Looking for a good deal? What experts say you should buy in February
Have your heart set on getting a good deal this month? With holidays like Valentine’s Day and Family Day ahead, major sales on big-ticket items like mattresses and electronics should be on the horizon. Consumer Reports is here to help you navigate the month’s shopping deals.
Despite being the shortest month of the year, February has some great opportunities to save on purchases big and small.
Consumer Reports tracks the prices of many of its top tested products all year long, so it knows exactly when to shop for them. Here are the top products to look out for in this month’s Best Time to Buy.
If you’re looking to upgrade your smartphone, February might be the time to do it, following an upcoming announcement from Samsung. It’s expected to unveil its new Galaxy S phone this month. That means you’ll see prices on older models start to fall, as retailers get ready to move the new models. You’ll also see trade-in deals to get that new phone. If you give your old phone back, you could get the new phone for a lot less.
Next, if you’re looking to snuggle up with a new mattress this month, Consumer Reports says you should never pay full price for one, especially around holidays. Family Day falls on the same day as Presidents Day weekend in the U.S. It is one of the best holiday weekends to shop for a mattress. You’ll see some of the best discounts from all of the major brands, from Casper and Tuft & Needle to Sealy and Sleep Number, and everything in between.
The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is a Consumer Reports Best Buy, and a queen size is currently $979. Consumer Reports says Tuft & Needle will be having a 20 per cent sale on all of its mattresses this month, so you may be able to score this mattress for less.
And since it is still winter, why not add a little heat to those drafty parts of your home? The Comfort Zone Space Heater is a CR Best Buy and is currently $80 at Home Depot. This space heater earns excellent marks in Consumer Reports' fire safety tests.
Next, if you’re looking to add another screen to your inventory, February is a good month to buy a tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.0 is now $186 at Best Buy.
And with the Super Bowl coming up, Consumer Reports says that over the next couple of weeks you can take advantage of some of the best prices of the year on TVs, with the biggest price drops coming on the largest screen sizes.
Have a great month.
Files from Consumer Reports
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
UPDATED | Ont. and Que. scramble to recover from thunderstorm that left at least 8 dead
Clean-up efforts are underway after a massive thunderstorm on Saturday left a trail of destruction in Southern Ontario and Quebec.
What is a 'derecho'? Climatologist explains Saturday's powerful storm
The storm that moved across Ontario and Quebec Saturday is known as a “derecho”, a powerful kind of windstorm that is long lasting and far-reaching.
How concerned should we be about monkeypox?
Global health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa. Here's what we know about the current outbreak and the relative risk.
Officials expect 3 to 4 days to restore power across Ottawa following storm
Hydro Ottawa says it will take several days to restore power and clean up after a severe storm damaged hydro poles and wires on Saturday.
43 CP Rail cars carrying potash derail east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
Clean up is underway after 43 CP Rail train cars carrying potash left the track Sunday morning east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
78,000 pounds of infant formula arrives in U.S.
A military plane carrying enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis, the first of several flights expected from Europe aimed at relieving a shortage that has sent parents scrambling to find enough to feed their children.
Russia presses Donbas offensive as Polish leader visits Kyiv
Russia pressed its offensive in eastern Ukraine on Sunday as Poland's president traveled to Kyiv to support the country's European Union aspirations, becoming the first foreign leader to address the Ukrainian parliament since the start of the war.
Court to decide whether Happy the elephant deserves basic human rights
New York's highest court is set to determine whether Happy, a 47-year-old Asian elephant living at the Bronx Zoo, is being unlawfully imprisoned.
Meet the guy who wants to help save the planet with thousands of buoys, seaweed and giant antacids
Seaweed is a ravenous consumer of carbon dioxide, and scientists have been eyeing it as one potential solution to the climate crisis.
Vancouver Island
-
Port Hardy residents warned after man encounters 'aggressive black bear' in town
The BC Conservation Officer Service is warning residents of Port Hardy to "take precautions" after a man had an encounter with "an aggressive black bear" in the district on Friday.
-
Police seek Parksville bank robbery suspect with tattoo on right thumb
Mounties on the Mid-Island are asking the public for help identifying a man suspected of robbing a bank in Parksville last week.
-
Business case for bringing rail back to Vancouver Island released
The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF), which manages rail on Vancouver Island, released last week an initial business case stating the need it sees for safe, efficient, reliable, transit-like rail as the island's population grows.
Calgary
-
43 CP Rail cars carrying potash derail east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
Clean up is underway after 43 CP Rail train cars carrying potash left the track Sunday morning east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
-
Flames look to slow down Connor McDavid in Game 3
The Calgary Flames know the recipe they want to follow in their Western Conference second-round playoff series with the Edmonton Oilers.
-
Calgary motorcycle enthusiasts dress up in 'Sunday Best' to raise awareness for men's health
A group of Calgary motorcycle enthusiasts showed up in style Sunday, wearing their finest three-piece suits and vintage attire in an effort to raise money for men’s health.
Edmonton
-
Family of man killed in Chinatown attack hope for solutions to create a safer community
Family members remember one of the men killed in Chinatown this week as a kind and hardworking man, and hope that his needless death will lead to change.
-
From intergenerational trauma to resilience: Edmonton Chinese and Indigenous youth conference builds understanding
Two groups of youth gathered in Edmonton's Chinatown this weekend to help exchange ideas and share their cultures to build greater solidarity.
-
'The heart of our city': The spirit of Joey Moss lives on through Oilers anthem La Bamba
As the Oilers look to take home ice for the first time in the Battle of Alberta playoff edition, a significant presence is missing from the team's dressing room.
