The annual day of pretending to work but really just doing a bunch of holiday shopping in July—AKA Amazon Prime Day—is almost here! The massive online sale offers deals on electronics, home goods, and…well, basically everything. This day can be a bit overwhelming for some (me, raising hand, laughing nervously), but we’ve got some tips, tricks, and helpful information to guide you to the best Prime Day deals. When and what is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day is an exclusive sale open to Amazon Prime members only. The online sale offers as much as 60% off Amazon devices and products and discounts on other non-Amazon brand items. This year, the sale will run for a full 48 hours, beginning at midnight PDT on July 11th.
Do I have to be a Prime Member to get great deals?
If you are not a Prime member, you are NOT eligible for the sale. However, there are easy ways to get around this. For instance, you can just sign up for a 30-day trial for free — but remember to cancel your membership to avoid subsequent renewal charges. (Prime membership comes with a lot of perks. WIRED rounded up all of them here.) Already used up your 30 free days? Dealnews has a few other tricks worth checking out…if you don’t want to commit to the $15 monthly membership fee.
How can I get the best Amazon Prime Day deals in 2023?
The Amazon Prime Day page is already up and running, listing deeply discounted Amazon products, including some of our fave’s for kids, like the Kindle Paperwhite Kids and the Echo Show 5 Kids.
Once you’re on the Amazon Prime Day Deal Page, take note of the products you want and add them to your Amazon cart in advance of the sale. That way, when the sale starts, you’re ready to go.
Also, make note of products to keep an eye on and sign up for alerts related to your recent Amazon searches or recently viewed items. If you are an Amazon app user, sign up for notifications on products to stay up to date on their sale status.
What the heck are Amazon Lightening Deals?
Amazon Lightning Deals are time-sensitive promotions limited to one per customer. (Lightning deals always occur but are ramped up on Prime Day.) These sales occur every 5 minutes on Prime Day and either end because the item sells out or because the promotion period ends. You can find them in the Today’s Deals section once you specify the ‘Deal Type” filter. Basically, Lightning Deals are a race against the clock, coaxing us to pull the plug and pound that purchase button without shopping around and comparing prices at other online retail spots first. Sometimes it’s totally worth it…but sometimes, it’s not. Make sure to shop trusted Amazon sellers if you are going to take advantage of Lightning Deals. Dealnews cautions, “If the item at that price seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Amazon Prime is getting even more exclusive with Invite-Only deals
This year Amazon is offering an Invite-Only Deals program. Prime members can request “an invitation to score some of Prime Day’s best deals,” according to Amazon. Of course, the company also anticipates these deals will move quickly, including things like ”Amazon Fire TV 43, Omni Series,’ Bulova Men’s Marine Star Chronograph, and JBL Live 660NC Noise Cancelling Headphones.”
How is Amazon choosing Prime members to award these deals to once members request an invite? It’s a bit of a mystery to me, but it seems like it’s a first come, first served sort of situation (which increases the manufactured pressure). Members who are selected will be notified during Prime Day with instructions on how to purchase the item with the invite-only price tag. You can check these items out on the Amazon Prime Day page in the “Invite-Only” section.
So, where do we think the Amazon Prime Day Deals will be and what are we planning to buy?
Kindle Paperwhite Kids
The Kindle Paperwhite Kids comes with a kid-friendly case; one year Amazon Kids+ that puts thousands of books in the palm of their hands, from classics to new favorites. Best of all? There are zero distractions from apps, videos, or games, and, it’s waterproof! Amazon says kids who read on their Kindles read an average of an hour a day.
Echo Show 5 Kids
The Echo Show 5 Kids is geared towards slightly older kids than the Echo Dot Kids and comes packed with podcasts to learn by as part of Amazon Kids+.
Amazon Fire TV 43, Omni Series
Amazon is already offering an early Prime Day deal on the Amazon Fire TV 43, Omni Series. It is currently on sale for $99 (75% off of the original price of $399). This TV is a great price with 4k viewing capabilities and comes with all of Alexa’s bells and whistles. The 75-inch version of this TV is also on sale for 31% off at $719.99.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 with Ring Floodlight Cam Wired
The Wired Ring Pro 2 is also on early sale. It provides high-resolution video and a wide field of view, detecting people, packages, and whatever else appears at your front door. Prime members can purchase the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and the wired Ring Floodlight Cam together at a discounted price of $249.99, saving $200.
NETVUE Birdfy AI – Smart Bird Feeder with Camera
Th NETVUE Birdfy AI bird-feeder is truly wholesome family fun. It comes with AI bird-identifying software and an app that lets you know exactly who is hanging out and snacking on seeds while you are toiling away at work. It’s already discounted ahead of Prime Day for $224.91.
Heybike Cityrun Electric Bike
Want an electric bike to help take the edge off your early morning bike commute? We are keeping an eye on the Heybike Cityrun Electric Bike which usually clocks in around $1300. The cool thing about this bike is the battery is removable so it can be charged anywhere and one charge will last you up to 55 miles. Its max speed is 21 MPH, and it can handle a 15% hill grade.
DJI Mavic 3 Pro
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro is probably the best foldable drone out there for experienced drone users looking to film or take photos. The Hasselblad 4K drone camera captures RAW photos with an impressive dynamic range of 12.8 stops. With the Mavic 3 Pro’s advanced obstacle sensing you can also fly safely for a worry-free creative experience. It normally retails for $3899.
Högtalare – Bluetooth Speaker
The Högtalare is one of Wirecutter’s current favorites for its dynamic sound and chic design. Starting at $399, we are looking forward to a Prime Day deal on this one.
Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones, normally priced at $134.99, are dropping down to $97.50, thanks to a 28% discount in advance of Prime Day. With 22 hours of battery life and active noise-canceling technology, you can enjoy your favorite podcasts and tunes uninterrupted with these skull-stenciled headphones.
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer is the talk of the hair-drying world. Its innovative technology helps prevent extreme heat damage by continuously monitoring the air temperature, ensuring precise temperature control and it retails for $427. It’s absolutely the coolest-looking hair dryer I’ve ever seen.
Coway Airmega 250 Smart Air Purifier
If you don’t already have an air purifier, the Coway Airmega is a good place to start. This one was Wired’s number 1 pick this year and is designed to cleanse up to 930 sq. ft. in 30 minutes. It uses a True HEPA Filter eliminating 99.999% of 0.01-micron particles like smoke and pollen.
Finally, if you are like me and find online sales like Prime Day a little overwhelming, I have two additional pieces of advice to help you get the best out of this sale (actually, this advice is helpful for everyone, not just the Prime Day faint of heart):
1) Install a price comparison extension on your browser, like CamelCamelCamel or Honey. These handy tools track and notify you about price fluctuations, and help you to stay up-to-date on other sales, and even set up alerts for price drops on specific items. They certainly make me feel like I have a better handle on the bigger retail picture.
2) Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. If you don’t get that invite-only sale item you were hoping for, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner.