This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide to everything you need to know and how to find the best deals.
The holiday shopping season is kicking off a little earlier than usual this year thanks to Amazon’s new Prime Early Access Sale, which officially begins tomorrow. Walmart and Target have their own competing sales as well, but you may be missing out on some great bargains if you’re only shopping at the major retailers. Woot is a smaller Amazon subsidiary, and it’s offering some of the best bargains available right now on a huge selection of top tech at its ongoing Best of Tech sale.
This sale, which runs until 9:59 p.m. PT on Oct. 13 (or 12:59 a.m. ET Oct. 14), has deals on both new and refurbished tech, including headphones, game consoles, TVs and smart devices. Just note that Woot often has limited quantities of certain items, especially refurbished ones, so we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if there’s a specific deal you don’t want to miss. And to make sure you’re not missing out on any of the very best deals offered at this sale, we’ve rounded up some of the best values available below. And for more great bargains, be sure to check out or Early Access Sale live blog.
David Carnoy/CNET
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are just about the finest pair of noise-cancelling headphones that money can buy, and right now you can snag a pair for even less. They’re equipped with dual processors and eight built-in microphones for top-of-the-line noise-cancelling capabilities, and the Integrated Processor V1 provides optimized, crystal-clear audio. They also boast an impressive battery life of up to 30 hours, and they automatically pause your music when you remove the headphones or start speaking.
Note that this deal is on an open-box pair, which, according to Woot, means they have been tested and are in full working condition, but the box may be missing some peripherals like a charging cord or cleaning cloth. But if you can live with that, this a great chance to snag one of the best pairs of headphones on the market at a discount.
Microsoft
It’s been pretty tricky to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X since they released, but if you’re looking for an easy way to get your hands on a next-gen console you should consider an Xbox Series S. This digital-only “lite” version of the Series X has been much easier to find in stock, and right now you can even grab one at a discount. Woot has a selection of Microsoft certified reconditioned models on sale for $230, which saves you $70 compared to shopping new. All consoles have been tested and ensured to be in full working order by Microsoft directly, and come covered by Microsoft’s 90-day warranty.
JBL
The JBL Flip 5 was knocked off our list of the best Bluetooth speakers by the slightly newer Flip 6, but this rugged and portable speaker is still a great option — and a great value when you can pick it up on sale. It’s plenty durable and totally waterproof up to three feet with an IPX7 rating, and with up to 12 hours of playtime you can jam out all day and all night long. Plus, you can pair it with other JBL speakers for immersive sound.