How to Shop Prime Day 2025, According to Our Deals Editor
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I began working at the Strategist in early September 2022, so I have two Prime Days and three October Prime Days under my belt. (Not to mention the thousands of hours I’ve spent scrolling Amazon’s deals page.) So trust me when I say I know how to get the most out of shopping the sale. This year, Amazon threw a curveball by announcing thatPrime Day will take place over four days, instead of the usual two, from July 8 through 11. I’m not sure how much the extra time will change the sale; in itspress release, Amazon said this year’s sale will include “Today’s Big Deals” drops, which are “themed daily deal drops featuring some of the most exciting deals of the event.” Those deals launch at 3 a.m. ET each day of the event and only last as long as supplies are in stock — how good those deals are remains to be seen. But other than that, it seems that Prime Day will be pretty much the same as years past, just longer.
To help you better navigate the sale, I’ve wracked my deals-obsessed brain and have come up with a list of tips, including which categories have the best deals, which you can safely skip, which deals tend to sell out fastest, and any other tips for shopping this year’s sale. And if you’re interested in any of the items below, you can use our newproduct-save featureto save them to your account so it’s easier to check their price and check out on Prime Day. Just click the heart icon to save.
Treat so-called “early deals” with caution
I’ve written a guide on thebest early Prime Day dealsto shop, but they’ve beenverycarefully selected based on my experience covering these sales. Amazon always discounts some of its in-house tech before the sale starts, and the deals don’t get better once Prime Day begins. Other brands are trickier, because sometimes the discountwillget deeper once the sale begins. I’m keeping my roundup to sales I think are truly good right now and don’texpectto get better in a few weeks. So if I haven’t featured it in my roundup, it’s probably safest to wait.
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Amazon’s tablets get discounted to over half off only during Prime Day and October Prime Day. It’s definitivelynotas high tech as an Apple tablet, but for $55 it’s a great option for travel or kids.
Double-check the original price to make sure Amazon isn’t inflating it
Amazon loves to inflate listing prices to make things seem like a far better deal than they are. I find this to be especially egregious in the household-essentials category: Sure, that hand soap marked down to $3 from $7 seems like a good deal, but if you check Target you’ll see that its regular price is $4, etc. Still a fine discount if you need hand soap, but perhaps not worth going crazy over. So when in doubt, Google the product to see what other retailers are charging and make sure you’re getting the best deal. Stay vigilant, folks.
If you don’t need anything new, stock up on household essentials and everyday basics
There arealwaystoothpastes,trash bags,toilet paper,hand soap, and a host of other household essentials on sale for Prime Day. The discounts are often quite good — last Prime Day, you could get 110 Glad trash bags for $17 (andmany of our readers did!) — but even when they’re just 20 or 25 percent off, you’re still saving on something you already need and use. Definitely don’t miss the chance to stock up onteeth-whitening strips. They’realwaysthe cheapest they get all year during Prime Day, and they’re consistently a top-purchased item by our readers.
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The aforementioned trash bags, which were one of the most popular products with Strategist readers last Prime Day. They’re already $3 off, but I expect that discount will get much bigger come July 8.
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Crest’s 3D Whitestrips are always 35 percent off for Prime Day, which is the deepest discount you’ll get all year.
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Plenty of electric toothbrushes (andwater flossers) will go on sale, but we suggest sticking to tried-and-true brands like Philips or Oral-B.
Don’t skip back-to-school deals, if you’re in the market
Last year, we foundlotsof goodPrime Day deals on things for students of every age, from kindergarten to college. If you’re buying for kid (or your own dorm), you’ll find everything from school supplies, like folders and pencils, todorm essentials, like twin XL sheets and fairy lights, discounted.
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Last year, we saw several popular lunch boxes go on sale, including our best overall pick from PlanetBox. It’s normally on the pricier end at $55, so get it on sale if you can.
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Also a good time to stock up on power strips, and this one — our favorite affordablesmart plug— always goes on sale.
Add premium beauty items to your cart in advance, and don’t dillydally
I always find the widest range of deals in the beauty category. The “premium” beauty section is especially good if you’ve got your eye on pricier items. However, some of those can sell out in the first day, so you’ll want to be fast. I’d recommend adding items youhopewill go on sale to your cart (or saving them by clicking the heart icon below) in advance so you’re ready to hit “purchase” ASAP on day one.
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Our best overallsunscreengoes on sale a few times per year, almost always for Prime Day, so it’s a good time to restock.
