We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. 

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Amazon’s massive shopping holiday is returning for four days this year and the deals are expected to be substantial. Of course, a person can get overwhelmed by all the price-slashing—and I know I have in past years—and end up spending too much, so a good rule of thumb is not to buy anything you weren’t already interested in getting. Personally, there are just a few categories I really care about when it comes to Amazon shopping and a big one is at-home fitness gear, specifically anything that can help me beef up my already-excellent Peloton setup. Fortunately, though Prime Day hasn’t even technically started, there are some great Peloton accessories already marked down and more sales are surely on the way once things kick off in earnest tomorrow.

Accessories that make riding better or easier

Before we get into the fun stuff, check out these deals on straightforward equipment that enhance the effectiveness or ease of your ride itself:

• The A2C rechargeable fan is 10% off, retailing right now for $26.99 instead of $29.99. Staying cool is a key part of staying comfortable, which in turn helps you ride better and longer. This little guy clips right on to your handlebars (but could also come along with you to the gym or perch on your baby’s stroller, since it’s rechargeable).

• A floor mat from Wakeman is 40% off right now, totaling $23.80 instead of $39.99. Take it from me: To protect your floor, you need a mat under your bike and it’s better to get one sooner than later. The ride may not necessarily feel more stable, since your bike should be stable as it is, but you won’t have to worry about damaging your floor with the machine or anything you might drop during the workout.

• This is a great time to get some new cleats. These VikoViren unisex cycling shoes are discounted 15% to $45 right now and the brand has another variation available with slightly sturdier straps for $46, also a 15% discount. I got my boyfriend that second pair when I got a Peloton Bike+ to review so he could ride it, too, and he’s found them to be well-fitting, easy to tighten on his feet, and relatively easy to clip in and out of the pedals.

• On the other hand, maybe it’s time to upgrade your pedals so you don’t even need cleats anymore. Peloton bikes don’t come with cages on the pedals that enable you to ride in regular workout shoes, which can be annoying if you’re sharing the bike with multiple people (or hate clipping in and out, like I do). Get some pedal converters instead. For $17—15% off—you can get flat converters that fill the hole where your cleats would clip in, turning the pedal into a flat surface similar to what you have on your outdoor bike. As a spin instructor, though, I do caution that if you can, you should spend more to get the converters that create a caged-in pedal for you, just so your feet don’t slide off when you’re sprinting. With a 9% coupon at checkout, you can grab some for $28.49 right now.

• Whether your cat chewed on your existing one, it got too dusty to save, or you just think a new one would serve you better, you might want to consider getting a fresh power cord for your Peloton. Instead of paying $21.99, you can pay just $10.99 right now.

Less necessary—but fun—Peloton accessories

You need the cleats and the mat to have a solid ride, yes, but there are Peloton accessories available on sale that are more about experience and fun than they are about function.

• A2C makes a fitness phone mount that works well on the Peloton, allowing you to magnetically attach your phone to your handlebars so you can scroll while you spin. It’s $21.99 instead of $24.99 right now. I love my Peloton to death and ride it every day, but I do struggle with the fact that there’s nowhere to safely put my phone. Call it an indictment of our modern times, but it’s not really reasonable to go 45 minutes with no access to the phone, whether using it for entertainment, work, or something else, so this device is pretty handy.

• Why just mount your phone when you can mount a whole tablet, though? The Peloton’s existing tablet is great for taking classes and even has some extra features, like the ability to watch YouTube, but it doesn’t come with all the streaming services you desire and isn’t nearly as personal as your iPad. An A2C tablet mount, marked down 9% to $19.99, might do the trick.

• You may also want to get a desk attachment so you can use your phone, tablet, or laptop while you ride. Instead of $49.99, you can pay $39.99 for this one that attaches to the standard Peloton Bike. If you have a Bike+ or Tread, make sure you search specifically for desks that work with those machines.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Home Depot extended its 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of its own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editor’s picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. 

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. 

The MacBook Pro is a go-to for artists, filmmakers, and even programmers who need a bit more performance from their machines. It’s still relatively thin and light, and now that Apple’s in-house silicon has had more time to mature, it’s got great compatibility with the most popular productivity software on top of some of the best battery life on the market. There are three major versions available, depending on which chip you want, and all are already discounted for Prime Day.

The deals start at $1,429 ($170 off), which will net you a MacBook Pro with a standard M4 chip, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. That makes this model the closest option to a MacBook Air, although its fan will help keep it cooler longer, and you can spend a bit more to up your memory or storage if you want. Plus, the 14.2-inch display on this model isn’t available in the Air series, which only comes in either 13 inches or 15 inches.

If you up your budget to $1,799 ($200 off), you’ll get the faster M4 Pro chip, as well as bump up your memory to 24GB. An extra $350 will double your storage, too, if you find you need to keep a lot of files on your drive at once. Alternatively, paying a total of $2,615 ($284 off) will double your RAM, plus give you a 16.2-inch screen.

