10 Products on Deep Discount in October

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your appliances for a kitchen renovation or suddenly find yourself in need of a new oven, October is often an excellent time to be on the lookout for sales. You may also find decent sales on ranges this month, thanks to holiday weekend promotions. If you’re replacing your existing range, you may want to stick with a similar make and model because it will mean less hassle. Switching from electric to gas or vice versa requires more prep work and a more intensive installation and removal process. Even if you find a good deal this month, a new range may be a purchase to consider putting off unless absolutely necessary.

To learn more about the different kinds of stoves, read CR’s range buying guide, which will help you determine which options will work in your kitchen.

If you’re remodeling, a new cooktop can be perfect for your kitchen island, especially if you plan to install an in-wall oven. Cooktops tend to drop in price around the holiday weekend, making this month an ideal shopping opportunity.

You’ll find gas, electric, and induction cooktops ranging from 21 to 48 inches. Many have five or six burners, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have room to use them all at once. In general, most 30-inch cooktops have four or five burners, and most 36-inch cooktops have five or six.

Learn more about the advantages of each model in our cooktop buying guide to determine which is the best fit for your home before you start shopping. Start your search with CR’s recommended cooktops, which passed our rigorous tests with flying colors.

If you’re considering upgrading to a wall oven, which offers lots of flexibility that you won’t find in a range, the model you want may be available at significant discount this month. Because most wall ovens are electric, they can be installed on just about any wall in your kitchen and at any height, so you won’t have to bend over when pulling out hot, heavy dishes.

Spend a lot of time cooking? You may want to look into getting a double oven. Or perhaps you’re in the market for one with a convection mode to reduce cook times or variable broil to cook with even more precision. All these options make it paramount to research before you buy. Purchasing any major appliance, especially an oven, is a big decision, and we recommend reading our wall oven buying guide and exploring our ratings and recommendations before you choose a model. Doing the research is essential to ensuring you’re satisfied with your new wall oven.

Wall ovens typically cost between $850 and upward of $6,000, but keep an eye out for sales at major retailers like AJ Madison, Appliances Connection, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, and Walmart.

October is often a great time to shop if you’re in the market for a new mattress. The holiday in the middle of the month, whether you know it as Indigenous Peoples Day or Columbus Day, typically brings deals from popular mattress brands. But with Black Friday around the corner, you may be better off waiting to see whether brands have better offers then.

There’s a lot to consider when buying a new mattress, and your decision will depend mostly on your body type and sleeping habits. Some mattresses are made with organic materials, some incorporate coils and memory foam, and some have special materials like cooling gels. And prices range from a few hundred dollars to well over $1,000, so your budget will affect your choices as well.

You can find out more about bed options by reading CR’s mattress buying guide and reviewing our mattress ratings. A good mattress should last you eight to 10 years, so do the research and invest in one that will suit your sleeping style for years to come.

A new thermostat can give you better control over your home’s heating and cooling. Consumer Reports tests both programmable and smart thermostats, both of which can help you save on your utility bills, and our data show they tend to go on sale in October.

Smart thermostats allow users to control the devices from their smartphones or via voice commands to virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Many even use technology called geofencing that can automatically lower temperatures when the house is empty. Programmable models might not be as feature-heavy, but they still allow you to set schedules right on the device, so Consumer Reports tests how easy it is to do so.

If you’re not sure which would be the better option, check out CR’s thermostat buying guide to learn more about the advantages of each.

Leaf blowers are a great time-saver in the fall if you have trees on or near your property. They will make quick work of corralling fallen leaves, grass clippings, weeds, and other debris all year. So you may want to invest in one this month while you can score a good deal.

Consumer Reports has put more than 60 models, including gas-powered, battery-powered, and corded electrics, through rigorous tests to help you find one that suits your needs. CR’s leaf blower buying guide will help you learn more so that you can shop with confidence.

Need to tackle some tree work? Look for sales on chainsaws in October. A top-rated model can help you clear out brush too thick for electric loppers, fell a tree that’s threatening a roof, slice off dangerous broken tree limbs, or cut a tree into logs for your fireplace this winter.

Chainsaws come in a range of sizes, from small electric models (some with cords, some without) to hefty gas-powered models intended for heavier work. Prices often correlate with engine size for gas saws and voltage for electric saws, along with the length of the cutting bar, the arm of flat metal that guides the chain.

Finding the right model depends on how—and how often—you plan to use your chainsaw. Check out CR’s chainsaw buying guide and ratings to learn more about the various models.

Even though winter is still a couple of months away, now is the perfect time to start preparing, and snow blowers are among the most deeply discounted products in October. You can pick one up and be ready for the first big winter storm.

There are many types of snow blowers, and Consumer Reports’ testing has found that size doesn’t always matter. You don’t necessarily need the most powerful model to get the job done; choose the model that will work best in your climate and for your property. You can spend as little as $200 for one that will handle light dustings or well over $1,000 for a model that removes heavier snow.

When choosing a snow blower, look for one that blends competent clearing ability with a smooth, single-lever chute control that sends snow in any direction you want it to go.

For more details, check our snow blower ratings and buying guide.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are simple to install and inexpensive—plus they can save your life. So make sure yours are installed and working.

If you want or need to upgrade your devices, you may find new ones on sale this month. Basic smoke detectors typically start at $10, with carbon monoxide alarms costing $20 and up. Newer models offer more features that may be beneficial, such as WiFi connectivity.

Smoke detectors are a must in all homes, and carbon monoxide detectors are needed for any home with fuel-burning appliances, such as a furnace, water heater, range, cooktop, or grill.

Before you shop, check regulations in your region because what you need, including types of detectors and their placement, can vary. Also, some insurance companies offer a discount for homes with smoke detectors.

To see every model we’ve tested, go to our smoke and carbon monoxide detector ratings (available to everyone, free of charge). For more help in selecting the model that’s best for you, check out our buying guide, too.

In general, avoid combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and purchase them separately. One exception in our tests is the Universal Security Instruments MIC3510SB, which earned strong scores for detecting both smoke and carbon monoxide.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, doesn’t have any obvious symptoms, but it can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and a number of other serious health problems. And though your doctor checks your blood pressure at every checkup, a single reading might not be giving you the full picture.

If you want to keep a closer eye on your blood pressure, you can get an at-home monitor. Consumer Reports has tested 28 models, comparing their readouts with those of a mercury sphygmomanometer (the device that’s considered the gold standard of blood pressure testing), as well as testing ease of use, comfort, and convenience.

Most models usually cost between $40 and $100. You can choose an upper-arm or a wrist monitor, both of which can have a number of different features. But keep in mind that our tests have found that upper-arm monitors tend to be more accurate than wrist models. Our in-depth blood pressure monitor buying guide is a great place to start your research.

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