Black Friday has turned into Black November, yet it’s getting more difficult each year to find a quality deal worth buying. If you’re looking for a new Bluetooth speaker or shopping for a gift, don’t buy those cheap no-name speakers at deceptively low prices from Amazon and Walmart.
You know exactly what I’m talking about—all these “fancy” speakers with RGB lights and a splash of water in the background. They’re a dime a dozen online and promise booming audio at a 70% discount. Don’t fall for those misleading prices and buy something from a name you know, like JBL, Bose, or even Anker. You can thank me later.
Those $60 speakers with a big “Black Friday Deal” banner lowered to $20 aren’t actually a good deal. They’re perpetually on sale, and the seller just jacked up the price ahead of Black Friday. It’s an all-too-common tactic these days. The same goes for this $38 speaker, which claims to retail for $199, yet you can get it for only $38 during Black Friday. Lies.
There are several tools you can use to see the price history of products on Amazon, which, as you can see above, suggests you’re not actually getting a deal at all. The speaker I checked in the image above is constantly between $18 and $26, but it jumped to $60 before going on sale this week. It’s almost always that price and has been for the last 18+ months. It’s not a deal, and it’s probably not a very good speaker, either. Buy this one instead.
Furthermore, it’s always a good idea to take Amazon reviews with a grain of salt. Combine that logic with a price tracker, and you’ll quickly learn how to weed out the bad deals and save yourself a little buyer’s remorse.
If you’re looking to snag a decent little portable Bluetooth water-resistant speaker during Black Friday, what should you buy? Spend a little bit more and get something like the excellent JBL Flip 6, the Anker Soundcore 2, or one of our favorites, the JBL Clip 5 we just reviewed. You can even find decent options under $30, like the Tribit XSound.
I’m not saying a no-name speaker will be awful—for some, it’ll likely suffice—but it won’t be that great either. So, do yourself a favor and buy something better this time around.
Ultimate Ears Miniroll
$50 $80 Save
$30
The UE Miniroll is a durable, compact speaker with a crisp sound. A strap lets you take your music along for the ride.
Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
$28 $40 Save
$12
The Anker Soundcore 2 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with stereo sound, an IPX7 waterproof rating and up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge.
