Crucial's P5 Plus SSD in 2TB is a whopping 47 percent off and down to $170. It's one of our favorite drives for the PS5 thanks to its 6,600 MB/s sequential read speeds, plus its relatively budget-friendly starting price.

SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD

SanDisk's Extreme Pro SSD in 1TB is down to $170 right now, or 45 percent off its usual rate. We like its compact, durable design that's IP55 water- and dust-resistant, plus its support for up to 2,000 MB/s read and write speeds.

Western Digital Red Plus NAS internal HDD

Western Digital

WD's 8TB Red Plus internal drive is nearly 50 percent off and down to only $130. If you're ok with adding an HDD rather than an SSD to your system, this is a good way to get a huge amount of storage without spending too much money.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

Amazon is kicking off this year's holiday shopping season with its Prime Early Access Sale. This Prime Day "part two" of sorts is the second members-only sale event of the year that Amazon has had in 2022, and Prime subscribers will find thousands of items on sale at record-low prices. This is your opportunity to not only stock up on household essentials while they're discounted, but it's also a chance to pick up some holiday gifts for less. If you have tech like headphones, earbuds, laptops, streaming devices, gaming accessories or other electronics on your list, you'll find a bunch of them on sale during this event. We've collected the best tech deals for October Prime Day here so you don't have to go searching for them.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Billy Steele/Engadget

Sony's WH-1000XM5 have dropped to $348. We gave the headphones a score of 95 for their great sound, supreme comfort and 30-hour battery life.

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro at $15 off and down to $235 for this October Prime Day. That's the best price we've seen since launch, and we gave them a score of 88 for their improved sound, excellent Transparency Mode and solid ANC.

Apple TV 4K

The latest Apple TV 4K has dropped to $109. While on the expensive side, it's a set-top box that Apple lovers will appreciate. We gave it a score of 90 for its speedy performance, Dolby Vision and Atmos support and much improved Siri remote.

Google Pixel 6a

Sam Rutherford / Engadget

Amazon knocked $120 of Google's Pixel 6a for this event, bringing it down to a record low of $329. We gave the budget-friendly smartphone a score of 89 for its attractive design, great cameras and long battery life.

iPad

The 10.2-inch iPad is down to $269. We gave it a score of 86 for its improved performance, excellent battery life, better front-facing camera and increased base storage.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is $410 off and down to $1,390. We gave the flagship foldable a score of 86 for its brighter main screen, sleeker hinge, updated cameras and much better battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 is $200 off and down to $800. We gave it a score of 86 for its improved battery life, added hands-free applications and attractive design.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

Billy Steele/Engadget

Google's Pixel Buds Pro are down to a new record low of $160 right now. We consider them to be the company's best earbuds yet, giving them a score of 87 for their deep, punchy bass, solid ANC and reliable touch controls.

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

Our current favorite budget headphones, Audio Technica's ATH-M20xBT, are on sale for only $59 right now. While they don't have ANC, they're quite comfortable, plus they have multi-device support and a 60-hour battery life.

Echo Show 5

The Echo Show 5 is on sale for $35, or a whopping 59 percent off its usual price. If you want a smart alarm clock, this is the smart display to get. We like its sharp 5-inch display, ambient light sensor, smart home controls and tap-to-snooze feature.

Fire TV Stick 4K Max

The higher-end Fire TV Stick 4K Max has dropped to $35, which is $20 less than usual and a record low. On top of all of the features in the standard Fire TV Stick 4K, the Max version also supports WiFi 6 and live picture-in-picture viewing.

Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite is on sale for $100, which is close to its record-low price. The updated model has 17 front lights, a sleeker design, an adjustable warm light, weeks of battery life and Audible support.

Beats Fit Pro

Billy Steele/Engadget

The Beats Fit Pro are 20 percent off and down to $160 for this sale. We gave them a score of 87 for their comfortable, water-resistant design, good sound quality and ANC and long battery life.

