My top 5 best Cyber Monday deals are hovering near all-time low prices

Tharon Green/ZDNET

I have to admire the patience of people who know the tech products they want but wait for the best deals and discounts to show up on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That patience has been rewarded big time this year because there are some outstanding deals on some of the best tech products that ZDNET has tested.

It’s been brutal to try to narrow down the best deals this year, but the ones below are my top five — with one bonus pick. I have either purchased or tested all five of these products this year, so I can personally vouch for the fact that all of them are worth the money. And I’ve been thrilled to see all of them at or near record low prices for Cyber Monday so that more people can benefit from them.

Also: The best Cyber Monday deals: Live updates

1. Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses

Smart glasses have never looked this good — or as much like regular glasses. Meta teamed up with Ray-Ban to put its audio-based augmented reality glasses into these iconic frames. And the audio quality is actually the best feature. These glasses are terrific for taking phone calls and video calls and for playing podcasts and audiobooks. And while the convenient audio is their top feature, these glasses can also take photos and video that are as good as a 3-4 year old smartphone camera. They also offer a hands-free AI assistant that can answer questions, translate languages, and is regularly getting software updates to add new features.

Also: I recommend this rare Meta Ray-Bans deal for 20% off for Cyber Monday

The Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses were one of the hardest tech products to get a hold in the first half of 2024 as many of the styles were sold out for months — and so discounts were very rare. But for Cyber Monday, Amazon is offering a creative deal on the standard version with black frames and green-tinted lenses. Those retail for $299, but Amazon is selling them for $239 (20% off). I’d actually recommend getting the Meta Ray-Bans with transition lenses so that you can wear them inside and outside. Those retail for $379 and are on sale for $303 (20% off).

2. iPad 10th generation

Apple now makes a lot of very advanced and very expensive iPads that can easily cost over $1,000 — and even scale up to over $2,000. However, I only recommend those iPad Pro and iPad Air models for digital artists, creators, and multimedia professionals.

For most people, the best iPad to buy is the standard iPad 10th generation<!–>, which actually looks a lot like the iPad Pro and iPad Air and was the first iPad to have a front-facing webcam on the long side of the iPad to make it perfect for video calls. The iPad 10th gen is plenty powerful enough for the things most people do with their iPads – watching streaming services, reading, surfing the web, and answering messages.

Also: iPad 10th gen hits $279 for Cyber Monday – and it’s the iPad I recommend most

Apple products rarely see big discounts, but Amazon is selling the iPad 10th gen–> for a 28% discount ($70 off). It retails for $349 and Best Buy is discounting it to $279. Considering this tablet had been selling for $450 until less than a year ago, this is an even better deal than it looks — especially for an Apple product.

3. Sony Bravia X90L 65-inch TV

I’ve seen the best TVs of 2024 from Sony, Samsung, LG, TCL, and Hisense and the TV I still recommend the most is last year’s Sony X90L LED TV<!–>. While it doesn’t wow you on the spec sheet, this TV is outstanding in any room – mounted to a wall or on the stand – and it does everything well. It has a great design, a high quality remote, an excellent software interface powered by Google TV, and terrific picture quality right out-of-the-box.

This is a mid-range TV so it’s never going to get huge discounts – except for the massive 98-inch model – but nearly all sizes of this TV are heavily discounted at Amazon and Best Buy for Cyber Monday. I’d highly recommend the 65-inch model for most people and it’s on sale for an all-time low price of $998 (23% off the retail price of $1,299).

Also: This Sony Bravia TV is my pick for best TV for the money – and Cyber Monday has an all-time low price

Now, if you’re someone that loves a great picture and absolutely wants the best picture quality money can buy, then I’d recommend the LG G4 OLED TV–>. The 65-inch is on sale for $2,297 (32% off the $3,399 retail price). Just keep in mind that you could get two X90Ls and a soundbar for that price.

4. Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2 sound bar

If you have a TV that’s already doing the job, the best way to upgrade it without having to buy and install a whole new TV is to add a soundbar. In fact, getting clearer sound with better bass and surround sound is often a bigger upgrade that will make your viewing experience more cinematic than buying a TV with a better picture.

The best budget soundbar that I’ve tested is the Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2 channel sound bar<!–>. It comes with a 500W wireless subwoofer and two rear speakers. It’s very easy to set up using an eARC HDMI port and has clear sound and plenty of volume for a medium-sized room.

It retails for $350 and is 29% off for Cyber Monday so you can get it for $250.

5. AirPods Pro 2

AirPods are a perennial favorite among Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Apple rarely discounts them, but third-party retailers aren’t afraid to. The AirPods Pro 2–> have now become the best selling model and they got a big software upgrade in 2024 that now turns them into a medically approved hearing aid. So as a gift, AirPods Pro 2 have wider use than ever.

And for Cyber Monday, AirPods Pro 2<!–> are available for the lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s pro earbuds. Amazon is selling them for $154 (38% off the $249 retail price). The crazy thing about this deal is that it discounts the pro earbuds for less than Apple’s standard earbuds – the AirPods 4 at $165–>.

If you’re an over-the-ear headphone fan, the AirPods Max at $399<!–> have also hit an all-time low price for Cyber Monday.