There’s been a lot of talk this month regarding whether or not Black Friday even offers that good of a bargain anymore. But I’m here to prove that wrong.
Consumer group Which? recently conducted research that found out of 214 products, 98 per cent of products that were on sale on Black Friday 2021 were actually cheaper or the same as their Black Friday price at other times in the year, meaning that only 2 per cent of the deals were genuinely decent.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by MyVoucherCodes discovered that 58 per cent of UK consumers believe Black Friday doesn’t offer good value for money. However, recent research has found that British shoppers enjoyed an average saving of 13 per cent on Black Friday deals last year.
I write about deals for a living, and our team of experts have been trying out and testing a number of products this year that have now hit their lowest price of 2023 as part of the November shopping event, proving that actually, some of the deals out there really are a steal.
It’s undeniable that Black Friday offers some of the most enticing deals compared to any other sales event. With so many exciting discounts and offers available, it can be tough to see where the value really lies, which can lead to impulse purchases and buyer’s remorse.
That’s why those thinking about shopping Black Friday should really heed Martin Lewis ’ advice when it comes to shopping the sales. On The Money Show, he said: "The big Black Friday message for you, I am gonna give you this, my Black Friday shopping memo: If you were going to buy it anyway, and it's half price, you've saved 50%. If you weren't going to buy it, but do it because it's half price, it's cost you 100%. So be careful."
To help you sort the wheat from the chaff and get some actual bargains, we’ve taken a look at some of our favourite products that have hit their lowest prices for 2023 - and for some, their lowest price ever. Let’s get into it.
Mirror Choice coffee machine: Beko CaffeExperto Bean To Cup Coffee Machine Steam Wand
The Beko CaffeExperto Bean To Cup Coffee Machine Steam Wand launched earlier this year and was originally £449.99, but has been reduced by over £100. Now £349.09, it’s even cheaper than it was for Amazon Prime Day in October, where it was £349.99.
The new deal saves coffee lovers £100.90 on the top-of-the-range gadget, but equally, it could save you hundreds of pounds on takeaway coffee every year. Now I know what you’re thinking, £350 is still a lot of money to spend on a coffee machine, however, for coffee enthusiasts, it’s a worthy investment and this is likely to be the cheapest price we’ll see this device cut to in 2023.
I tried it out and I haven’t been to a coffee shop drive thru since. I think it's better than Starbucks, and I don’t think I’ll get hot drinks from a chain store ever again. What’s more is that the machine will pay for itself in less than 10 months if you were to ditch takeaway cuppas altogether (depending on how often you buy takeaway coffees).
Assuming an average cost of £3.40 per coffee at a coffee shop, the machine would pay for itself after approximately 117 coffees. I worked this out based on the machine cost of £349.09 plus £50 for a year’s worth of beans or other ingredients, divided by the cost per coffee.
For coffee fans, this Beko CaffeExperto Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine offers an in-home barista experience and despite the initial cost, it will pay you back in great coffee and saving cash in the long run, which is why we named it our Mirror Choice coffee machine.
‘Better than ghd’ Remington Shine Therapy Advanced Ceramic Hair Straighteners S8500
Boots has slashed the price of my favourite straighteners by almost £60 - and it’s the lowest price they’ve been all year. Originally £79.99, the Remington Shine Therapy Advanced Ceramic Hair Straighteners S8500’s are now down to just £21.50 as part of the health and beauty retailer’s Star Gifts.
According to Price Spy, which allows you to check the price history of a product, it’s the second cheapest price the straighteners have been since this time last year. They had been priced matched at Amazon before dipping to just under the £20 mark, but having reportedly sold 10,000 in the past month, they’ve since sold out. They still remain at £27.99 at Currys and Very, though Argos shoppers can get the irons and matching hairdryer for £40, however, Boots is currently the cheapest place to get them.
The straighteners have temperature control buttons which allow you to select the right setting for your hair, ranging from 150 to 230 degrees, as well as Advanced Ceramic coated plates infused with Moroccan Argan Oil and Vitamin E. The floating plates make them spongy and allow for even pressure on the hair, so not was my hair styled to perfection, it was left shiny and healthy looking too.
The device made light work of giving me pin-straight locks without leaving my bleached hair feeling dry as has previously been the case when styling my hair with heat, in fact, it was left feeling really moisturised and glossy. The only downside is that they don’t make a noise to signal when they’re ready. Some shoppers say they’ve even been ditching their ghds for the budget-friendly option, and girl math says that if you were planning to spend over £100 on straighteners and only pay £21.50, they’re basically free, right? Read my full review of them here.
Mirror Choice Pet Camera: Furbo 360 dog camera
If you’re a dog owner looking for a new pet camera, the Furbo 360 dog camera has hit its lowest price this year, having been slashed from £199 to £139, saving 30 per cent on the RRP. According to price history checker camelcamelcamel, it was down to £159.99 in March for Amazon Prime Day - but Black Friday sees it £20 cheaper.
This camera has some fantastic features, from the 360 degree view, to two-way audio and treat tossing. It’s integrated really well into the home and neither of the dogs have tried to pull it off the side and eat all of the treats in it yet, which is why we named it our Mirror choice pet camera.
