Amazon can never run a sale all by itself. As the retail giant hosts its annual Prime Big Deal Days event from Oct. 7 to 8, Best Buy is having a competing "Techtober Sale" that's live through Oct. 12.
A Best Buy representative tells me via email that the weeklong event includes "some of the hottest deals this fall on tech like laptops, TVs, headphones, video games, electric bikes and more." New markdowns get added to the sale every day, and all featured deals are available online, in the Best Buy mobile app, and in stores.
Amazon has been hosting a two-day fall savings event for members of its Prime program every year since 2022 — and every year since 2022, Best Buy has held its own concurrent sale. (Previously, it came in the form of a 48-Hour Flash Sale.) Best Buy also times a savings event to run alongside Amazon's big flagship Prime Day sale in July, so this sort of counter-programming is par for the course.
Best Buy isn't the only retailer giving Amazon a run for its money this month. Walmart is having a "Walmart Deals" event from Oct. 7 to 12, and Target is hosting one of its Circle Week sales from Oct. 5 to 11. Notably, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days is the only event that locks its deals behind a paid membership.
I've spent several hours combing through the Techtober Sale to find the deals worth buying from Best Buy instead of Amazon this week. So far, I've identified over five dozen products that are either price-matched or cheaper at Best Buy, or only available on sale there. That's either because Amazon doesn't carry the item (see: my beloved Asus Zenbook A14, now just $580) or because it sold out on Amazon (see: the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash Dock, now just $600).
I've listed my Techtober Sale findings below, and I'm planning on refreshing them as new deals pop up throughout the week; check back soon. As of Oct. 7, Amazon is now undercutting its rival on most AirPods, Apple Watches, Microsoft Surface devices (save for a keyboard bundle), and a couple of Hisense and Samsung TVs. However, Best Buy has lowered the prices of a couple iPads to match their Prime Day deals, and I still like its selection of Windows laptop deals better overall.
Best Apple deal
Why I like it
Apple's coin-shaped Bluetooth tracker seamlessly connects with iOS devices and lasts up to a year on a single charge. Amazon put individual AirTags on sale for the record-low price of $19.99 mid-Monday morning, before Prime Big Deal Days began, but only because Best Buy offered that deal first at the onset of its Techtober Sale. (Trendsetter!) I'll also note that a four-pack of AirTags is marked down to $64.99 at both retailers, making them $16.25 apiece if you'd rather buy some in bulk.
Read Mashable's full review of the Apple AirTag.
Apple Watch deals
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) — $649 $799 (save $150)
iPad deals
Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $279 $349 (save $70)
Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) — $379 $499 (save $120)
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) — $449 $599 (save $150)
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) — $649 $799 (save $150)
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $899 $999 (save $100)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,099 $1,299 (save $200)
MacBook deals
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4 chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $799 $999 (save $200)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4 chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999 $1,199 (save $200)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,249 $2,499 (save $250)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,099 $3,499 (save $400)
Best Windows laptop deal
Note: Paid My Best Buy members (Plus and Total) get a $50 bonus reward when they spend at least $499 on select Windows laptops.
Why I like it
The ultrathin and feathery light Asus Zenbook A14 is my favorite ultraportable. It's the fastest sub-$1,000 Windows laptop I've tried, and its svelte 2.4-pound frame (0.3 pounds lighter than a 13-inch M4 MacBook Air!) houses a good mix of ports and a vibrant OLED display. Plus, it lasts almost 22 hours per charge. Best Buy's massive Techtober discount turns it into a great option for budget buyers: The Zabriskie beige base model with a Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage is only $579.99, or 42% off. It's never been cheaper.
