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Black Friday Amazon Echo deals: Smart speakers, smart displays and more Alexa gadgets
Black Friday Amazon Echo deals: Smart speakers, smart displays and more Alexa gadgets
Amazon's smallest smart display has just a 5.5-inch screen, but comes with all of Alexa's best features. It has a 2-megapixel camera with a physical shutter, and you can get it in glacier white, charcoal or the newest option, deep sea blue (pictured above).
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Which smart home gadget should you buy first?
Which smart home gadget should you buy first?
Smart home tech is nothing new -- hobbyists have been geeking out over home automation for decades now -- but in recent years, it's marched closer to the mainstream than ever before. In recent years, high-profile connected home gadgets like the Amazon Echo, the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Ring Video Doorbell have all become breakout hits by offering attractive designs and tangible benefits, many of them at prices that aren't unreasonably high.
The result? A mainstream smart home market with an awful lot of momentum. In 2018, a GfK study found that over half of US households now include at least one smart home gadget. Over a third of them include two or more.
Of course, that leaves about half of us who still haven't bought in. Many might be put off at the thought of connecting everything under their roof and sharing data picked up by sensors, security cameras and microphones with Silicon Valley -- but with a wide variety of smart devices available in your local hardware store, others simply might not know where to start. To that end, here's a look at how to answer a not-so-simple question: Which smart home product should you buy first?
Disclosure: CNET may get a share of revenue from purchases made through the links on this page.
Plan for a purpose-driven smart home
Ask yourself: What do you want from your smart home? As a guy who listens to pitches for the latest smart home technology day in and day out, I can assure you that you've got lots of options. Do you want to keep an eye on things with a do-it-yourself security system and camera feeds you can check from your phone? Do you want simple conveniences like voice controls for your lights and thermostats? Do you want artificial intelligence and cloud-connected appliances to help freshen things up in the kitchen?
To figure out what you want, think about the things you do at home on a daily basis and look for improvements that you'd find meaningful. Do you tend to wander from room to room before bed turning off lights that the kids left on? Smart bulbs that you can turn off with a single voice command or tap on your phone might make sense. Do you shop online a lot, and worry about thieves stealing packages off your porch while you're at work? A video doorbell with a feed you can view remotely might be a good fit.
For my money, I think smart lighting is a sensible starting point for almost everyone. After all, we use the lights in our home more than just about anything else -- adding in things like motion-activated lights for the exterior of your home or automatic wake-up fades that sync with your morning alarms make a lot of sense, because you'll enjoy them day in and day out. For more on why it's a great time to try smart lights, click here.
Value versatility
If nothing specific jumps out at you and you just have a general curiosity about what the smart home might have to offer, then look for flexible, multifunctional devices that you can use in lots of different ways. A small smart speaker like the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Home Mini is a great way to see what artificially intelligent in-home helpers like Alexa and Google Assistant are capable of, and neither one will cost you more than $50. The WeMo Mini smart switch from Belkin is even cheaper, and it'll let you automate anything you plug into it -- lamps, desk fans, crock pots, space heaters, you name it.
The WeMo Mini Smart Switch from Belkin is a versatile little gadget that automates anything you plug into it. Available for just $30, it's a good, low-risk step into the smart home.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
As always, when in doubt, start small. Once you find a product that you like, you can start to build around it by adding in other, compatible gadgets capable of making it even smarter and contributing some unique appeal of their own. Our smart home compatibility tracker can be a really helpful tool to that end.
Ponder your platform options
If you're buying a new computer, you'll need to decide which operating system you'd like to use -- Mac, Windows, Chromebook, etc. Smart home tech is similar in that a majority of the most popular gadgets are designed to work within a wider ecosystem of devices -- the most common being voice control platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and the Siri controls that come with Apple HomeKit. Control hubs from names like Wink and Samsung SmartThings offer dedicated platforms capable of helping different devices get along, too. You could also keep things working together by sticking to gadgets that work with IFTTT, a free, online automation platform.
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each of those options can go a long way toward helping you build out a smart home setup that makes sense for you, particularly if you're planning on using multiple types of gadgets. The smart home is just better when things work together.
