Prime Big Deal Days is Amazon’s second Prime sale of the year. It runs for two days in October, typically early to mid month, and Amazon announces the exact dates only a couple of weeks before. Think of it as the early start of holiday shopping: the same categories that get marked down in November tend to show up here first, with less crowding and stock that has not sold out yet.
This page is our standing guide to the event. We update it each year, so we keep the advice general and do not promise what will be discounted. Prices are not printed because they change daily; every button opens the live Amazon page. The five picks below are products we chose using rating, review count and price data at the time of writing, and they are worth owning whether or not they are on sale that week.
What Prime Big Deal Days is
It is a members-only event. The headline deals are visible to everyone, but the discounted price only applies at checkout if you have a Prime membership (a free trial counts). It runs 48 hours, usually starting at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time. Unlike the July Prime Day, it lands right before the holiday season, so in past years it has leaned toward gifts, headphones, small electronics and Amazon’s own devices.
Three deal formats show up during the event:
- Deal of the Day: one price for the whole day, or until stock runs out. These are usually the strongest discounts.
- Lightning Deals: a limited quantity for a few hours. A progress bar shows how much is claimed. You can join a waitlist if it sells out.
- Regular event deals: the “Prime Big Deal” badge on a product page. These last for the full two days.
How to check a deal is real
Amazon strikes through a “List Price” or “Typical price” next to the deal price. That reference number is not always what people actually paid last month. Here is the routine we use.
- Look at the price history. Free browser tools and price-tracking sites keep a 90-day chart for most Amazon listings. If the deal price matches where the product sat for most of the summer, it is not a deal.
- Compare with the last big sale. Prime Day in July and Black Friday in November are the two benchmarks. A product that hit a low then will often hit the same low again in October.
- Ignore the percentage, read the price. A “40% off” badge against an inflated list price is worth less than “12% off” a product that never goes on sale.
- Check who is selling. Prefer “Ships from and sold by Amazon” or the brand’s own store. Third-party listings of the same item can carry a different price and different return terms.
- Read the newest reviews, not the average. Some listings merge variants. Sort by most recent and make sure the reviews describe the model on the page.
- Do not buy filler. The best deals are on things you had already planned to buy. Make a list before the event and use the wishlist page on this site to keep it in one place.
The picks
We chose one strong product from each of the categories we cover. All five have a long track record on Amazon, so there is a real price history to compare against.
The Tune 510BT is the most-reviewed product in our whole catalog, and owners rate it 4.5 stars after years on the market. It is a plain on-ear Bluetooth headphone with JBL’s bass-forward tuning, a 40-hour battery and a USB-C port. There is no noise cancelling, which is fine for the price bracket it lives in. We have not used it ourselves; we are leaning on the size of the owner base. It has appeared in past October and November sales, so it is a good one to check the price history on.
- 93,000+ ratings at 4.5 stars
- 40-hour battery, a 5-minute charge gives about 2 hours
- Folds flat and weighs very little
- Multipoint pairing to a phone and a laptop
- On-ear pads press on the ears after a couple of hours
- No noise cancelling
- Plastic build looks the price
Logitech’s MX line is a regular in Amazon’s sale events, and the Anywhere 3 is the compact model we recommend in our travel mouse guide. It has the same MagSpeed wheel as the MX Master, tracks on glass and runs ten weeks on a charge. Because the newer 3S has replaced it in Logitech’s lineup, the older model is often the one with the bigger markdown. If the deal is on the 3S instead, that is also a fine buy.
- 4.8-star owner rating
- MagSpeed wheel scrolls 1,000 lines and stops on a pixel
- Tracks on glass, cafe tables and hotel desks
- Switches between three computers
- Low profile is small for large hands
- USB-A receiver in the box
- Older model, so stock can be spotty
The Huntsman Mini is a small, well-built keyboard with an aluminum top plate, PBT keycaps and Razer’s light-actuated switches. Owners rate it 4.7 stars, the highest of any keyboard in our data. The 60% layout drops the arrow keys and function row, which is the main thing to know before gifting it. A linear version exists if the clicky sound would bother anyone nearby. Razer peripherals have been sale regulars in past Octobers; see our gaming keyboard guide for the alternatives.
