Best Buy is in the midst of its anniversary sale, giving you the chance to upgrade your gadget game. As a tech nerd, my husband lit up like a Christmas tree when I told him this. He embarked on a hunt for the next essential additions to our home while I sifted through it all to find the best deals on our favorite laptops, tablets, TVs, soundbars, and headphones.
Check out the haul below, with links to our specific coverage of each product where we have it, and reasons to buy something where we don’t.
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Laptop Deals
Check out our Best Laptops guide for more recommendations.
This isn’t the newest Macbook Air, but the Air M1 is still our favorite Mac laptop we’ve tested. The battery life is exceptional, the M1 processor performs impressively well, and it’s lightweight enough that your chiropractor won’t be too disappointed if you carry it in your tote bag. Macs are historically pricey and rarely go on sale, so any time they do is a good time to snag one. If you’re looking for a Macbook more suited to tasks like video editing, the Macbook Pro 16-inch is also available for $2,199 ($300 off).
When it comes to laptops, bigger isn’t always better. If you’re looking for a smaller gaming laptop, the 14-inch Asus ROG Zephyrus may be just right for you. Despite its compact build, the display is crisp, the keyboard is great, and there’s a webcam so you can connect with your friends while you play. You could also opt for an older version of our favorite gaming laptop, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 for $1,550 ($300 off).
The Acer Nitro is a pretty basic gaming laptop, but it keeps up well enough to be a solid option for those looking to save a few bucks. The refresh rate is 144 Hz and the HD display is nice, but the keyboard is probably the most impressive aspect. The Nitro is already more affordable than most other gaming laptops we’ve reviewed, and an extra discount is definitely a nice touch.
Not looking for a laptop-tablet hybrid? The Surface 4 gives you everything you need in a laptop—a good battery, solid screen, etc.—with the benefit of the Microsoft system that many love. Plus, the Surface 4 has a USB-C port, making it more versatile than the Pro in that regard.
Tablet Deals
Read our Best Tablets guide for more advice and tips.
Get a gadget that can serve as a laptop and a tablet. The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 does just that with its powerful processing capabilities and versatile, intuitive design. The Pro easily switches between tablet and laptop modes, letting you more easily work on this week’s reports during the day and watch The Wire in bed when you’ve logged off.
The category is luxury, and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is serving. Really, the screen is 14.6 inches, clear, and colorful—perfect for just about anything you need. However, it’s extremely expensive, so it really only makes sense to get if you’re an avid Android lover and it’s on sale. The less glitzy Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is on sale for $500 ($100 off), if you’re not looking to shell out that much money.
Not only is this tablet less than $100, but it’s also fire. No, literally it’s the Amazon Fire HD 8 (10th Gen), and it’s our favorite of the cheap tablets. The size makes it easy to pack in any bag, the screen does just fine, and you can also use a workaround to get access to more apps than are typically available. At half-off, it’s an absolute steal.
This tablet is truly a thing of wonder. The Tab P11 Plus dazzles with an LCD screen, high processing rate, and just-right size, out-performing all other Android tablets we’ve tested (some of which cost way more). At a little over 15 percent off, this is a great deal for Android fans.
TV and Soundbar Deals
Our Best TVs and Best Soundbars guides have more details on the products below.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—the Sony A90J is gorgeous. The OLED panel and top-tier processing will upgrade your viewing experience astronomically, and the Android TV interface makes it incredibly easy to use. This is definitely an investment, but it’s worth the dough, especially at a discounted price.
OLED is great, but it often comes at a higher cost. The Vizio OLED is a great opportunity to dip your toes into the crystal clear waters of OLED screens without breaking the bank. The contrast is surprisingly great, the highlights are balanced, and you can even play games in 4K with a 120-frame-per-second refresh rate. It was already a good deal, but at under $1,000 it’s even better.
Bright rooms really put a damper on your TV experience, but the Samsung QN90B can fix that. The combination of the high contrast and brightness allows you to watch whatever you want whenever you want without worrying about how much sun is shining.
Gather, gamers: This one’s for you. The LG C1 Series lights up pixel by pixel to offer clearer contrast, colors, and overall picture quality. Pair that with the 120-Hz 4K refresh rate, and you’ve got a setup ready for endless rounds of Halo.
For the gamers looking to spend a little less on TVs (and more on that game you’ve been dying to get), the Hisense U8G Series is a good deal. It doesn’t have the insane blacks we love from the LG above, but it does have that 120-Hz refresh rate that goes hand in hand with motion-heavy gaming. On top of that, it’s got a stylish center stand, if you’re not interested in mounting it on your wall.
The TCL 5 Series is the best entry-level TV on the market right now. But don’t let “entry-level” fool you—this TV features full-array local dimming zones and Roku smart features, and it is even fine for gaming. If you want more perks, the TCL 6-Series is also on sale for $1,000 ($100 off).
The itty bitty Roku Streambar is compact, but it offers a complete, true stereo sound. This is great if you’re short on space and already a fan of the Roku interface and overall streaming system.
The Samsung HW-Q950A takes Dolby Atmos technology and perfects it. The 11.1.4 driver array speed lets sound travel quickly between each piece in the set, creating a more immersive sonic experience. Wanna know what’s even better? It gives all the good sound of a true wired system, but it’s wireless.
Headphone Deals
Check out our Best Wireless Headphones guide for more picks.
Personal safety is top of mind for many these days, which often discourages folks from listening to music, podcasts, or other content when they’re on the go. The Sony Linkbuds are great, unobtrusive headphones that allow you to clearly hear audio while incorporating the sounds around you. This petite pair comes with a compact case, and the buds fit comfortably.
“Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me,” only goes as far as your best pair of headphones. If you’re anything like Kim, the Bose Noise Cancelling 700 headphones make it possible to hear and be heard better with a great built-in microphone, noise cancellation, and long-lasting battery.
If you’re big on Apple, the Airpods Pro are your best bet for headphones. They’re more comfortable than their predecessor and even include built-in vents to avoid the “plugged ear” or “eardrum suck” feeling when you use the active noise cancellation. This allows for a more dynamic bass and better overall sound quality.
Workouts call for a really good playlist, and it’s important to have quality earbuds while you’re at it. The Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds offer great sound in a small package, so you don’t have to worry about hitting clunky wires when you’re strutting on the treadmill to the new Beyoncé album. And if you’re exercising somewhere that requires a little more awareness of your surroundings, the earbuds have an accompanying app that allows you to customize how much outside sound they let it. Safe and savvy!
