Black Friday has arrived, and just like in 2020 (and 2019), we’re here to help you sniff out the best deals across the internet. At the Strategist UK, we’re obsessive with our deal-hunting — we cross-check prices across retailers, and compare discounts year on year — so we always know when for example, that “best-ever-price” Vitamix is actually cheaper at John Lewis.
We’re covering Black Friday sales across the site, including plenty of discounted Strategist favourites. We’ve got stories on the best beauty and skincare deals, the best bedding and mattress deals, the best Amazon deals, and more.
Here, we’ll be covering the deals that way think will make great gifts. It’s worth noting that while Black Friday is a good time to buy a big-ticket (and eminently giftable) item on sale, the current supply-chain crisis means shipping on those items could be delayed. One supply-chain issue that we anticipate affects products that contain microchips, from Nintendos to sex toys (a lesser-publicized casualty of the microchip shortage). However, we’ll make sure to highlight any items that are significantly on sale but may be delayed, and we’ll include plenty of items that are available in abundance. We’ll be stock-checking this post throughout the day, but if you see something you like, don’t dillydally — and follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates throughout the day. Lastly, if you’re looking for something different (or you just like a little of everything) visit our Black Friday hub page.
This quenching moisturiser is a Strategist staff favourite. Our readers also buy it in droves — it has featured in our top-ten most-bought for over a whole year.
This charming gift set (containing hand cream, body lotion, and lip balm) is the perfect stocking stuffer.
Play psychologist and Good Play Guide founder Amanda Gummer thinks the card game’s success hinges on the fact it is “very accessible to children of all ages.” “It’s incredibly simple to set up and it is skill based, but it’s not biased towards the older generation,” she explains. “Sometimes you get a very observant kid who can wipe the floor with everybody.”
This dinky belt bag is perfect for a friend on the go (whether they log their 10Ks on Strava, or prefer walking over taking the tube).
Strategist UK editor Ailbhe Malone calls this cream “fast-drying, non-pilling, and glow-giving.”
These sumptuous velvet cushions (with free delivery) would be a nice housewarming gift.
Strategist UK writer (and recent graduate) Rachael Griffiths recommends the Echo Dot as a gift for any fresher. She says “I didn’t know much about speaker specifications back then, but the sound quality seemed great, and I liked how the voice-control function meant that nobody could monopolise the playlist for too long.” She adds that crucially, “the alarm is loud enough to make sure you never sleep in for a 9 a.m. seminar.”
Take the next step with your new-ish partner, and save a third when you travel together.
Best gifts under £50
When we asked frequent travellers about the best gifts for frequent travellers, two experts recommended Aspinal’s travel accessories. These luggage tags are currently the cheapest we’ve ever seen them.
When we took a straw poll in the Strategist UK slack channel, Bloom and Wild came recommended by … well, all of us. Writer Chris Mandle said the letterbox flowers were his preferred option for sending flowers to his family in Cumbria, particularly to his grandma, who often has a bunch of M&S flowers in her sitting room already.
Reposado tequila is aged in oak barrels for between two and 11 months. This bottle has been aged for six months — it’s not too smoky, and would be perfect in a margarita.
“Honestly, a SodaStream is the best gift I’ve ever been given,” says actor and podcaster Lewis Chandler.
This four-person board game is easy to pick up and can be played casually with family, “but also offers a level of strategy and tactics just deep enough for competitive gamers to return to time and again,” says Ian Ross, who runs the popular Instagram page Board Games as Art. “Playing with four keeps the board tight and the tension high.”
Best gifts under £100
We like these cool-girl-approved earrings (which also featured in our Strategist 100).
These Strategist-approved slouchy yoga pants “fall softly from the hips, gently hugging the legs before being gathered into long ankle cuffs.”
Best gifts over £100
When we interviewed frequent fliers about their favourite luggage, Away came out on top (in fact, an Away carry-on features in our Strategist 100).
Some luxurious pyjamas, for the fanciest person on your Christmas list.
A gift (almost) worth keeping for yourself.
The Strategist UK is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Read about who we are and what we do here. Our editors update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.