Consumer Reports analysts track prices year-round, so we can tell you when products are on sale, month by month. In October, as leaves fall and the weather gets chillier, you can snap up the last of summer’s lawn equipment on sale, as well as some essentials for indoors.

Look for deals on laptop and desktop computers, with a new crop of sales post-back-to-school, as well as digital cameras, a must-have for any photographer who wants more features than a smartphone can offer.

It’s also a good time to buy a new mattress, which you should do if you’ve been sleeping on your current mattress for longer than eight to 10 years—or if your aching back is telling you it’s time.

If you're in the market for these items on deep discount this month, we've got the shopping tips, buying guides, and ratings that can help you find the right models.

Want to know what's on sale the rest of the year? Check our calendar of deals.

Mattresses

You won’t find the same models at different stores. Mattress manufacturers make exclusive models for each retailer, which makes it hard to compare prices. Your best bet is to follow our ratings and negotiate the best deal you can get on the mattress you like best. Many retailers, especially the specialty chains, have such big everyday markups that they can lower prices by 50 percent or more during their frequent sales. So that gives you room to strike a deal. And don’t be afraid to walk if you aren’t satisfied.

Shopping tips

Sleep on it. If you’re shopping in a store, wear comfortable clothes and give yourself at least 15 minutes to lie on the mattress, moving around as you would if you were sleeping. Don’t feel self-conscious; you won’t be the only one doing this. And it’s time well spent, given the hours you’ll spend in bed over the next decade or so.

Consider shopping online. In our last survey of 20,000 subscribers, Amazon.com came out on top. QVC and Costco were close behind. Costco sells more than half of its mattresses online, which may be a good option since its stores display mattresses standing up, which makes them hard to try out.

Lawn Mowers and Tractors

With the mowing season coming to an end in colder climes, you can find lawn equipment on deep discount. Selection will be more limited, however. Generally, mowers cost anywhere between $100 (for a bare-bones manual reel mower) and $4,000 or more (for a fancy tractor). But paying more doesn’t mean you get more, as our ratings show. They are based on our tests as well as reliability data from more than 13,800 Consumer Reports subscribers.

Shopping tips

Start small. Don’t buy a more powerful mower than you need, even if you see major markdowns. For less than a half-acre, a basic gas or electric push mower, or even a motorless reel mower, will usually be good enough. If your yard is larger, or hilly, you’ll probably want a self-propelled push mower or ride-on tractor.