26 deals the Insider Picks team bought during Black Friday and Cyber Monday

I actually already own one of these, but picked one up as a Christmas gift for my mom — let's hope she doesn't read this article. (Love you, mom!) She mentioned seeing it recently on QVC, her favorite TV channel of all time by my measure, as a voice-controlled radio. That's a wonderful feature and all, but why I really bought it for her is that it will be an easy way for her and my dad to see my son via video calls, as neither of them are iPhone owners and therefore don't have access to FaceTime. Yes, we're definitely living in the future when I bought my mom what's essentially a video phone for just $50. — Joe Osborne, Insider Picks senior tech editor

Tommy John makes the best underwear, so every Cyber Week is a perfect time to stock up on new pairs for me and my partner, for 25% less. This year's sale has by far the steepest discounts I've seen the brand offer; last year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers were for 20% off. — Ellen Hoffman, Insider Picks director of content strategy

Every year, my partner and I organize her family Christmas list just before Black Friday so we can all score deals on each others' gifts. This year we asked for this hand vacuum, and my soon-to-be-mother-in-law bought it for us (which is great because I hate spending money on things that aren't fun, sue me!).

We actually had this same (or some extremely similar) Black+Decker vacuum for about 5 years before it gave out, so we know it works well on cat litter, which is 90% of what we have to vacuum up. It has a thin nose that gets into all those annoying crevasses around the litter box, plus a couple of other attachments we frankly never use. — Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

LEGO sets are perfect holiday gifts. I usually pick out a few from the Cyber Week sale to give to my much younger cousins. This set of three Brickheadz is cute and festive. I also got the new, collectible LEGO Wooden Minifigure (not on sale) for the adult LEGO fan in my family. — Ellen Hoffman, Insider Picks director of content strategy

I've been hoping to get a new duvet cover for a while, but I never felt ready to take the plunge — bedding is expensive! And, I am quite indecisive. Since my teammates wax poetic on Brooklinen sheets often, I figured I should give them a try. I got a plain white duvet cover, which I'm pretty excited about. I don't usually go for such plain bedding, but since I get bored of my duvets often, I'm hoping this simple shade will be somewhat of a blank canvas for more fun, colorful pillows and throws. — Remi Rosmarin, Insider Picks reporter

After months of pining after Brooklinen's luxe sateen sheets, I finally bought them during the brand's 20%-off Cyber Monday sale. I waffled between the Core Sheet Set and the Hardcore Sheet Set, but ultimately decided on the former because they didn't have the duvet color I wanted in stock and I have no use for two extra pillowcases. — Danny Bakst, Insider Picks senior content producer

A floor-length mirror has been on my wish list since I moved into my apartment over a year ago, but there were always other purchases ahead of it in my queue. I was going to get a fancy mirror with a wood-aesthetic for over $100, but this floor mirror from Threshold won me over because I can hang clothes on the back rungs, and at an under $50 price point, I won't feel bad about ditching it whenever I move to a new place. — Danny Bakst, Insider Picks senior content producer

I took advantage of Hulu's $0.99-a-month promotion last Black Friday, and now that my subscription is over, it's only right that I signed up for this year's deal. Technically, the offer is for new users only, but if you have another email address you can use, you can sign up with no issue. Even at $1 more a month than last year's deal, paying just $24 for an entire year of Hulu Basic is an amazing deal. — Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter

Though this particular plant set is no longer available, The Sill has a large variety of other discounted plants still available for purchase. The variety is one reason I looked at The Sill in the first place to find a gift for someone who wants to start a plant collection. There are all types of sizes and plant species to choose from, and you can filter by categories such as "low light" or "best for beginner."

Having tested the service myself, I could trust that the plants would arrive safely, which also meant I wouldn't have to lug them across boroughs to my recipient myself. If you have trouble reaching the $50 free shipping minimum, add a ceramic message pop for $5 — it's a cute and thoughtful finishing touch. — Connie Chen, Insider Picks senior reporter

My beloved houseplant died a few weeks ago, so I really wanted to bring some life back into my apartment. I purchased this duo of low light plants in a blush planter as well as a heart-shaped hoya plant even though it wasn't on sale because all the plants made me so happy. — Ciannah Gin, Insider Picks editorial fellow

This is such a popular and well-reviewed hair styling tool, so as someone who doesn't know how to style her hair and resorts to putting her hair into a ponytail or bun every day, I had to try it. I have such high hopes for this brush after reading so many reviews that I actually bought an extra as a gift. — Jada Wong, Insider Picks editor

I've been eyeing this purchase for a while, both for myself and as a gift. Most people have terrible phone hygiene and don't realize how gross their phones can get. My brother also has two young kids, so anything that keeps the house clean and sanitized helps! — Tiffany Chang, Insider Picks strategic partnership manager

Having a room painted in darker tones with lots of furniture, dust tends to add up quickly. An air purifier seemed an easy and affordable way to effectively reduce that hassle while cleaning up any other air quality issues from being in a ground-floor apartment. — Adam Burakowski, Insider Picks director of commerce

I bought this 16" Macbook Pro because I needed a laptop with some brute power. My old 13" Pro (which lasted about 5 years) gave up the ghost, and my 2014 13" Air is huffing and puffing, also showing signs of fatigue. This is a 2018 model, but with a 2.4GHz Intel Core i7 processor and a 1TB hard drive, this is just the upgrade we need for photo editing, file storage, video production, and more for about $400 than it was last week, or will be tomorrow. — Owen Burke, Insider Picks senior reporter

