Should you buy a TV before Black Friday?
Every time October and November roll around, thinking about, or trying to make the decision about, whether you should buy a TV before Black Friday becomes a melon scratcher.
Now, in 2022, we've got more models on our shelves than ever, and retailers continue to launch their deals and discount earlier, so seeing the wood from the trees can be tricky. And the crux of this conundrum is buyer's remorse - or avoiding it. No one wants to jump on a great deal ahead of the sales, and then see that outdone on Black Friday; and no one wants to stay steadfast and wait for the big day only to be outdone by quicker shopp[pers, or find out that stock was limited, or - even worse - no deals on the desired TV actually appeared.
At GamesRadar, TVs are some of our favourite tech, especially when it comes to gaming on them. As a result, the upcoming Black Friday TV deals and Black Friday PS5 TV deals are particularly exciting propositions for us. This year we have even more to consider given brand-new tech graced the market and our homes for the first time in a long while - the Black Friday QD-OLED deals could be big hits this year and the 4K 120Hz TV Black Friday deals are also going to be big for gamers as more people than ever (finally) have new-gen consoles. This makes being on the hunt for the best gaming TV or the best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X this year an even more important process in this year's sales. Having said that, even if you haven't got a new-gen console yet, it's still worthwhile thinking of an upgrade as the technical upgrade will still apply, and you'll be ready for when you do get a new PS5 or Xbox.
Anyway, with deals arriving early, this is a double-edged sword. Working out whether to buy a TV before Black Friday isn't a straightforward 'no' (to wait for the deals), or 'yes' (to ensure you avoid disappointment or stock shortages). That's where we step in - we've watched these early discounts come and go year after year, so we're showing you exactly when to buy a TV before Black Friday and when to wait for the main event. It's important to keep a close eye on all of these sales as they launch, as it can pay to pull the trigger at just the right time.
However, if you're unsure of whether you should hold out until the end of November we'd recommend starting with a few key questions:
- What's your budget?
- Where are you buying it from?
- When do you actually need it by?
- Are you concerned about delivery delays or stock shortages?
- Are you happy to fight for a better price on Black Friday?
If you think about or tally up your answers to these questions, you'll probably gauge your position as to whether or not you should be going for early deals or not.
And remember, if you're after some other predictions or advice in other areas of TV deals, like the Black Friday 8K TV deals - for future proofers - or the Black Friday Samsung TV deals - for NeoQLED fans - or the Black Friday LG TV deals - for OLED fans, then check out those pages for some bespoke advice on those TV specialists.
When to buy a TV before Black Friday
If you need it soon - or are concerned about time
If you need a TV right now, for whatever reason, you'll likely find a great deal or price and can happily pull the trigger. The only real complication to this point is stock and delivery concerns - these factors might be enough for those who don't necessarily need a TV right now but want to ensure they get it promptly and without any surprise delays.
Given the stock and shipping difficulties we've seen this year, we wouldn't begrudge anybody not wanting to take a risk when items like TVs will be at their most popular. We also just don't know what stock will look like over the official sales, and sometimes retailers revert to giving you the deal price but booting delivery back by weeks. If you just want your tech now, and don't mind paying $30-$50 / £30-£50 more, it might be a good idea to bag an early deal.
If the price matches (or beats) previous Black Friday offers
While not a precise, scientific method, looking at previous Black Fridays and comparing models and their prices, can lead you to know whether to buy a specific TV deal before Black Friday or not.
If a product has been around for a while and is still one of the best, then we can check back through time using something like CamelCamelCamel, the excellent Amazon price checker, and see what its exact - or at least rough - price was last Black Friday. If the current price before this year's Black Friday is the same or lower, then it might pay to pull the trigger. If not, maybe hold on.
However, where we have newer models of products, like TVs, then we'll have to use predecessor models and their prices. For example, if, say, the LG OLED G2 or OLED C2 comes down to the price that the LG G1 and C1 were last year (or have the same kind of percentage discount), then it's probably worth a punt that they won't go much - if any - lower.
You want to avoid fighting over stock on Black Friday
On top of any stock shortage trouble, or delivery delays, it may be that the very best TV deals over the Black Friday itself, and the weekend that follows, are quickfire, lighting deals - like flash sales. These can last for as little as only a few hours and are hard to take advantage of at the best times. There'll be limited quantities of these so they go quickly and are fought over hard.
As a result, if you can put aside any disappointment of finding the best ever deal (which might not be by much, to be honest) then the early Black Friday deals are going to be worth considering so as to avoid this disappointment and hassle.
When to wait for Black Friday laptop deals
You can wait for your new TV
Those shipping and delivery delays could play into your hands if you don't mind waiting. With the best deals happening over Black Friday weekend, it might be that the demand for items pushes their delivery to you later and later - and, in essence, if you don't need a new TV immediately, then waiting now, paying a great price, then waiting for delivery might be a worthy route to winning.
You're planning to go very big
While not watertight, we generally see the prices of more premium items, across all areas of tech, though particularly on TVs, coming down the most over Black Friday. The bigger they are, the harder they fall genuinely does apply here.
And that might be in terms of literal size, with those beastly '65-inch and larger' TVs having their prices massively slashed and becoming much more affordable. It might also mean the really premium, top-tier models, like 8K TVs, and those models which cram in all of the features as well.
You're after the absolute lowest price possible
And this point is indeed the crux of the decision-making process. If you're after the lowest possible price for an item, then you'll have to roll the dice and wait for Black Friday itself, basically ignoring the low prices before the big day. This is your best chance at bagging the record low price and getting an absolute banger of a deal - a steal, potentially. Be prepared to strike quick though and get your login and payment details sorted in advance - the very best prices get snapped up quick.
Today's best deals
If you are looking to get your eye in, or want to explore those early prices, then you'll find a bunch of the lowest prices just below.
Remember if you're looking to broaden your research before the sales arrive, then check out our guides to the best OLED TV, best QLED TV, and best 120Hz 4K TVs.
And for more on the sales, get prepped for the Black Friday OLED TV deals, Black Friday 75-inch TV deals, and Black Friday QLED TV deals. And don't forget the Black Friday soundbar deals which we'll be broadening out with a host of audio solutions too.
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