Toronto
-
8 people dead after storm rips through Ontario; tens of thousands without power
The death count related to a destructive storm that ripped through much of southern Ontario continues to rise
-
Ontario’s top doctor issues order to doctors requiring reporting on possible monkeypox cases
Ontario’s top public health official issued an order to healthcare providers requiring them to report any possible or suspected cases of monkeypox to local authorities.
-
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in west-end Toronto sustains serious injuries
Police say a pedestrian was seriously injured after they were struck by a vehicle in Toronto’s Dufferin Grove neighbourhood.
Montreal
-
WEATHER
WEATHER | Tornado watches in effect in several Quebec regions
In the wake of the major wind and thunderstorms that battered Quebec and Ontario on Saturday night, a tornado watch has been issued in the province's Eastern Townships and other regions.
-
Body of missing teen girl found in Quebec river two weeks after disappearance
Quebec provincial police have recovered the body of a teen who went missing nearly two weeks ago from the Rivière du Nord in Piedmont, Que. in the Laurentians.
-
Large fire rips through brush south of Montreal
A large fire left stretches of brush south of Montreal burnt to ashes as firefighters hosed down fields to contain the blaze.
Winnipeg
-
'Everything has gone up': Animal shelters struggling to keep up with rising costs
Pet rescues are feeling the pinch with the cost of food, gas and many other items only getting pricier, making it all the more difficult for shelters to operate.
-
Indigenous Manitoba man risks his life to bring humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Kim Sigurdson, a Métis philanthropist from Manitoba, travelled to Ukraine in early May on his own dime to bring support to displaced Ukrainians.
-
Assault at Thompson hotel leaves man in critical condition
A 48-year-old man was sent to the hospital on Friday night following a serious assault at a Thompson hotel.
Saskatoon
-
43 CP Rail cars carrying potash derail east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
Clean up is underway after 43 CP Rail train cars carrying potash left the track Sunday morning east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
-
Why 'Peacekeepers' have been key to the success of Saskatoon Tribal Council's new shelter
The work of staff known as Peacekeepers has been an integral component of the success of the Saskatoon Tribal Council Wellness Centre, a city report says.
-
Chief Thunderstick National Hockey Championship in Saskatoon gathers dozens of Indigenous teams from across Canada
From Rankin Inlet, Nunavut to Ochapawace, Saskatchewan, Indigenous hockey teams from all over Canada are in Saskatoon this weekend playing in the Fred Sasakamoose "Chief Thunderstick" National Hockey Championship.
Regina
-
'Owl of us Matter': Sask. author’s new book teaches children about Indigenous history
A University of Regina student has created a children’s book as a resource to teach kids about Indigenous history.
-
Regina man charged in late-night robbery
Officers of the Regina Police Service (RPS) responded to a report of a robbery just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday night, according to a news release.
-
Huawei 5G ban delay wasn't tied to efforts to free Spavor and Kovrig, Mendicino says
Canada's Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino insists the once unknown fate of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig was not why the government delayed its decision to ban Huawei technologies from Canada's 5G network.
Atlantic
-
One fisherman dead following incident on remote lake near Saint John
New Brunswick RCMP say a Saint John man has died following an incident Saturday afternoon on Loch Alva Lake, near Musquash.
-
Parts of New Brunswick under tornado watch Sunday
Environment Canada has issued a tornado watch for various regions in New Brunswick on Sunday.
-
'I'll be back next year to win it again': 2 Halifax runners win Blue Nose Marathon Sunday
Two new Haligonians won the Blue Nose Marathon Sunday, and for both, it was their first time winning a marathon.
London
-
Multiple power outages in London after fierce thunderstorm tears through southern Ontario
Many people in London, Ont. are still cleaning up debris while 2,500 remain without power Sunday after a powerful thunderstorm rolled through southern Ontario Saturday.
-
'It was scary': severe thunderstorm wreaks havoc in southwestern Ontario
A short but powerful thunderstorm came through southwestern Ontario Saturday, killing several people and injuring others.
-
$1 million Lotto Max ticket sold in London, Ont.
You might want to check your lotto numbers because someone in London just became a millionaire over the weekend.
Northern Ontario
-
Missing plane found
Ontario Provincial Police say a missing aircraft was discovered Saturday evening in Lake Superior Provincial Park, about two kilometres east of Old Woman Road.
-
8 people dead after storm rips through Ontario; tens of thousands without power
The death count related to a destructive storm that ripped through much of southern Ontario continues to rise
-
Officials expect 3 to 4 days to restore power across Ottawa following storm
Hydro Ottawa says it will take several days to restore power and clean up after a severe storm damaged hydro poles and wires on Saturday.
Kitchener
-
Missing plane leaving Delhi, Ont. discovered in Northern Ontario
OPP say the missing plane that took off from Delhi, Ont. and never arrived at its destination was discovered Saturday evening in Lake Superior Provincial Park, about two kilometres east of Old Woman Bay.
-
'Looked like we drove into a warzone': Cleanup continues following strong storm that knocked out power
Residents on Maple Street in Cambridge were busy cleaning up large pieces of broken trees and avoiding dangling power lines on Sunday, after the severe storm that rocked Southwestern Ontario the day before.
-
City of Kitchener launches cleanup plan following weekend storm
The City of Kitchener says it's planning additional clean up of storm debris on impacted streets following Saturday's severe storm that rolled through Southern Ontario.