October Prime Day Is Back. Here’s What We Know So Far.

Illustration: María Jesús Contreras

Once again, Amazon is running Prime Day back. This year’s October Prime Day — officially called Prime Big Deal Days — will start on Tuesday, October 6, at 3:01 a.m. ET and run through through 2:59 a.m. ET on October 8. The Strategist team will be covering the sale with all our trademark obsessiveness, rounding up the best deals in every category, from fashion to beauty to household essentials. And because the sale is a kickoff of sorts to holiday shopping, we’re keeping a particularly close eye on things on sale that would make good gifts.

To help you with your shopping, I’ve put together a refresher on what, exactly, October Prime Day is and how you can take advantage of the deals. As always, make sure you sign up for theStrategist Deal Freaks Dailynewsletterto have extra-special deals (selected by yours truly) sent straight to your inbox during the sale. And if you want evenmore, sign up for our regularemail newsletterfor tons more newsletter exclusives.

It’s essentially the same concept as Prime Day but in October instead of June, which is why a lot of people just call it “October Prime Day.” Thousands of items will be discounted, and the deals will be available only to Prime members. The biggest difference I’ve found between Prime Big Deal Days and regular old Prime Day is the framing: Amazon touts Prime Big Deal Days as the kickoff to holiday shopping, so it’s like getting an extra-early Black Friday.

The October sale first happened in 2022, when it was called thePrime Early Access Sale(as in, early access to holiday deals). In 2024, Amazon updated the name to Prime Big Deal Days, and it seems that’s the official name from here on out.

Two full days, from Tuesday, October 6, at 3:01 a.m. ET, through 2:59 a.m. ET on October 8. It’s half as long as regular Prime Day, which lasted four days, but the deals will be just as good.

Typically, everything that was on sale duringJune’s Prime Day, plus an extra smattering of gifts and holiday décor. It’s a particularly good time to spring for bigger-ticketbeauty tools,artificial Christmas trees, and tons ofkids’ toysand games. But it’s also a good time to grab things you already need, like clothes, beauty items, or the unsexy (but necessary) household essentials, like toilet paper andteeth-whitening strips.

The main benefit of getting your holiday shopping done this early — besides peace of mind — is avoiding shipping delays and making sure you get the things you actually want before they sell out. I’ve covered October Prime Day since its inception, and I can tell you the discounts don’t get much better on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. So I wouldn’t worry too much about getting duped by a seemingly good deal now only to see it even cheaper later. Also, even if you don’t want to start holiday shopping this early, it’s worth checking out the sales on daily essentials. They’re always good, and as I always say, if you need to buy it anyway, you might as wellget it on sale.

Right here on the Strategist. You’ll be able to find all of ourPrime Day coverage here, including my megahub ofallthe best October Prime Day deals as well as more specific roundups, from deals under $50 to deals that would make great Christmas gifts.

Unfortunately, yes. If you aren’t signed up forPrimealready, it costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. Or if you’re really trying to save some cash, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial right now (or any time before the sale begins).

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.

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• prime day
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