That said, most devices offer their own dedicated apps and controls, and can be used independent of any broader platforms right out of the box. That means that you don't necessarily need to make any commitments right away. On top of that, a growing number of products support multiple platforms. Starting with smart devices like those can help you keep your options open if you're undecided for now.
I'll add that each platform has its own security certification process designed to keep insecure, vulnerable hardware out of the mix -- that means that a product that works with multiple platforms has essentially gotten multiple passing grades from names like Apple, Amazon, Google and Samsung, all of which have a lot at stake when it comes to keeping their respective platforms secure.
Here are a few quick suggestions that fit the bill:
Available with two bulbs or four, Philips Hue's white-light smart bulb starter kit is relatively affordable, and it's easy to use and build upon -- plus, it works with just about everything you could imagine.
Ry Crist/CNET
Smart lights
Along with automating whatever you plug into the side of it, the iDevices Switch will monitor your energy use and double as a multicolor nightlight, and it works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Smart plugs
Available for $100 and packed with helpful features, the Honeywell Lyric T5 is one of our favorite smart thermostat value picks, and it works with a wide variety of platforms.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Smart thermostats
The Kwikset Obsidian is a keyless smart lock that supports a number of platforms, including Amazon Key for in-home package delivery.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Smart locks
I'd also add that if you have any interest in voice controls, then starting off with either an Amazon Echo Dot or a Google Home Mini is one of the smart home's biggest no-brainers. Even if you ignore the smart home integrations that let Alexa or the Google Assistant control things like lights and thermostats, each device is arguably worth the $50 asking price for the voice-activated music, podcasts, news headlines and cooking timers alone.
Do your homework
The best way to pick the right gadgets for your home is to understand what all of the different options have to offer and narrow things down accordingly. With such a huge variety of alternatives battling it out in a complex arena of competing platforms and standards, doing so can get confusing in a hurry.
But hey, that's where we come in! Our product reviews, best-of lists, buying guides, how-to content, explainer posts and featured dispatches from the CNET Smart Home are all aimed at helping you understand what a more connected living space has to offer (and where it falls short). If you're looking for ideas as to how you might put a smarter home to work, we'll help you brainstorm. If you're stuck trying decide between two seemingly identical gadgets, we can help with that, too. If you want to dive deeper into privacy and security concerns before buying in, we've got you covered.
Bottom line: There's never been a better time to try your hand at home automation. Explore your options, and you'll find plenty of ways to start your smart home off right.
Get an Echo Dot for $1 When Signing Up for Amazon Music Unlimited With Early Prime Deal
Get an Echo Dot for $1 When Signing Up for Amazon Music Unlimited With Early Prime Deal
Smart speakers can be a big help to have around the house. They offer a convenient way to perform tasks such as checking the weather, setting timers and alarms to keep you on schedule and streaming music, all completely hands-free. If you always have music playing throughout your house, Amazon has an offer you'll want to see.
The company's Prime Day sales bonanza won't kick off until July 12, but plenty of early Prime Day deals are already available. Right now, any new subscriber who signs up for a one month individual plan of Amazon Music Unlimited can get a third-gen Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker for just $1, saving you $29 compared to buying the speaker on its own. To get the discount, you must be a new Echo device customer, and buy both the speaker and subscription on a single order.
The third-gen Echo Dot, which was originally released in 2018, is no longer Amazon's most advanced smart speaker, but still offers many of the same features and functions as the newer fourth-gen Dot. You can use it to control other Alexa-enabled smart devices like lights or locks, set custom alarms and routines and stream music from tons of different services, including Amazon Music Unlimited.
Amazon Music Unlimited, which starts at $10 a month for the individual plan (or $9 if you're a Prime member), is one of our favorite music streaming services for 2022. You get access to over 90 million, many of which you can stream in high-res lossless quality, as well as millions of podcast episodes. You don't have to sit through any ads, and you can also download songs and albums so you can take them with you anywhere you go.
Don't need an Echo Dot? Amazon is also offering new subscribers four free months of Amazon Music Unlimited for a limited time.
