The best time to buy TVs, laptops, appliances and more

Most price drops follow two patterns: new models pushing out old ones, and holiday sales. Once you know when those happen for a category, timing a purchase gets a lot easier.

Why the calendar matters

Stores and manufacturers discount for predictable reasons. When a new model year arrives, last year's model has to clear out. Three-day weekends bring planned sales, especially for big items like mattresses and appliances. And seasonal goods get marked down once the season is mostly over.

None of this is a guarantee. A good price can show up any week, and that's what alerts are for. But if you don't need something right away, these are the windows where the odds are on your side.

TVs

November: Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring the widest range of TV discounts of the year
January: New models are shown at CES, which tends to push down prices on the outgoing lineup
Late January to early February: Sales ahead of the Super Bowl, often on large screens

The catch with November is the made-for-Black-Friday models with unfamiliar model numbers. Our Black Friday guide covers how to check those. Early in the year, you're more likely to get last year's mainstream model at a lower price.

Laptops and computers

July and August: Back-to-school sales, and many Windows laptops get refreshed over the summer, so last season's models are discounted
November: Black Friday, with the same caution about stripped-down configurations
February: Some outgoing models see price drops a couple of months into the new year

Apple usually announces new hardware in the fall. If you're set on a Mac and it's late summer, it's often worth waiting to see what gets announced, since the previous model sometimes drops in price afterward.

Major appliances

May: Last year's refrigerators, freezers and ranges are discounted ahead of new models, and Memorial Day sales overlap
July: Fourth of July sales on large appliances
September and October: New washers, dryers and dishwashers arrive, so the outgoing models drop, and Labor Day sales land right at the start
November: Black Friday, where appliance package deals can be larger than single-item discounts

With appliances, the floor model or last year's version is often nearly identical to the new one. Compare the spec sheets before paying extra for the newer model number.

Mattresses

February: Presidents' Day is the first big mattress sale of the year
May: Memorial Day sales
July: Fourth of July sales
September: Labor Day sales
November: Black Friday

Mattress brands run sales so often that the "sale" price is close to the normal price for many of them. The holiday weekends above are when extra discounts usually stack on top. Check the trial period and return terms too, since those matter more than a small price difference.

Outdoor gear, grills and patio furniture

Mid to late summer: Camping gear like tents and backpacks gets marked down once the season is in full swing
August and September: Grills and lawn equipment drop as stores clear summer inventory, often around Labor Day
October: Patio furniture is discounted in the fall, if you have somewhere to store it over winter

The trade-off is selection. By the time outdoor gear is cheapest, popular sizes and colors may be gone.

Toys

November and December: Black Friday and Cyber Monday toy deals, with discounts that often continue into December

Popular toys can sell out before the deepest discounts arrive, so for a specific must-have item, a decent price in early November may beat waiting. For general gifts, buying in this window and holding some back for birthdays later in the year is a simple way to use the sale prices.

A month-by-month summary

January: TVs (after CES)
February: TVs (Super Bowl), mattresses (Presidents' Day), some laptops
May: Refrigerators, freezers, ranges, mattresses (Memorial Day)
July: Large appliances, mattresses, back-to-school laptops
August: Laptops, grills, lawn equipment
September: Washers, dryers, dishwashers, mattresses (Labor Day)
October: Washers and dryers, patio furniture
November: Almost everything, especially TVs, toys and appliance packages
December: Toys and leftover holiday deals

When not to wait

If something broke and you need it, buy it. A few weeks without a refrigerator isn't worth a 15% discount. The calendar is most useful for planned upgrades and gifts, where waiting costs you nothing.