What to buy and skip on Prime Day 2024, according to experts

I’ve been reporting about Amazon Prime Day at NBC Select for five years, and if there’s one piece of advice I have for shoppers, it’s this: be strategic. Not every item that’s on sale is a good deal, and knowing which product categories typically offer the best savings can help Prime members prioritize, budget and narrow down their shopping lists.

To find out what products are actually worth buying during Prime Day, I talked to shopping experts from RetailMeNot, Smarty and more. They also advised how shoppers can save the most money on the best Prime Day deals during the 48-hour event, which is live now through July 17.

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SKIP AHEAD What to buy on Prime Day | What to skip on Prime Day | How to save the most money during Prime Day

Amazon offers discounts across all product categories during Prime Day, but a few stand out among experts.

Prime Day is known for deals on personal tech like earbuds, tablets and bluetooth speakers, says Mackenzie Shand, a shopping expert at RetailMeNot. You’ll see Apple, Fitbit, Samsung, Google and more slash prices on their products, but the best sales are typically on devices from Amazon-owned brands. For example, Shand says Echo Dots and Fire TVs will be “hugely discounted.” Also keep an eye on Amazon’s Ring and Blink smart home devices, Kindle e-readers and Eero WiFi systems. Amazon usually discounts these tech products before Prime Day even begins, making them great early deals to take advantage of.

Keep a close eye on apparel deals, says Dr. Ross Steinman, a professor of consumer psychology at Widener University. Earlier this year, Amazon announced that it plans to launch a new section on its website dedicated to low-priced fashion and lifestyle items, which allows Chinese sellers to ship directly to U.S. customers. Shoppers must wait about nine to 11 days to receive their items. Amazon has not specified when it plans to debut this new section, but because it’s in the works, the retailer may use Prime Day to deeply discount related items and see how shoppers respond, says Steinman. Apparel is also one of the top categories shoppers plan to buy from — 46% say they’re looking for sales on clothing, shoes and accessories, according to a 2024 survey by RetailMeNot.

Prime Day is one week later this year than in 2022 and 2023, moving it closer to the school year. “It might seem early, but July is actually a popular time for retailers to start running back-to-school sales, and Amazon is no exception,” says Shand. “From backpacks and tablets to kids clothing, you can expect to find several great savings opportunities in this area during Prime Day.” You’ll also see deals on lunchboxes, stationery sets and office supplies like notebooks, pens and pencils.

Beyond wish list items, Prime Day is your opportunity to save on everyday essentials. Think cleaning supplies, pet products, pantry staples and household goods. Amazon’s in-house product lines will likely offer the lowest prices for these categories, says Shand, but you’ll see big-name brands, too.

To help you weed out weak Prime Day deals, experts recommend skipping the following categories, if possible.

• TVs: “You can find savings of up to 40% on TVs across the board during Black Friday sales, whereas Prime Day focuses more on select sets, like Fire TVs,” says Shand. If you can, wait to buy large electronics like TVs until later this year, but Fire TVs are well-priced during Prime Day.
• Toys and gaming consoles: There are much better deals on gaming consoles and toys leading up to the winter holidays since people tend to gift these items. You’ll see some gaming consoles on sale during Prime Day, specifically those compatible with Amazon Luna, the retailer’s cloud gaming platform.
• Kitchenware and dinnerware: Most products in these categories see better discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, especially if they’re of higher quality and pricier, says Vipin Porwal, CEO and consumer expert at Smarty. However, there are some exceptions, like small countertop appliances and kitchen gadgets, which you’ll find lots of deals on during Prime Day. 
• Furniture and large appliances: More so than Prime Day, these big ticket home items see the best discounts during long holiday weekends like Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day, says Porwal.

The key to saving during Prime Day is planning, which keeps you focused and ensures you take advantage of the best deals possible. Below are a few ways to be successful during the event.