Move Aside, Way Day: Amazon Offers Better Deals on These 5 Products Today
Move Aside, Way Day: Amazon Offers Better Deals on These 5 Products Today
As Wayfair's biggest sale of the year, Way Day, comes to a close, you're probably scouring the site to save the most money possible on discounted products. But what if we told you that not all of the discounts offered during Way Day are the best deals you can get online? While it may seem as if you can find the best prices on Wayfair for just about everything on its site, you can actually find certain products on sale at Amazon, for less.
We've sifted through several deals on Wayfair and compared them directly with Amazon's prices on the same items, looking for maximum savings. Even though prices will change, what we know right now is that the deals we found on these items discounted by Wayfair are even better on Amazon today.
And while you're here, if you're interested in the best deals we've found thus far on Way Day, check out our articles on the best Way Day deals and shop for five deals under $20.
Amazon
Cuisinart's 12-speed stand mixer includes a mixing bowl, whisk, mixing paddle and more to get ingredients mixed perfectly before you bake. Cuisinart is a brand we've reviewed many times before with a long-standing reputation, so this offer is appealing not only because of the $190 price (get this price by clipping the 5% Amazon coupon code) compared with Wayfair's $250 price, but because this mixer is well-made.
Amazon
This Cuisinart compact air fryer is small enough to fit on any counter and holds 2.5 pounds of food. For $100, or $15 less than Wayfair's price, you can air-fry your meals using adjustable time and temperature knobs, letting you whip up your favorite foods with less grease.
Amazon
There is no reason to vacuum the old-fashioned way if you can do it hands-free. This iRobot Roomba 694 vacuum cleaner from Amazon costs just $180, a savings of $60 compared with the same vacuum from Wayfair. If you pair this robot vacuum with an Amazon Echo Dot you can operate it with voice commands, or you can use the app instead. For up to 90 minutes, it can collect dirt and grime from carpet and hardwood floors.
Amazon
This is another deal that's only better than Wayfair by a few dollars, but for $5 cheaper, you can program this machine to brew your favorite coffee, with regular or bold strength. The GE coffee maker holds 1.5 liters (50 ounces) and even keeps your drink fresh for up to two hours.
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9 Alexa tips for music junkies
9 Alexa tips for music junkies
This story is part of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.
It's World Music Day, and if you own an Amazon Echo -- or really any smart speaker -- chances are good you use it to listen to music. It makes sense: These speakers have all kinds of built-in hardware to make songs sound great in whatever room they're in, and the addition of Alexa makes ordering up your next track easier than it's ever been. Just say what you want to listen to and it plays.
But for many Alexa-users, that music experience can be faster, smoother and even better-sounding. Here's how to get the most out of your Alexa speaker when listening to music.
Choose and use your preferred speaker
If you're like me, you probably have a bunch of Echo Show displays, Dots and other speakers scattered through your house. And if you don't have them synced up, asking for a song on your dope-sounding Echo Studio could deliver that song two rooms away on the decidedly less dope-sounding second-gen Dot.
However, choosing a preferred speaker is super easy. Just go to the Alexa app, then tap the Devices tab. Select the Group your favorite speaker is in, then tap Choose Speakers. Select the speaker (or speakers) you want your music to come from, then tap Next. Finally, specify whether you want them to be the only speakers that play music or just the ones when you're in that room.
Pick your preferred music streaming service
If you use anything other than Amazon's in-house streaming service Amazon Music, you should take a few seconds to change the default music streaming service.
To do this, open the Alexa app, then go to More > Settings > Music & Podcasts > Default Services. Select Select your preferred streaming service under the Music, Artist and Genre Stations, and Podcasts banners.
Now when you play music, you won't have to specify what service you want to stream it. However, if you still want to use Prime Music or Amazon Music Unlimited, at any point you can say, "Alexa, play [song or artist] on Amazon Music."
Echo Show displays often work as well as dedicated speakers for playing music.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Adjust the equalizer
More recent Echo speakers and displays have equalizers that let you adjust the treble, midrange and bass. That means if you're pumping up some trap music, you can boost the bass, too. And it's as easy as asking Alexa to turn up the bass or turn down the midrange. If you want to be more precise, head to the Alexa app and simply tap Devices > [Your Chosen Device] > the Settings Gear in the top right corner > Audio Settings. From there, you can adjust each of the sliders to your heart's content.
