Amazon Prime Big Deal Days — everything you need to know

Amazon packages shown on floor
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, also referred to as October Prime Day, is the online retailer's latest major sales event. Consider it sort of a precursor to the rapidly approaching Black Friday sales. And it will offer Amazon shoppers the chance to save on a whole variety of popular products from Echo devices to Skechers sneakers.

This sales event is the perfect opportunity to get your holiday shopping done early, and at a significant discount, or you could pick up a little something special for yourself. Whatever you’ve got on your wishlist, Prime Big Deal Days will be slashing prices across major categories and we’re expecting to see some of the best deals of the year so far when the event officially begins next week on Tuesday, October 10.  

Be sure to keep it locked to Tom’s Guide as we’ll be on hand to bring you all the latest Prime Day deals, and ensure you don’t miss any of the biggest discounts. Don’t forget to check our list of the best Amazon promo codes for even more ways to save. Read on for more details about the event, as well as the best early sales you can shop right now. 

Best early Prime Big Deal Days sales now 

What is Prime Big Deal Days? 

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is the retailer’s second Prime Day style event of the year. Last year Amazon called its fall event the Prime Early Access Sale, but now it’s gone for the slightly more memorable Prime Big Deal Days. However, most people will continue to refer to the sales event as October Prime Day as it’s a much simpler name. 

Much like the flagship Prime Day in July, Prime Big Deal Days promises 48 hours of discounts on everything from 4K TVs to kitchen appliances. Basically, if Amazon sells it, expect it to be on sale during the event. However, it's likely the biggest savings will be on Amazon’s own devices such as Echo smart speakers and Fire TV streaming sticks. Ring security cameras and Kindle e-readers will also be included in the sales.   

When is Prime Big Deal Days?  

After confirming the return of a second Prime Day, which we now know is called Prime Big Deal Days, earlier in the summer, Amazon announced that the event would run from Tuesday, October 10 until Wednesday, October 11. That’s 48 hours of deals. 

Prime Big Deal Days is set to offer discounts on popular brands including Dyson, Peloton, Jabra, SharkNinja and more. Much like during the main Prime Day event, new deals will drop every few minutes, so you’ll want to keep checking back regularly in order to ensure you don’t miss a new lowest price ever on a best-selling product. 

Do I need Amazon Prime?  

Prime Big Deal Days

(Image credit: Amazon)

In order to access the full range of deals during Prime Big Deal Days you will need an Amazon Prime subscription. We expect some of the sales to be open to all, but there will almost certainly be a selection of deals that are only available to those with a Prime account. 

If you want to partake without paying for a Prime account, You can sign up for a free Amazon Prime 30-day trial or a free 6-month trial if you're a student. Additionally, EBT and government assistance recipients can sign up for a free 30-day trial and get 50% off their membership should they keep it. 

Additionally, some of the best deals will require an invitation to purchase. Prime members will be able to request access to these deals and a lucky few will be chosen to complete a purchase. Right now, these invite-only deals include a 50-inch Fire TV Omni for just $149, which is one of the best early October Prime Day TV deals.  

Are Prime Big Deal Days sales any good? 

Every Amazon sales event is met with a discussion as to whether it’s actually worth the hype, but we can say with confidence that the retailer offers strong deals during its Prime Day sales. And we don’t expect Big Deal Days to be any different. 

In addition to deals on Amazon hardware, the retailer has previously offered deals on major brands like Nespresso, Philips, Samsung, iRobot, LEGO, and Hasbro. Amazon claims that Prime Day features their lowest prices of the year, and in some cases, that's certainly true.

Nevertheless, we still advise proceeding with caution as every retailer has its fair share of overhyped deals. So we recommend that you always price-check deals using a site called CamelCamelCamel. The site lets you track the price history of select items sold on Amazon. You can also read our guide on using CamelCamelCamel if you need more assistance taking advantage of this powerful tool. 

Which retailers offer the best alternative deals?  

If the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales aren’t cutting it, or you just prefer to shop at an alternate retailer, you’ll find plenty of deals across retailers during the event. While Prime Day deals are exclusive to Amazon, its rival retailers are increasingly price-matching or offering their own selection of discounts to tempt you to shop with them instead. 

If you don’t want to partake in Prime Big Deal Days your best bet for alternative deals will come from Best Buy and Walmart. Both retailers will closely price match many of Amazon's deals and in some cases, they have even been known to discount products that are still at full price over on Amazon. 

Walmart has confirmed that its Walmart Deals Holiday Kickoff will run from October 9 through October 12. Meanwhile, Best Buy is known for its strong focus on weekend deals. 

It pays to be a smart consumer and shop around before committing to a purchase. Or you could let us do all that hard work for you as we regularly check prices across major retailers to ensure we’re flagging the best deals possible for our readers. 

Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.