Black Friday is undoubtedly the best time to bag this camera at its lowest price - having been reduced by the same amount for the past two years. It’s very unlikely that we’ll see it cheaper elsewhere. What’s more is that it’s only £20 more than the newly-reduced Petcube Bites 2 Lite, now £119.99 on Amazon. And it’s well worth the extra spend for the quality, sleek design and superior functionality.
We have absolutely loved using the Furbo camera to keep an eye on my dogs, Phoebe and Frank, while we’re out of the house. It offers priceless peace of mind when we’re away, as well as an additional layer of security to our home. More than 200 users have left glowing five star reviews on the gadget, with one calling it a ‘game-changer for pet owners’. Read our full review here.
Mirror Choice satin skirt: New Look Satin Bias Cut Midaxi Skirts
For fashion fans, this is the only ‘bottoms’ you need in your wardrobe right now. I’ve picked up four of these Satin Bias Cut Midaxi Skirts in recent months and I adore them. They’re affordable, they go with everything, they’re super-flattering, I have basically lived in them ever since without giving my jeans a second glance.
New Look has gone and reduced them ahead of Black Friday - in every colour, slashing them from £25.99 to just £20. The skirt comes in 11 different colours and earlier this year, we hailed it the best satin midaxi skirt on the high street, ranking higher than similar styles at River Island, H&M, Primark and M&S.
My favourite feature - along with many of the other 80+ shoppers that have left reviews on the New Look website - is the super stretchy elasticated waist . It makes it super comfortable to wear and super figure-flattering, but most importantly, means there’s plenty of give for when you tuck into that Christmas dinner, festive cheese board, mince pie platter, or all of the above.
Others have suggested it ‘looks more expensive’ than its £25.99 price tag suggests, and since it’s now even cheaper it’s hard to disagree. They look so glossy in real life, with a beautiful texture to the fabric and the quality is much more premium than has come to be expected with high street style in recent years, feeling soft against the skin and not at all rough or rigid.
Whether you’re planning on throwing on a Christmas jumper and chilling on the sofa, or want to dress it up with heels and a blazer, this skirt is the perfect cosy glam pick for the Christmas party season and beyond. You can buy the New Look £20 satin midaxi skirt here.
Mirror Choice Smart Kettle: Swan Alexa 1.5L Smart Kettle
Big tea drinker? Then take a look at this very fun smart kettle.
Swan originally set the record for its Swan Alexa 1.5L Smart Kettle last week when they reduced the £99.99 gadget to £59.99 , but now Amazon has taken it one step further and slashed it to £59 - saving an extra 99p and making it its new lowest, lowest ever price. And while it may not seem like much, you know what they say, ‘look after the pennies’ and all that.
The new deal saves tech fans 41 per cent on the RRP - but you know what else it saves? Time on getting up to boil the kettle, because that’s now a thing of the past, as well as energy (both your own and on the electricity bill).
I tried out the world’s first Alexa kettle, by Swan and be warned, once you upgrade to a smart kettle, there is no going back. The brew-making game will never be the same again. It’s apparently the ‘most talked about kettle of 2023’ and Black Friday offers the ultimate opportunity to get one at a much more affordable price.
What’s so smart about it, then? Within a few short and simple steps, you can connect it to your Amazon device and control it with your voice through your Alexa. Alternatively, the smart kettle can even be controlled via an app remotely to boil water to a desired temperature.
Whenever I fancy a cup of tea, I can call out ‘Alexa, turn on the kettle’ and it will start the boil without even having to get up. Further features that make this smart kettle superior are its two-hour keep warm function, dry boil protection, and the fact you can set up routines in the app so your kettle boils at certain times of the day, which can also make it more energy efficient.
I have to admit, I thought the novelty would wear off after a few weeks, but this Swan kettle is far from a gimmick and really puts the fun into functionality, adding tech into the home that is convenient and seamless, which is why it’s our Mirror Choice best smart kettle.
Mirror Choice Electric Toothbrush: Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Prestige 9900
The average person brushes their teeth around 730 times a year, so it's important to make sure you’ve got a great toothbrush to do it with. Getting yourself a well-rated device means you're looking after your teeth in the best possible way, maintaining good oral health, which in turn will save you money on dentist appointments, and help to achieve a sparkling smile that you won't want to hide.
Our reviewer Lucy Addicot has tested a fair few electric toothbrushes in her time, ranging from less than £50 to over £500, and the one that came out top was the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Prestige 9900. It will usually set you back £549.99, but as part of the Amazon Black Friday week sale, they've reduced it by 59% - saving shoppers a whopping £325.
The toothbrush now comes in at a better-than-half-price £223.68, which is the cheapest price of 2023. The only time we’ve ever seen it cheaper was this time last year at £219.99 - and a difference of £3.69 isn’t one we’re going to grumble about when you compare it to the savings.
Lucy said: “There are several aspects to the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Prestige 9900 that reign it supreme in my eyes, with the first being just how clean it left my teeth feeling after use. Arguably top of the list of factors you want your toothbrush to achieve, the sonic technology pulses water between your teeth while brushing, breaking down any tricky to get to grime, and giving a professional feeling clean.