Use multiroom audio
If you're cleaning the whole house and don't want your music swimming in and out of listening range as you wander the rooms, get all your Echo speakers and displays on the same wavelength. Just say, "Alexa, play music everywhere," to get started. If that doesn't work, head to the Alexa app, tap Devices and scroll to the bottom of the page. You'll see an Everywhere group that you can tap and edit to make sure all your speakers and displays are included.
Filter explicit language
Before I had kids, I used to blast Kendrick Lamar loud enough to make our windows rattle. Alas, I'm not ready for my kids to start picking up certain words and sharing them with their 4-year-old friends. Thankfully, Alexa lets you activate an Explicit Filter to keep music appropriate for all ages, if you're sharing a house with sensitive ears.
To activate it, go to the Alexa app, then tap More > Settings > Music and Podcasts > Explicit Language Filter. From this screen, you can toggle the filter as well as activate voice recognition to allow you control over the filter with voice commands (and to prevent your kid from asking Alexa to turn it off).
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Sonos Ray vs. Sonos Beam: Which TV Soundbar Should You Buy?
Sonos Ray vs. Sonos Beam: Which TV Soundbar Should You Buy?
Back in 2017 Sonos released one of its best products for the money: the Sonos One smart speaker, which offered great sound and an affordable entry into Sonos' excellent whole home audio system. When the Sonos Beamsoundbar appeared it wasn't the same kind of slam dunk, in part due to its relatively high price. Now, with the arrival of the Sonos Ray soundbar, the company finally has a One equivalent for its TV speakers.
The Beam costs a lot more than the Ray, but it gives you Dolby Atmos, bigger sound and built-in voice control. Is it worth the extra cash? What are the other differences? I compared both side-by-side in CNET's audio lab to find out. Read on to find out which one of these excellent TV soundbars you should choose.
Ty Pendlebury/CNET
The Sonos Ray is a simple, stereo soundbar which offers a big sound in a relatively compact package. It offers digital optical connection to a television and Wi-Fi for streaming music. It features a sleek design and promises an easy setup process. It's perfect for small TVs but will also suit gaming setups or small living rooms.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Sonos Beam is more than a step up, it's on a completely different level. It features the same great design and streaming, multiroom-capable music system, but adds a number of key features like HDMI and Dolby Atmos playback, which helps it sound better with movies.
Price
At $450 the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is not a cheap soundbar (it sits above my own $300 and $400 sweet spot) but the product does have some key advantages. At an almost 40 percent discount the $280 Sonos Ray is much more affordable but the differences between the two speakers are significant. One thing to consider is that the money you save on the Ray could buy you a couple of Symfonisk bookshelves rears, which would help increase the sense of immersion with movies.
Optical vs. HDMI connections
One of the biggest changes to the Ray is that it now includes an optical port instead of the HDMI connector featured on the last two soundbars. How big of a deal is this? If you have an optical port on your TV, and most TVs do, then that's not an issue at all. Simply connect the cable in the box to your TV and then the Ray, and your television should be able do the rest.
There are a number of key advantages to using an HDMI cable including HDMI (CEC) which controls power between the units, as well as advanced formats like Dolby Atmos. Of course, while the Beam is designed to take advantage of this format the Ray cannot.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Ty Pendlebury/CNET
Dolby Digital vs. Dolby Atmos (faux) surround
Even if the TV says it's Dolby Atmos capable, if you're watching without an audio system you'll be watching it in stereo... and it'll be fairly poor quality at that. The best way to improve intelligibility on your TV is to get a soundbar, and helpfully both the Ray and the Beam both offer Speech Enhancement modes.
As compact single speakers neither the Ray nor the Beam can provide true surround effects, but both can handle Dolby formats. The Sonos Ray may be a stereo soundbar but it includes Dolby Digital decoding as well as tweeter waveguides which make the soundbar sound much bigger than it really is. The Beam can take advantage of Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos audio formats too, and sounds even bigger.
Which one sounds better?
There's one reason I call the Ray the "Sonos One soundbar" -- it's because they sound similar to each other. The speakers share a tight, slightly-closed sound which is great for rock music and pop. Yet, the Ray is still able to deliver excellent dialog reproduction, even if the Speech Enhancement feature is only subtle.
