Why You Can Trust CNET These 7 Great Best Buy Deals Make Excellent Holiday Gifts
Take advantage of major discounts on tech, small appliances and other gift options that anyone on your list will appreciate.
If you're doing some holiday shopping, a great place to start is Best Buy. The big-box store has plenty of tech, smart home and kitchen products marked down that make great gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season. Check out a few of our favorites below.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max remains our pick for the best Fire TV Stick overall. You can set up profiles for anyone in your household to get personalized recommendations and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max includes support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio, as well as Wi-Fi 6. It's also 40% more powerful than the regular Fire TV Stick 4K, which means you'll have faster app loads and streaming, and improved navigation overall. It also comes with an Alexa voice remote.
Air fryers have exploded in popularity over the last few years. The 8-quart capacity of this air fryer allows you to make enough food to serve an entire family or meal prep a few lunches at a time. It comes with nine presets, including french fries, shrimp, roast, chicken, fish, steak, cheese melts and bacon. Plus the pan and tray are dishwasher-safe, making cleanup a breeze.
Video doorbells are a great tool for knowing when guests or packages arrive. When motion is detected, you'll get a notification on your phone and you'll be able to view a live feed, as well as speak to visitors with two-way audio. Because this doorbell uses your existing doorbell wiring, you'll always have power, so there's no need to charge or replace batteries.
If you're looking for a pair of budget-friendly earbuds with active noise canceling, try the JBL Tune 230 NC. These headphones are IPX4 rated water- and sweat-resistant and come with silicone tips that provide a secure fit and better bass performance than predecessors, making them a solid option for wearing during a workout or when on the go. They also offer an impressive 40 hours of total play time, with 10 hours of playback per charge and 30 more hours with the case. (That drops to eight and 24 with ANC on.) These headphones also have smart ambient mode, fast pair and both Google and Alexa voice assistants built-in.
The versatility of a tablet is hard to beat, and with a 13-inch screen that can display at 120Hz, an 11th-gen Intel i5 processor, Thunderbolt 4 ports, 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, a built-in kickstand and Windows 11, the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a solid tablet for doubling as a workstation and handling all of your needs on the go, especially at $400 off. It's compatible with the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard and the Surface Pen 2, but those accessories are sold separately. However, your purchase does come with 15 months of Microsoft 365 (which will automatically renew unless you cancel).
The Nest Learning Thermostat has a metallic chassis that looks sharp in any room. And this Google-owned thermostat ties in with Google Assistant for smart home controls -- though it also works with Alexa -- and it learns usage habits and preferences over time. Plus, it will automatically adjust, meaning it won't overly heat or cool an empty house, which can save you a little money on your energy bill, making it a great gift for anyone.
And if you're looking for an ultra-affordable gift for a white elephant or a teen in your life who might enjoy making an after-school snack, this 8-inch quesadilla maker is half-off. It has an indicator light when it's ready to go, a nonstick surface and the drip tray is dishwasher-safe. Just add your favorite ingredients and in a few minutes you'll have six wedge slices ready to devour.