Bose QuietComfort 45

Billy Steele/Engadget

Bose's QuietComfort 45 headphones have dropped to $229, or $100 off their normal price. We gave them a score of 86 for their clear, balanced audio, improved ANC and long battery life.

Jabra Elite 3

Jabra's excellent Elite 3 earbuds have dropped to $50, or $30 off their normal rate. These already affordable buds earned a score of 88 from us for their impressive sound quality, good battery life, reliable touch controls and comfortable fit.

Google Nest Thermostat

Google

The Google Nest Thermostat is back on sale for $100 right now, which is one of the lowest prices we've seen. It's an Energy Star-certified device that intelligently monitors the temperature in your home and suggests ways you can save money on energy usage. You can also control it from your phone, changing your home's environment from anywhere at any time.

48-inch LG A1 OLED

LG's 48-inch A1 OLED smart TV is cheaper than ever at $645 for this sale. This is one of the company's more affordable OLED sets and it runs on LG's a7 Gen 4 AI Processor 4K and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, Game Optimizer and voice controls with Alexa and the Google Assistant.

August WiFi smart lock

August's 4th-gen WiFi smart lock is down to $184 for this sale. We gave it a score of 80 when it first came out thanks to its minimalist design, easy installation and mandatory two-factor authentication setup.

Samsung Smart Monitor M8

Samsung

Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 is cheaper than ever at $500 right now. It plays double duty as a monitor into which you can plug in your laptop and a smart TV with a built-in interface that gives you access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services. It also has a built-in smart home hub for connecting things like smart lights, switches and more.

Original Peloton Bike

Peloton

The original Peloton Bike is more than $200 off and down to $1,225 for Prime Day. It's a compact exercise bike with a built-in screen that lets you take a variety of cycling, strength, yoga and other classes with Peloton's digital membership. Also, one of the company's latest gadgets, the Peloton Guide, is on sale for $250, too.

Blink Mini

You can get two Blink Mini wired security cameras for only $30 for this October Prime Day. This camera needs to be plugged in, but we like its compact design, 1080p recording, motion alerts and two-way audio.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

The week may be almost over, but there are still plenty of offers to be found. Apple's 512GB MacBook Air M2 has hit a new low price, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is down to just $250, you can pick up an Xbox controller from $45 and Lenovo's Smart Clock Essential with Alexa is at an all-time low of just $35. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

MacBook Air M2

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The MacBook Air M2 with 512GB of storage is $150 off and down to $1,150 right now, a new low. We gave the updated laptop a score of 96 for its excellent performance, gorgeous display and ultra-thin design. If you don't need all that storage, the 256GB model is also on sale at $1,050.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Engadget

If you have your eye on Samsung's new Galaxy Watch 5 but were waiting for a deal, one has already arrived. Amazon's Woot portal is selling the 40mm model in several colors (Grey, Pink Gold and Silver) for $250, a savings of $30 or 11 percent off the regular price. We gave the Galaxy Watch 5 a score of 85 in our review, praising its design, build and comprehensive tracking features, with the biggest downside being battery life.

Xbox Core Wireless Controller

Aaron Souppouris / Engadget

Amazon is selling the Xbox Core Wireless Controller for up to 26 percent off. The white model is the most affordable of the bunch at $45 (normally $60), but you'll also find significant savings for the blue, red and Electric Volt (read: neon green) variants. If you own an Xbox Series X or Series S, you know what to expect. The Core Wireless Controller largely offers Microsoft's years-old layout, just with an Elite-style circular directional pad, a share button and better grip. 

Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa

Engadget

If you’re looking to add some digital smarts to your bedroom without buying a device that features a camera, smart clocks are the way to go. One of the better options out there is the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with Alexa, and it’s currently on sale. Amazon has discounted the device by 50 percent, making it $35 at the moment. We’ve seen the Smart Clock Essential go on sale frequently in the past. However, $35 matches an all-time low for the device.

