There's no doubt that air fryers have been having a moment, but they haven't pushed the humble multicooker completely out of the limelight yet. If you somehow haven't jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon yet, you can give it a try for much less right now. Amazon has discounted the six-quart Instant Pot Duo by 50 percent, bringing it down to $50. We've seen this model dip slightly cheaper in the past ($48), but this is the best price we've seen in many months.
The benefit of a multicooker like this one is that it can do many things, acting as a jack-of-all-trades in your kitchen. The Duo in particular has seven cooking modes: pressure cook, slow cook, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker and warmer. It also has 13 customizable "smart programs" that take a lot of the guesswork out of preparing common foods like soup, beans, rice, poultry and more.
Both kitchen newbies and seasoned home cooks can make use of an Instant Pot like this. For those just getting into cooking, it'll help you prepare new foods that you may have never tried before, sometimes even more quickly than you could do just with a pot on stove. For those who cook all the time, it'll make it easier to prepare a lot of food during the holidays by giving you another countertop machine to employ when your other appliances are in use. Plus, it's a great tool for meal prepping.
It's also worth noting that the model on sale has a six-quart capacity, which sits in the middle of the Duo's lineup. It's a great size for most families as it's able to make food for up to six people at once. If you decide to take the plunge into the Instant Pot world, be sure to check out our guide for tips and tricks, recipe inspiration and more.
If you're itching for a new pair of AirPods but have strict holiday-shopping budget to stick to, you're in luck. You can pick up the second-generation AirPods for only $90 right now at Amazon, which is 43 percent off their normal price. While we did see them $10 cheaper during Amazon's October Prime Day, this remains a great sale price that doesn't come around very often.
These buds are a bit old at this point, but any AirPods are hard to beat if you live within the Apple ecosystem. The second-gen buds pair almost instantly with your iPhone during setup, and then they'll switch seamlessly between other Apple devices as you use them. That means you can go from taking a call on your iPhone to listening to music from your MacBook without any hiccups. Apple's H1 chip inside the AirPods also enables hands-free Siri access, allowing you to call upon the virtual assistant to answer questions, send messages and do other tasks without touching your AirPods at all.
Unlike the AirPods Pro, the standard AirPods have a fit that's akin to Apple's old-school EarPods, so if you always liked those that used to come with new iPhones, you'll probably like the fit of these buds, too. Sound quality is decent and wireless connectivity has been improved since the original versions of the buds. As far as battery life goes, you'll get five hours of listening time on a single charge, and a total of 24 hours of use when you employ the charging case that comes with the buds. Just keep in mind that these AirPods do not come with a wireless charging case, so you'll have to power them up with a Lightning cable.
The most compelling reason to pick up the second-gen AirPods is their sale price. They're the cheapest Apple earbuds you can get right now — but if you're willing to spend a bit more, you'll get a lot more in return. Apple's third-gen AirPods are currently on sale for $160, and they provide much better audio quality, Adaptive EQ, spatial audio, six hours of battery life on a single charge and up to 30 hours of use overall. And if you want active noise cancellation, a more custom fit and a wireless charging case, you'll have to spring for the AirPods Pro, which are currently on sale for $230.
Even if you live for the holiday season, the shopping portion of it can be daunting for us all. Maybe you made a resolution last year to be better prepared this time around, but it’s easy to get sidetracked by all the other demands of everyday life. Holiday sales may have already begun, but if you’re just getting your list together now, you’re not alone.
This is where our holiday gift guide comes in. Every year, we gather our favorite gadgets and other miscellany into one big (and, we hope, helpful) guide. You’ll find gift ideas for the audiophile in your life, video gamers, board gamers, frequent travelers, people who work from home, and others. We also have all of our bread-and-butter gadget categories represented, with lists of our favorite laptops, tablets, smart home devices, home theater gear and gaming accessories.
We also know that gadgets can get expensive fast, so in addition to having a bunch of types of gifts covered in our guide, we have every budget represented, too. Whether you’re ready to splurge this year or need to find inexpensive gifts, we have options for you. And if you’re willing to wait, Black Friday and Cyber Monday should bring a number of great deals on some of our favorite gadgets. If you haven’t crossed everything off your list by that point, be sure to follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter so you don’t miss any of the worthwhile tech deals this season.