The Beam sounds a little different, bigger, and that's thanks to both its beam-forming side speakers and its excellent Dolby Atmos emulation. If you watch the latest blockbusters, like Dune or Mad Max: Fury Road. the speaker will literally fill your room with sound, especially in the height dimension. This is something the Ray as a stereo bar simply can't do.
The Sonos Ray
Do you need built-in Alexa or Google Assistant voice?
The Sonos Beam has a voice assistant onboard but the Sonos Ray does not. To me, this isn't a huge problem because buying a soundbar without a voice assistant can save money, especially if you already have one in the room. There's a wealth of affordable smart speakers out there, such as the Amazon Echo Dot ($17 at Amazon), Google Nest Mini or the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential (on sale for $25), and all of these can control Sonos speakers. Sure, you miss out on the new Sonos Voice Assistant, but its functionality is limited for now.
Which should you choose?
Apart from the key differences above, the Ray and the Beam (Gen 2) share a lot of similarities. They're a similar size and design, and both feature the excellent Sonos multiroom system.
If you want something to pair with a smaller TV or to go into a games room the Sonos Ray is an excellent choice, and it's also the one I'd choose if you want something that's going to play a lot of tunes. Meanwhile the Sonos Beam's bigger, louder sound means it's suited to larger rooms and it sounds a whole lot better with movies.
No matter which you decide on, both offer excellent value and a definite upgrade path should you wish to enhance the system down the road.
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An $80 multipurpose air fryer oven that does it all -- and more Best Buy deals
An $80 multipurpose air fryer oven that does it all -- and more Best Buy deals
While Prime Day kitchen deals are in full effect, including eye-poppingly cheap Vitamix blenders and Instant Pots galore, Best Buy has crept in with an early "Black Friday" sale, and there are some equally major deals. No, it's not Friday and no, it's not even November, but that doesn't mean you can't score a quality 6-quart multicooker or lightning-fast air fryer for healthy munching for a measly 30 bucks each. Best Buy even has the cult-favorite baking tool and general kitchen workhorse KitchenAid Pro stand mixer, down 50% to $250, and an Oster multipurpose air fryer oven (my personal favorite) for just $90 -- down from $140. Check out our top picks on kitchen gear from Best Buy's Black Friday in October sale happening now.
Insignia
This is as inexpensive as you'll find any multicooker, with all of the functionality of an Instant Pot but for about half the price. The Insignia scores high marks in verified-purchase reviews on Best Buy and has six quarts of cooking capacity -- more than enough to handle easy weeknight dinners for the family.
Oster
For my money (and space), it's a multipurpose air fryer oven like this Oster that really does it. It's priced a little higher than the others, but this guy replaces your air fryer, toaster and convection oven. If you're anything like me, you'll use it almost every day. It features super convection for fast, healthy air frying but traditional baking, roasting, broiling and toasting too.
See also
Prime Day 2020 deals available today: $25 Blink Mini, $28 Roku 4K, $300 Toshiba 55-inch TV and more
The Walmart version of Prime Day has arrived: A $98 Roku TV and $49 Instant Pot lead the best deals
Best Prime Day 2020 Alexa deals: Show 5, Echo Auto and Echo Dot for Kids see big discounts
Best Prime Day 2020 TV deals available now: Get a 32-inch Fire TV for $120, save $200 on TCL 50-inch Roku TV
Best early Prime Day 2020 headphone deals: AirPods Pro return to $199, Jabra Elite 45h for $80, Sony WF-1000XM3 for $178 and more
Prime Day 2020 phone deals you can get now: Motorola Razr 5G for $1,200, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G for $600, TCL 10L for $210
Early Prime Day laptop 2020 deals: Samsung Galaxy Book Flex for $1,200, Asus ZenBook 14 for $830, Dell Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 for $900 and more
Best Prime Day 2020 Apple deals so far: Save $30 on latest iPad now, but better sales may be coming
Best Prime Day streaming deals: Roku devices already down to $22, Fire TV Cube dropping to $80 on Tuesday
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Labor Day Sales 2022: The Best Early Deals You Can Shop Right Now
Labor Day Sales 2022: The Best Early Deals You Can Shop Right Now
We're just a week away from Labor Day and plenty of the best Labor Day sales are already underway. Arriving ahead of Black Friday, Labor Day sales give you an early opportunity to save on a range of products across major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Home Depot and more.
