Black Friday at Walmart: the best TV deals yet and a super-cheap Dyson
Black Friday at Walmart is broken into 'events,' with the best deals divided among specific chunks of time. The best Walmart Black Friday deals include the cheapest 65" TV deal yet and an unprecedented bargain on a Dyson vacuum cleaner.
The Walmart logo is pictured at its store in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles. Black Friday at Walmart is separated into "Events" so that shoppers who want a wide range of the best deals will have to stay at the store for several hours.
Kevork Djansezian/AP/File
With the arrival of the Walmart Black Friday ad, we can all finalize our shopping game plans. So what brawl-inducing deals can we expect from the big W this year? As usual, Walmart will have some of the cheapest TVs around, as well as an Xbox One bundle for people who don't like Assassin's Creed. We also found some surprisingly sweet home deals. Our full analysis is below, but first let's talk tactics.
Doorbusters You Don't Have to Fight Over
Once again, Walmart is rolling out its doorbusters in "Events," or specified chunks of time. Event 1 starts at 6 pm local time on Thanksgiving, with Event 2 at 8 pm, and Event 3 at 6 am on Black Friday. Ostensibly, you could skip Event 1 and head to the store later to pick up the Event 2 doorbusters, and so on. Of course, what this actually means is that you might have to stay at Walmart longer to get everything on your in-store list — a great sales strategy for the retailer, but a real headache for crowd-weary consumers.
One bonus of heading to the store is the return of 1-Hour Guaranteed Doorbusters. Shoppers who brave the crowds from 6 pm to 7 pm local time are guaranteed to nab a coveted item, or Walmart will get it to them by Christmas (and at the doorbuster price). Unfortunately, the guarantee doesn't come back for the second and third Events; you're on your own for those deals! Still, with lots of in-store only deals gracing the ad, it's nice to know you don't necessarily have to fight the crowd to physically get your hands on a doorbuster. Now let's get analyzing!
The Walmart Black Friday Ad
In-Store Deals That Are Worth the Hassle
Vizio 65" 1080p Smart LED LCD HDTV for $648
Even if you don't consider Vizio to be a brand-name manufacturer, this 65" Smart TV doorbuster is spectacular. Starting at 6 pm local time, in-store shoppers can grab this set for $648, which is a whopping $102 less than the best price we've ever seen for any 65" HDTV, even refurbs. Better yet, this deal easily blows Best Buy's $800 LG TV out of the water.
Element 60" 1080p LED LCD HDTV for $498
If the 65" above is out of your price range, you can still bag a super-cheap big screen with this 8 pm doorbuster if brand isn't a consideration. This 60" Element is $78 above our TV prediction for this class, but it's $202 cheaper than the next best Black Friday ad we've seen. Furthermore, it'll become the cheapest 60" 1080p TV we've seen by $2.
HP Intel Celeron 15.6" Laptop for $159
That $100 Asus Laptop from Staples has completely changed the Black Friday landscape. Still, this HP machine comes in at a solid $19 below our budget laptop prediction. If you strike out at Staples, head to Walmart at 8 pm on Thanksgiving to score this system.
Xbox One Halo: The Master Chief Collection Bundle with a $30 Walmart Gift Card for $329
Although Target is offering the Assassin's Creed Unity version of this bundle paired with a $50 gift card, shoppers might think twice about dropping so much cash on a game that one critic called "my least favorite major Assassin's Creed since the 2007 original." On the other hand, this 6 pm doorbuster comes with four Halo games (as opposed to the other bundle's two), access to a beta, and more. The $30 gift card can even be used to further bulk up your Xbox One collection; Walmart will also have select Xbox One titles on sale from $20 during Black Friday.
Beats by Dr. Dre Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for $149
Assuming you aren't interested in the $80 Beats Solo HD headphones at Best Buy, these cans will please the bass-heavy music fan on your list. Although we haven't seen these Bluetooth headphones very often, this 6 pm doorbuster deal beats the previous price low by $51.
RCA 7" 8GB Android Tablet for $29
This off-brand Android tablet comes within $9 of hitting our rock-bottom tablet prediction of $20. That doesn't sound awesome until you realize that Target, Staples, Sears, and Kmart will all charge $40 for their Android doorbusters, which puts Walmart squarely in the lead. You can pick up this stocking stuffer starting at 6 pm.
Fitbit Flex Wireless Wristband for $69
Should an activity tracker be on your wishlist, head to Walmart at 8 pm to grab the cheapest Fitbit Flex around. This model has only hit $69 once before, in December of last year. In fact, this deal beats all other Black Friday ads for the Fitbit Flex; the next best offer is $6 more.
4-Burner Gas Grill with Side Burner for $99
Although the summer months typically see better grill sales than Black Friday, this gas grill is a steal. At $99, it'll be tied with a May deal as the cheapest 4-burner gas grill we've seen in thepast two years. Better still, this 6 pm doorbuster beats the next cheapest Black Friday gas grillby $61.
Dyson DC33 Multi-Floor Bagless Upright Vacuum for $199
Somewhere, a Dyson fan just fainted. We predicted that new Dysons would start at around $250, and this 6 pm doorbuster demolishes that price by $51. Furthermore, this price is $40 below our previous all-time low for a new unit.
Rachel Ray 15-Piece Porcelain Enamel Nonstick Cookware Set for $89
Cookware sets are an excellent buy on Black Friday, and this one is no exception. We haven't even seen a Rachel Ray porcelain enamel set this large since last Black Friday; in October, we saw a 12-piece set that cost $11 more than this 6 pm doorbuster.
The deals above represent the best of the best from Walmart's massive ad. Many items in the circular feature similar prices to those we've seen from other stores, and Walmart says it'll do further price matching to local printed ads. This means that Walmart could offer dealseekers one-stop shopping. Unfortunately, you'll have to actually head into a store to take advantage of these awesome offers. With so many killer Best Buy and Target deals easily available online, you might be better served by staying home.
Excited for Black Friday deals? Consider subscribing to the DealNews Select Newsletter to get a daily recap of all our deals; you never know when a Black Friday price will be released! You can also download the DealNews apps, check out the latest Black Friday ads, or read more buying advice.
Marcy Bonebright is a feature writer for Dealnews.com, where this article first appeared.