Best Buy is starting its Black Friday sale this week, because screw the calendar

UPDATE: Oct. 19, 2021, 11:10 a.m. EDT This story has been updated to include the latest live deals from Best Buy’s pre-Black Friday sale.

Best Buy is throwing out the Black Friday playbook.

The electronics retailer’s second (third?) pre-Black Friday sale is here. Best Buy will have multiple Black Friday sales events throughout the holiday shopping season, and the current event runs from Tuesday, Oct. 19 through Friday Oct. 22. This is all ahead of the official Black Friday sale, which kicks off a week early on Nov. 19. (Deep breaths.)

What’s more, all deals will be covered by a new “Black Friday Price Guarantee” that their discounts won’t get any better before the big day — so you know you’re getting the best deal possible no matter when you shop. (If a better price does crop up for some reason, Best Buy will automatically refund the difference for My Best Buy and Best Buy Totaltech members; non-members can get reimbursed by visiting their local store or contacting its customer care team about a price match.)

Best Buy’s day-of Black Friday deals will be available online and in stores (with limited capacity)
Credit: Best Buy

Best Buy says its decision to basically rewrite the October and November calendars is meant to “help [customers] get the goods early.” Our take? It’s partially to get a jump on what’s expected to be a huge holiday shopping season, but mostly an attempt to avoid those supply chain disruptions affecting everything from computer chips to chicken wings.

This week’s sale features hundreds of markdowns on “the season’s hottest tech,” including $150 off a 70-inch Samsung 4K smart TV, $180 off the matte black Beats Studio3 headphones, and Chromebooks as cheap as $99. We’ve rounded up some of the highlights below:

Apple 8th generation iPad — Starting at $279.99 (save $50)

Basically every iteration of the 8th gen iPad is $50 off, starting with the Wi-Fi only, 32GB model and going all the way up to the WiFi+Cellular 128GB version, which is on sale for $509.99. All of these iPad prices are Black Friday price-guaranteed, so scoop one up as an early holiday gift (and feel good knowing you got the best price).

Apple TV 4K 32GB — $129.99 (save $30)

Let’s be real: Smart TV hubs aren’t the most intuitive or the most user-friendly. Access all your streaming apps and sites on one aesthetically pleasing interface with an Apple TV. It’ll give you a 4K HDR picture boost, Dolby Atmos fueled sound, AirPlay mirroring, and Siri voice control for hands-free streaming.

iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum — $549.99 (save $250)

This is by far the lowest price we’ve seen on the Roomba i7+ — and Best Buy is the one of the only retailers that currently has them in stock (the i7+ is out of stock at Amazon except for used models). With WiFi connectivity, voice assistant compatibility, and a self-emptying base, you’ll basically never need to lift a finger in your home again (at least when it comes to cleaning the floors).

Hydrow Connected Rower — $1,794.99 (save $500)

If a Peloton isn’t your vibe, this Hydrow rowing machine has all the same sleek studio vibes, but it offers a full body workout. While it requires a separate monthly membership, you’ll be able to take live and on-demand classes straight from the attached monitor — no extra device required. Considering fitness equipment is expected to go fast this Black Friday, this $500 discount is one to grab.

TCL 55-inch 6-Series Mini-LED 4K smart TV — $699.99 (save $250)

This beautifully bright TV features Mini-LED backlighting for deep blacks and intense contrast. (That’s the same snazzy technology Apple’s baked into the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro, FYI.)

Explore related content:

• Amazon’s early Black Friday sale is on — here’s a monster list of the top deals

• What we know about Walmart’s Black Friday sales — including deals you can shop early

• All the best pre-Black Friday deals on robot vacuums