Gasp! Stores are turning Labor Day into an excuse to hold sales? I’m shocked and saddened. Wait, no I’m not. Much as I respect the intention of the holiday, which became an official federal one back in 1894, to most of us it’s just a free day off — one blissfully attached to a weekend. So, yeah, stores, go ahead, do your thing. I’m listening.
Granted, Labor Day doesn’t bring out the bargains to the extent of, say, Black Friday or even July 4, but there are definitely some sales worth your time, starting with the best Labor Day mattress sales. And Amazon just took the wraps off about two dozen Labor Day deals on TVs and audio.
Below I’ve rounded up a handful of items I consider to be the cream of the crop (and it’s early yet, so watch for more cream in the days to come), followed by a handy reference guide to other Labor Day sales. Note that The Techy Trends may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.
The problem with most entry-level laptops: They come with mechanical hard drives. That makes for a mighty slow Windows experience. This Lenovo model features a 128GB solid-state drive, so it should be pretty quick to boot and load software, even with its basic processor. Plus, it has a DVD-burner! That’s not something you see in many modern laptops, especially at this price point.
Sarah Tew/The Techy Trends
Though not technically a Labor Day sale, it’s happening during Labor Day sale season — and it’s too good not to share. Nationwide Distributors, via Google Express, has just about the best AirPods deal we’ve seen (when you apply promo code ZBEDWZ at checkout). This is for the 2nd-gen AirPods with the wireless charging case. Can’t imagine these will last long at this price, so if you’re interested, act fast.
Sarah Tew/The Techy Trends
TCL TVs are already the bargain to beat, offering good image quality and the excellent Roku interface at competitive prices. Although Amazon’s sale isn’t specifically for Labor Day, it does qualify as the lowest price yet on this 50-inch 4 Series model.
Rylo
What’s cooler: A snapshot of a firework exploding in front of you, or full 360-degree video of all the fireworks and all the reactions to seeing them? Oooh, ahhh, indeed. At $250, the compact Rylo dual-lens camera is selling for its lowest price yet. And for an extra $50, you can get the bundle that includes the waterproof housing.
This deal begins on Aug. 25 and runs through Sept. 3; it usually costs $500.
Grip2u
Available for iPhones and Galaxy phones, the Grip2u Boost cases offer three great amenities: protection (natch), an interchangeable rubber strap for easier gripping and a built-in kickstand. They normally run $30-$35, but promo code SUMMER30OFF cuts 30% off.
Turo
Turo is kind of like Uber meets Airbnb: You borrow someone’s car, but you do all the driving. I’ve used it many times and found it a great alternative to traditional car-rental services — in part because you get to choose exactly the vehicle you want (not just, say, “midsize”) and in part because you can often do pickup and dropoff right outside baggage claim.
Between now and Sept. 1, the first 300 people to check out can get $30 off any Turo rental with promo code LDW30.
Other Labor Day sales you should check out
Best Buy: In addition to some pretty solid MacBook deals that have been running for about a week already, Best Buy is offering up to 40% off major appliances like washers, dryers and stoves. There are also gift cards available with the purchase of select appliances.
Dell: Through Aug. 28, Dell is offering an extra 12% off various laptops, desktops and electronics. And check back starting Aug. 29 for a big batch of Labor Day doorbusters.
Sears: Between now and Sept. 7, you can save up to 40% on appliances (plus an additional 10% if you shop online), up to 60% on mattresses, up to 50% on Craftsman products and more. The store is also offering some fairly hefty cashback bonuses.
More to come!
The Techy Trends’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page, and find more great buys on the The Techy Trends Deals page.