Samsung T7 Shield

The 1TB model of the Samsung T7 Shield SSD is still on sale for $100, which is just about the best we've ever seen. This rugged drive has a tough exterior that can withstand drops from nearly 10 feet, plus an IP65 rating for dust- and water-resistance. It also has the same read/write speeds of the other T7 models and works with a bunch of devices including PC, Mac, Android and even some game consoles.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Another holdover from last week, Samsung's Z Flip 4 has a discount of $100, so you can pick it up for as low as $900. This foldable came out just a few weeks ago and we gave it a score of 86 in our review, mostly for its still-innovative formfactor, improved battery life and useful hands-free functionality.

HBO Max

HBO Max has discounted its annual plan, so you can save 30 percent if you sign up and pay for one year upfront. If you can deal with ads, the service will cost $70 for 12 months, down from the usual $100. To get an ad-free experience, you'll pay $105, which is $45 off the usual rate.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

The number of video streaming services available has increased dramatically over the past few years as everyone decides they want a piece of the pie. The days when Netflix was your only option are long gone now, and while that’s great for all of us itching to discover our next favorite TV show, it can also be confusing and expensive. You’re now tasked with figuring out which video streaming services have the content you want to watch, which fit into your budget, which have the most compelling original series and movies, and more.

We at Engadget wanted to make that process easier for you so we’ve compiled a list of the best video streaming services you can subscribe to right now, with our favorite picks spanning across all content types and budgets. Now, should you go out and subscribe to all of the services listed here? Probably not, unless you’re a true cord cutter aching for content. But these are the services that offer the best bang for your buck, regardless of whether you’re a sports buff, a classic movie lover or a general streaming enthusiast.

Netflix

Compared to other streaming services, no one offers more high-quality content at a single price than Netflix. Pick any category you can think of and Netflix probably has something that will fit the bill. Plus, new content is released every week and as a worldwide service, Netflix is consistently adding movies and TV shows from around the globe that can change the viewing experience in ways you may not have considered (Are you sure you’re not into K-Dramas, Finnish detective thrillers or British home improvement shows?).

Netflix is available in almost every country on the planet, and its app or website runs on most of the devices that connect to the internet. Those apps are also some of the most easy-to-use of any service. That doesn’t mean it’s always simple to choose something to watch, but when it comes to swapping profiles or simply picking up where you left off, it doesn’t get better than this. If you’re heading off the grid — or onto a plane — then you can easily download most (but not all) of its content to watch on your iOS or Android device.

If you somehow don’t have Netflix already (or someone to share a login with) then getting a taste of it is a little more complicated than it used to be. Netflix dropped its free trial period in the US a while ago so it’s important to have all your information in order before going in to create an account.

The other thing to keep in mind is that maybe if you’ve let your account lapse, the service that exists now is very different from what you would’ve seen two years ago, or five, or ten. Remaining the dominant player in subscription streaming has required adjustments to stay on top with a changing mix of content and plans to choose from.

In the US, there are three levels of Netflix you can subscribe to. All of them include unlimited access to the same content, work on the same devices, none of them include advertisements and you can cancel or pause them at any time. The difference between Basic ($10 per month), Standard ($15.50 per month) and Premium ($20 per month) comes down to picture quality and the amount of simultaneous streams allowed.

At the Basic level you can expect 480p, aka DVD quality, and only a single stream available. If you’d like to watch streams in HD and allow for the possibility of up to two streams at once, then you’ll need to step up to the Standard package. If you share your account with multiple people or have a newer 4K display, then you may want the Premium package. You can watch content in the highest quality available going all the way up to 4K/HDR (F1 Drive to Survive, Stranger Things and Altered Carbon are some of my favorites at the level) and have four streams at once on one account.— Richard Lawler, Senior News Editor

Amazon Prime Video 

If you think of Amazon’s Prime Video package as a Netflix-lite, or even if you’ve only used it once or twice then you may be underestimating the options available. The ad-free (other than trailers) subscription service is available as part of Amazon Prime, which you can purchase for either $15 per month, or $139 annually. While the subscription started out as a way to get free shipping on more purchases, Amazon has tacked on benefits that extend across books, music, games and even groceries. If you’d prefer to get Prime Video only, it’s available as a standalone for $9 per month.