Finally, there are three M4 Max models on sale, which will net you the most performance as well as savings. The cheapest one is currently $2,874 ($325 off) and comes with 36GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 14.2-inch screen. For $3,149 ($350 off), you’ll also get you 36GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, but a bigger 16.2-inch screen. The most expensive model is $3,596 ($404 off) and comes with 48GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 16.2-inch screen. That’s likely overkill for most people, but saving over $400 is attractive.

All the above deals are available in two colors, and you’re free to pick either without affecting your price—not always a guarantee in events like these. You can also add three years of AppleCare+ onto any of these deals for an additional charge, although how much the bundle will save you depends on which model you’re buying.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Home Depot extended its 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of its own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment. 

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. 

I love my AirPods Max, but I can rarely recommend them. It’s a shame, because they should be a no-brainer for anyone in the Apple ecosystem: They easily pair with all of your devices, have great noise cancellation (these are my go-to airplane headphones), and they sound fantastic. What’s not to love? Well, the price.

Typically, AirPods Max retail for $549, which makes them among the most expensive consumer-grade headphones you can buy. Comparable headphones in this category run anywhere from $250 to $450, which makes the AirPods Max a tough sell for anyone who isn’t completely tied to the Apple ecosystem. If all you care about is a pair of high-quality on- or over-the-ear headphones, you can opt for something less expensive.

On the eve of Prime Day, however, you can pick up a new pair of AirPods Max for $449.99—$99 off, or 18% off the MSRP. That’s still expensive, no doubt, but it places the headphones at the top of this category range, rather than nearly $100 outside of it—which means I can comfortably say if you’re interested in these headphones, now is a great time to buy.

As far as headphones go, AirPods Max are pretty straightforward. Like other AirPods, when you put them on your head, they automatically connect to your active Apple devices. If you’re listening to music on your Mac, but you pick up your iPhone to watch a video, they’ll automatically switch over to the new active source. You don’t have to live with this feature, but it’s gotten so good in recent years that it’s pretty seamless when working across devices.

The headphones come with excellent noise cancellation, as well as its opposite: Transparency Mode. This feature pumps in sounds through tiny microphones in the AirPods, so you can have a full conversation without needing to take the headphones off. (Even with noise cancellation turned off, AirPods Max can block a decent amount of noise just by being on your head.)

Perhaps my favorite AirPods Max feature, however, is the battery life. These are rated for 20 hours of power at a time, which blows Apple’s other earbuds out of the water. If you make sure to place the AirPods Max in their case in between uses, you’ll find you don’t have to charge them very often. (Though make sure you do use the case, since there’s no way to turn off the AirPods when they’re outside of it.)

Should you buy the new AirPods Max or the original?

You may or may not be aware that these AirPods Max are not the original model Apple released back in 2020. Apple actually refreshed the headphones last September, though you might not know it at first glance. In fact, for the most part, the two AirPods Max versions are almost identical, save for three points: new color choices, USB-C instead of Lightning, and the “ultra low latency” audio option that allows you to listen to lossless content over a wired connection.

Those are all improvements, of course—especially the latter two perks—but for a while there, I was recommending the original pair over the new model. For one, Apple hadn’t yet rolled out the exclusive wired playback features, but for another, you could find the original model at a greater discount than the new pair, especially during events like Prime Day. As long as you could live with Lightning instead of USB-C, you’d save a chunk of change and have roughly the same AirPods Max experience.

Now the situation is different. Not only is the new model better, but the original model seems to be harder to find new. You can pick up an original pair for $399 or less, but it’ll be renewed. If that’s fine with you, go for the savings. But I think $449 isn’t a terrible price for a new, unopened pair of AirPods Max.

Alternatively, consider AirPods Pro

If you’re looking for a high-quality audio experience that similarly works well with the Apple ecosystem, you really can’t go wrong with the AirPods Pro. In fact, they might be better for some people than the AirPods Max, since they have some exclusive features despite the lower price tag. I really wish Apple would add things like Conversation Awareness to AirPods Max, an advanced version of Transparency Mode that automatically reduces your music or audio source when you start talking to someone.

Amazon has a great deal on AirPods Pro ahead of Prime Day, so if the $449.99 is still too large a pill to swallow, give the Pros a look. You’ll get the features you expect—noise cancellation, automatic device switching, high-quality audio—plus more.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

Home Depot extended their 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of their own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment.

Renovating, remodeling, or building a house can be an incredibly stressful experience. There’s the cost, of course, and the disruption to your life and schedule. But there’s also the lack of control: Once you sign the papers and cut the checks, contractors invade your private space and take over.

What makes this experience worse is that you’re often disadvantaged by their expertise. Yes, that’s why you hired them, but contractors can intimidate (sometimes on purpose) by pummeling you with a lot of jargon and terms that you don’t understand, leveraging their experience and knowledge to push you to agree to their suggestions or to forestall any interference. The best way to defend against this kind of confusion is to know some of the lingo being thrown around. Having these definitions in your head won’t make you an expert, but at least you’ll know what your contractors are talking about.