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Same goes for Laneige’s cult-y lip products, which I almost never see go on sale outside Prime Day, and certainly never for as high a discount.
Stock up on drugstore beauty, too
Of course, you don’t have to shell out for expensive skin-care products if you don’t want to. A lot of our best sellers last year were everyday beauty buys like face wash and micellar water. The prices don’t typically change on these items from day one, so don’t wait till later in the sale for a better deal. It’s not coming.
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It’s not a bad idea to buy the basics, like our favoriteface washfor oily skin.
When in doubt, get the Levi’s
If there’s one thing in the fashion section you can trust to be on sale, it’s Levi’s jeans (andshortsandjean jackets). They go on sale every Prime Day, the deals are much better than what you’ll ever find on the retailer’s website, there’s often good size availability, and there are several washes to choose from. Some of them candiffer in compositionthan the pairs sold on Levi’s site, so make sure you read the description before you buy.
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Levi’s Wedgie Straight Jeans
Our Best in Class pair, the straight-leg Wedgiejean, was over 60 percent off in July, making them just $30.
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I’m partial to the Ribcage jean myself, which I purchased last year while it was 40 percent off.
Big-ticket kitchen items are a good place to start
In general, Prime Day is a good time to get more expensive products in any category but especially in thekitchencategory. You’ll find the best deals of the year on things likeblendersand coffee machines — including some of thebest deals you’ll ever see on Vitamixes.
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Last year our favorite fancycoffee-makerwas over 30 percent off, the lowest price we’d seen all year. Hopefully it’ll be back on sale again this time around.
The tech deals are actually good
… Especially if you’re in the market for something from Amazon’s in-house brands. I waited to buy myKindleuntil a Prime Day sale — and it was even more discounted than I expected it to be.Apple productsarealwayson sale, too, including AirPods, AirTags, and watches, all typically for better prices than you’ll normally find.
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My beloved Bose headphones were under $200 for the first time during last year’s sale.
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A friend texted me to ask if I thought Hisense TVs would be on sale for Prime Day, so I’m feeling vindicated that I was correct in assuming they would be — and so early, too!
Prime Day is not the time to buy nice-looking home objects — but it is the time to buy air purifiers and office chairs
Sure, you can occasionally find a decentrugor futon if you search hard enough, but for the most part the Prime Day furniture and décor deals are lacking. Luckily, if you’re after less aesthetically pleasing items, likeair purifiers,office chairs, and organization items, there’s often quite a lot to be found. Just be sure to pay attention to brands here. I don’t recommend buying an office chair from a brand whose name is a random combination of letters and numbers, but if you find one from a reputable brand, like Branch or Modway (both of which we’ve reviewed in our story on thebest ergonomic office chairs), go for it.
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Theair purifierthat several Strategist staffers (myself included) swear by was 32 percent off last year.
Don’t snooze on bedroom basics
I personally don’t care much for the sheet sets and such that go on sale for Prime Day; you’ll find much better deals (and more options) during Fourth of July sales next week. But Prime Day is a good time to find pillows and mattresses at great prices.
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Our Best in Classmemory-foam pillowis already at the best price I’ve seen it in months.
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Mattresses go on sale for every holiday, but I find that Tuft & Needle’s models are usually the cheapest at Amazon.
There are exceptions to the rules
Occasionally there are some outliers that deviate from the perfect Prime Day formula I’ve laid out above. An item might get an even better discount later in the sale or only be on sale for four hours. The good news is even if the discountdoesget better, it’s usually only a few dollars. So don’t get too stressed about it.
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Drybar’s Double Shot, which is ourfavorite blow-dryer brush, was only 14 percent off on day one of October Prime Day last year. On day two, the price dropped to half-off, which we weren’t expecting. So, if something doesn’t seem like a great deal on the first day of the sale, don’t feel pressured to buy it immediately.
If you see something you want, just get it
For the most part, the best Prime Day deals always go live on the first day, and they stay live (at the same price) throughout the event. I’m not expecting that to change much, despite this year’s sale being longer.
The only exception I can see to this are the 3 a.m. “Today’s Big Deals” drops Amazon will run this year. We won’t really know just how good those drops are until the first day. So my best advice: Follow up early on day one for our top deal picks. We’ll let you know if you should shop early in the morning on day two or if you can sleep in and shop at your leisure. I expect the latter, but I’ll be up early doing the work so you don’t have to.
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The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