We hope that our product recommendations can lessen your holiday stress because you’ll spend less time worrying about which gift to get for whom. And don’t forget to pick up something for yourself along the way – you deserve it.
Check out all of our holiday gift guide stories right here.
You don't always need to invest in a brand new TV or an expensive sound system to up your home-entertainment game. A soundbar could do the trick, providing much better audio quality than most TVs offer and costing much less than a whole sound system. Roku's Streambar is arguably one of the most convenient options available now, and it's even cheaper ahead of Black Friday. You can pick up the compact device for only $80 right now, which is $50 less than usual and the lowest we've seen it.
We gave the Streambar a score of 86 when it first came out because it not only provides a solid sound upgrade for most TVs, but it also includes 4K streaming technology inside. That means if you have an old set that isn't smart, you can turn it into a smart TV with the Streambar — no additional device required. It supports 4K HDR content and it'll give you access to more streaming services than you'll likely be able to use, including the big ones like Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and others.
As for audio, the Stremabar supports Dolby Atmos and really makes sound effects and music in TV shows and movies pop. It doesn't quite replicate the feeling of being in a movie theater of course, but it certainly makes your viewing experience more cinematic by upping overall sound quality. It can also double as a Bluetooth speaker, which will be useful if you want just one device in your living room that can do many things.
The Streambar also has the advantage of being relatively small. It's roughly the size of a carton eggs, and its fabric-wrapped design is pretty attractive, if a little basic. It's much smaller than other soundbars, so it'll fit into even the most cramped of living-room setups.
But if audio isn't your biggest concern and you just want a reliable yet affordable streaming device, there are a couple of other Roku deals worth considering right now. The company's Streaming Stick 4K is down to only $25, while the Roku Express is on sale for $18. The former connects directly to your TV's HDMI port to provide 4K streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision support and voice commands via its remote. The Express is a bit more limited, as it supports HD content, connects via an included HDMI cable and comes with a remote that doesn't have voice command support.
If you've been waiting for the holiday shopping season to grow your smart home ecosystem without dropping unnecessary amounts of money, you're in luck. Ahead of Black Friday, Amazon has already knocked down the price of the standard Ring Video Doorbell to $60. That's $15 cheaper than it was during Prime Day in July earlier this year and the best price we've seen it. There are a couple of compelling bundles you could get, too: pair the Video Doorbell with an Echo Show 5 for only $10 more, or get it with a battery-operated Ring Stick Up Camera for a total of $160.
While Ring has come out with multiple new versions of its signature doorbell, the standard model likely has everything most people would need from such a smart home device. It records 1080p video and will send alerts to your smartphone when it detects motion outside your door. It also supports two-way audio, so you can talk to visitors, delivery drivers and others when they ring the bell. This updated version of the original video doorbell has crisper night vision, along with support for privacy zones.
Installing the video doorbell is pretty easy, and you have two power options: hardwire the device to your home for constant power, or keep it running using the built-in rechargeable battery. Just keep in mind that the battery in this model isn't removeable, so you'll need to take the whole device off its perch to power it up every once in a while. If that seems like a hassle to you, you'll have to spring for either the Video Doorbell 3 or Video Doorbell 4 to get a detachable battery. You'll also get advanced features like 5GHz WiFi and an included corner kit with both of those, too.
Both another thing all Ring Video Doorbells have in common is the ability to sync with Alexa devices. If you have an Echo Show device in your home, or even a more advanced Fire TV streamer, you can use those displays or your TV to check your doorbell's camera feed.
Now's a great time to stock up microSD cards for your phone or console, or new portable drives for all of your most important files. A new sale at Amazon has knocked up to 67 percent off Samsung storage gadgets, including some of our favorites. The latest model in the company's T7 drive series, the T7 Shield, has dropped to a new record low of $90 for the 1TB model, plus you can get Samsung 980 Pro SSD in 1TB for only $120 or a 256GB EVO Select memory-card-plus-adapter set for only $24.
Samsung's T7 family of portable SSDs has been one of our favorites for some time thanks to its generally fast read/write speeds and its pocket-friendly design. All of the T7 drives can easily fit into your back pocket or a stuffed travel bag, making them one of the better options for professionals who travel often and need extra space to store important documents and files. The T7 Shield is the newest addition to the series and, along with being IP65 water- and dust-resistant, it has a more rugged exterior that helps it survive nearly 10-foot drops. When it comes to performance, it supports 1,050/1,000 MB/s read/write speeds and its Dynamic Thermal Guard controls heat to help maintain performance even when you're pushing the drive to its limits.
