Can't spot a deal from a dud? Our Black Friday experts…

A selection of products on a blue-purple background with 'Black Friday deals' in the center in white text.

The Black Friday deals are here, but you might be wondering how you can spot a great bargain from a 'meh' one, a deal from a dud, and my crack Deals team and I here to help you.

So it's hello from me, the Managing Editor of TechRadar’s Deals team, as I take you on a journey through a whole host of tips and tricks to win at Black Friday. Let's get into it.

Black Friday quick tips

Check the historical price of an item using tools like Camel Camel Camel to ensure you’re actually getting a bargain
Sign up to retailer promotions or subscriptions that offer regular deals like Amazon Prime
Set up Google alerts for items you’re after
Follow TechRadar’s TikTok and WhatsApp channels for deals updates
Regularly check TechRadar and sign up to our newsletter for deal spotlighting, buying advice, and expert insights on Black Friday deals

Now read on for advice from TechRadar’s deals experts.

"The Black Friday sales may push a lot of shiny new tech but you shouldn't neglect older products when it comes to the big end-of-year sales. It's no secret that retailers dramatically cut prices during this event to shift a lot of remaining stock, but a lot of those items are still excellent buys

Let's take the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones, for example. These have remained our pick for the best headphones you can buy for over two years – and that's even after the newer XM5s released. The older cans still offer excellent audio quality and noise-cancellation, and best of all you can pick them up for nearly $100/£100 less than the newer pair over Black Friday.

You can see other examples in TVs, laptops, and phones, where older and cheaper products do the job just as well (and sometimes even better) for far less cash. That's a way to score many of the best and less obvious bargains during Black Friday and something we pay close attention to when deals hunting."

"My Black Friday advice is to do your research. That could mean making a list of what products you want to buy on Black Friday, checking out when retailers will launch their Black Friday sales, or using price tracking tools to ensure you're getting an actual bargain.

That last piece of advice is the most important. Some retailers will raise the price of an item before the sale starts, so you think you're getting a really good deal. A price tracking tool will tell you the price history of a product so you know what kind of discount you're getting. If it's a record-low price or the lowest price of the year – then you know it's a genuine bargain."

"My number one tip for readers is to turn up early - especially if you anticipate shopping for in-demand products. Things like record-low prices on Apple products, cheap Amazon devices, and, in some cases, high-end TVs have all sold out in recent years, so it's worth taking advantage of the early sales that are becoming commonplace at leading retailers these days.

As always, however, I'd recommend taking a look at the retailer's fine print to see if the store will offer price match guarantees. These can insulate you from further price drops and provide peace of mind if you're buying early. For an example of this, see Best Buy's extended Holiday Price Match guarantee."

"My advice is a little more holistic than that of my colleagues. While I’m a sucker for a bargain that I can jump on as a knee-jerk purchase, I also support the idea of going into the Black Friday deals with a plan of what you’re after so that you’re savvy to what the best price will be, but also don’t wait too long and risk missing a cut-price item due to stock running out.

Also, think about what you need or how, say, a new item of tech will fit into your current setup. As tempting as it may be to grab something at a low price if you don’t end up using it or getting the most out of it, you could end up filling your home with redundant stuff. Smartphones are a good example here, as they have become so iterative in their yearly upgrades I feel there’s no pressing need to have the latest model, as one from two or more years ago is probably still perfectly fine; of course, retailers and brands offering good trade-in deals somewhat mitigate this.

In short, shop with a dose of common sense and a plan. And bookmark TechRadar to have a one-stop-place for what you need to know about the Black Friday deals."

Can't spot a deal from a dud? Our Black Friday experts are here to help

Black Friday quick tips

TechRadar's main Black Friday deals articles you should check out right now