- 4.7 stars from 4,400+ owners
- Optical switches with no debounce delay
- PBT keycaps that do not go shiny
- Detachable USB-C cable, easy to carry
- No arrow keys or function row without a layer
- Clicky switches are loud for shared rooms
- Razer Synapse software is heavy
A 24-inch 1080p monitor is the single most common monitor purchase, and this Dell adds a 144 Hz IPS panel to the formula. That makes it a good second screen for a laptop and a capable first gaming monitor for a student. Owners rate it 4.7 stars, though the count is still small because it is a newer model. Dell monitors are a staple of Amazon sale events; if you want a bigger screen, our 27-inch 4K guide covers the step up.
- 144 Hz refresh for both work and games
- IPS panel with accurate color off-axis
- 4.7-star rating
- TUV low blue light certification
- 1080p, not sharp enough for a 27-inch upgrade later
- Stand only tilts, no height adjustment
- Fewer reviews than the older models
October is when a lot of holiday gift buying starts, and jewelry is one of the categories Amazon pushes during the event. The Mini Elisa is a smaller version of Kendra Scott’s signature pendant on a textured satellite chain, and it ships in the brand’s own gift box. With more than 24,000 ratings it is the most reviewed branded necklace in our data. We cover more options in our necklace gift guide.
- 24,000+ ratings at 4.6 stars
- Arrives in a Kendra Scott gift box
- Small pendant that layers with other chains
- Adjustable length suits most necklines
- Plated, not solid gold, so it needs care
- Stone color options change with stock
- Small pendant may look too dainty for some
Compare the picks
| Product | Category | Key feature | Owner rating | Best for | Our score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JBL Tune 510BTJBL | Headphones | 40 h battery, multipoint | 4.5 / 93k+ | Commutes, kids, spare pair | 9.0 | See price |
| Logitech MX Anywhere 3Logitech | Mouse | MagSpeed wheel, glass tracking | 4.8 | Laptop users | 9.6 | See price |
| Razer Huntsman MiniRazer | Keyboard | Optical switches, PBT caps | 4.7 / 4k+ | Gamers, small desks | 9.8 | See price |
| Dell SE2426H 24-inchDell | Monitor | 144 Hz IPS, 1080p | 4.7 | Second screen, first gaming monitor | 9.4 | See price |
| Kendra Scott Mini Elisa | Jewelry | Gift box included | 4.6 / 24k+ | Early holiday gifts | — | See price ↗ |
What typically goes on sale, and what does not
In past years the deepest markdowns have landed on headphones and earbuds, monitors, keyboards and mice, storage, and Amazon’s own Echo, Fire TV and Kindle devices. Older generations of a product line drop more than the current one. Things that rarely move are brand-new releases, Apple’s newest hardware and current-generation consoles, which usually wait for Black Friday bundles. If the item you want is in that second group, buy it when you need it and do not wait for a discount that may not come.
Do I need Prime to get the deals?
Yes. The event prices apply only to Prime members at checkout. A 30-day free trial qualifies, and you can cancel it after the event.
Can I return something I bought during the sale?
Standard Amazon return rules apply: most items sold by Amazon can be returned within 30 days. In past years Amazon has extended the return window for purchases made in October and November through the end of January, but check the return policy on the product page for the current year.
Is this guide for US shoppers only?
Yes. Our buttons open Amazon.com and the picks are chosen from the US catalog. The event also runs in other countries on Amazon's local sites, with different deals and dates.
What if the price drops again after I buy?
Amazon does not price-match its own later deals. If a Lightning Deal appears on the same item during the event, you can return the first order within the return window and reorder at the lower price.
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