Sunday, December 22, 2024

I’m a Deal-Hunting Expert, and I’ll Only Shop for My Holiday Gifts During Amazon’s October Prime Day

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Breaking news: Amazon just announced yet another Prime Day-esque sale event. Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (a.k.a. October Prime Day) is returning for a third year in a row. Since 2022, Amazon has hosted a second Prime Day every October, giving shoppers another chance to save on everything from everyday household supplies to the latest in tech as we head into the holiday season.

SKIP STRAIGHT TO SHOPPING EARLY BIG DEAL DAYS

Prime Day 2024 literally just happened in July, so it’s easy to feel a bit fatigued from the sales overload. When it comes to deals, we’re here to help you decide what to score and what to skip during October Prime Day. Our deal-hunting pros check each product’s price history data, scour customer reviews and refer to expert testing from the Good Housekeeping Institute to find deals that are actually worth the hype on only the very best products.

Is it actually worth it to shop on October Prime Day?

While Amazon hasn’t released an official list of October Prime Day deals to the public quite yet, the retailer tends to offer discounts across every category. Plus, “Since the holiday shopping season has been progressively getting earlier and earlier, Amazon’s October Prime Day is actually my favorite time to get my holiday gift shopping done,” says GH Editorial Commerce Director Jessica Teich. “Waiting until Black Friday and Cyber Monday feels foolish when there are so many great deals to be had earlier in the season — and, if you shop now, you don’t have to worry about potential inventory issues and shipping delays spoiling your holidays.”

During last year’s Prime Big Deal Days event, we saw the steepest markdowns on home and beauty products like Dyson vacuums, Samsonite luggage and Laneige skincare, so expect to see similar savings during 2024’s October Prime Day. And if this past July’s event is any indication (hint: it usually is), we’d be shocked not to see some pretty incredible deals on Apple tech.

When is October Prime Day?

Prime Big Deal Days 2024 kicks off on Tuesday, October 8 and runs through midnight on Wednesday, October 9. Although the savings event is technically live for 48 hours only, we often see early deals popping up days and even weeks before the event.

Is Prime Big Deal Days the same as Prime Day?

More or less, yes. Prime Big Deal Days (what a mouthful!) has essentially the same structure and purpose as July Prime Day, giving Amazon Prime members a 48-hour window to browse deals across a variety of categories and brands. The main difference is that Prime Big Deal Days tends to highlight hot-ticket holiday items — letting you check off your holiday shopping list early and score the hottest gifts at a discount. (Think tech, TVs, toys, best-selling beauty and more.)

While we (not so) patiently wait for more official details to drop, our shopping editors put together a list of the best Amazon deals to shop right now. Below, kickstart your Amazon savings early with our current favorite deals of the month:

Shop the Best Amazon Deals of September 2024

How to shop October Prime Day

Like most Prime Day events, the best prices during Prime Big Deal Days will be reserved for Prime members only. Your subscription comes with a suite of other perks, like free two-day shipping, access to movies and shows through Prime Video, discounts on groceries and more. But if you’re not already a member, here’s a hack: You can sign up for a 30-day trial to get access to all the Prime Day deals and try out all the exclusive perks for free. Just be sure to cancel before the 30 day mark to avoid being charged.

Sign Up for Amazon Prime

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Lauren Gruber is an associate commerce editor who has covered the last five Amazon Prime Day events for various publications, including Good Housekeeping. She is dedicated to helping readers navigate the e-commerce landscape and identify which deals are worth their money. Jessica Teich is the director of editorial commerce and product reviews at Good Housekeeping, with over a decade of experience as a product reviewer. While she has a lifetime of deal-hunting expertise, she has covered Amazon Prime Day sales for seven years, so she knows what deals — and which products — are actually worth adding to your cart when.

Lauren is a Brooklyn-based journalist and Associate Editor at Hearst. You can find her previous work at Entertainment Tonight, Shop TODAY, USA Today, Self Magazine, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, and Modern Luxury Media. 

Headshot of Jessica Teich

Expert consulted:Jessica Teich

Director, Editorial Commerce & Product Reviews

Jessica (she/her) is the director of editorial commerce and product reviews with over a decade of experience as a product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. Previously she was the beauty editor at USA Today’s Reviewed where she launched the Beauty vertical and tested hundreds of products and has covered trends for publications like The Boston Globe and The New York Times. You can usually find her sorting through piles of beauty products — and testing the best ones on camera. 

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