What not to buy on Amazon Prime Day, plus the best deals

What not to buy on Amazon: Kitchen with products and appliances you can buy from Amazon

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last updated 12 July 2023

It's important to remember that not every deal is a good one. When a mega sale event – like Amazon Prime Day – comes along, it's easy to get swept up in the thousands of pages worth of supposed 'deals'. With pretty much everything the retailer sells on sale for 48 hours only, it's common for shoppers to add anything on their wishlist to their basket, for the sake of a red price tag.

But while some items might be marketed as a 'great deal' or 'star buy', they might not actually be that much cheaper than outside of the sales period, or in comparison to other retailers. Using shopping expertise and research, I've spoken to consumer insight specialists for their advice on what to look out for when scrolling Prime Day deals.

From early Prime Day deals, Amazon Prime Day kitchen deals that offer up to 50% off top-rated coffee makers to mattresses that you could probably get cheaper, and with added warranties when bought from direct-consumer brands, here's what to buy and what to skip on this year's Amazon Prime Day.

Knowing which categories and products with the best savings – and those not worth the spend – will help you shop smarter and save even more.

What not to buy during Amazon Prime Day

The best way to figure out whether you're getting a good deal, or not, is to assess and compare prices against other retailers. As Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, manager and Price Spy recommends 'buying the products that Amazon is known to be competitive outside of Prime Day (as chances are, shoppers will get even better prices over the event)' and urges caution on the 'items where Amazon is least competitive.'

Having analyzed 111,000 products across Amazon and Amazon Marketplace and comparing prices against 6,000 other online stores, PriceSpy's study found Amazon to rarely be the cheapest on TV and games consoles, outdoor garden games, and second-hand or third-party sells. Large household appliances, such as fridges and washing machines, are likely to be on bigger discounts over Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett

Liisa is the country manager for a fully impartial price and product comparison service, PriceSpy. She's passionate about guiding shoppers to the best purchase decision and is regularly quoted in media around the world with her expert insights and education around smart shopping.

What to buy on Amazon Prime Day

Of course, there are some great deals to make the most of during Amazon Prime Day. From previous experience with Prime Day sales, these are the top home items worth getting with a discount. It's likely you'll find prices on these products to be at their lowest over the two-day event.

Aside from Amazon's own tech products, like Amazon Echo devices with 65% off for Prime Day, look out for big savings on the best outdoor furniture, small kitchen appliances, and top-rated vacuums.

Outdoor furniture

Small kitchen appliances

Vacuums

Amazon Prime Day shopping tips

a minimalist kitchen with an island in the center

There are a few tips and tricks to being a savvy shopper. While Amazon has established itself as the online marketplace for pretty much anything you can think of, it's important to remember that offers may not be all that they seem. To make sure you're getting a good deal, Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett advises doing the following:

1. Prepare your shopping list in advance
It can be easy to impulse buy when scrolling through the pages of Amazon's best deals. To avoid getting carried away by headline deals, Liisa suggests 'making a shopping list and know exactly what you want to buy ahead of the two-day shopping event – and stick to it.'

2. Research prices
Shoppers should comprehensively compare the price of products before they hit ‘Buy Now’ during Amazon Prime Day and check the price history. 'You can use a comparison service and price history tool to understand other retailer prices and what the price the product has been listed in the past. Chances are the item will reach the low price it once was.

3. Compare prices, in real-time
When shopping on Prime Day itself, you should try and check the price against other retailers. You can do so by simply googling the product and seeing how much of a saving you are making. 'If a deal is not a good deal, then leave it. There will be many other opportunities to snap up a bargain later in the year.' says Liisa.

FAQs

Are things really cheaper on Prime Day?

Amazon's mega-sale event sees significant discounts sitewide, some items may be on offer for the entire two-day event while others can be part of a 'flash sale', meaning they are reduced for a few hours only, or until they sell out.

But if you're a regular Amazon shopper, you'll notice that many items on Amazon are always on sale. In fact, it's rare to find something at full price. This means it can be hard to track whether items are really cheaper on Prime Day.

From our experience, you will find bigger discounts over the two-day shopping bonanza, but unless you're wanting something specific and have been waiting for it to go on discount, then it's not always worth buying during this event.

Are Amazon Prime deals good for both days?

Amazon Prime Day takes place over two days – this year, July 11th and 12th. But do the deals stay the same over both days? Honestly, there is no telling which day will have better discounts. Some items may be on sale, and stay at the same price from even a few days before the sale event, and continue after Prime Day ends, whereas other products may reduce in price over the second day.

You should keep in mind that some deals sell out quickly, and since they're are lots of early Prime Day deals to shop too, it's best to get in early if there's something specific you're wanting to buy. If you can, it's also worth having a browse both days of the sale, new deals are likely to pop up throughout, and some aren't worth missing.

With inflation rising, budgets are getting tighter, which means there's no better time to be wise with our spending than now. It can be easy to get caught up in misleading marketing jargon that suggests you're getting a good deal. Do your own research first – compare prices and work out the maximum amount you're willing to spend.

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Louise is your eCommerce Editor and sleep specialist to help you wind down well. A connoisseur of the mattress world, Louise previously covered sleep and wellness (as well as the occasional organizational buy) at Real Homes, and has tried, tested, and reviewed some of the buys for your bedroom. With an MA in International Journalism and PR experience, Louise brings bags of bedding expertise and enjoys nothing more than helping readers find solutions and products that best suit their sleep needs.