What we bought during Black Friday 2021

If you follow Mashable Shopping’s coverage, you know that we live to bring you the best product recommendations we can find based on countless hours of online research. But what about the stuff that we buy for ourselves? The stuff that made it into our shopping carts? Well, we’re here to tell you about those things, and we’ll be back every month to do so again.

Here’s what the staff bought during Black Friday 2021.

“So I didn’t get this on sale, but at $89 it’s a total steal and a way better price (and quality, in my opinion) when you compare it to all the plastic-heavy options that were on sale for Black Friday. (Also do yourself a favor and look up Ikea play kitchen hacks — people get so creative!) This is going to be waiting under the Christmas tree for my 1-year-old, her first ‘real’ Christmas present and I don’t know who is going to be more excited — me or her!” —Nicole Cammorata, Executive Shopping Editor

Credit: Ikea

“I’m obsessed with this Etsy shop called mammabearstore — she makes the sweetest handmade felt play food. I scooped up a few different options to go along with the play kitchen for my kiddo, including cookies, bread, and crackable eggs. I love being able to support a small business like this as a balance to all the Black Friday insanity. I also got these adorable felted pretzels from JennaLeeArts, another Etsy shop I love for this sort of thing.” —Nicole Cammorata, Executive Shopping Editor

Credit: Mamabearstore / Etsy

“I snagged this Blink video doorbell and outdoor camera bundle on sale via Amazon as a gift for my parents. They’re my main source of childcare and stay with me in the next state over a few days each week — this will let them check in on their house while they’re away and is a great entry-level home security solution for folks who don’t want to get a more complicated setup.” —Nicole Cammorata, Executive Shopping Editor

Credit: Blink Home Security

“My dad and stepmom are the hardest people to shop for, so I usually end up getting them some interesting techy product they don’t have yet. A couple years ago, I got them the Pura Smart Diffuser, and they still use it, so I think I’m onto something. This year, I grabbed them the AeroGarden Harvest because it was on sale for $60 off, and I thought growing fresh herbs could be a fun activity for them.” —Miller Kern, Assistant Reviews Editor

Credit: AeroGarden

“I can’t be on TikTok for more than five minutes without getting an ad for Halara, and its Black Friday ad is the one that finally got me. I needed some new workout clothes for winter, so I bought a couple pairs of the Crossover leggings for 40% off, and a couple tops for 20% off. I also got a free pair of socks thrown in, which was cool.” —Miller Kern, Assistant Reviews Editor

Credit: Halara

“I bought the Cloud Weave Button Up Dress in Truffle (A+ color name) from Richer Poorer. I’ve had my eye on it for a few months, but I was holding out for a sale — and I’m glad I did, because I snagged it for 30% off. I’m a sucker for anything that can be worn multiple ways, so I love that this dress looks great with the buttons in the front and in the back. Reviewers say it’s very comfortable, too — excited to feel breezy all the time, which is something we all deserve.” —Chloe Bryan, Deputy Shopping Editor

Credit: RicherPoorer

“My girlfriend really wanted a pair of Birkenstock Clogs for Christmas, so I picked up a pair (they weren’t on sale, but I got free shipping!) before the color she wanted went out of stock. I think she will be really happy. Also, I’m really hoping she doesn’t read this.” —Dylan Haas, Shopping Reporter

Credit: Birkenstock

“I really want to start getting into a yoga routine within the next year, not only as a source of stress relief, but also to become more flexible for when I train kickboxing. I’ve done a few online sessions so far and can barely do any poses yet, but I’m excited to get better with practice!” —Dylan Haas, Shopping Reporter

Credit: Gaiam

“I bought my second pair of indestructible tights from Sheertex this Black Friday. (I went with ultrasheer this time.) I absolutely can’t trust my nails, which are always breaking, to not snag regular tights. So until 2014 e-girl style and ripped tights make a comeback, I’m down to spend a ridiculous amount on these.” —Leah Stodart, Shopping Reporter

Credit: Sheertex

“I reviewed the Magic Bullet air fryer a few months ago and it turned me from an air fryer skeptic to a deeply devoted air fryer fan. It’s a lovely, compact little kitchen gadget that cooks fast and makes meal prepping way less of a hassle. Once I saw the price drop down to $39.99, I literally bought two more to give as holiday presents.” —Jae Thomas, Shopping Reporter

Credit: Magic Bullet

“Like pretty much everyone else in the country, I adopted a rescue pup in 2021 and frequently wondered who on earth would give such a sweet dog up. While a Wisdom Panel doggie DNA test won’t exactly answer all my burning questions about where my dog came from, it will help me learn a little more about her. Plus, it was only $69.99 thanks to a sweet Black Friday deal.” —Jae Thomas, Shopping Reporter

Credit: Wisdom Panel

“I discovered Haptic Lab on Instagram last year. Not from an ad, but from a friend showing off their new quilt. I was excited to give a bonnet-style hat to some friends who had a little one this fall. Haptic Lab quilts really cool stuff like kites and garlands, and is based where I live in Brooklyn. It’s also a certified B Corporation, which means it’s a for-profit company that is good for the world/community (and has filled out an enormous amount of paperwork to prove it). I’m going to start saving my pennies for one of their big quilts, or at least a small one to hang on the wall. They’re gorgeous!” —Lindsay Robertson, Freelance Shopping Editor

Credit: Haptic Lab

“I managed to wrangle some Beats Solo Pros when they went on sale at Walmart for $99 ahead of Black Friday. I was originally going to get the Beats Solo3s because they’ve been hovering around the same price for a while now, but I’m glad I held out because the Pros have noise cancellation. What’s really great is that they arrived in only three days — i.e., just in time for a busy weekend of covering Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.” —Haley Henschel, Freelance Deals Writer

Credit: Apple