Amazon offers a variety of tools members can use to get alerted about deals throughout Prime Day. And often, getting alerts for products at the top of your wish list makes all the difference. “We’ve seen more recent Prime Days have better inventories, but many of the best-priced deals have limited supply available, so once it’s gone, it’s gone,” says Porwal. 

With that in mind, use the following tools to get notifications about Prime Day discounts.

• Amazon lists: Add products you have your eye on to Amazon Lists in the retailer’s app or through its website. If items on your lists drop in price, Amazon sorts them into a deals tab, making discounts easy to find quickly.
• Deal alerts: Instead of adding specific products to Amazon Lists, you can opt to receive deals alerts based on your general searches or recently viewed items. Once Prime Day starts, you’ll get alerts about related deals. 
• Alexa deal alerts: Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, can notify you up to 24 hours in advance of a deal going live for items on your lists, in your shopping cart or that you saved for later. You can ask Alexa to remind you when the deal goes live and give her permission to order the item on your behalf using your account’s default payment method and delivery address.

Prime Day and comparable savings events are geared toward impulse shopping. Retailers bet on shoppers feeling tempted by deals and adding more items to their carts than originally planned. In fact, 27% of Prime Day shoppers say they often end up purchasing discounted items that were not originally on their lists during the event, according to a 2024 survey by RetailMeNot. That’s why making a shopping list is important: It keeps you organized and reduces the temptation to spend on non-essential purchases.

To create your shopping list, think about products you’ve been meaning to buy, restock or replace — these are your top priorities. Then, consider your wants, like a new pair of jeans or e-reader. If you find a great deal or spend less than you budgeted for, your wants can help guide the rest of your shopping.

During Prime Day, pay attention to products featured on deal homepages, says Porwal. “Those sellers pay a premium to Amazon to feature their best products, often at their lowest prices ever,” he says. “These deals also tend to have time limits, so keep that top of mind.”

On the flip side, be wary of sellers you’ve never heard of. “A lot of Prime Day sale items are overstock inventory that merchants are trying to clear out while they have a massive audience,” says Porwal. “If it’s an item from an unverified seller or a brand you’re not familiar with, and it’s not something you really need, sometimes the savings aren’t worth the risk.” 

Other retailers host their own summer savings events around Prime Day, which makes comparing prices across sites important. As retailers compete for your shopping cart, they tend to “price chase” each other — this means an item sold at multiple retailers will likely have the exact (or almost exact) price tag across the board. In these cases, deciding which retailer to buy from comes down to comparing factors like shipping fees, rewards points, product rebates and cash-back offers, says Porwal. While it’s rare, some retailers may price-match Amazon deals, so inquire if you’re interested.

To help you comparison shop, we recommend using price trackers like Keepa, CamelCamelCamel and Honey. These track prices before and during sales, allowing you to sign up for price drop alerts on specific products.

If you’re interested in using a credit card to shop on Prime Day, you may be able to earn points and cash back or take advantage of exclusive rewards. Certain cards also offer welcome bonuses — for example, Prime members can currently get a $200 Amazon gift card upon approval for a Prime Visa through July 24 or a $80 Amazon gift card upon approval for a Prime Store Card through July 17.

Additionally, as a Prime Day perk this year, Prime cardmembers can earn a total of 7% cash back on eligible Amazon.com purchases when they choose no-rush shipping. Prime cardmembers can also earn 10% back or more on Prime card exclusive deals with Amazon’s Prime Card Bonus.

At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Dr. Ross Steinman is a professor of consumer psychology at Widener University. 
• Mackenzie Shand is a shopping expert at RetailMeNot, a deal-finding and cash back website.
• Vipin Porwal is the CEO and a consumer expert at Smarty.

I’m an associate updates editor at NBC Select and I’ve been reporting about Amazon Prime Day for five years. I wrote NBC Select’s Prime membership guide and Amazon Prime Day history, both of which are articles I frequently update. I also write deal roundups during Amazon sale events. For this piece, I interviewed three experts about what’s worth shopping on Prime Day and how to save money during the event.