These are the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals we actually bought

Apple AirPods Pro 2: were $249 now $199 @ Amazon
When the AirPods Pro 2 came out, I knew I wanted to upgrade since my first-gen set’s right earbud has started sounding scratchy. Plus, I wanted the new volume controls on the stem and better battery life. But I waited to buy, knowing they’d go on sale for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. While Amazon’s $50 off deal was tempting, I bought them from Apple because I wanted the case engraved. My purchase came with a $50 Apple gift card, which I’ll be applying to multiple months of Apple TV Plus. — Kelly Woo

I love my old AirPods Pro, but after 2+ years of non-stop use, they were dying a slow death. It’s a bit disappointing they didn’t last longer, but admittedly I sweat a lot when I workout and this is the longest that a pair of headphones has ever lasted me. They’ve also been the best-fitting earbuds I’ve ever worn. — Louis Ramirez

LG C2 OLED: was $1,996 now $1,296 @ Amazon
I have wanted the LG C2 ever since its predecessor, the LG C1, got discontinued. Sure, I wish I didn't need to spend over a thousand dollars, but I finally bit the bullet on this amazing TV for two reasons. Primarily, this seems to be the lowest price ($700 off MSRP) it will be for quite some time. Secondly, as our LG C2 OLED review explains, it's a darn good TV, especially for gaming. I've spent the cash on both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and I want them to look as good as they can. — Henry T. Casey

I bought the LG C2 65-inch OLED TV because my old 50-inch Panasonic plasma TV was starting to show signs of image retention. This is the first TV I’ve purchased in about 10+ years, so I went all out knowing that I probably won’t buy another TV for quite some time. I’m not a console gamer, but knowing that this TV supports HDMI 2.1 and sports a 120Hz panel might turn me onto gaming again. — Louis Ramirez

Asus TUF Dash 15" (2022): was $1,499 now $999 @ Best Buy
When I started looking for a new laptop, I knew I wanted a couple of things: future-proof, powerful GPU and decent battery life. After a bit of research, it became clear that the Asus TUF Dash 15 ticked all those boxes. It comes packed with a 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM (upgradable to 32GB) and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card. It has the specs to run the best PC games at high settings, and that's exactly what I needed. Plus, the default adapter can juice the battery 50% in just 30 minutes with the machine powered off.

Basically, this machine can do it all for less than $1,000. I can guarantee it's the best Cyber Monday laptop deal I've personally seen this year. But if you don't believe me, check out our latest best Cyber Monday deals and see for yourself. Then come back here to get this laptop and be satisfied you got the best deal possible. — Malcolm McMillan

Spin-Clean Vinyl Record Washer: was $70 now $59 @ Amazon
Prime Member Price! My other Black Friday/Cyber Monday purchase is another item I've been staring at for a while. Thankfully, the Spin-Clean Vinyl Record Washer just went down in price for this past weekend. I needed it, though, because I just got the glow in the dark vinyl of The Mars Volta's Frances the Mute, and it doesn't quite sound right. So, I thought this was the perfect time to get a thorough vinyl cleaning tool, one that my colleague Mike Prospero recommended to me. I am getting more invested into vinyl records these days, and plan to get a new record player at the end of the year, so my records better be their cleanest. — Henry T. Casey

WD_BLACK 2TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSD: was $399 now $294 @ Amazon
I’ve wanted to buy an internal Solid State Drive for my PS5 for over a year but the steep price of 2TB SSDs kept me far away. $300 to $400 for extra storage? No thanks! Thankfully, I was able to get the WD_Black SN850X 2TB for $179! I almost got the Samsung 980 Pro 2TB SSD w/ heatsink, but hesitated. I’m glad I did because I was able to save $10. My PS5 now feels complete thanks to this SSD. My days of constantly deleting games to make room for newer titles are over! — Tony Polanco

Leejie Lighter Candle Lighter Electric Lighter: was $14 now $9 @ Amazon
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, I stocked up on these handy electric lighters from Amazon on sale for $9 each. Using these lighters to light my candles has been a game-changer. Rather than running through matches or a traditional lighter, this one is rechargeable. Not to mention, I love the aesthetic of the different colors options. Pairing one of these lighters with a nice candle is definitely my go-to holiday gift this season. — Kate Kozuch

Philips Soup and Smoothie Maker: was $149 now $99 @ Amazon
I saw that the Philips Soup and Smoothie Maker had a deal that could save me $50 on its regular price of $149 and I had to grab it. I have had my eyes on this soup maker for a while now as it can whip up delicious soups or even smoothies in minutes. Just in time for a cold winter, too! — Sanjana Prakash

Apple AirTags: was $27 now $24 @ Amazon (deal expired)
I had my eyes on the Apple AirTag for a while and when I saw that it was down to its lowest price ever, it was a deal I couldn't miss. I just needed one and not the pack of 4, so that is what I went for and I netted it for $24 which is a pretty sweet deal! I have a long flight ahead of me soon so I am excited to put it use to track my luggage across airports. — Sanjana Prakash

Amazon Echo Show 15: was $249 now $169 @ Amazon
Even though the DIY digital dashboard I set up over the summer has served me well in my office, this Cyber Monday I finally picked up an Echo Show 15. I plan to mount it on the wall in my kitchen so that other members of my household can check our baby monitor and the security cameras around my house. Even though the Echo Show 15 only has a 5MP camera, I also want to try using it to drop in on other family members when we’re having dinner. The Echo Show 15 for $169 is a great deal as it’s one of the best smart displays as well as the only one you can mount on your wall without any additional hardware. — Anthony Spadafora

Le Creuset 5-Piece Signature Set: was $820 now $575 @ Le Cresuset
All Instagram shows me is cooking videos these days, and I can no longer resist the urge to make butternut squash rigatoni in a blended sage sauce or hasselback potatoes soaked in truffle gratin. My problem was that I have the kitchen tools of a recent college grad (I'm 39) so this year I used Black Friday to buy a set of cast-iron Le Crueset pots for high heat on stoves and in ovens and a NutriBullet 900 Pro to blend the perfect sauce and drown my pastas and potatoes in deliciousness. — Kenneth Butler

Eufy 4G LTE Cellular Security Camera: was $249 now $169 @ Amazon
I picked up the Eufy LTE camera for my garage, because it's slightly too far away to get a consistent Wi-Fi connection, making the camera I have in there already about as effective as a labrador guarding a buffet. And it came in a bundle with the solar panel, so I shouldn't have to ever take it down to recharge. — Tom Pritchard