Amazon Prime Day 2023 — date and what to expect

A collage of tech devices including PS5, AirPods Pro and more

Prime Day is officially over. However, Amazon is still offering a handful of compelling sales. After all, Amazon deals can be found any day of the week.

But if its Prime Day deals you're seeking, chances are you'll need to wait till the summer. Last year, Prime Day was celebrated on Tuesday, July 12 and Wednesday, July 13. We predict the Prime Day 2023 date will likely be Tuesday, July 11 and Wednesday, July 12.

It's worth mentioning that last year we saw two major retail events from Amazon. There was Prime Day during the summer and the Prime Early Access sale in October. The latter didn't offer Prime Day deals per se, but was instead a kick-off event to the holiday shopping season.

From discounts on tech to epic sales on fashion, here's what you can expect from Prime Day 2023. For more ways to save, make sure to check out our list of the best Amazon promo codes this week.

Last year's best Prime Day deals

Apple Watch 8 (41mm/GPS): ~~$399~~ $349 @ Amazon (opens in new tab)
$50 off! The Apple Watch 8 sports a new skin temperature sensor to monitor sleep tracking and cycle tracking. It also comes with new advanced safety features like Crash Detection, which can sense when you've been in a car crash. In our Apple Watch 8 review, we called it the best smartwatch you can buy. It's now $50 off and at its lowest price to date, though you may have to click on different case and band styles to find a model that's still in stock at this price. If you don't see this price, try a different color.

Nectar: ~~$499~~ $399 + $499 in free gifts @ Nectar (opens in new tab)
Our favorite value mattress is on sale. Nectar is offering its own Prime Day deal and taking $200 off all mattresses. Plus, you'll get a free bedding set worth $499 with every mattress purchase. The Editor's Choice mattress offers tremendous value for the money. In our review we found that it's very comfortable (thanks to its five layers of memory foam) and it offers excellent pressure relief around your shoulders, hips, and back. Amazon offers the same price (opens in new tab), but we generally recommend buying direct from mattress manufacturers because they offer better guarantees, trials periods, and better overall service. As part of its current sale — you can get the twin mattress for $399 (was $499) or the queen for $799 (was $899).

What is the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale?

The Amazon Prime Early Access sale is the fall version of Prime Day. Although full details of the deals we'll see at the event aren't known, Amazon has confirmed we'll see sitewide deals on consumer electronics, apparel, kitchen appliances, toys and more.

Can I get a free Amazon Prime membership?

Prime Day deals are exclusive for Amazon Prime members only. However, if you're not a member, you can still participate by taking advantage of the retailer's free Amazon Prime trials. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial (opens in new tab) or a free 6-month trial if you're a student (opens in new tab). Additionally, EBT and government assistance recipients can sign up for a free 30-day trial (opens in new tab) and get 50% off their membership should they keep it.

Who can shop the Amazon Prime Early Access sale?

Last year's Epic Daily Deals event was open to all shoppers. However, the Prime Early Access sale implies this year's sale could be exclusively for Amazon Prime members. If you're not a Prime member, you can sign up for a free Prime membership (opens in new tab) trial that will last 30 days.

What are the Prime Early Access Sale dates?

Amazon has confirmed that the Prime Early Access Sale will begin in mid-October. The official start time for the U.S. is 12 a.m. PT, with discounts and offers available until 11.59 p.m. PT the next day.

In the U.K. the deals will kick off at midnight on October 11 and will presumably last until 11.59 p.m. on October 12.

Will Prime Day 2023 include Grubhub deals?

Prime members are able to get a year of Grubhub Plus membership for free (opens in new tab). In addition, members can use coupon code "PRIME20" to take 20% off orders of $15 or more during the Prime Early Access Sale. The coupon can only be used once and you must be a Grubhub Plus member to take advantage of this deal.

Will the Prime Day deals be any good this year?

It's hard to tell if the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale will be good without actually seeing the deals. That said, Amazon is known for offering solid deals during major shopping events.

The retailer has already promised discounts on key brands, including Shark, Nespresso, Philips, Oral-B, Samsung, Xiaomi, iRobot, LEGO, Melissa & Doug and Hasbro. Amazon is also claiming that the event will feature "some of Amazon's lowest prices of the year so far" on selected products — including those from Elemis, Braun and Tefal.

Nevertheless, we always recommend consumers proceed with caution as every retailer has its fair share of bogus deals and/or exaggerating its deals. So we recommend that you always price check deals using a site called CamelCamelCamel (opens in new tab). The sites lets you track the price history of select items sold out Amazon. You can also read our guide on using CamelCamelCamel to save money on Amazon. Additionally, you can rely on the Tom's Guide team to spotlight the best deals during Amazon's rumored event.

Tips for finding the best Prime Day deals

Price check everything: Our number one rule when shopping on Prime Day is to price check what you're about to buy. Price checking on Prime Day is quite easy. We're big fans of CamelCamelCamel, a website that price checks millions of items sold on Amazon. The website tracks price lows, so if the item you're looking at was cheaper in March, you'll be able to see the price difference. There's even a Chrome extension called Camelizer, which you can install and click on anytime you want to look at the price history of a product. Keep in mind that there might be some items CamelCamelCamel doesn't track.

Don't limit yourself to Amazon: That leads us to our second point: Prime Day is a faux retail holiday designed to promote Amazon devices and services. However, just like you wouldn't buy your entire wardrobe from one designer, you shouldn't do all of your Prime Day shopping at Amazon. Walmart, Target, and Best Buy are just a handful of competitors offering "Prime Day" sales of their own.

And based on what we saw from these retailers last year, we expect them to once again offer very competitive sales throughout the duration of Prime Day. Bottom line: Amazon doesn't always offer the best prices.

Take advantage of free credits: Amazon really wants you to spend money on Prime Day. However, if there aren't any items you want to buy or if you're just really trying to stick to your budget, there are some pretty amazing Prime Day deals you can get right now. We like these deals because after spending $10, you'll get a $10 Amazon credit in exchange.

Make sure to check out our dedicated Amazon promo codes page.

An Amazon shipment with Prime Day tape — (Image credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Image)

Watch out for shady reviews: In addition to fake deals, shoppers should always keep an eye out for fake reviews. Although Amazon has removed many bogus reviews from its website, there are so many that it's become near-impossible for Amazon to keep up. That's why we're fans of Fakespot. The site's engine can analyze the quality of reviews on any Amazon page and churn out a letter grade indicating whether the product has mostly fake or real reviews. ReviewMeta is a similar site that looks for suspicious terminology or repeated phrases in reviews before offering a failing or passing grade.

Don't be afraid of refurbs: Prime Day deals typically don't highlight deals on refurbished items. However, if you're looking to save the most possible a refurbished item may be the best route to go. Amazon tends to offer solid refurbished Apple Watch deals and the retailer also has an Amazon Warehouse website (opens in new tab) where it lists deals on pre-owned, used, and open-box items.

Alexa and Prime Day deal alerts

Alexa shopping has been around for quite some time. During Prime Day, Alexa can even tell you of the day's best deals. However, a new feature lets Amazon's digital assistant notify Prime members of upcoming deals on products they wish to track. You'll need to have a newer generation Echo smart speaker or smart display to use this perk. Nevertheless, it could be a cool perk for existing Prime members during Prime Day. Here's how to have Alexa notify you of upcoming deals.

As deals editor at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets. With over 10 years of deals-hunting experience, Louis price checks against multiple retailers and searches high and low for the best deals to bring readers. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.

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Amazon

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Prime Day