Home appliances and furniture are some of the big-ticket items that are already seeing steep price drops and some stellar tech deals on laptops, headphones and TVs are also cropping up right now.
Below, we'll go through everything you need to know ahead of Labor Day, including this year's Labor Day date, the best early Labor Day sales to shop now and what else to expect from Labor Day 2022.
When is Labor Day 2022?
Labor Day always falls on the first Monday of September. That means that Labor Day 2022 will be celebrated on Monday, Sept. 5. We expect most Labor Day sales will be up and running for at least the weekend preceding Labor Day and we're already seeing some go live a couple of weeks in advance.
Early Labor Day sales live now
Amazon:Up to 40% off Echo and Fire TV devices
Best Buy: Save on laptops, TVs, smart home devices and appliances
Walmart: Tech and home deals
Target: Back to school savings on clothing, tech and school supplies
Staples: Save on back-to-school essentials
Home Depot: Save on power tools, furniture and home decor
Lowe's: Summer savings on grills, appliances, tools and more
Bed Bath & Beyond: Warehouse clearance event
Wayfair: Up to 60% off furniture, decor and appliances
Casper: Up to $600 off mattresses and 50% off select accessories
Purple: Up to $300 off mattresses
Overstock: End of summer sale with up to 70% off
Dell: Six months of the Disney Bundle with select purchases
Samsung: Discounts, boosted trade-ins, instant credit and more
Best Labor Day deals to shop now
Early Labor Day tech deals
Samsung
Right now, you can get as much as $900 off a Galaxy Z Fold 4 when you trade in your existing device directly at Samsung, plus you'll receive $150 in Samsung store credit to spend on accessories. Additional Samsung credit and bundle savings of up to 30% are also available when you buy your Galaxy Z Fold 4 alongside other Samsung products, like the Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Galaxy Tab S8.
CNET
A huge variety of Amazon devices are on sale right now with as much as half off regular prices. The early Labor Day sale includes popular Fire TV Sticks, Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers, Eero mesh Wi-Fi systems and more.
Early Labor Day TV deals
Amazon
For a limited time, Amazon and Best buy are throwing a free Echo Dot (third-gen) in with select smart Fire TV purchases. Several different models are eligible for the freebie, from 24-inch HD models up to 75-inch 4K-compatible TV sets, with prices starting at just $90.
Hisense
Hisense's R6 Series TVs offer a bunch of advanced features at a low price, including a 4K resolution, HDR support, a 120Hz refresh rate and Google Assistant or Alexa controls via your existing smart speakers. Using the excellent Roku OS, you'll be able to easily access all of the streaming services you know and love, too.
Vizio
Vizio's V-Series made its way onto our best TVs list as a runner-up budget option because it comes with Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 built in, which plenty of other smart TVs do not. These allow you to stream, or even mirror, content from your phone or computer. It also boasts 4K UHD picture, and an IQ active processor that enhances the quality of any non-4K content.
Toshiba
At just $430, the Toshiba M550 is packed full of features, including AirPlay support, built-in microphones for truly hands-free control and a low latency gaming mode. It's equipped with a Regza Engine 4K for stunning UHD picture, as well as support for Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 Plus. And with DTS Virtual: X technology, it also features powerful, immersive audio.
Early Labor Day home and garden deals
Ashley Furniture
Ashley is offering a huge array of Labor Day deals with as much as 50% off regular prices. Discounted items include furniture, mattresses, home decor and more and you can take an extra 5% off select purchases with code LDSAVINGS.
Early Labor Day mattress deals
My Slumber Yard
Get up to $350 off Helix products during its early Labor Day mattress sale.
Use the following codes to get the discount:
$100 off orders of $600 or more with code: LDSALE100
$150 off orders of $1,250 or more with code: LDSALE150
$200 off orders of $1,700 or more with code: LDSALE200
$250 off orders of $2,550 or more with code: LDSALE250
$300 off orders of $2,700 or more with code: LDSALE300
$350 off orders of $2,950 or more with code: LDSALE350
Every order includes two free Dream pillows.
