In 2015, Amazon made waves with its first annual Prime Day shopping event. “You can’t just invent a shopping vacation!” people cried, and yet the sale took off, statistically surpassing Black Friday and Cyber Monday in some years. This spurred rival sales and millions of Amazon Prime subscriptions. And it happens again, sort of. Amazon has another one Prime Day this year, dubbed the Prime Early Access Eventand it runs from October 11 to October 12.
Similar to Prime Day, many discounts will be available exclusively for Amazon Prime members (here is a 30 day free trial; set a reminder to cancel it before it renews automatically). But, as usual, the price cuts have already started. We’ve rounded up the best Prime Day deals we’ve found here – at Amazon and other retailers – and we’ll keep this story updated ahead of the main event. Don’t forget: Black Friday is fast approaching. Don’t feel like you have to buy something just because it’s on sale. Our Prime Day buyer’s guide is packed with tips to help you navigate the event like a pro. And if you want more, Target’s rival promotion days the event is started. We’ve rounded up our favorite discounts here.
October 8 update: We’ve added deals on the Fire HD 8, iPad Mini, Razor mouse, Staples chair, and Samsung phones.
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Amazon Device Deals
Deals on Amazon devices are a dime a dozen, but since Amazon recently unveiled several new gadgets, we’re seeing discounts on older models. We’ve highlighted the best deals below, but you can Check Out All Amazon Device Discounts Here.
It’s a game of a low price that we’ve only seen a few times. The Fire HD 10 (7/10, WIRED recommends) is our favorite Amazon tablet. It’s better for light browsing, watching videos or playing games, but it’s powerful enough to perform very light work tasks, especially if you pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard. There is no Google Play Store, but there is a workaround to add it and access more apps. It’s hard to find another good tablet at such a low price. Read our Best Tablet and Best Fire Tablet guides to learn more.
Amazon recently refreshed the Fire HD 8 tablet, and it’s available for pre-order now, but if you’re looking for a bargain tablet, this previous-gen Fire HD 8 is still a bargain. The travel-friendly size, combined with a reasonably powerful processor, makes it almost as capable as its big brother. It’s portable enough to take with you anywhere, and its screen won’t hurt your eyes when watching Netflix. You can even use our guide on installing the Google Play Store to make it much better than it is by default.
It was $5 cheaper on Prime Day (the one in July), and it’s possible the price will drop next week. The fourth-gen Echo Dot (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has been our favorite Alexa speaker for a while, but Amazon has announced a fifth-gen model with better sound if you’d rather have the latest and greatest. This fourth generation model is still a great device. It’s small enough to fit in any room and the sound quality is decent despite its size. You can set alarms or timers, check the weather, listen to music or to play Skyrim with just your voice. You can get the model with built-in clock for $10 more.
That’s the best price we’ve tracked for the Echo Glow. It’s a bad sunrise alarm, but it’s a decent night light. It’s aimed at kids, though it could also work well in a guest bedroom, especially since the Alexa speakers can also double as sound machines. Controlling the lamp requires pairing it with an Echo device or the Alexa app.
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is our favorite Alexa-powered smart display, and that price brings it down to $5 less than what we saw last Prime Day, an all-time low. The 8-inch screen size is almost universally useful, whether you’re following a recipe or checking the weather. There’s a built-in camera with auto zoom and pan capabilities for video calling or conferencing. Read our guide to the best smart displays for more recommendations.
Note that promo codes must be entered at checkout and they are only valid for Prime members. We’ve seen this drop to $35 before, but never as low as $25. The Echo Show 5 is too small for our liking, but it’s a good Alexa-enabled alternative to the Show 8 if you want a screen in an area with limited space.
Technology offers
The Google Pixel 6A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite Android phone, and it also earned our top pick for best budget phone. This offer is the best discount we’ve seen. Even when it’s not on sale, the Pixel 6A offers incredible value, with great performance, great cameras, impressive battery life, and a beautiful display. If you’re on the hunt for a new smartphone, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better deal than this.
It costs a fortune. But it bends! And believe it or not, that extra screen is really nice. Android 12L also makes life on a bigger screen easier with its improved multitasking. Battery life is good and you get a bright, smooth screen with no wrinkles on the crease. This is the lowest price we’ve seen on this relatively new foldable phone so far.
The smallest of Samsung’s foldable phones, the Z Flip4 looks like a ‘normal’ phone when unfolded, but fold it and it’ll slip into very small pockets. It’s almost like a StarTak, but with a real screen. The battery will get you through the day, but not much longer. Still, if you wanted a foldable phone, this is the cheapest deal we’ve seen on this new model.
Apple’s 2021 iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED recommends) resembles an iPad Pro with thinner bezels and a smaller 8.3-inch screen. Its portable size makes it ideal for travelling. You might even be able to slip it into the pocket of your cargo pants.
This Anker dock works on any iPhone with MagSafe support (iPhone 12 and newer). Lay your iPhone on the circular center pad and it will stick magnetically and charge wirelessly. But the highlight is what’s at the back. You get a range of charging ports, making it a great little orb for the desktop to charge multiple items. There are two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, as well as three AC outlets.
It’s the smaller wired companion to our favorite Razer mouse, the Razor Ultimate. Don’t let the ‘mini’ in the name fool you: this is a standard size mouse and the accuracy is very good. This is a great inexpensive mouse if the one below is out of your budget.
Our favorite gaming mouse is on sale! Technically designed for esports gaming, the Prime isn’t cluttered with too many buttons. It’s snappy and responsive, and satisfyingly clicky. The wireless range is impressive and reliable, and it travels smoothly over just about any surface.
Click the coupon button on the page to see the discount at checkout. We highlighted this deal a few weeks ago, and it’s indeed back if you use the promo code. With just one USB-C cable connected to your laptop, you get an additional thin and light 15.6-inch screen, and you can take it anywhere you go. It comes with a kickstand case, although you may want to invest in something sturdier.
The TCL 6 series (9/10, WIRED recommends) is the best TV for most people. This is one of the best deals we’ve seen for the 55-inch size. The quantum dot panel means viewers will enjoy vivid colors, deep blacks and excellent contrast. This TV also integrates Roku for easy streaming capabilities. If you don’t need the latest and greatest, the TCL 5 series is almost as good as the Series 6 – we recommend it for entry-level TV buyers – and every size is on sale. Read more about them in our guide to the best TVs.
Welcome offers
That’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen on this chair, which is our favorite budget option in our guide to the best office chairs. It reclines and has a headrest, and the mesh allows for good airflow. It does the job very well.
We last saw a deal like this last December. Now is a good time to jump in if you missed it then and you’re in the market, although there’s a good chance it’ll be on sale again at that price at some time in the future. This luxury (and expensive) espresso machine has a built-in coffee grinder and a hot water spout. Simply load it up with beans and press the digital display to brew drinks at home. There’s even a steam wand for easy lattes and cappuccinos. Our Best Espresso Machines and Best Latte Machines guides offer additional choices, some of which are easier on your wallet.
Free weights are one of the best tools for working out at home, and many different weights like these AmazonBasics dumbbells are on sale at historic low prices. We haven’t tested them ourselves, but overall they have good customer reviews. Some reviews mention that the rubber has a bad smell when it arrives, but a few days of ventilation should get rid of it if that happens. Note that these are sold individually, so you’ll need to add two to your cart if you’re trying to get a pair.
Competing Retailer Sales Pages
Other stores have started offering competing deals that don’t require an Amazon Prime membership (and more likely will). Here is a list of merchants likely to take part in the action.
