Best Black Friday Monitor Deals for 2021: What to Expect

Realistically, this year we’ll probably be seeing a lot of supply chain and shipping delays, and that’s before you even consider the chip and materials shortages. Combine all of that with high demand for electronics and various items, including PC parts and monitors, and you’re looking at a ripe situation for disappointment. If you want to make sure whatever you buy makes it to your home, or the recipient, in time for the holidays, you’ll want to start shopping now! That’s why many retailers are opening up holiday shopping promotions earlier than ever, like Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon.

The 2020 holiday sales brought a torrent of Black Friday monitor deals, and these proved to be some of the hottest items of the entire shopping season (due no doubt due to last year’s surge of people who started working and studying from home, necessitating some obvious computer upgrades). We saw steep markdowns on everything from cheap Dell and HP work monitors to high-end gaming displays, but a few stand-out deals are worth mentioning.

One of our favorite monitors for productivity, the 24-inch Dell S2421h, got knocked down to $120, with the 27-inch variant being marked down to $160. That 24-inch deal was one of our favorites, but better than the 27-inch Dell deal was the HP V27i 27-ionch monitor which, while a rather basic 1080p display, was discounted to an eye-poppingly cheap $120. That was a fantastic bargain for anybody looking for a mid-sized panel for their workstation.

Another great 27-inch option was the AOC 27B1H. That one got cut down to $150 at Staples. If you wanted to go even bigger than that, the 32-inch HP 32s monitor was on sale for $170, making it by far one of the best large monitor Black Friday deals. Gamers had plenty to feast on as well: the awesome 34-inch curved 1440p Alienware monitor, which is one of our favorite ultrawide gaming displays, was cut down to just $830 (it retailed for more than $1,500 at the time). That one’s been averaging around $900 this year, so it might get discounted even more heavily for the 2021 Black Friday monitor sales.

A more budget-friendly ultrawide gaming panel was the ViewSonic Elite 1440p monitor. This curved ultrawide display saw a $100 hair cut that bumped the price down to $600 — a great deal and a cost-effective alternative to buying two displays. This is just a handful of the many Black Friday monitor deals that were offered up last year, and we expect that the 2021 sales will be every bit as bountiful for bargain-hunting holiday shoppers.

The holiday shopping season is a great time to purchase new electronics items generally, and Black Friday monitor deals are going to bring the lowest prices you’re likely to see before 2022. The best part? They’re already here thanks to retailers kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier than ever! With supply chain backlogs and component shortages creating some uncertainty in the market this year, you shouldn’t wait if you see a deal you like!

Cyber Monday and Cyber Week typically offer discounts that are similar to or the same as those on tap during Black Friday, but don’t assume the one you want will still be available after the post-Thanksgiving holiday weekend is over. Stock runs out fast during sales like this, and that will be doubly true this year due to inventory constraints.

The smart move is to pounce on any monitor Black Friday deals that suit your criteria and hit your price target before they’re gone – you might not get another chance until after Christmas. Don’t feel too much pressure, though, because select retailers have been offering Black Friday price guarantees, meaning they’ll refund you the difference if the item you bought gets discounted further during the sale. That lets you shop without worrying about whether you’re getting the best price.

Whether you’re working from home and staring at a sub-par display for hours on end, you’re seeking the smoothest refresh rate and lowest input lag when gaming, you want to experience the immersion an ultrawide display, or you simply need an extra screen for boosting your productivity, it’s worth the money to upgrade to a new monitor. Don’t rush into these Black Friday monitor deals blind, though. Here’s what you need to know so you can get prepared before you shop.

How much are monitors on Black Friday?

Monitors are one of the pricier components of your desktop PC setup, but a good one does not have to cost an arm and a leg. You can find monitor Black Friday deals for as little as $100 for a basic 1080p Full HP model, and $200 is not an unreasonable amount to pay for some enhancements like a 1440p Quad HD resolution or extra gaming features. If you start to add in more extras — combining a high resolution with a fast refresh rate, for instance, or opting for an ultrawide panel — prices start to rise to the $300-$500 range. And if you need a really high-end monitor, complete with an ultra-wide display, QHD or UHD panel, and refresh rates of 240Hz or higher, you can easily spend over $1,000.