The biggest shopping day of the year is Black Friday, closely followed by Cyber Monday. In 2023 the shopping event will start the day after Thanksgiving, on Friday November 24, with Cyber Monday on Monday November 27. The Black Friday sales in 2022 were better than ever, and therefore we expect that during the sales in 2023 you will be able to find plenty of good deals.
Apple’s AirPods are always a popular gift, and they are also one of the most frequently discounted Apple products. But with so many place to shop it can be hard to find the best prices – luckily we are here to help you find the best AirPods deals.
Read on to see how good the deals were for Black Friday 2022 to give you an idea of what to expect for Black Friday in 2023.
How to get the best AirPods deals during Black Friday
One thing to look out for is the model that’s for sale. If Apple has just updated the AirPods don’t expect to see a discount, but if it’s been a while, or new models are expected the deals are likely to be good. You are more likely to find the biggest deals on older AirPods, but sometimes it’s not immediately clear which ones are on sale, so make sure the deal you find is for the model you want. Our price comparison tables below should help with that.
Even worse, we often see discounts on refurbished models, so it is important to check whether the excellent deal you are looking at is for refurbished AirPods as the discount may not be as good as it looks if that is the case.
We see AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max discounted all year round, so you could see a good discount before Black Friday. If you are wondering whether to go ahead and buy now, just keep Black Friday in mind as it’s possible this year brings new all-time lows.
Best AirPods Pro (2nd generation) deals
In 2022 we saw surprisingly good savings on the second-gen AirPods Pro, which had only recently been introduced. Apple sells the 2nd generation AirPods Pro for $249/£249. The following deals were available:
U.S.:
- Amazon, AirPods Pro (2nd-gen): $200 ($49 off)
U.K.:
- Costco, AirPods Pro (2nd gen): £219.99 (£29.01 off)
- John Lewis, AirPods Pro (2nd gen): £229 (£20 off, plus 2-year guarantee)
- Amazon, AirPods Pro (2nd gen): £229 (£20 off)
Best AirPods Pro (1st generation) deals
Apple discontinued the AirPods Pro in September 2022, but you may find them discounted by resellers who are clearing out old stock. Apple used to sell them for $249/£249. Here are a few deals that we saw for Black Friday 2022:
U.S.:
- Walmart, AirPods Pro (1st-gen): $159 ($90 off)
U.K.:
- John Lewis: £184 (£65 off)
Best AirPods (3rd generation) deals
During Black Friday 2022 Apple was selling multiple versions of the standard AirPods: the 3rd-generation model that is regularly priced at $179/£179 (with Lightning charging) or $189/£189 (with MagSafe charging), and an older 2nd-generation model with a Lightning charging case that’s priced at $129/£139.
The 3rd-gen AirPods arrived in September 2021 and Apple sells them for $179/£179 (with Lightning charging) or $189/£189 (with MagSafe charging). Here are a few deals that we saw over Black Friday 2022:
U.S.:
- Costco, AirPods (3rd gen, MagSafe case): $150 ($29 off)
U.K.:
- Laptops Direct, AirPods (3rd gen, MagSafe case): £159 (£30 off)
- Costco, AirPods (3rd gen, MagSafe case): £174.99 (£14.01 off)
Best AirPods (2nd generation) deals
Apple still sells the 2nd-gen AirPods for $129/£139. Here are a few deals that we saw over Black Friday 2022:
U.S.:
- Amazon, AirPods (2nd gen): $79 ($50 off)
U.K.:
- Costco, AirPods Pro (2nd gen): £219.99 (£29.01 off)
- John Lewis, AirPods Pro (2nd gen): £229 (£20 off, plus 2-year guarantee)
- Amazon, AirPods Pro (2nd gen): £229 (£20 off)
Best AirPods Max deals
Where you are likely to see the biggest discounts is the AirPods Max–the big and expensive ($549/£549) over-the-ear headphones with Apple’s best sound quality. They launched back in 2020, so are ripe for discounting, and during Black Friday 2022 we saw some good savings.
Apple sells the AirPods Max for $549/£549.
U.S.:
- Amazon, AirPods Max: $449 ($100 off)
U.K.:
- Costco, AirPods Max: £489.99 (£59.01 off)
- Amazon: AirPods Max: £525.96 (£23.04 off)
Black Friday AirPods deals from Apple
Apple holds a Black Friday event every year, but the company doesn’t discount prices. Instead, it offers gift cards for its Apple Store.
In 2022, Apple gave up to $250/£250 vouchers with some Macs, but when it came to AirPods the vouchers are always much smaller:
- AirPods (2nd gen), AirPods (3rd gen) with Lightning Charging Case: $25/£25
- AirPods Pro (2nd generation): $50/£50
- AirPods Max: $75/£75
Black Friday AirPods deals from Amazon
Amazon often puts the AirPods and AirPods Pro on sale, and we expect deep discounts for the holiday season. We recommend you wait until at least the third week of November for the best pricing.
Amazon U.S.:
Amazon U.K.:
- AirPods (3rd gen, wired charging case)
- AirPods (2nd gen, wired charging case)
- AirPods Pro (2nd gen)
- AirPods Max: £549
Black Friday AirPods deals from Best Buy
Best Buy often matches the deals that Amazon offers. It’s a good store to check as an alternative to Amazon.
Other Black Friday AirPods deals
Walmart regularly offers prices that match Amazon’s, so check them out. B&H Photo and Target will also probably offer sales to match the Amazon discounts.