Read more about its beds in our Helix mattress review.
Early Labor Day appliance deals
Instant Pot/CNET
If you want to simplify cooking, consider investing in an Instant Pot. These versatile multicookers can prepare a plethora of plates in one device, helping save you space in your kitchen. Right now Amazon has the Instant Pot Duo Plus marked down by 38%, bringing the price to just $80. This 6-quart cooker has nine different functions including pressure cook, slow cook, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker and sterilizer. It even has 15 customizable smart programs to cook ribs, soups, beans, rice, poultry, desserts and other tasty treats at the push of a button.
Molekule
If you're looking to improve the quality of air in your home, having an air purifier can help, and with Molekule's Air Mini Plus or Air Pro, you can purify the air in personal or professional spaces to keep viruses and other allergens at bay while saving as much as $200.
Labor Day health and fitness deals
Labor Day beauty and fashion deals
Which Labor Day sales are the best?
There are going to be plenty of competing sales when Labor Day 2022 rolls around (with many having launched already). Deciding which is best for you to shop will depend on what you're hoping to buy.
Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart are generally good starting points if tech and smart home purchases are on your mind with stores like Lowes, Home Depot and Overstock being the places to begin your hunt for home and garden products.
Don't rule out more niche retailers like B&H Photo, Dell, HP and GameStop, though, as each will likely run some form of Labor Day sale as will most of your favorite brands. We'll be sure to keep you posted on the best Labor Day sales as they crop up.
When do Labor Day sales begin?
Though Labor Day falls on Monday, Sept. 5 this year, there's no official date that sales will kick off and many early Labor Day sales are already live. Expect others to launch in the coming days.
Should I wait for Black Friday sales?
Labor Day sales offer some of the best savings at this time of year, sitting nicely between Memorial Day sales and Black Friday. If you need something now, particularly furniture or yard equipment, Labor Day is a great time to buy, with end-of-summer pricing applying to a lot of those types of products.
Black Friday is the biggest sale of the year, though, and if you can afford to wait the extra couple of months you could potentially get more for your money. That being said, rumors abound of a second Prime Day sale, or "Prime Early Access Sale," slated for October, which could kick off the holiday shopping season much earlier and may mean even less time between Labor Day sales and fall sales.
How do I prepare for Labor Day sales?
The best thing to do between now and Labor Day 2022 is narrow down exactly what is on your shopping list this year. That way, you can identify the best retailers to start your search and avoid being distracted by the thousands of deals that will bombard you as more Labor Day sales officially kick off.
The CNET Deals team will keep you up to date on all of the best deals between now and Labor Day, so be sure to follow the team on Twitter and sign up for the CNET Deals newsletter.
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Make way for Matter, the smart home's would-be skeleton key
Make way for Matter, the smart home's would-be skeleton key
At Wednesday's Alexa Live 2021 event, Amazon confirmed that its Echo lineup of speakers and smart displays will soon support Matter, a new, universal smart home standard. The product of a multiyear joint effort with other industry titans, including Apple, Google and Samsung, Matter aims to help your smart home devices play a little nicer together -- and soon, the majority of Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Studio and Echo Show devices already in people's homes will sync up with the standard via a software update.
The news follows similar curtain-lifts from Google and Apple, each of which announced respective support for Matter in Android and in iOS earlier this year. Together with buy-in from Amazon, it all seems to set the stage for Matter to make a splashy debut in the coming months. It likely won't be long before you start seeing the Matter logo featured prominently on the product packaging for a wide variety of the gadgets that want a place in your home.
The Matter logo signifies smart-home devices that are certified to get along well with each other and with the Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Google Assistant voice control systems.
Connectivity Standards Alliance; illustration by Stephen Shankland/CNET
Matter's potential popularity stems from the appeal of its pitch: a single, IP-based, open-source standard that works over Wi-Fi, supports all major control platforms, and acts like a universal language that smart home devices can use to connect with and understand each other. Think USB, but wireless. After all, the Internet of Things ought to be like the internet -- platform-agnostic and 99% the same, regardless of which device or operating system you're using to access it.