Many years ago, I bought myself a Fitbit Alta. It showed me many good years, but sadly its time has passed. I decided that I wanted a fitness tracker that was more advanced and on par with a smartwatch without having to spend a ton of money. For $100, I was able to get a more advanced fitness tracker for a fraction of the cost from a brand that I was familiar with. — Francesca Rea, Insider Picks content producer

My mom has been telling me that she wants a Fitbit for Christmas — Nothing overly complicated or fancy, just a way for her to track her steps and how many miles she's walked in a given day. With $30 off, I was able to get her the HR version without breaking the bank. — Francesca Rea, Insider Picks content producer

I'm a big fan of Incase. It's been one of my go-to companies for iPhone cases, laptop sleeves, camera bags, and backpacks. So imagine my excitement after I discovered the company's Factory store, where it heavily discounts many of its products that are no longer in production, an older design, or some element of the product is being phased out, like a color — all items are brand new. For Black Friday, Incase slashed prices even further. I needed new bags two of my laptops, so I picked up a briefcase and a sleeve that were for $15 each — both originally $50. It didn't matter to me that these are older products because Incase products always look modern. I also picked up a USB light because it will come in handy for travel on a plane and it was $6. Incase also slashed its regular items by up to 50%, but I still found the Factory products to be of better value. Even if you missed Incase's Black Friday sale, you should still consider the Factory the next time you are shopping for bags, cases, and other accessories. — Les Shu, Insider Picks guides editor

A lot of vendors were offering free shipping on Etsy on Black Friday, so I took advantage of the deal and bought a Tesla Cybertruck ugly sweater for my husband. It's such a topical novelty sweater, I couldn't pass on this. — Jada Wong, Insider Picks editor

Honestly, this was a spur of the moment purchase after adding my Fitbits to my cart. I've been saying that I need a new suitcase for about two Europe trips now. I'm honestly surprised mine made it back in one piece. I've had a lot of success with American Tourister and when I saw the price on this one plus the fact that you get Kohl's Cash (and at the time a $10 mail-in rebate), I figured it was a good impulse buy! — Francesca Rea, Insider Picks content producer

The other day, my parents' neighbor told my Dad that they saw someone walking away from our front step with a package in their hand. Unable to figure out what package we'd never see again, I decided to purchase a very basic Ring camera model for them. Plus, my dad loves to play with new gadgets, so at $20 down, this is a great tool (and toy) for my dad! — Francesca Rea, Insider Picks content producer

My sister is in the market for a pair of Bluetooth headphones that she can wear comfortably while she trains for her next half marathon. The Powerbeats3 offer excellent sound with earhooks so they won't fall off while she runs. Plus, it comes with 4 free months of Apple Music. That plus over 50% is unbeatable. — Francesca Rea, Insider Picks content producer

Surprisingly, even though I'm originally from Colorado, after living in Southern California for the past few years, I did not come to New York prepared for winter. I've slowly been buying warm sweaters to get me through the winter and am very excited to wear this cozy wool sweater as soon as it arrives. — Ciannah Gin, Insider Picks editorial fellow

I rarely change my earrings, so I like having jewelry that's technically nice enough not to change color in the shower and dainty enough to wear every day. And when I do take them out, I tend to do it on the go — and later forget which purse pocket exactly they're entombed inside. I'll commit to a nicer version from Aurate soon (both had great Cyber Monday sales this year) but these pretty, inexpensive hoops serve as a reliable filler until then. — Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

The Deathadder model has been around for quite a while. I previously had this mouse when I could game more regularly when I was younger. The grip is slightly larger which makes it more comfortable for me (though difficult if you have smaller hands). Friends who live by it have re-purchased this mouse for years, and with this price, it's a no brainer. Razer does push a software if you want to mirror your DPI across multiple PCs, but if you intend to only use it on your home setup, you won't need to install it. — Tiffany Chang, Insider Picks strategic partnership manager

After my hairdresser recently used the It's a 10 Miracle Hair Mask Deep Conditioner at my last hair appointment, I've wanted to splurge and purchase it for myself. My hair had never felt softer, and the smell was amazing, but I couldn't justify spending $32 on a deep conditioner. After seeing the entire It's a 10 website was discounted by 50% on Black Friday with free shipping, I purchased the hair mask, along with the cult-favorite It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Spray Product, and a new shampoo and conditioner to try, that's both safe for color-treated hair and moisturizing for my difficult to tame, wavy hair. — Victoria Gracie, Insider Picks social media associate

Santa Clause (and definitely not my partner) got me these leggings on Cyber Monday as a Christmas present. They rarely go on sale, and even still aren't cheap, but they are straight up the greatest leggings in the world. They're stretchy, never see-through, not too compressive, and the waistband never digs in. I get the capri length, which fit my 5-foot-1-inch frame like ankle leggings. — Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

Working in NYC in the wintertime requires a boot that is as durable as it is professional. A black Chelsea boot not only matches with everything, but is comfortable enough to wear throughout all seasons. I chose these two styles because of their balance between simplicity and trend: they can be dressed up or dressed down, and I'd have no problem wearing them every day. — Emily Hein, Insider Picks content production fellow