We’ll focus on the video service, which includes a selection of original and catalog content that is a lot like what Netflix and the others offer. In recent years Amazon Prime has increased its original output with award-winning series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as well as highly-regarded genre content like The Boys and The Expanse.

When it comes to where you can watch Amazon Prime Video, the list of options rivals Netflix. Streaming boxes and smart TVs, whether they’re part of Amazon’s Fire TV platform or not, are almost a given. Game consoles? Check. The only major gap in compatibility was Google’s Chromecast, and it closed that hole in the summer of 2019.

Amazon also has a significant amount of content that’s available to watch in 4K and HDR and unlike Netflix it won’t charge you extra for the privilege. The same goes for simultaneous streams — Amazon’s rules say you can have up to two running concurrently. When it comes to downloads, Amazon allows offline viewing on its Fire devices, Android and iOS.

The only downside is that Amazon’s apps aren’t quite on par with Netflix in terms of usability. While all the features are there, simple things like reading an episode summary, enabling closed-captions or jumping out of one show and into another are frequently more frustrating on Amazon than on other platforms. The company also frequently insists on bringing its Fire TV-style interface to other platforms instead of using their native controls. That can make it harder to use, although on platforms where it hews to the built-in controls, like Roku, can be easier to use.

One other thing to think about is that Amazon’s video apps link to its on-demand store, and include access to Channels. For cord-cutters who just want a consistent experience across different devices, that means you can easily buy or rent content that isn’t part of the subscription. Amazon Channels lets you manage subscriptions to Britbox, Showtime, Paramount+ and others.

Last but not least, there’s one thing Amazon has that you won’t get from Netflix, and can’t get from Hulu or YouTube: Thursday Night NFL action. Prime Video is now the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, starting with the 2022 season. — R.L.

HBO Max

In 2020, HBO decided to take the fight to its streaming competitors with HBO Max. It supplanted the existing HBO channels, as well as streaming via HBO Go or HBO Now by refocusing on original content and rebuilding the service for the modern era. HBO Max has the advantage of linking to one of the deepest (and best) content libraries available, drawing from the premium cable channel’s archives, the Warner Bros. vault, Studio Ghibli, Looney Tunes, Sesame Street and Turner Classic Movies.

If you pay for HBO from one of the major TV providers, then congratulations — you probably already have access to the full HBO Max experience. Just activate your account and start streaming. Otherwise, you can subscribe directly over the internet. HBO Max has a free 7-day trial, and costs $15 per month (or $150 a year) for the no-ads tier.

The company just came out with an ad-supported tier, which costs $10 per month or $100 per year. Along with ads, you won't be able to download content for offline viewing. Currently, HBO Max only offers 4K HDR streaming for certain content, and only those with the ad-free plan can access it. It can support up to three streams simultaneously, and offers individual profiles.

Since launch, HBO Max has come to more TV platforms and it's now available on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung and others. You can also stream it via a browser, Sony and Microsoft’s game consoles or with mobile apps on Android and iOS. It also includes support for AirPlay and Google’s Cast feature, which help it work with more smart TVs than just the ones listed here.

HBO Max content includes premium stuff that Warner yanked back from Netflix and others, like full series runs of Friends and The Fresh Prince, or DC Universe-related TV series and movies. The HBO library speaks for itself, with Game of Thrones, The Wire and older stuff like Band of Brothers, Flight of the Conchords or Entourage. It’s also investing in all-new content for HBO Max, like its Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon and a series based on the Last of Us video game.

We should mention, however, that HBO Max has recently canceled several shows ahead of the Discovery+ merger as a cost-cutting move. It is deprioritizing kid and family content, leading to the removal of Sesame Street spin-offs and a handful of Cartoon Network titles. Movies like Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt has also been axed. Despite these changes, HBO Max still has one of the best content libraries of any streaming service and is worthy of consideration. — R.L. and Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer

Hulu

Hulu started out as a bit of a curiosity — a joint venture by NBC, News Corp and a private equity firm to compete with Netflix by offering new episodes of TV shows. Then, after Disney joined up in 2009, bringing along its content from ABC and the Disney Channel, Hulu became a streaming network worth paying attention to. Today, Hulu's focus is still on recent TV episodes, but it also has a strong library of original series and films (like The Handmaid's Tale and Only Murders in the Building), as well as an archive of older TV and movies that often puts Netflix to shame.

