Is Cyber Monday worth it, and are the deals better than Black Friday?

With Black Friday over but deals still live, you may be wondering if it's worth waiting for Cyber Monday for better deals. Our shopping experts have the answer

From above view of an Afro-American woman sitting on the sofa in her living room, shopping online using a credit card and laptop.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Is Cyber Monday worth it? When is Cyber Monday, and will you get better deals if you wait until then to shop? With the final stage of the Cyber Weekend sales here in just a few hours, these are the questions everyone's asking.

Cyber Monday falls on 2nd December 2024, but according to our expert shopping team, you can – and should – grab plenty of bargains before then. While Cyber Monday sometimes brings fresh discounts, lots of offers are already live, and certain products are flying off the shelves. If you’re eyeing big-ticket items like Dyson Airwrap deals or unmissable Cyber Monday beauty deals, it's advisable to snap them up now. If stock runs low, these offers could end before Monday rolls around.

For items still in stock, it’s a bit of a balancing act. While some products are worth holding out for on the basis that prices might drop further, others are unlikely to see better prices after the weekend. So, our shopping experts have handpicked some must-buy-now items, below, that could be sold out by the time Cyber Monday arrives. If you’re not overly fussy about specific brands and just want to bag the best possible savings, Cyber Monday could still offer significant discounts - sometimes even better than Black Friday itself. Whether you shop now or wait, there’s no doubt that these final days of sales are full of opportunities.

Don't wait to buy these deals

Is Cyber Monday worth it?

If you haven’t spotted the perfect deal so far during the sales weekend, don’t panic – Cyber Monday could still be your ticket to some fantastic discounts. In recent years, Cyber Monday has offered deals that are just as good, if not better, than Black Friday. The two days have become nearly interchangeable, with both offering massive savings across a wide range of products.

In fact, Cyber Monday has become the day for online shopping. According to Adobe’s latest annual shopping insights, Cyber Monday 2023 saw a record-breaking $10.8 billion in revenue, surpassing Black Friday’s $9.0 billion. Not only does that mean retailers will probably save some of their better deals for the day they know shoppers are liable to spend more money, but it also means you have more time to mull your Cyber Weekend purchases over.

What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re still unsure about a purchase — say, you’re tempted by Dyson hair dryer deals — you’ve got a bit more time to weigh up your options. Rather than rushing into a decision, you can take the weekend to mull it over and still enjoy great discounts on Monday 2nd December.

Who does Cyber Monday?

For the most part, retailers and stockists are taking part in Cyber Monday if they took part in Black Friday.

How good are Cyber Monday deals?

Cyber Monday deals tend to be much the same as Black Friday deals, with many brands – think Dyson, ghd and Le Creuset (the Le Creuset Cyber Monday sale is phenomenal, in my opinion) – offering similar discounts on both days.

However, while the brands may be the same, the products themselves tend to vary between the two days, so if there's a specific model/style you have your heart set on getting while it's cheap, we'd advise adding it to your basket as soon as possible. That said, it's often worth setting aside a little bit of your Cyber Weekend budget for Monday's sale.

Is it worth waiting until Cyber Monday to shop?

Cyber Monday deals present a last chance to get a great saving for your Christmas shopping, or simply treat yourself to something that’s been on your wish list for months. While there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a better deal on either day, the advice we’d give to any shopper is to not wait when it comes to picking up a deal that looks great. You’ll kick yourself if it sells out - and it usually will if the deal is really good.

What are the top Cyber Monday deals to look out for?

There's so much to look forward to in this year's Cyber Monday sale, with everything from luxury beauty to homeware hugely reduced. Traditionally, tech is the top buy of choice on Cyber Monday. So while bestselling products like the best hair dryers might have sold out over the shopping weekend, there's every chance more deals could land on Monday.

If there's a product you've been eyeing for a while and you've been debating the merits of one model or another - such as the pros and cons of the Shark Hair Dryer vs Dyson Supersonic - and have been put off by a hefty price tag, both Black Friday and Cyber Monday present ideal opportunities to nab a huge saving.

However, Kalpana Fitzpatrick, editor at moneyweek.com, recommends being careful not to "caught up in the hype." She says: "Before you buy anything, take a moment to stop and think about whether what you’re buying is a ‘deal’. Take a look at what the item costs on other sites to see how genuine a deal it is. And if you don’t need it and you can’t afford it, save your money instead."

FAQs

What is Cyber Monday?

Falling on the Monday immediately after Black Friday, Cyber Monday used to be a separate shopping event just for online shoppers. It also used to mainly focus on tech deals, like televisions and laptops. But as many of us now exclusively shop online on Black Friday, Cyber Monday has morphed into more of an extension of the so-called 'Cyber Weekend', with deals across a range of products often lasting for days even after Cyber Monday itself. That doesn't mean the deals are the same, though. Many retailers add more deals - and in some cases, better ones - on Cyber Monday.

When is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday 2024 falls on 2nd December. It always takes place on the first Monday immediately following Black Friday. Cyber Monday has become a major sale event in itself, offering a second chance for bargain hunters who missed out over the Black Friday weekend. Originally, created to encourage online shopping, it’s now officially the last hurrah of the Black Friday and Cyber Weekend sales, with last-chance discounts across everything from tech to toys.

Heidi Scrimgeour
Ecommerce Editor

Heidi is a seasoned lifestyle journalist with almost 20 years of experience. Before joining Future in 2021, she enjoyed a successful freelance career that spanned more than 15 years. During this time, Heidi achieved bylines in most of the UK's national newspapers, including The Guardian, The Times, and The Telegraph, and wrote for a wide variety of print and digital magazines, including Psychologies, Red, Glamour and Mother & Baby, where she was Shopping Editor for six years. Heidi specialises in consumer content including buying guides, product reviews and gift guides that solve every 'what to buy for...' problem you can think of.