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It’s the biggest day of the retail year, and it’s fast approaching. Black Friday is the day when many of the biggest sites and brands offer discounts on a huge range of products, including some great science and technology deals.
There will be deals on everything from the best cameras to telescopes, binoculars, air purifiers, fitness trackers and a whole load more. And unlike Amazon Prime Day, which is mainly just on Amazon's site, on Black Friday all retailers and brands can choose to get involved — so expect to see some big names doing their own promotions in order to win your custom. It’s a great opportunity to get ahead of Christmas shopping and get the gifts you already had your eye on at seriously discounted prices.
Why do it online? For many, it’s simply far more convenient. Though brick-and-mortar shops might offer Black Friday deals too, online is increasingly dominant. In 2023, a record $9.8 billion was spent online for Black Friday, up 7.5% from the previous year, according to Forbes. In-shop sales, meanwhile, only grew by 1.1%. So if you're searching for bargains from the comfort of your own sofa, you will certainly not be alone. With the rise of smartphones and services like Click and Collect, it can really make life a lot easier. However, because some of the online deals are limited to a certain amount of stock, you may need to act swiftly to get the best bargains.
So from the dates to add to your diary, to when and where the best bargains are to be found, here’s everything you need to know about Black Friday science deals this year.
When is Black Friday?
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Editor's note March 6 2025: Black Friday has now passed and we await the dates for 2025 in November this year. The following text is from Black Friday 2024.
The first crucial piece of information you need to know is when Black Friday falls. This year it will be on November 29, 2024, though many of the offers will run through the weekend until Cyber Monday, or December 2, 2024.
Knowing the date allows you to plan ahead, and create a list of all the items you actually want so you can keep track of the prices. In fact, though November 29 is the biggest date for bargains, some retailers start their offers way in advance — perhaps even up to a month before — in the hope of enticing customers to their sites ahead of the big day.
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However, even with some discounts available in the lead-up, most of the big retailers reserve their biggest bargains for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Is Black Friday worth it?
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(Image credit: Getty Images)
If something you were planning to buy anyway — whether for yourself or as a gift — is going to be discounted, then yes, of course, it's worth getting the best deal possible for that item. And while some offers can seem too good to be true, there are a lot of genuine and significant discounts on everything from telescopes to fitness trackers.
But of course, there are also deals that are available at other times of the year as well — and then there are sites that sell third-party products that might not be as great when they arrive as they looked online.
Where can I get the best science deals on Black Friday?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Keep checking our Black Friday roundups for the best deals, as we will be updating them as soon as they are announced. We’ll also let you know which brands have got involved and what discounts they will be offering.
To make sure you get the best deals on what you are really looking for, make sure you bookmark our pages and keep a note of your own wishlist of items. As Black Friday approaches, the amount of marketing emails and offers from every mailing list you’ve ever signed up to can be overwhelming — by keeping track of your own wishlist you’ll cut out the noise, avoid overdoing it, and stick to what really matters to you.
Which big science brands will be taking part in Black Friday?
Brands often like to play their cards close to their chests, so we can’t predict exact deals. But based on what we've seen in previous years, we are sure that you’ll find some great deals from the biggest names, from Samsung to Dyson, Garmin to Sony — and also, of course, from huge retailers like Amazon, BestBuy, Walmart, Target and more.
Just keep coming back here to check and we’ll update you with all the deals as soon as we have them.
Kate Carter is an experienced journalist who worked for the Guardian for a decade before going freelance. She writes for the Guardian, Runners World, and World Athletics amongst many other publications, and presents for The Running Channel. She is also a sub three hour marathon runner and an England Athletics coach.
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