“It has a pressure monitor, letting you know when you're brushing too hard, and then adapting its intensity to suit this. Although this isn't an uncommon feature in newer devices - the Oral-B Pro 3 Series has this too and it's been slashed to £34.99 from £100 in the Amazon Black Friday sale, the Philips toothbrush also has a clever app that gives you even more information, such as which exact areas require more attention.”
'Best nightshirt' Oodie Sleep Tee
Launched earlier this year with little fanfare, Oodie has released Sleep Tees, huge comfortable and similiarly shaped versions of their plush wintry staples, but made in a bamboo cotton blend that makes for frankly game-changing sleepwear.
The main down side to the Sleep Oodies is definitely the high initial price for them, which is reduced considerably by the Black Friday megasale, and as far as we can tell, no other retailer has succeeded in replicating them thus far.
Expert reviewer and Disney fan Narin Flanders opted for the Stitch Sleep Oodie, and says it’s her favourite thing to sleep in. She said: “My Stitch Sleep Oodie is generously sized but thanks to the weight of the fabric hangs really nicely and comfortably so, despite it being baggy I don't end up tangled in it in bed as I sleep, no matter how much I move around. The shape and size will be familiar to anyone who has worn one of the brand's fleecy versions, although the kangaroo style pocket is replaced with two generous side pockets instead. It's comfortable, the perfect length for lounging around in and basically the best nightshirt I've ever owned.
“It may not be the most alluring of nightwear options, but the sleep tee has given me some great nights' sleep already and with today's 60% off sale I've already decided it's time to pick up a £27 planetary print version so I have two to alternate. While its usual RRP is definitely pricey, £27 feels like a sensible amount of money to spend on some quality sleepwear that will last me year-round and, unlike the traditional Oodie, won't need to be put in the cupboard come spring when the weather gets warmer.”
Shoppers can currently bag an Oodie Sleep Tee from £27.60 in the Black Friday sale here.
'Game changer' Melitta Filter Coffee Machine
The Melitta Filter Coffee Machine may look like one of the hundreds of other similar models reduced at this time of year, but this compact and handy gadget has several superpowers that make it stand out from the pack.
The Melitta jug has been reduced to £54.95, a saving of 31 per cent on its RRP of £79.99 and the same price our resident coffee fanatic, Narin Flanders, paid for it last year.
The mum-of-two bought it as a gift for her husband *cough* herself *cough*, and said it’s been a ‘game changer’. She said: “I bought it on a whim as a gift for my husband for Christmas in recognition of the fact that every morning he gets up first to make the coffee, which at this time of the year in particular means stepping into the cold kitchen long before the central heating has kicked in for its morning burst. The Melitta has a timer that means you can set it all up the night before, put your filter in, add your coffee and pour water into the holding reservoir and then set it to kick into action at whatever point you need it to in the morning.
“You can literally pour your first coffee of the day before you've finished blinking at the kitchen light flickering on, this jug is the perfect accompaniment for working from home. It barely takes up any counter room and the insulated jug means the coffee stays hot well through the day - and in my experience for much longer than the two hours the Amazon blurb states - making it perfect for coffee top ups between work calls.
“But for me the game changer and the reason it is my favourite deal of last year is the lack of faff with it. The filter coffee paper and coffee goes in the food waste recycling, the jug is quickly washed up and the machine is pushed back on the side ready for another day. Every so often it pings to say it needs the descaling cycle run, but that's done at the touch of button and we're ready for another delicious brew.
She said it was ‘worth every penny’ and she’s not the only one, with more than 11,000 coffee-lovers giving it an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. Read Narin’s full review here.
Sell-out Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker
The Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker was so popular when it launched earlier in the year that it crashed Ninja's website before selling out immediately. With a recommended retail price of £249.99, the top-of-the-range air fryer has previously been a serious investment for home cooks looking to create healthier and quicker meals at home, but Ninja has taken £111.99 off the price for a limited-time Black Friday deal, meaning shoppers can pick one up for £138.
It is the lowest price the Speedi has been sold for in the UK since launch, beating the previous best price by nearly £37.
The multi-function cooker does everything the brand's other popular air fryer and grill models can, acting as a steamer, grill, air fryer, roaster, dehydrator, saute pan and slow cooker. But alongside that it brings a ground-breaking new fast-cook mode which gives the much-loved gadget its name.
The Mirror's Narin Flanders used the gadget to make family-friendly meals for a week and gave the Speedi a five star rating, describing its fast-cook mode as a 'game changer' for midweek meals after she found she was able to create a range of fresh, home-cooked dinners in as little as 15 minutes.
In her review she said: "I've found this the least intimidating and most versatile kitchen gadget I've ever owned - and you don't have to be a Masterchef to get great results with it.
"I had a sneaky suspicion that ordinary folk wouldn't have that level of success with the multi-function gadget straight out of the box, but little did I know. The Speedi is basically the kitchen gadget for people who don't have the time or inclination to regularly use kitchen gadgets."