That's the ideal, anyway. At the same WWDC presentation where Apple announced that Matter would make its way to iOS 15, the company also showcased newly opened third-party Siri access that lets you trigger and talk to Apple's AI assistant from devices like the voice-activated Ecobee thermostat. The catch is that you'll still need an Apple HomePod Mini (or the discontinued, full-size HomePod) on your Wi-Fi network to do localized speech processing and security authentication. Let that be a reminder as Matter draws near: The big tech companies might be willing to share the cockpit in your connected home, but they're each going to want a hand on the steering wheel, and that can make for a jerky ride.
Still, smoothing out bumps like those -- while keeping big tech in firm control of the category -- might be Matter's mass effect on the smart home. The three inward-pointing arrows that make up the perhaps soon-to-be ubiquitous Matter logo might as well represent Amazon, Apple and Google, each one focused in on a common center -- and each fixed in place at the center of the action. With Matter, you could move into a home or apartment with preinstalled smart gadgets and have a much easier time controlling them however you like: Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, take your pick. And, if you're an Android user who lives with roommates or family members who prefer iOS, Matter might help your smart home harmonize a little better, too.
"It's not just another light bulb standard," said Amazon's Chris DeCenzo, a principal engineer for the smart home, as he outlined the company's goal of making Matter relevant by finding new and practical ways of putting it to use. One of the first areas of focus: smarter smart TVs.
"The industry is really a mess of different protocols," DeCenzo explained, before going on to describe how Matter might be able to help standardize TV voice controls or improve casting performance. There are a number of TV manufacturers already on board with Matter via the Connectivity Standards Alliance, DeCenzo notes.
That's not to say that you should expect the smart home experience to be vastly different than before. These companies are still fierce competitors seeking to outdo each other with new products and features. Their incentive is to differentiate, not to share. Matter won't let you access Apple TV's HomeKit camera controls and multiview interface on a Fire TV Stick or a Chromecast, for instance. And devices like Philips Hue bulbs that communicate using Zigbee, Z-Wave or some other low-powered alternative to Wi-Fi will still need a bridge connected to your network in order to put Matter to work, so don't expect that ugly mess of pucks and hubs on your router shelf to disappear, either.
Where Matter should make the biggest impact is with developers, no doubt exhausted after a decade spent jumping through hoops to keep their devices up to date with the ever-shifting demands of each of the platforms their customers care about. (Imagine a busy restaurant with cooks who all speak different languages, while the waitstaff has to work to understand everyone and get food to the right customers.) With Matter, those device-makers will be able to develop around a single standard that brings all of the big names into play. That's a much lighter lift, and one that could free up time and resources that could be better spent developing better devices in the first place.
So, does Matter matter? The answer is undoubtedly "yes" -- even setting the smart home aside, it's a noteworthy thing when big tech circles the wagons and agrees to baseline standards involving security and data privacy. And while the smart home will never be truly seamless, Matter would seem to be a much better framework for the current landscape, one that's dotted with devices from whatever manufacturer had the best Black Friday sale, and controlled by whichever big tech company you're most comfortable (or least uncomfortable) sharing your home with. Matter won't change that smart home status quo, but it could reinforce it in ways that help the category accelerate. You might say it's just a matter of time.
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Apple has axed its original HomePod and will turn its attention to the smaller version of its smart home assistant, the HomePod Mini, the company said Friday.
"We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers," Apple said in a statement. "We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini."
Read more: Apple HomePod Mini features you should know about: Every tip and trick we've found
Apple will continue providing existing HomePods with software updates and support through Apple Care, the company said.
The HomePod Mini was launched in November last year, costing $99 in comparison with the $300 HomePod original. When it was released in 2018, CNET reviewer Megan Wollerton praised its "stellar" sound but said it didn't offer as many features as competing speakers powered by Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant. "If you and everyone else you live with has an Apple device and you're sold on having an Apple smart home, the HomePod is worth a close look," she wrote at the time.
The HomePod Mini earned similarly strong praise from CNET reviewer Molly Price for its sound when it was released in 2020, with a note that the lower price made it much more attractive. "The HomePod Mini is as on-par as Apple wants to make it with Google and Amazon's offerings, and I'd recommend it to anyone invested in the Apple universe," she wrote.
The news about the original HomePod's demise was reported earlier Friday by TechCrunch.
