I’ve spent years testing gadgets, and these 5 Black Friday deals are worth every penny: Oura Ring, AirPods, and more

I've been covering Black Friday sales for nearly five years, and more importantly, I'm a tech journalist who's been passionately testing gadgets during the same time frame. As such, I bring expertise on two fronts: I know Black Friday like the back of my hand, and I’ve personally tested the products I’m recommending in this roundup. I’ll also include links to our reviews for each product, so you can see for yourself that we at Mashable have had extensive hands-on experience with the gadgets we’re recommending. Here’s something you should know about my ethos: I’d never recommend a product to readers that I wouldn’t personally buy for myself or a friend. That being said, let's get into the Black Friday tech deals I'd recommend in a heartbeat. Best Black Friday tech deals 2024 No piece of tech is perfect. While I’ll explain why I recommend the gadgets on this list, I’ll also point out any potential drawbacks that might give you pause. It’s always better to make an informed decision before committing to a purchase. 1. Oura Ring 3 Before testing the Oura Ring, I thought it was just going to be a less sophisticated version of a smartwatch. I didn't think that for one second that I'd opt for the Oura Ring over the Apple Watch, but my experience with it has blown me away. (Mostly because it lasts so much longer on a charge compared to my Apple Watch Series 9.) The Oura Ring 3 next to Mashable's Chris Taylor's wedding ring. Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashale I've tested the Oura Ring 4, and while it comes with cool upgrades, it's not that different from the Oura Ring 3. For example, the Oura Ring 4 doesn't bring any new sensors to the table (but Oura claims that the Ring 4's sensors are more accurate than ever.) Both the Oura Ring 3 and Oura Ring 4 tracks the following: heart rate, sleep, blood-oxygen levels, cardiovascular age, cardio capacity, daytime stress, body clock and chronotype, and more. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable Pros: Its battery life is incredibly long; Oura