Whenever Amazon hosts one of its mega sale events, it can be really overwhelming. There are thousands of discounts up for grabs and it can be difficult to know what's a good deal and what isn't. We rounded up the best ways to make sure you're really bagging a bargain, whether you're looking for the best Prime Day baby deals or discounts on tech, beauty or homewares, and not wasting your money.
If you're not sure what or when Amazon Prime day is, it's a 48-hour sale hosted by Amazon each year, where it offers massive reductions on thousands of products, exclusively to Prime members. It normally takes place in early summer. There is also a version of Prime Day that takes place in October, but is this Prime sale worth it, or should shoppers wait until Black Friday?
At a time when prices are rising all around us, there is a definite appeal to being able to get something for less, but it’s important to not spend recklessly. We explain the savvy tips and tricks you can follow to get the best Prime Day deals, without getting caught up in the hype and overspending.
Before you start, you’ll need to make sure you are signed up to Amazon Prime. If you’re not already a member, you can get a 30-day free trial that will allow you access to all the benefits of Amazon Prime, including exclusive Prime Day deals for the duration of the trial.
Paying annually works out cheaper, so pay this way if you can. If you do stick with your membership, then check out all the ways you can save money when shopping with Amazon.
How to get the best deals on Amazon Prime Day
1. Create a wishlist
Sales like this are designed to make you spend money, so it’s important to be savvy to avoid unnecessary overspending. Have an idea beforehand of the items you want or need, and list them in priority order.
Andrea Knowles, the budgeting expert at vouchers.co.uk, says: “Whilst the excitement of an Amazon sale can result in you spending a lot of money, a bargain is only a bargain if you wanted it in the first place.”
It’s also worthwhile knowing that deals come and go throughout the two-day sale. So while it’s good to act fast if you see a product you’re after at a great price, if you don’t see your favourite item discounted on day one, check again on day two. While some reductions will be around for the whole 48-hours, others will only be around for a matter of minutes.
2. Be flexible
You may find that you can get a better deal if you are flexible about what colour or model you choose. If it makes no difference to you, then it’s worth opting for the cheaper option. But it’s a false economy if buying the cheaper version means it won’t meet your needs or if you won’t use it in the same way.
3. Check the price history to see if you’re actually getting a bargain
Before you make any purchases on Prime Day, it can be really useful to check out how much the items cost before they were discounted. Amazon price tracker website, camelcamelcamel, can help you see if you are actually getting a good deal. It might be that the item you want is even cheaper at a different time of year, and in that case, it may be worth holding off.
Martyn James, one of the UK's leading consumer rights experts says: “I get lots of complaints about items in the Amazon sale that turn out to have been more or less permanently discounted on the website throughout the year. Others have questioned whether the items were ever available at the non 'sale' price.”
It’s also sensible to check with other retailers to see if you can get the item cheaper elsewhere before committing. Remember to factor in any delivery costs you might incur from other retailers when determining the cheapest place to buy.
Amazon's own products like the Fire TV stick are likely to be discounted during the Prime Day sale
4. Sign up for notifications
Make sure you have the Amazon app installed on your phone and make use of notifications. You can set up an alert in the Prime Day event page so that when the discount you’re waiting for is applied you’ll receive a notification. Not only can this save time, but it will also help you stay focused on the items on your wishlist, and not get caught up when you spot another deal you weren't intending to nab.
5. Keep an eye on Lightning Deals
Flash sales, or Lightning Deals, are worth keeping an eye on too. But you’ll need to be quick - some Lightning Deals will only be around for 30-minutes or so, or until the item sells out.
Amazon lists upcoming deals as well as their start time so you can add items to a watchlist. This means you’ll get a notification when the deal begins and you can checkout before it sells out.
But again, a bargain is only a bargain if you were only going to buy it in the first place, so be mindful about getting swept up by time-sensitive or limited availability deals and spending more than you intended.
6. Don’t leave things in your basket
If you’ve found a really good bargain, then check out as soon as you can rather than leaving an item sitting in your basket, especially in the case of Lightning Deals. If the product sells out, or reverts to a higher price, you will have missed out.
The Amazon Fire Kids tablet is likely to be discounted during the Prime Day sale
7. Now is the time to bag an Amazon-own bargain
While thousands of products will be discounted across Prime Day, you’ll find that the best discounts can be found on Amazon’s own products like Kindles, Fire sticks and Echo Dots. If you’ve had your eye on one of these devices for a while, it’s highly likely you will be able to get a real deal in the 48-hour sale event.
How often does Amazon have a sale?
While there are deals and discounts available on Amazon all year round, the online giant usually runs two massive sale events each year - once on Amazon Prime Day and then again for Black Friday. You might find more discounts available just after Christmas too, but not on the same scale as Prime Day or Black Friday.
In 2022, Amazon trialled an additional sale event in the lead up to Black Friday, called the Prime Early Access Sale, which took place in October. But has not been confirmed whether this sale will happen again in 2023.
Not sure what to put in your wishlist for Prime Day? Take inspiration from our guide to the best teacher gift ideas, the best perfumes of all time, or best gifts for new mums.