The holiday savings season is well and truly underway, with Walmart and Amazon delivering some great fall deals in October to warm up for November's main event, Black Friday. This year it falls on Friday Nov. 27 and we are expecting some great discounts on skywatching optics, cameras and tech. We usually see some of the best prices of the year on Black Friday, with some products on sale for 30% or more off their retail price.
If you have been thinking about getting a new telescope, camera or just need to buy some more general tech, it is definitely worth keeping an eye on prices as we approach Black Friday. It's not just Amazon who will be dishing out deals, with all the major online retailers battling it out to give you the best price across the Black Friday weekend and into Cyber Monday.
We don't usually see deals on brand new releases on Black Friday, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. We saw the 2026 release Dwarflab Dwarf Mini smart telescope drop down to its best ever price on this year's October Prime Day. While most of the big savings are typically found on older telescopes like the Celestron StarSense explorer LT 114AZ, smart telescopes usually get a great discount around this time, too. Last year, Unistellar shaved $1000 off their top-of-the-line eVscope 2 and when it comes to big-ticket items like this, discounts pack a huge punch.
We will only recommend deals on products or brands we have tested and have experience with. These are the best prices on our favorite models so far, with even bigger reductions expected as we get closer to Black Friday.
The best Black Friday deals that we recommend in 2026
General retailers with Black Friday deals 2026
🔭 Amazon: Save big on telescopes, binoculars, tech and more site-wide
📸 Adorama: Hundreds of cameras and lenses
🪐 Walmart: Black Friday deals now live
🚁 B&H Photo Video: Epic savings on tripods, drones, cameras, lenses and more
👓 Best Buy: Drones, VR headsets and space gifts all discounted
🧱 Lego: Up to 40% off Lego Star Wars, Marvel, Space and more sets
🔭 Unistellar: 20% sitewide on the best smart telescopes and binoculars
Telescopes
Smart telescopes
Telescopes for beginners
Binoculars
Image stabilized binoculars
Star Projectors
Cameras
Drones
Lego
Lightsabers
Streaming & VPNs
Model Rockets
Black Friday Frequently Asked Questions
When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday 2026 is two-and-a-half months away and will fall on Nov. 27. As we usually do, we expect to see big sales from major retailers across the Friday, through the weekend and into Cyber Monday, on Nov. 30.
When is Cyber Monday 2026?
The next Cyber Monday is Monday Nov. 30 2026, it follows Thanksgiving on Thursday Nov. 26 2026 and Black Friday on Friday Nov. 27 2026.
When do deals end on Black Friday 2026?
In previous Black Fridays, we have seen deals for a limited time or with limited stock. Usually, either the time runs out or the stock runs out, whichever happens first, so we would advise grabbing a deal on a watched item as soon as you see it to avoid missing out on big savings.
Deals usually last into the weekend and into Cyber Monday, so it is good to be on watch for any further price drops, but it can be hard to call. If you wait too long, the deal might finish, but if you act too early, it might not have dropped further enough.
What is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is an extension of the sales event known as Black Friday. Though Black Friday is the iconic day after Thanksgiving when stores slash prices on their products, recent years have seen Cyber Monday become just as popular. The term "Cyber Monday" was coined in 2005 and, as the story goes, came to be because Black Friday shoppers would try continuing their spree on Monday when they went back to work. The reason? Well, a faster internet connection, of course. Then, stores just started rolling with it.
How do I tell if a deal is real?
The best way to get a genuine discount is to check in with us. We check each offer to make sure it's actually saving you money, it's not just that the seller has spiked the price beforehand to give the impression it's a good deal.
You can also use extensions like Keepa and websites like CamelCamelCamel, which show you how a product's price has changed, using a handy graph.
What are lightning deals?
With any deal, when it's gone it's gone, but Amazon has lightning deals that are time limited or restricted to a specific number of units.
These deals are the equivalent of physical 'doorbuster' offers. On Amazon, for example, you'll see a timer or a percentage bar. When the timer runs out or the bar is full, the deal is over. Some other online retailers have their own version of lightning deals.
Why do we call Black Friday Black Friday?
It's thought that the term Black Friday was used as early as the 1950s by workers who call in sick to work the day after Thanksgiving in order to to accrue a four-day weekend but there is speculation that it also refers to sales by companies moving from being 'in the red' to 'in the black'.
Should I wait for Black Friday deals?
Yes, if you're reading this in September or October and need to save money on your purchase. Black Friday often gives big discounts on certain products but there's no knowing for sure if the product you want will be on sale.
Amazon Prime Day is usually around early to mid July and usually a second Prime Day occurs in October each year, and other sites run competing sales events during this summer and fall period.
However, if you're reading this any time outside those periods, it might be worth just shopping for the best deal and purchasing when it suits you, unless you're happy to wait until a peak trading event like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Is Black Friday better than Cyber Monday?
Besides the dates, the difference is typically negligible. You can expect to see some Black Friday deals continue or change a bit through Cyber Monday, and sometimes, other products on websites get discounted on the Monday after, too. However, beware: Not all Black Friday deals transfer over. If you absolutely need a deal you see on Black Friday, it might be a good idea to snag it while you know it's there.
Which is better, Black Friday or the Christmas sales?
Should you shop on Black Friday or wait for the Christmas sales? The short answer is that Black Friday offers more in the way of discounts, as we've noticed over the years. Yes, there are bargains to be had around Christmas, but for the sheer volume of bargains, you can't beat Black Friday.
On top of that, Black Friday is a great opportunity to stock up on items for the holidays. And there's also the risk that whatever you had your heart set on could have sold out by Christmas, discounted or not. So, it's better not to wait and risk missing out.
How we test the best space gifts
To guarantee you're getting honest, up-to-date recommendations on the best space gifts to buy, here at Space.com we make sure to put every product we can get our hands on through a rigorous review to fully test each product. Each product is reviewed based on many aspects, from its construction and design, to how well it functions and its performance in the field.
While not every product in our Black Friday and Cyber Monday round-up may have been tested, we'll only recommend a product if it's similar to another which we've independently reviewed and verified to be a decent and worthwhile purchase.
For products that we have reviewed, each item is carefully tested by either our expert staff or knowledgeable freelance contributors who know their subject areas in depth. This ensures fair reviewing is backed by personal, hands-on experience with each device and is judged based on its price point, class and destined use.
We look at how easy each camera is to operate, whether it contains the latest up-to-date imaging technology, whether the cameras can shoot high-quality stills photos and high-resolution video, and also suggest if a particular camera would benefit from any additional kit to give you the best viewing experience possible.
With complete editorial independence, Space.com is here to ensure you get the best buying advice on cameras, whether you should purchase an instrument or not, making our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.
