Best Early Black Friday Deals Under $100

Oxo makes so many good kitchen utensils that it’s no surprise that this big spinner was among the top performers. It removed 97.7 percent of the water from our greens, making it the second-best performer for drying behind the Farberware. This Oxo model can accommodate a maximum of 200.32 grams of dry salad mix, second, again, to the winner. It’s the only stainless steel model we tested, so if you’re trying to cut down on your plastic purchases this could be a good model for you.

As glass-carafe drip coffee machines go, this Cuisinart drip coffee maker ranks among the best—and it’s back down to the same low price we saw for Black Friday. This machine performs superbly in our brewing tests and really well in our assessments for general handling and convenience. You can program it to brew at a certain time and tailor the brew strength to your desired preferences. An indicator light lets you know when it’s time to clean it. Cuisinart, as a brand, earns high owner-satisfaction and reliability scores for its drip coffee makers.

The Ninja Single Serve Pods & Grounds PB051 dual coffee maker is perfect for college students sharing a dorm or an apartment. It’s virtually three machines in one: A pod coffee maker, a drip coffee maker, and a milk frother. For single-serve Keurig K-Cups, a speedy first cup is paramount, and our testers found this model excellent in that regard. For drip brewing, we found brew performance very good, meaning the machine brewed at between 195° and 205° F for five or six minutes, the industry standard for optimal brewing and the best flavor. This Ninja model has a removable reservoir, water filter, and an indicator to tell you when you’ll need to clean it.

The BN701 Professional Plus with Auto iQ earns top scores in our tests for convenience and durability, and based on CR’s surveys, owners are very satisfied with their purchase. Though it also scored well in our pureeing and ice crushing tests, it got just a middling score on blending smoothies, so if that’s the main reason you want a blender, you may want to consider another model.

With more than 120 years in the business, Lodge knows a thing or two about cast iron, and the 6-quart Lodge Essential Enamel Cast-Iron Dutch oven is a solid option at a reasonable price. Bread baked in this Dutch oven is nicely browned and crispy, and it receives very good ratings for its even cooking and heating speed. We also found this enameled Dutch oven exceptionally easy to clean, and it’s dishwasher-safe. At over 13 pounds, though, it’s quite a lift.

The Instant Vortex 4 Plus Air Fryer 4QT is a standout for the legibility of its digital controls, relatively low noise levels, and ease of cleaning. What’s more, its square basket design makes it easy to fit in a small Pyrex dish or baking pan—great for turning out sweet treats. The measured 3-quart model has a 1-year warranty.

The Instant Vortex Slim air fryer, which typically sells for $120, is an all-around strong performer, with intuitive controls and quiet operation, and we found it pretty easy to clean, too. At 11 inches in width and 12 inches in height, it won’t be overly obtrusive on your countertop, though it is fairly deep (18 inches). It has a measured capacity of 4.9 quarts, five cooking modes (air fry, broil, bake, roast, and reheat), and one-touch programs to cook a range of foods, including wings, vegetables, potatoes, cookies, and more. It comes with a 1-year warranty.

The Sony ULT Field 1 is an amenable companion for a trip to the pool or the beach. It’s pleasant-sounding and has a strong, impactful bass, ideal for summer tunes. It doesn’t play super loud, but that’s largely a function of its modest size. It boasts an IP67 rating, which means it’s well sealed against sand and dirt and can take a modest dunking.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 represents an upgrade from the older Inspire 2, with the biggest change being a bright OLED color display that replaces the 2’s monochrome screen. The Inspire 3 is a great option if you’re looking to save money, especially at this sale price. It’s lightweight and slim, and pairs easily with both iPhones and Android smartphones.

This watch is now $5 more than it was for Prime Big Deal Days. If you’re thinking of getting it as a holiday gift, it would be better to wait for Black Friday, when the price has a good chance of being lower.

While Apple claims the AirPods 4 are improved over the AirPods 3, our testers were less impressed. They’re still solid headphones if you prefer not to have eartips stuck in your ear. The fit, despite Apple’s tweaks, is pretty much the same as previous models, as is the sound. These headphones were $15 less for Black Friday last year, so you may be able to save more in a couple of months.

If you want a pair of noise-canceling earbuds at a budget price, check out the Soundcore Space A40s. The bass packs some wallop, and the overall sound is warm, which makes the A40s pleasant to listen to over a long period of time. The noise cancellation is impressive, too—there’s even a transparency mode that allows you to monitor your surroundings when you’re out running or walking down a busy street. The discount is barely significant, but these headphones are a serious value even at their normal street price.

