Best Deals From Best Buy's Techtober Sale

The AirPods Max are cool, sound really good, and have superb and flexible noise canceling. However, at their normal street price of $500, they cost more than almost every other pair of headphones in our ratings. The Maxes have transparency mode, to pipe in outside sound, as well as spatial audio capability. The biggest selling point for the Maxes is the distinct look and the premium feel you’ve come to expect from an Apple product. And they provide the seamless compatibility with the company’s other products that you get with all AirPods.

The Sony WH1000XM4 is two generations old–Sony recently introduced the XM6–but headphone tech doesn’t advance that rapidly, and the XM remains a solid performer with fine sound and very effective noise-canceling. Most importantly, at less than $200, it’s a flat-out bargain, competing with models that are double the price.

If you’re looking for earbuds that prioritize fit above all else, check out the Beats Fit Pro. These noise-canceling buds have soft silicone ear tips in three sizes, plus wingtips that fit into the pinna (the exterior of your ear) for additional security. They have actual buttons, too, rather than the touch-sensitive controls on many other models, which may make it easier to operate them while on the go. The Fit Pros also sound really good and feature effective active noise cancellation, making them a solid alternative to the similarly priced AirPods Pro.

This model may not have “Gaming” in its name, but it should deliver a solid streaming experience. It has a 16-inch display and a big, comfortable keyboard, complete with RGB lighting that makes typing in the dark easier and more colorful. The display supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which can make games appear silky smooth in motion.

This 14-inch model weighs next to nothing—2.9 pounds to be precise—and delivers nearly 19 hours’ worth of battery life per charge. Our testers note that it’s not the fastest Chromebook you’ll see, but if you’re just doing typical Chromebook-y tasks, that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

If you want an iPad, this 2025 entry-level model is our pick as the best tablet for most people. It has a beautiful 10.9-inch display, 128GB of storage, and the ability to record HD video. And its battery lasts a decently long time in our testing: 14 hours during video playback and 9 hours browsing the web.

This updated flagship Roku Ultra has a new, faster quad-core processor, quicker app launches, support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ HDR formats, and WiFi 6 wireless. Other features include an HDMI 2.1 connection to your TV, an Ethernet port for a wired connection, a lost-remote finder feature, and a wireless headphone mode that lets you pair with Bluetooth headphones. The new Ultra comes with Roku’s best remote control—Voice Remote Pro (2nd Edition). The new remote is recharged via a USB-C connection and is now backlit.

The Arlo Essential 2K (VMC3050-100NAS) is one of Arlo’s newer, more budget-friendly security cameras. It performs well in our tests and features a built-in spotlight, a siren, and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Additional features, such as activity zones, person detection, and cloud video storage, require an Arlo Secure subscription.

The well-rated Ring Indoor Cam 2nd gen features a manual camera shutter for privacy, two-way audio, activity zones, color night vision, a built-in siren, and voice/app control via Amazon Alexa. It also comes in a fun colors: pink and starlight (a dull gold). Cloud video storage and features such as person detection require a subscription.

If you’re looking to upgrade your Apple Watch (or invest in a smartwatch for the first time), the top-rated Series 10—reviewed here for CR members—comes with a bigger, brighter display than the previous model and faster charging capabilities, which might make tracking your sleep easier. This Apple Watch allows for cellular connectivity. 

This 55-inch smart TV, a new model for 2025, is an entry-level QLED set that nonetheless provides a satisfying picture, though it lacks the brightness to deliver a compelling HDR experience. (The TV supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ HDR, plus Dolby Atmos audio.) It also lacks some features, such as local dimming, found in step-up models. Sound quality isn’t great, so you might consider adding a soundbar. It uses the Amazon Fire TV smart system with Alexa built in.

The TCL 75Q750G is a midtier 4K Google TV for 2023 that offers very good overall picture quality. Though it lacks the Mini LEDs found in TCL’s 8-series sets, it does have a full-array LED backlight with a good number of local dimming zones. This set had been selling for over $1,000, but recent price drops make it eligible for this list.

We didn’t test this 65-inch OLED TV. It appears to be a model exclusive to Best Buy. But Samsung OLEDs have performed extremely well in our tests. This set has been selling for about $300 more lately.

