Prime Early Access Sale is better than we expected – but still shop with caution
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Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale is here, but it’s not what we expected – not at all. Sure, on the face of it, it’s no different from the mega-retailer’s big sales events, which deliver a ton of savings on a bunch of different products across a number of categories. But (and believe us, we were surprised by this too) it’s way better than we ever thought it would be.
Similar to Prime Day itself, this new Amazon sale is a two-day global shopping event offering discounts to Prime members. But while the summer event has plenty of great deals, they’re hidden among countless offers for 5% off on no-name headphones. And don’t get me started on Black Friday deals, where there are just so many options that you could scroll through them all week and never reach the end.
Prime Early Access, on the other hand, seems to hit the sweet spot between big savings and easy browsing, with lots of great deals but less clutter. And some deals are really special.
Do you want proof? Well, airfryers are in the news at the moment, no doubt because they can save you money on your energy bill. In the US, you can currently purchase a Instant Vortex 5.7QT Airfryer Oven Combo for just $69.99 (opens in new tab), down $139.99 and in line with its lowest price ever. And in the UK, the InstantPot Duo Crisp + Air Fry costs £128.99 (opens in new tab), £61 off the usual price. These are both good deals, although the latter has previously been reduced to £99.
Or take TVs, which are always popular. With the Qatar World Cup on the horizon, many people will be eyeing a cheap OLED set – in which case check out the 48-inch LG A1 – only $646 in the Prime Early Access sale (opens in new tab). Yes, that’s really an OLED TV for under $650, making it the cheapest ever OLED TV we’ve seen, outside of models we wouldn’t really recommend.
Or, if you have a little more money to spend, Sony 77-inch A80J BRAVIA OLED 4K Ultra HD Smart TV costs $1,999 (opens in new tab) right now, saving you a huge $1,500. Again, that’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model. It’s always rare to find a 77-inch OLED TV for under $2,000, but to find the excellent A80J at this price is just ridiculous.
And of course, Amazon has lowered the prices of its own devices, as always, causing the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) to $24.99 (opens in new tab) and the Fire TV Stick 4K also for £24.99 (opens in new tab). These prices are unlikely to drop on Black Friday.
Good timing
While the Prime Early Access Sale is certainly smaller than Prime Day (and MUCH more manageable than Black Friday), Amazon has been down this route before. Does anyone remember Amazon Epic Daily Deals last October? No? That’s not surprising, because that event was flatter than a pancake in a trouser press. The deals were less than epic, and for most consumers, it barely stood out among Amazon’s usual daily deals.
But Amazon seems to have put in more effort this time around, and that may be because it understands that people now have less money in their pockets.
Make no mistake, this new sales event comes at a welcome time. A combination of rising inflation, high energy prices and stagnant wages means that many people in both the UK and the US have less money to spend than in previous years. Any sales event that gives people the chance to buy something they really need, but for less than usual, should be welcomed.
Buy wisely
Of course, you could say that Amazon is only creating its own demand to increase its own profits – and of course that’s true. But don’t reject it based on that alone. As long as you only spend what you can afford, and limit yourself to things that are already on your shopping list, the Prime Early Access Sale can really help you save money in the long run.
The other thing you should definitely do is approach any deal with caution. Just because the price has been reduced doesn’t mean it’s the lowest it’s ever been. CamelCamelCamel (opens in new tab) is your friend here because this brilliant website gives you a full Amazon price history for a particular product so you can see at a glance how the current price compares to past sales. If it’s not at or near its lowest value and you don’t need it now, it’s best to wait.
It’s also worth shopping around, even if the Amazon deal is a good one. Companies like Walmart and Best Buy in the US and Curry’s and John Lewis in the UK also offer deals year round, and they can have even bigger savings.
And of course you have to keep in mind that Black Friday is just around the corner. Amazon will no doubt lower some prices even further during that event, though some may not change much.
If you decide to shop for the next two days, remember that you have to be a Prime member to take advantage – but you can get around that by signing up for a 30 Day Prime Free Trial (opens in new tab). Make sure to cancel the trial before it expires if you don’t want to subscribe for the whole year.
Our advice: browse the deals below and if you like what you see, head over to our Prime Day hub for lots more.