Now that Disney owns a majority controlling stake in Hulu, following its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the service is less of a collaboration between media giants. (Comcast still offers NBCUniversal content, but it can choose to have Disney buy out its shares as early as 2024.) Instead, it's yet another feather in Disney's increasingly important digital empire, alongside Disney+ and ESPN+. That may not be a great thing for the competitiveness of streaming services in general, but for subscribers it means they can look forward to even more quality content, like all of the FX shows that hit Hulu earlier this year.

Hulu subscriptions start at $7 a month (or $70 a year) with ads. You can also bump up to the ad-free plan for $13 a month (worth it for true TV addicts). The company's Live TV offering is considerably more expensive, starting at $70 a month with ads and $76 a month ad-free, but you do get Disney+ and ESPN+ services bundled in. Hulu allows two of your devices to stream at the same time, and you can also download some content for offline viewing. Live TV subscribers can also pay $10 a month for unlimited streaming at home (and for up to three remote mobile devices).

Given that it's one of the longest-running streaming services out there, you can find Hulu apps everywhere, from TVs to set-top boxes. The company has been slow to adopt newer home theater technology, though — we're still waiting for surround sound on Apple TV and many other devices, and there's no HDR at all. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Editor

Disney+

Disney+came out swinging, leveraging all of the company's popular brands, like Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel. It's your one-stop-shop for everything Disney, making it catnip for kids, parents, animation fans and anyone looking for some classic films from the likes of 20th Century Pictures. And unlike Hulu, which Disney also owns, there aren't any R-rated movies or shows that curious kiddos can come across.

Given the company's new focus on streaming, Disney+ has quickly become a must-have for families. And at $8 a month (or $80 a year), it's a lot cheaper than wrangling the kids for a night out at the movies (or even buying one of the Disney's over-priced Blu-rays). You can also get it bundled with ESPN+ and Hulu for $14 a month. Some Verizon FiOS and mobile customers can also get Disney+, Hulu and ESPN for free.

Disney+ supports four simultaneous streams at once, and also lets you download films and shows for offline viewing. (That's particularly helpful when you're stuck in the car with no cell service and a crying toddler. Trust me.) You can access Disney+ on every major streaming device and most TV brands. While the service launched without support for Amazon's Fire TV devices, it's now available there as well. — D.H.

Apple TV+

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Apple spared no expense with its streaming platform, launching with high profile series like The Morning Show. While they weren’t all hits initially (See you later, get it?), Apple TV+ has since amassed a slew of must-watch programming like Ted Lasso, Severance, and For All Mankind. Clearly, the iPhone maker is taking a different approach than Netflix or Disney, with a focus on quality and big celebrity names, rather than bombarding us with a ton of content. But that strategy seems to have paid off.

For $5 a month, there’s a ton of great shows and movies to dive into. But if you’re a dedicated Apple user, it may be worth moving up to an Apple One plan, which also bundles Apple Arcade, Music, and 50GB of iCloud storage for $15 a month. Step up to $20 monthly, and you can bring in your whole family with up to 200GB of iCloud storage. And for $30 a month, Apple throws in News+ and Fitness+. – D.H.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is a great option for cord cutters who still want to watch live TV without having to sign up for a contract. It carries over 85 different channels, so it’s highly likely that you won’t miss your cable or satellite subscription at all if you switch over. YouTube TV even carries your regional PBS channels, which is a rarity on most streaming services.

