Amazon Prime Day 2018: What to Expect

The fourth-ever Amazon Prime Day is here, and it’s turning out to be bigger and better than ever.

Wondering about the who, what, when, and where of Amazon Prime Day? Stick around, because we’ve got (most of) the answers.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is the summer’s internet Black Friday. It’s a day of discounts, sales, and deals that you won’t see on any other day of the year. Unlike Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day only offers sales during the hours of the event — not before, and not after.

The biggest deals will probably start with Amazon products, such as the Echo, Echo Dot, Kindles, Fire TV Stick, tablets, and more. In addition, you’ll find discounts on Amazon services, like Audible.

Amazon marketplaces also take part in the festivities, offering discounts on just about every product you could buy on Amazon.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2018?

Amazon keeps Prime Day dates under wraps, but sources have leaked that this summer’s day of savings will actually be a 36-hour event starting July 16 at noon through July 17 until midnight.

Since the US includes 3 timezones, the event is expected to be a 39-hour long bonanza that includes lightning deals or flash deals, and some of Amazon’s most popular products which may just go out of stock before the end of Prime Day.

Who Can Participate in Amazon Prime Day?

This event is exclusively for Amazon Prime members.

If you’re not interested in paying the annual Prime membership fee of $119 in the US, you can sign up for a free trial for one month. If that’s not an option because you’ve done it already, you can pay a one-month membership of $12.99 — certainly worth all the money you’ll be saving on sales.

Once you’ve officially joined the club, you’ll also gain access to other Amazon services like Prime Video, Prime Music, and Prime Reading.

College and University students pay only 50% of the Prime Membership fee,

Where Does Amazon Prime Day Take Place?

You can expect to find special Prime Day discounts and sales in countries that offer the Amazon Prime services. They include: United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria, India, and Mexico.

What Were the Best Deals Seen Last Year (Prime Day 2017)?

Some of the best deals last year brought tech and gadget prices way down — we’re talking up to 50 percent or more in price reductions on game consoles, noise-cancellation headphones, android smartphones, Echo, Echo Dot, Kindles, smartwatches, TVs, and more.

Big ticket baby gear, like carseats and strollers were on sale for an average of 35% last year, during Prime Day 2017.

We’re also expecting to see lightning deals, just like in previous years. During these lightning deals, a product will go on sale at a majorly discounted price for only a few minutes or hours.

Thousands of Amazon Marketplaces will participate, and hundreds of thousands of products will go on sale. The best deals are seen on Prime Day itself, although some sellers may choose to start their sales a few days or hours before Prime Day officially begins.

It’s best to stay updated during Amazon Prime Day with real time updates and notifications from websites like TechRadar, IGN, Wirecutter, and Digital Trends.

Amazon Prime Day 2018: What to Look Out For

Like we said before, almost every product under the sun will be going on sale on Amazon Prime Day.

Our advice? Tackle this day with a list of every large or expensive item you need or will be needing within the next year. Gadgets; products for your home, car, and kids; birthday, anniversary, Christmas, and Hanukkah gifts; nothing is off limits.

Since we know that you’re probably a little overwhelmed with the prospect of considering all the things, this list will help you focus your attention on baby, kid, home, and tech items that are most likely to be on sale.

Babies

• Car seats and boosters
• Strollers
• Baby swings
• Rockers
• High chairs
• Baby monitors
• Cradles
• Diaper Rash Cream
• Slings and Carriers
• Baby Bottles
• Diaper Bags
• Toys
• Baby Formula
• Breast Pumps
• Nursing Pillows
• Nursery Furniture
• Diapers
• Outlet covers
• Digital Thermometers
• Shampoo, body wash, lotion

Toddlers and Kids

• Amazon Fire Kids Tablet
• Toddler clocks and alarm clocks
• Books
• Backpacks
• Potties and potty seats
• Toddler pillows
• Bedding
• Bath toys
• Bicycles
• Kids furniture
• Toy kitchen
• LEGO
• Sporting goods
• Toddler beds
• Crayons

Home and Travel

• Vacuums
• Robot Vacuums
• Coffee Machines
• Pressure Cookers (the Instant Pot was $40 last year)
• Crock Pots
• Juicers
• Blenders
• Mixers
• Trash Cans
• Humidifiers
• Light bulbs
• Sous Vide
• Fans
• Kindles
• Lamps
• Alarm Clocks
• Bedding
• Printers
• Water bottles
• Books
• Board games
• Electronic toothbrushes
• Power tools
• Luggage
• Camping gear

Tech

• TVs (we’re expecting some big Samsung discounts)
• Tablets
• Android smartphones
• Laptops
• Memory cards
• Hard drives
• Headphones and ear buds
• Cameras
• Smartwatches
• Speakers
• Projectors
• Games consoles

We’ll see a lot of deals this year, some of them as laughable as last year’s 4-cent discount on a $1,799.99 soundbar — what a steal!

So, no — not everything will be on sale, Apple products among them. Some products will be on sale, but not by enough to benefit from major savings.

Since there have been reports in the past of vendors hiking up prices before the event, and then selling them a “discounted” (read: true) prices during Prime Day, it’s worth having a few other tabs open with competing online marketplaces such as Ebay to make sure you’re actually getting a good deal.

Go in to Amazon Prime Day with a budget and a list and stay on track, otherwise, you’ll end up totally lost in Amazon World only to find yourself mortgaging your your house to pay off all those sale items. Keep your head in the game, because you could end up saving hundreds of dollars on big ticket items if you shop wisely.

Happy Bargain Hunting!