If you're finally getting around to expanding the storage available on your PS5, Samsung's 980 Pro internal drive is a good option, particularly at this sale price. It supports read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and it uses a nickel coating to control heat levels for improved efficiency. You will need a heatsink in order to use this drive with the PS5, though, and if you want to keep things simple, you could spring for the $150 bundle that includes one with Samsung's drive.
Any of the microSD cards included in this sale will work well with the Nintendo Switch, smartphones and tablets, cameras and more. We like the 256GB EVO Select model on sale because the discount is pretty solid (it's only $4 more than it was during the Prime Early Access Sale last month) and it comes with a full-sized adapter.
While most of the Prime Early Access Sale deals have come and gone, there are a few sales still thriving on Amazon. Google's Pixel 6a smartphone remains down to one of the best prices we've seen, while one of our favorite budget robot vacuums is close to a record-low price. A number of earbuds from Beats, Jabra and others are still discounted, plus you can still pick up a 48-inch LG OLED TV for less than $700. Here are the best October Prime Day deals that you can still get today.
Roomba 694
The Roomba 694 is on sale for $199 right now, which is close to its record-low price. It earned a spot in our best budget robot vacuum guide for its strong cleaning power, slick design and easy-to-use mobile app. This deal is part of a larger sale on iRobot machines that has also knocked the Roomba j7+ down to $599 and the high-end s9+ down to $799.
Amazon has knocked $100 off Google's Pixel 6a, bringing it down $349. We gave the budget-friendly smartphone a score of 89 for its attractive design, great cameras and long battery life.
Samsung's Pro Plus microSD card in 128GB is only $2 more right now than it was on Prime Day, putting it at $20. 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.
The Beats Fit Pro are 20 percent off and down to $160 at the moment. We gave them a score of 87 for their comfortable, water-resistant design, good sound quality and ANC and long battery life.
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.
LG's 48-inch A1 OLED smart TV is cheaper than ever at $647 right now. 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.
The Echo Show 5 is on sale for $40, or a little more than half 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.
The Google Nest Thermostat is back on sale for $107 right now, which is close to its all-time low. 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.
Amazon's October Prime Day offers a great opportunity to pick up a new monitor for your work-from-home or gaming setup. They're often some of the most expensive peripherals to get, so it always helps when you can wait and pick up a new model on sale. A number of monitors from brands like LG, Samsung, Dell and others have been discounted for the Prime Early Access Sale, so chances are you'll find one that's been discounted that's the appropriate size and resolution for your needs. Here are the best monitor deals we could find for October Prime Day.
LG monitor deals
LG
LG discounted a mixture of standard and gaming monitors for Prime Day this time around. The cheapest of the bunch is this 32-inch FHD IPS display for $180, or 28 percent off its normal rate. But if you're a gamer, you should consider this 27-inch LG Ultragear QHD monitor — it has a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and support for NVIDIA G-Sync.
Samsung's monitor deals include the Smart Monitor M8 for only $500. That's the best price we've seen on the display that doubles as a smart TV. When you're not using it for productivity, you can access streaming services like Netlfix and Prime Video directly from the device, and it has a built-in smart home hub, too. If you don't need all those extra bells and whistles, displays like the $160, 24-inch SR35 monitor and the $280, 32-inch Odyssey G5 are also good options.
There's a big sale on Dell and Sceptre monitors that knocks up to 43 percent off select models. This 24-inch Dell IPS gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate is cheaper than ever at $200, and you can get this all-purpose, 27-inch Dell FHD USB-C monitor for only $224.
If you're looking for a true budget monitor, Acer's got a handful of deals worth considering. You can pick up this 23.8-inch FHD IPS monitor with a 178 degree wide viewing angle for only $95, or this 27-inch Nitro WQHD gaming monitor, with AMD FreeSync Premium and overlocking to 170Hz refresh rates, for only $210 — $90 off its usual rate.
You've still got time to fit in some outdoor parties this fall before the weather gets too cold, and a pizza oven can be a great addition to your backyard setup. For Prime Day, one of our favorites, the Ooni Fyra 12, is 22 percent off and down to just over $279. That's the best price we've seen since Labor Day, when you could have gotten 20 percent off any of the company's 12-inch pizza ovens, the Fyra included.