Where YouTube TV really shines is in the sports department. Not only does it offer sports-carrying channels like CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, TBS and TNT, it also offers specific sports coverage networks like the MLB Network, NBA TV and the NFL Network. You can even opt for a Sports Plus package for an additional $11 a month if you want specific sports channels like NFL RedZone, FOX College Sports, GOLTV, FOX Soccer Plus, MAVTV Motorsports Network, TVG and Stadium. Unfortunately, however, YouTube TV recently lost the rights to carry Bally Sports regional networks, which means that you won’t get region-specific channels such as Bally Sports Detroit or Bally Sports Southwest.

One particularly strong selling point for sports fans is that instead of always remembering to record a particular game, you can just choose to “follow” a specific team and the DVR will automatically record all of its games. Plus, if you happen to have jumped into the match late, there’s a “catch up with key plays” feature that lets you watch all the highlights up until that point so that you’re up to speed.

YouTube TV is on the expensive side at $65 a month, which might not be much more than your basic cable package. If you want to add 4K viewing (which is currently only available through certain sporting events) plus unlimited streaming, you’d have to cough up an additional $20 a month.

It currently offers one of the best cloud DVRs available. YouTube TV’s DVR has unlimited storage plus you have up to nine months to watch your recorded content before they expire. There are also no DVR up-charges here; you can rewind or fast forward through the recorded content as you please by default. We should note, however, that the on-demand content on YouTube TV does have ads which you can’t fast-forward through.

There’s also a plethora of premium channels that you can add for as low as $3 per month, such as Showtime ($11 a month), HBO Max ($15 a month), Starz ($9 a month), Cinemax ($10 a month) and EPIX ($6 a month). You can also subscribe to an Entertainment Plus bundle that includes HBO Max, Showtime and Starz for $30 a month. Other niche add-ons include CuriosityStream ($3 a month), AMC Premiere ($5 a month), Shudder ($6 a month), Sundance Now ($7 a month), Urban Movie Channel ($5 a month), and Acorn TV ($6 a month). — N.L.

Hulu with Live TV

Aside from on-demand and original content, Hulu also offers a Live TV add-on that lets you stream over 80 channels without a cable or satellite subscription. It’ll cost $70 a month, but that includes access to both Disney+ and ESPN+. Pay about $6 more and you’ll also be able to watch on-demand shows without any ads, which can’t be said with YouTube TV. As of April 2022, Hulu’s Live TV option also has unlimited DVR for up to nine months. That includes on-demand playback and fast-forwarding capabilities.

Hulu allows two simultaneous streams per account, but you can pay $15 more if you want unlimited screens (and up to three remote mobile devices). If you want, you can also add premium add-ons to your Hulu plan, such as HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, or Starz.

Hulu’s Live TV service is a great option for sports fans, as it has access to channels like CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, TBS, TNT and more, all of which should deliver content for fans of most major sports like football, basketball and baseball. Hulu also added NFL Network and NFL RedZone in 2021. However, Hulu plus Live TV does not carry the NBA TV or the MLB Network, so you could miss out on additional sports coverage. — N.L.

ESPN+

Without a doubt, ESPN’s standalone service is the best deal in sports streaming. No one can compete with the network when it comes to the sheer volume of content. The platform hosts thousands of live college sporting events, plus MLB, MLS, NHL, NBA G League games and more. There’s plenty of pro tennis as well, and ESPN+ is an insane value for soccer fans.

On top of select MLS matches, ESPN+ is the US home of the Bundesliga (Germany) and the EFL cup (Carabao Cup). It’s also the spot for the UEFA Nations League international competition in Europe.

ESPN offers a slate of original shows and the full catalog of its 30 For 30 series on the service. And lastly, ESPN+ is the home of UFC. Fight Nights, Dana White’s Contender Series and other shows stream weekly or monthly, plus the app is how you access PPV events.

That’s a truckload of sports for $10 a month. If you splurge for Disney’s bundle with Disney+ and Hulu (ad-supported), you can get all three for $14 per month. — Billy Steele, Senior News Editor

Paramount+

ViacomCBS

Formerly CBS All Access, Paramount+ may get the most attention for originals like Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard and The Twilight Zone, but it’s becoming a sports destination as well. The app began streaming NWSL soccer matches last summer when the league returned to the pitch. CBS also announced that All Access would be the streaming home of the US women’s league. Unfortunately, you can’t watch every match there, but it’s a start.

