Hear ye, hear ye! Get excited — Amazon just announced that its next installment of Prime Day will be from July 11-12. Oh, and you can start shopping early deals right now.
Amazon’s 48-hour sale period will feature steep markdowns on loads of products from beauty and tech to back-to-school goods and activewear by all your fave brands, so it’s a pretty big deal. Keep reading for everything you need to know to shop the two-day sale like a total pro. (And don’t forget to check back in on our Amazon Prime Day landing page for up-to-date deals to cart up.)
DashDividers_1_500x100What is Amazon Prime Day?
What started as a one-day sale in 2015 to mark Amazon’s 20th anniversary is now in its eighth year and spans a full 48-hour period of daily and hourly deals on a massive selection of the site’s bestselling stock. And the hype seems to grow with each passing year, with more and more discounts being offered and rival retailers feeling the pressure to get in on the action.
When is Prime Day?
The Prime Day event is July 11 and 12. The sale period officially starts at midnight PDT — aka 3 a.m. EDT, so plan accordingly. But keep reading to see which early access deals you can take advantage of before then.
What’s on sale for Prime Day?
As with previous Prime Days, products across beauty, fashion, home, tech, and more will be on sale during the Prime Early Access Sale. Some of the hottest brands participating in the summer festivities include Theragun, Lancôme, Alo, Sony, Yeti, and Ruggable to name a few. There are also more opportunities to shop from and support small businesses this year.
How do I get access to Prime Day deals?
There’s no way around it: You do have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of Prime Day. And Prime members can get even luckier through an all-new invite-only deals program to get access to the very best Prime Day deals that are expected to sell out at an exclusive price. Another tip for shopping the sale like a pro: Set deal alerts based on your shopping and search history for personalized recommendations through the Amazon Shopping app. (Alexa can also help you in this department.)
If you’re on the fence, you can always sign up for a one-week trial for just $1.99.
What early access Prime Day deals are available now?
Some standout early access deals include 46% off a Ring Video Doorbell, 50% off Foreo’s Facial Cleansing Brush, and 55% off JBL Noise Cancelling Headphones. Plus, Amazon has announced even more early access deals for Amazon Fresh, Buy With Prime, Prime Video, and more.
Is Prime Day worth it?
As mentioned above, if you’re unsure about the benefits of joining Amazon Prime but don’t want to miss out on Prime Day deals, you can sign up for a one-week trial for just $1.99. (This is kind of the perfect time to work the system, if you know what we mean.) In addition to the marquee benefits of free lightening-fast shipping, hours of entertainment, and lesser-known conveniences like discounts from Amazon Pharmacy, early access to blink-and-you’ll-miss-them Lightning Deals, and ad-free music and podcasts with Amazon Music.
Does Amazon ever offer discounts on Prime memberships?
If you decide you like the Prime lifestyle and want to keep your access to everything Amazon has to offer, there are two ways to get an ongoing discount on your Prime membership. College students are eligible for a six-month free trial followed by a $7.49 monthly fee for Prime, which is a 50% discount off the regular monthly price. In addition, if you receive government benefits in the form of SNAP, WIC, or other EBT programs, you can get Prime perks for a discounted $6.99 per month.
What deals will Amazon’s competitors have on Prime Day?
Amazon has done such a thorough job of creating a frenzy around Prime Day that almost every other big-box retailer under the sun (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, even eBay) is likely to run some sort of alternative sale around the Prime Day period. All’s fair in love and shopping, right? (Check back for more details on other major sales to shop in July.)
DashDividers_1_500x100At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff—and, while we do receive commission from Amazon, all of the goods linked to on our site are independently curated by our Most Wanted shopping team editors. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication.