More Windows laptop deals
HP OmniBook 5 16 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $599.99 $799.99 (save $200)
HP OmniBook X 17 (Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $879.99 $1,349.99 (save $470)
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, 16-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $899.99 $1,449.99 (save $550)
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,799.99 $2,399.99 (save $600)
2-in-1 laptop deals
HP OmniBook 5 Flip 14 (Intel Core 7 150U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $549.99 $799.99 (save $250)
Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $599.99 $999.99 (save $400)
Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 (AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $649.99 $1,049.99 (save $400)
Dell Plus 2-in-1 14 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $749.99 $999.99 (save $250)
Microsoft Surface Pro 11, 13-inch (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) + Keyboard Bundle — $999.99 $1,349.99 (save $350)
HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,099.99 $1,599.99 (save $500)
Gaming laptop deals
Lenovo LOQ (AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $549.99 $879.99 (save $330)
HP Victus 15 (Intel Core i7-13620H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,049.99 $1,369.99 (save $320)
Asus TUF Gaming A16 (AMD Ryzen 9 270, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,349.99 $1,699.99 (save $350)
Alienware 16X Aurora (Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 32GB RAM, 1TB SDD) — $1,399.99 $1,799.99 (save $400)
Chromebook deals
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 (MediaTek Kompanio 838, 4GB RAM, 128GB eMMC) with keyboard — $249 $399 (save $150)
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 (Intel Core i3-1315U, 8GB RAM, 128GB UFS) — $299 $479 (save $180)
Acer Chromebook Spin 312 (Intel Core i3-N305, 8GB RAM, 128GB eMMC) — $319 $449 (save $130)
HP Chromebook Plus x360 14 (Intel Core i3-N305, 8GB RAM, 256GB UFS) — $399 $629 (save $230)
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 (Intel Core i5-1335U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $479 $599 (save $120)
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus (Intel Core 3 100U, 8GB RAM, 256GB UFS) — $599.99 $749.99 (save $150)
Best TV deal
Why I like it
At 50% off, Best Buy's discount on this oversized mini-LED TV with a variable 144Hz refresh rate is the kind of deal I wouldn't expect to see until Black Friday really gets underway. Mini-LED TVs are great if you care about stark contrast but don’t have an OLED-level budget. The variety of dimming zones you get from a mini-LED TV make it better at showing deep blacks and sharp, dark details than your average QLED display. This particular TCL model comes with built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and it's not sold on Amazon (though a newer model is $749.99 there, down from $999.99).
43-inch TV deals
Hisense 43-inch QD6 QLED 4K Fire TV — $149.99 $299.99 (save $150)
50- to 58-inch TV deals
Toshiba 50-inch C350 LED 4K Fire TV — $189 $349.99 (save $160.99)
TCL 55-inch F35 4K LED Fire TV — $199.99 $329.99 (save $130)
TCL 58-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV — $229.99 $379.99 (save $150)
Hisense 55-inch QD6 QLED 4K Fire TV — $259.99 $379.99 (save $120)
Samsung 55-inch Q7F QLED 4K TV — $399.99 $529.99 (save $130)
65-inch TV deals
TCL 65-inch F35 4K LED Fire TV — $299.99 $399.99 (save $100)
LG 65-inch 70A QNED AI 4K TV — $449.99 $579.99 (save $130)
Deals on 75-inch TVs and bigger
Toshiba 75-inch C350 LED 4K Fire TV — $399 $729.99 (save $330.99)
LG 75-inch 70A QNED AI 4K TV — $649.99 $899.99 (save $250)
Samsung 75-inch Q7F QLED 4K TV — $699.99 $999.99 (save $300)
LG 77-inch B5 OLED AI 4K TV — $1,599.99 $2,999.99 (save $1,400)
Streaming device deals
Roku Streaming Stick — $17.99 $29.99 (save $12)
Roku Streaming Stick 4K — $29.99 $49.99 (save $20)
Best vacuum deal
Why I like it
The Roomba Combo 10 Max is the fanciest mopping robovac in iRobot's lineup, and the one my colleague Leah Stodart recommends for pet owners. Its small obstacle avoidance technology works like a charm, it recleans stubborn stains, and it can wash and dry its own mopping pad. It's expensive at full price, which is why Stodart says to "absolutely wait until it goes on sale for $999." Thanks to Best Buy, it's far cheaper right now — only $599.99 (usually $1,399.99), or a whopping 57% off. Meanwhile, it's out of stock on Amazon.
More robot vacuum deals
iRobot Roomba 105 Vac + AutoEmpty Dock — $279.99 $449.99 (save $170)
Shark Matrix RV2320S — $299.99 $499.99 (save $200)
iRobot Roomba Plus 505 Combo + AutoWash Dock — $599.99 $999.99 (save $400)
Roborock Saros Z70 — $1,399.99 $2,599.99 (save $1,200)
Stick vacuum deals
Dyson V11 Plus — $529.99 $629.99 (save $100)