Soon after, CBS added UEFA Champions League and Europa League soccer to its sports slate. The Champions League is the biggest competition in club soccer, pitting teams from various countries around the continent against each other to see who’s the best. Europa League does the same, but with less glory. Paramount+ is now the home of Series A soccer (Italy) and will broadcast CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, which the US Men’s National Team will participate in.

At $6 a month with limited commercials, or $10 a month ad-free, Paramount+ isn’t a must have sports destination just yet. You can stream NFL and other games that air on your local CBS station inside the app, but the network is still filling out a well-rounded slate. For now, it’s more of a necessity for soccer fans than anything else. — B.S.

NBC Peacock

NBC made it clear before Peacock’s debut that Premier League soccer would be available on the standalone service. What we didn’t expect was that the network would put so many games there, basically forcing anyone who’s more than a casual fan to subscribe. This is partially due to PL scheduling. In the US, that means you need the $5/month service and access to NBC Sports network (through cable or live TV streaming) to follow comprehensively.

NBCUniversal had a similar structure in the past where one game per time slot was broadcast on NBC Sports and NBC Sports Gold was used as the overflow. Gold was also the home to cycling, Olympic sports and more. Now the Premier League is being used to push the new service Peacock, and with the current scheduling format, even more games are relegated to streaming only. Thankfully, Peacock does offer match replays, so there’s some added value there if you can’t be parked in front of your TV all day on Saturday and Sunday. Games currently run from about 7:30AM ET to around 5PM ET (matches usually at 7:30AM, 10AM, 12:30PM and one around 2:30 or 3:00PM).

Peacock also shows coverage of US Open tennis, NFL Wild Card games and will host “select events” from upcoming Olympics in Tokyo and Beijing. There’s also a smattering of sports talk shows available for free with paid users getting on-demand replays of Triple Crown horse racing and more. — B.S.

The Criterion Channel

While it's easy to find modern films on Netflix and other streaming services these days, classic cinema is often tougher to find. FilmStruck tried to solve that problem, but it couldn't find a large enough audience to survive. Now there's the Criterion Channel, which delivers a rotating array of its cinephile-approved library for $11 a month or $100 a year. (Where else can you stream something like the incredible ramen noodle Western Tampopo?)

It's a service that's built for movie lovers: It's chock full of commentary tracks, conversations with writers and directors, and some of the company's renowned special features. The Criterion Channel also does a far better job at curating viewing options than other services. Its double features, for instance, pair together thematically similar films, like the classic noir entries Phantom Lady and Variety. What’s more, its editors make it easy to find all of the available films from a single director, for all of you auteur theory connoisseurs.

Sure, it costs a bit more than Hulu and Disney+, but The Criterion Channel gives you access to a library that's far more rewarding than the latest streaming TV show. You can watch on up to three devices at once, and there's also offline viewing available for iOS and Android devices. It also supports major streaming devices from Apple, Amazon and Roku, but as far as TV's go, it's only on Samsung's Tizen-powered sets. Unfortunately, The Criterion Channel is only available in the US and Canada, due to licensing restrictions. — D.H.

Shudder

Sometimes, a good horror movie is the only way to deal with the constant anxiety of a global pandemic, a potential climate apocalypse and the seeming downfall of modern society. If that describes your personality, it's worth taking a look at Shudder, AMC Network's streaming service dedicated to everything spooky. You'll find plenty of horror classics, like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but Shudder has also gotten into the original content game with unique films like Host, which takes place entirely over a Zoom call.

If you're a bit squeamish, Shudder probably won't sell you much on horror. But for fans of the genre, it's a smorgasbord of content to dive into. You can try it out free for seven days, and afterwards it's $6 per month (or $57 annually). Shudder only supports viewing one stream at a time, and there's no support for offline viewing yet. You can find Shudder on major streaming device platforms, but since it's so niche, don't expect to find it on smart TVs anytime soon. — D.H.