Despite the "cooling" in its name, this Nectar pillow doesn’t actually have cooling properties. Still, it’s one of the most breathable pillows we’ve evaluated, and our tests show that it doesn’t retain warmth. This polyurethane foam and polyester pillow is also quite resilient and excels at offering support for side sleepers. Back sleepers, however, would be better served by the Coop Original.

Side and back sleepers will find the GhostBed pillow quite dreamy. It’s made of shredded memory foam pieces with a polyester fiber cover and can be customized to your level of support by removing some of the shredded foam pieces and polyester gel fibers. Our tests found that sleepers of all sizes and positions can get some degree of improved support by removing various amounts of filling. This adjustable pillow, which comes in a pack of two, earns just middling marks in our resilience test but aces our breathability test.

The GorFanty 10-in-1 MultiPurpose, which typically retails for $100, has hit an all-time low price for Prime Day. It is an excellent cleaner with a decent steam rate. It takes only 20 seconds for the steam mop to produce steam, and its steam can last for around 10 minutes on its maximum setting. We like that you can adjust the length of the mop to accommodate people of different heights. The mop comes with plenty of accessories, including attachments for cleaning tile grout, clothes, furniture, windows, and carpets.

If you’re tired of lugging around a heavy hand vacuum while cleaning, you should consider the Shark Ion W1 WV201. At 1.4 pounds, it’s one of the lightest hand vacs we’ve tested. And despite its strong cleaning performance, it’s also fairly quiet. The downside is that its bin is on the small side, so you have to empty it frequently when tackling big messes.

This is $20 more than the lowest price I’ve seen in months, so there’s still a chance the price could drop this week.

The Blueair Blue Pure 511i Max is a great pick for a midsized space (150 to 350 square feet). It features four speeds, an auto mode that senses when to shift into higher gear, and a filter replacement reminder. It offers app connectivity, where you can monitor your room’s air quality. You can also check the LED light’s color on the machine’s display. Crucially, this pick receives near-top-level marks in our tests for effectively removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles at its highest speed, though it’s not whisper-quiet while doing so. CR members who own Blueair purifiers also report very high owner satisfaction and very few reliability issues. 

This humidifier, rated for small rooms, is a fantastic balance of quality and price. It’s a top-rated model; it handled every one of our tests with ease, and it has an indicator when the water level is low, so it’s easy to know when you need to add more (and it shuts off automatically if you don’t get there in time). With perfect scores across the board and a price under $50, it’s a no-brainer.

The BaBylissPro’s extra-long titanium barrel delivered long-lasting Rapunzel-quality curls in our evaluations. It has variable heat settings and begins to heat up the moment it’s plugged in. (It must be unplugged immediately after use to turn it off.) But the lack of a barrier between the heated barrel and the handle makes it easier to burn your hand.

Hot Tools hair styling tools are a common sight at hair salons, and for good reason—and this one just dropped $20 to boot. Our evaluators found that this flat iron heated up fast and was easy to use. It has variable heat settings for more control, and the plates are slightly longer than most straighteners, which could be useful for styling longer hair. It’s important to note that temperature consistency isn’t reliable and can vary by up to 20°F from the set temperature during use. It has a 2-hour window before it automatically shuts off, so you’ll want to remember to unplug it after every use.

The PetSite 3-in-1 is multifunctional, easy to assemble and fold, lightweight, and sturdy. It’s also really versatile for travel. It serves as both a car seat and portable carrier, complete with a carrying strap. It has a maximum capacity of 33 pounds, so you could potentially fit two small animals in it, and the mesh top makes it easy to keep an eye on them. Our evaluator reported that it was easy to assemble and that the stroller moved smoothly, even on bumpier surfaces.

The WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled Omron Body Composition Monitor and Scale BCM-500 is accurate, consistent, and gives repeatable results even if your weight isn’t evenly distributed. In addition to your weight, measured in 0.1-pound increments, the Omron also calculates BMI based on the user’s entered profile.

The Giro Syntax MIPS is a relatively expensive road/mountain bike helmet that keeps your head ventilated and absorbs impact. It’s easy to use and fits a variety of head sizes, too. The helmet comes in small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes and features an adjustable retention strap to further customize the fit. The Syntax MIPS is lightweight at 322 grams and features technology designed to reduce concussion risk. It has a one-year warranty.