Update 11/25/24: This starts our coverage of deals in the mid-tier giftable range. Our team will continue to monitor sales and add gift options to this list throughout the sale event. This was a particularly satisfying list to put together, and we even included some things you might even want to gift yourself to expand on other products you already own.
In case you weren’t aware, Black Friday, this biggest sale event of the year, is coming up, taking place on November 29th only. As the tradition goes, it’s the best time of the year to shop and score major savings, making it the perfect time to get gifts for everyone on your list.
The best part? You can start shopping and saving right now, as most retailers and manufacturers know that modern consumers don’t really think of Black Friday as a single holiday anymore. The bad news, however, is that if you are to look at the best early Black Friday deals, most of the focus is going to be on big-ticket items.
We know that you want to buy some things for yourself that don’t break the bank or to use this time to stock up on reasonably-priced gifts. Here, everything is $50 and under, making it a perfect gift list for people who are our typical Digital Trends readers.
Keurig K-Express Essentials Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker — $49 $59 17% off
One of the best early Black Friday Keurig deals, if you want to just make a single cup of coffee for yourself here and there, this has to be one of the most convenient ways to do so. Note that this has an iced coffee button, too, so this can roll around to be your summer go-to as well.
JBL Clip 5 — $50 $80 38% off
If you want an easy way to add some Bluetooth speakers to your belt loop, backpack, purse, or just about anywhere else, the JBL Clip 5 has become a great way to do so while it is $30 off. It even has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, allowing your giftee to withstand pretty much anything it faces.
BLACK+DECKER 12V Max Cordless Drill/Driver — $36 $40 10% off
This is an affordable drill/driver (meaning it both drills and drives screws in) that can help you assemble any gifts you have, put up mounts for monitors and more. Compare it with other cordless drill early Black Friday deals if you intend to do more than just the occasional bit of work.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $33 $60 45% off
You may know about Fire TVs already, but you can make just about any device a Fire TV with this stick. Our Fire TV Stick 4K Max review marks the little device as a high-value-for-the-money product that gets the job done.
JBL Tune 520BT — $35 $50 30% off
The JBL Tune 520BT is a budget pair of headphones with foamy earpads and a 57-hour battery life. These are a great alternative pickup for those who care more about getting the sound in their ears than the equalizer settings and ANC quality, or just a good second pair of headphones you don’t have to worry so much about on a daily basis.
Blink Outdoor 4 Wireless Security Camera — $40 $100 60% off
Get this cam by itself, or go with your existing Blink system. It works with your Alexa devices to give you a live view, or you can store event clips locally or to the cloud (with a subscription). If you want to add a bit of security to your life, now is the time to do so while you can get $60 off.
Gran Turismo 7 (PS5) — $30 $70 58% off
If you own a PS5 and have been complaining about a lack of games recently, this could be a good solution. With great haptic feedback and a delightful view of the road, this is the driving/racing game for those of us who want a simulation and not a cartoony world. Grab it now while it is $29 off.
Xbox Wireless Controller — $45 $60 25% off
If you own an Xbox or even picked up one of these early Black Friday gaming laptop deals, you already know that you can’t have enough controllers. Either get one for your single-player adventures or pick up a second (or third, or fourth!) to bring someone extra along for the ride.
Lego Marvel Dancing Groot — $36 $45 20% off
This 459-piece Lego playset builds Groot, and he dances! There’s a built-in rotating spinner in the back that controls his movements. This is fun for those who like Marvel as well as those interested in tinkering with moving parts to see how things work, and it is a great gift for a variety of people.
Ticket to Ride — $25 $55 55% off
Ticket to Ride is the classic set collection and route-planning board game where you compete to create routes across the US and score big. Also featured in our best early Black Friday board game deals collection, this one is a certified modern classic.
How to choose items under $50 on Black Friday
Black Friday is a great day for big-dollar items, but what about small and lower-priced items?
At first thought, you might consider it a wasted moment to spend your dollars on something cheaper when the big stuff is on sale. However, when you think about it, it does come down to percentages. If you buy 10 items where you save $10 each, that’s the same as buying one item and saving $100.
As a result, we consider this also a great time to buy gifts, stock up on stocking stuffers, and get accessories for products that you already love.
How we chose these items under $50 for Black Friday
We know a bit about what the typical Digital Trends reader likes by now. Of course, that’s partially because these are the types of things we like and write about, and you come along for the ride. As a result, generally speaking, the items above should reflect some of your interests.
Zooming out further, the deals above also reflect a sense of the time of year and the goals of people looking for items under $50 — they’re largely good gifts or things that will fit in with what you currently have.
Finally, we put the effort into finding products that were actually good deals and items that were at low prices.