Anyone looking to save some space—or cut down on items to plug into their TV—may want to consider the Roku Streambar SE. It doesn’t go on sale all that often, and almost never less than this. This soundbar that includes a built-in Roku streaming player. Given its small footprint, it probably works best for smaller TVs, not that jumbo-sized set you’ve been eyeing.

Much like trackers made by Samsung and Tile, AirTags work best if you’re looking for one within Bluetooth range (roughly 30 feet) of your own phone. But that said, there are millions of iPhones and other Apple devices roaming around out there that can pick up a signal and discreetly convey it to you when you find yourself searching for, say, a park or a school campus for the keys you dropped. Is the tracking pinpoint accurate? No. But it’s close enough to give you a little peace of mind. The single AirTag has been $25 for the better part of a year, and this is the first time it’s been $20 since the last big sale.

The Ninja Foodi FlexBasket air fryer has one basket with a divider, which allows you to either cook one large batch of food or two different foods simultaneously. (Since they’re separated by just a divider, though, if you want to check on one side, you have to open the whole basket.) It has a measured capacity of 4.9 quarts, and we found this model easy to use and clean. While it’s not the quietest air fryer, it’s not overly noisy, either. It has six cooking modes—air fry, air broil, bake, roast, reheat, and dehydrate—and pre-programmed settings for specific foods, and it comes with a 1-year warranty.

The Ninja Pro AF141 is an easy-to-use air fryer with a measured capacity of 3.8 quarts and a range of cooking functions, including a dehydrate setting. It’s not the quietest air fryer, but it’s not especially noisy either, and our testers found it easy to clean. It comes with pre-programmed settings for cooking different foods, plus a recipe book and cooking charts to help guide your cooking. You’ll get a 1-year warranty with this machine.

The portable Blue Pure 211i Max features an indicator light to alert you when you need to change or clean the filter. It also has a dirt sensor and four speeds. On its higher setting, it’s terrific at removing dust, pollen, and smoke, but expect a bit of noise. Try it on low and you’ll have more quiet while still experiencing top-notch results. This model is designed for use in a large space of 350 to 650 square feet and costs about $109 a year to maintain—just more than half that of the Pure 211+. It also weighs just 17 pounds, making it easy to move around. CR members found Blueair air purifiers highly reliable and were quite satisfied with their purchase.

The cordless Shark Stratos IZ862H has Shark’s signature DuoClean brush roll and a flexible wand for reaching under furniture. It earns top scores for cleaning bare floors and removing debris along edges. But if you have carpet, it’s only so-so. A dirt sensor increases suction when the vacuum senses debris and decreases when the floor is clean. It has a self-cleaning mechanism that prevents hair from getting tangled around the brush roll. The vacuuming mode and battery life are displayed on the console.

The Shark PowerDetect IP1251 comes with lots of bells and whistles, including a dirt detection feature and a floor detect mode that adjusts the brush roll speed based on the surface it’s vacuuming. It’s very good at sucking up debris from carpets and is even more impressive at picking up pet hair. The vacuum can be converted into a hand vac and folded for storage.

If you’re a pet owner, the price on this Shark Vertex DuoClean AZ2002 is a real steal. It picks up pet hair especially well, has exceptional suction power, and does a solid job containing small dust particles. It also has a lift-away canister, which makes cleaning hard-to-reach places easier. The self-cleaning brush roll prevents pet hair (and any long hair) from wrapping around it and getting tangled in the vacuum.

It doesn’t come with tons of extra features, but the Shark Matrix RV2310AE gets the job done when it comes to cleaning. It’s excellent at picking up pet hair and does an exemplary job at sucking up debris from bare floors. While its dustbin is relatively small, our testers say it’s very easy to empty the dustbin and to clean the filter. It was $300 during the last major sale in July.

Despite its priciness, the Dyson 360 vis nav stands out for its unique features and powerful cleaning performance. It’s on the heavy side but compensates with extremely strong suction, effectively picking up pet hair and embedded dirt. Instead of a conventional side brush, it uses an extending side duct to tackle edges and corners. It also has a large brush roll that spans the full size of the vacuum for effective cleaning, and though its dustbin is relatively small, it’s equipped with a convenient one-touch ejection system for easy emptying.

The Shark CarpetXpert EX201 isn’t exactly quiet—it earned a middling rating in our noise test—but it boasts strong performance in cleaning stains. It also did well in our dryness test and is excellent at removing cleaning solution from carpets. It comes with a hose that’s 60 inches long to get into tight spots.