The best time to buy on Amazon, by category

Amazon prices move all year, but some patterns repeat. Use this as a rough calendar. When a good price shows up outside these windows, it is still a good price.

The big sale events

Amazon has run a summer Prime Day event in July for years, and a second Prime member event in October in recent years. Black Friday through Cyber Monday in late November is the other big one. These events bring the deepest cuts on Amazon's own devices (Echo, Kindle, Fire TV, Ring) and on popular headphones, small appliances and tools.

By category

Tech and Amazon devices. Biggest drops land during Prime events and Black Friday. Amazon devices in particular often return to the same sale price every event, so if you miss one, the next one is usually a few months away.

Kitchen appliances. Air fryers, pressure cookers and stand mixers get their best prices around Black Friday and the weeks before major holidays.

Outdoor and garden. Patio furniture, grills and garden gear drop at the end of summer, from about August into September, when stores clear space.

Clothing and shoes. End-of-season clearance: winter gear gets cheap in late winter, summer gear in late summer. Discounts are usually size specific.

Everyday supplies. Cleaning products, paper goods and personal care go on sale all year. Pair a sale with Subscribe and Save for the lowest price.

When waiting is not worth it

If you need it now, buy it now. The difference between a good price today and the best price of the year is often small, and many sellers match their event prices within a few weeks anyway. Check price history, and if today's price is near the low end of the range, that is your deal.

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