Normally priced at $349, the Fyra 12 is a good option for those who prefer making personal pizzas. Its 12-inch side makes it ideal for smaller creations, and it's portable as well. The Fyra has foldable legs and a detachable chimney, plus it weighs only 22 pounds. That means you could bring this to a friend's house for a group pizza party pretty easily. This machine uses wood pellets to reach up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit, and it's usually ready to cook in only 15 minutes. We've recommended Ooni pizza ovens in the past, and they're even better when you can get them on sale.
Some of our other favorite outdoor gear is also on sale for Prime Day. Thermacell's E-series rechargeable mosquito repeller is down to $31, or 23 percent off its usual rate. This tiny device gives you a 20-foot protection zone from those pesky bugs, and it comes with a 12-hour repellant refill as well. Also discounted are TP-Link's Kasa Outdoor smart plug, which you can grab for $16, and the ultra-compact Sony SRS-XB13 portable speaker, which is on sale for $38.
Like furniture and other home essentials, IoT devices are often expensive and it can be hard to figure out which are right for your space. Thankfully, sales like this October Prime Day can help out with the first problem. A number of smart home devices, including robot vacuums, thermostats, kitchen tech and more, have been discounted for this members-only event. You can pick up some high-end gadgets for hundreds of dollars off, which means you may be able to snag an even better robo-vac than you thought you would thanks to these deals. And if you're looking to pick something up for a loved one, or someone who just moved into a new home as a housewarming gift, now's a great time to do that without breaking the bank. Here are the best robot vacuum deals and smart home gadget sales we found for the Prime Early Access Sale.
Roomba 694
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
The Roomba 694 is on sale for $199 right now, which is close to its record-low price. It earned a spot in our best budget robot vacuum guide for its strong cleaning power, slick design and easy-to-use mobile app.
The higher-end Roomba j7+ is back on sale for $599, which is the best price we've seen it. This model has enhanced obstacle avoidance that helps it move around things like pet poop, plus it comes with a clean base that the machine empties its bin into after every job.
Shark's AI Robot Vacuum with clean base is on sale for $350, which is the cheapest we've seen it. A similar model earned a spot in our best robot vacuum guide, and we like its solid suction power, good obstacle avoidance and bagless base into which the robo-vac dumps debris after every job.
The Instant Vortex Pro convection oven is on sale for $110, which is only $5 more than its record-low price. It's part of a larger sale on Instant Pots, air fryers and other small kitchen appliances. You're getting a 9-in-1 machine here that can air fry, bake, broil, dehydrate and more, plus it has six customizable programs and a rotisserie function, too.
A three pack of Philips Hue White + Color Ambience smart light bulbs is on sale for just under $81, which is one of the best prices we've seen. While they're on the expensive side, Philips Hue bulbs are our favorite smart lights thanks to their easy setup process, wide compatibility with things like Apple HomeKit and Amazon's Alexa, and the wide array of colors they support.
Our favorite budget smart lights from TP-Link have been discounted for Prime Day — only $30 for a four pack. We like the Kasa smart light bulbs for their WiFi connectivity, easy setup and handy app that shows estimated energy usage and savings over time.
Anova's Precision Cooker sous vide machine is down to a near-record low of $124 for Prime Day. It's a full-sized sous vide device that lets you cook food in a temperature-controlled water bath. The smaller Nano model made it into our best kitchen gadgets guide, but this version is even better for the savvy home cook in your life.
This Vitamix blender is down to $400 for Prime Day, which is more than $200 off its usual rate. It has five pre-programmed settings for easy use, an included 64-ounce container, plus variable speed and pulse support.
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.
Amazon's smart thermostat is on sale for $42 right now. This affordable IoT gadget lets you control your home's temperature from anywhere and it can be adjusted via Alexa commands.
Blink's Outdoor camera is $40 off and on sale for $60 during this sale. It has all of the features of the Indoor model along with a weather-resistant design, so you can use it to monitor the outside of your home.
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.
Amazon's smart plug is 48 percent off and down to only $13. You can plug almost any "dumb" appliance into this accessory to make it a smart one that can be controlled via a companion app and with Alexa voice commands.
A four pack of Kasa's mini smart plugs is on sale for only $24. These tiny accessories let you turn almost any appliance into a smart one, allowing you to turn them on and off remotely set usage schedules and more.
