The best time to buy electronics depends on the category: TVs are cheapest around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, laptops are often cheaper during back-to-school season in late July through August, headphones follow new model releases more than any calendar date, and smart home devices bottom out in early January. Here's what a year of tracking actual price drops across five retailers showed for each category.
When are TVs cheapest to buy?
TVs genuinely do hit their lowest prices in the two weeks around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, sometimes 30-40% below their typical price for the rest of the year. That advice holds up.
When are laptops cheapest to buy?
Laptops were the surprise. Back-to-school season in late July through August consistently beat Black Friday pricing on mid-range laptops in our tracking, likely because retailers compete hard for student buyers before Black Friday deals even start.
When are headphones cheapest to buy?
Headphones and audio gear showed the least seasonal pattern of anything we tracked, discounts appeared somewhat randomly throughout the year tied to new model releases rather than a calendar season, so watching for a new model announcement is a better signal than waiting for a specific month.
When are smart home devices cheapest to buy?
Smart home devices dropped hardest in early January, right after the holiday rush, likely retailers clearing holiday inventory before new product lines arrive at spring trade shows.
What's the takeaway?
The takeaway: 'wait for Black Friday' is decent generic advice, but if you know exactly what you're buying, checking the category-specific pattern can save you from waiting for a discount that was never coming during that particular sale.