Expert consulted: 
Prepare your shopping list, because Amazon Prime Day 2025 is on the horizon. This year, the mega-sale will span four days, from July 8 through July 11, meaning you'll have ample time to buy the discounted items you've been eyeing. But is there anything you shouldn't buy during the event? From a shopping editor's standpoint, the answer is yes.
Shop Early Prime Day Deals on Amazon
Don't get me wrong: Everyone has different shopping priorities and budgets, so what you do and don't buy is ultimately up to you. However, if you're trying to save a few bucks, we tapped Good Housekeeping's shopping expert—Director of Editorial Commerce & Product Reviews, Jessica Teich—for advice on what sales you might want to bypass completely (and which ones you should wait for).
What Not to Buy During Amazon Prime Day
Large Appliances
According to our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute, you'll probably have better luck finding deep discounts on large appliances during President's Day and even Memorial Day. This includes washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators and more.
Carolyn Forte, executive director of the GH Institute's Cleaning Lab, says that "retailers use holidays [like Presidents' Day] to offer great discounts, especially on models they are looking to move out while making room for new ones coming in."
Counterfeit Products
Unfortunately, Amazon is clouded with knockoff items that appear to be genuine items from reputable brands. Websites like Fakespot can help you identify counterfeit products and items that are inundated by fake or altered reviews. You can visit the site directly or install a handy Chrome extension that will let you know if the item you're considering is what it claims to be after analyzing what customers have said.
Deals From Third-Party And Unverified Sellers
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. For example, if you've had your eye on a high-quality juicer that's suddenly half-price from a seller with a misspelled store name, you might want to steer clear.
Here are some ways you can tell if a brand is verified:
- Check to see where the item is sold from, and/or what brand it's sold by. Ideally, you want a product that is shipped and sold by Amazon.com — find this information in the right rail, below the "Add to Cart" button.
- Shop brands that have been verified via Amazon’s Brand Registry for legit products. Many manufacturers and retailers have enrolled, granting a verified storefront within Amazon. When you click through to the seller’s page, it should typically be branded with lots of other brand items on sale (Revlon's Amazon store is a great example). When a sale is offered by one of these verified sellers, you can trust that the deal is trustworthy, all while enjoying the convenience of Prime shipping (and returns)!
Bad Deals
In a recent poll, most Good Housekeeping readers said they aren't fazed by discounts below 50% off. We hear you, and luckily, we're already seeing products like Amazon devices for over 50% off. Historically, Instant Pots are marked down by 60% on Prime Day, in addition to slashed prices on big-ticket items like appliances, TVs, and laptops.
Good Deals On Not-So-Good Products
That said, there’s never a good deal on a bad product: Consider the quality of the items you are investing in, and whether or not you’re better off splurging a bit (at a higher price point or a lesser discount) on items that were tested or come from a reputable brand.
Our in-house pros at the Good Housekeeping Institute Labs are dedicated to testing various items in pursuit of finding the very best ones — from kitchen appliances to cleaning products, clothing, and more. Then, editors work closely with them on a regular basis to help ensure the products we're covering check all their boxes.
In other words, if you see one of our expert-approved items on sale, you know you've found a good deal on a good product. This goes for Amazon Prime Day, too, because overall, we only include quality products and brands that've been approved by our experts in our sale coverage.
What You Should Buy During Amazon Prime Day
Although there are a handful of items you should steer clear of during Amazon Prime Day, there are still a ton of products we encourage you to buy throughout the event, like tech items. More specifically, Amazon-brand products like the Kindle, Echo, Ring, and Fire devices will likely be "at their cheapest of the year," Teich says. You can even find discounted Apple gear during the event.
You should also be on the lookout for end-of-summer necessities. Teich continues, "Brands and retailers are clearing out seasonal inventory to make room for fall, so expect great discounts in this category." Some examples are seasonal clothing, outdoor cooking gear, and patio furniture.
Prime Day is also a good time to stock up on back-to-school needs like backpacks and supplies. Teich tells us that "this is the beginning of the back-to-school season, so Prime Day offers your first time to save on these staples." If you'd rather wait until Labor Day sales for back-to-school gear, that's also fine.
Amanda (she/her) is a writer and editor covering deals, trends and sales. She has almost a decade of experience in digital journalism, including more than five years in e-commerce at brands like Bustle Digital Group and TODAY. Amanda has a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in journalism from Ramapo College of New Jersey. When she’s not working, you can find her writing songs.
Jessica (she/her) is the director of editorial commerce and product reviews with over a decade of experience as a product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. Previously she was the beauty editor at USA Today's Reviewed where she launched the Beauty vertical and tested hundreds of products and has covered trends for publications like The Boston Globe and The New York Times. You can usually find her sorting through piles of beauty products — and testing the best ones on camera.