• Aprons and stools. An “apron” is the trim piece under a window. The “stool” is the flat piece that sits on top, forming the small ledge inside the window.

• Backfill. If your contractor has to dig holes or excavate areas of the property (to install plumbing or other infrastructure), they will backfill the holes with material when they’re done. This is usually dirt or gravel.

• Bearing point. A bearing point is where the load from above (the weight of the house) is transferred to the foundation. Typically, you’ll find a column at bearing points.

• Bearing wall. A load-bearing wall supports the floor above. These walls can’t be easily removed or moved because you must first reinforce the floor above, then install a permanent solution for supporting it (typically a large beam).

• Bib. If you have a garden hose in your backyard, it’s likely connected to a bib, which looks like a faucet.

• Bleeding. Bleeding is the process of letting air escape from pipes. It’s a pretty simple process, but skipping it can result in air pockets that make your plumbing knock and sputter.

• Board foot. This is a calculation of lumber volume, not length. A board foot is a piece of lumber that is 1 inch thick and 12 inches square, for 144 cubic inches. It’s mainly used to estimate the amount of lumber needed for a project and is rarely used in a residential project—but if it is, now you know what it means.

• Bullnose. Any rounded edge on a finished part of the house. Most typically you’ll hear this in reference to countertops or tile.

• Cantilever. A cantilever is a beam or joist that extends out beyond the wall in order to support an extension. This is often a balcony or bump-out that has no foundation of its own.

• Casing, trim, molding. While there are technical differences between casing, trim, and molding, in general these terms all refer to the decorative pieces used to cover gaps around windows and doors and between walls and floors or ceilings. Contractors sometimes use these terms interchangeably.

• Chase. A chase is a groove cut into a masonry wall intended to act as a channel for pipes or wires. Usually these channels are intended to be covered over, and cutting them into the wall allows for the covering to rest flush.

• Cladding. This is a layer of material attached to the exterior of the house that isn’t load-bearing. Its essential functions are decorative and protective, shielding the home’s structure from the elements. Stucco is an example of cladding on a home.

• Clean-out. A clean-out is an access point in a pipe. It’s usually a cap with a square top, and they’re designed to give you easier access to the pipe in case it’s blocked, making it easier to clean out the clog.

• Control/expansion joint. When you have a poured concrete floor, heat and other factors can cause it to shift, expand, contract, or crack. An expansion joint is put in place to separate slabs, allowing them to shift independently instead of stressing adjacent slabs. A control joint is cut into the pour and helps prevent cracking.

• Coping. Coping is a material used to cap off a masonry wall. Its primary functions are decorative as well as water resistance—the coping prevents rain from entering the wall while giving it a finished look.

• Corner bead. This is the metal, plastic, or vinyl piece that’s fitted over drywall corners prior to mudding and taping. It reinforces the drywall and gives it a clean, precise finish.

• Door leaf. The door “leaf” is what most of us think of as the door itself—the big panel that swings on the hinges. Most doors are single-leaf doors. Double doors are technically double-leaf doors, and if only one leaf has a latch it’s known as the “active leaf.” Folding doors can have multiple leaves.

• Drip cap. This is a piece of flashing that’s installed over windows and doors to direct rainwater to either side so it literally doesn’t drip on you. It should always be installed.

• Envelope. Your home’s “envelope” is a combination of materials and structures that seal it off from the outside. It includes walls, windows, doors, and the roof, among other elements. Anything that compromises the envelope should be avoided unless there’s a solid plan for re-establishing it.

• Fascia and soffit. These terms are part of the roof system on your house. The fascia is a broad-faced board that runs along the bottom of the roof and helps repel water while providing an attachment point for your gutters. The soffit is the flat structure underneath the fascia, and also helps keep water out of the ho

• Fishing wire. When an electrician has to install wiring behind an existing wall, they call the process of getting it from one point to the other “fishing” the wire because it resembles reeling in a fish.

• Flashing. Flashing is any material used to prevent water intrusion into a home. Some flashing is installed under other materials, like window flashing. Some flashing, like drip caps, are installed on the exterior of the home.

• Floor area ratio. This is a calculation used in zoning that defines how much floor space can be constructed on a lot. For example, if the floor area ratio of your property is 2.0 and the lot is 1,000 square feet, you can build a structure (or multiple structures) with a total square footage (not counting unoccupied areas like unfinished basements) of 2,000 square feet.

• Joists and rafters. Rafters are the beams that form the structure of your roof. Sometimes these are exposed in an attic, sometimes they’re hidden behind drywall (typically in flat roof systems). Joists are the horizontal beams that support the floors in your home.

• Millwork. Millwork typically refers to trim and casing pieces that come pre-worked and ready to install.

• Plate, header, studs. These are the three main terms to know about wall framing. When framing a wood wall, a bottom plate is the board (typically a 2×4) placed on top of the floor, a top plate runs along the ceiling, and the studs form the “guts” of the wall (a “king stud” is a pair of 2x4s). A header is the horizontal framing at the top of windows and doors, designed to support the load from above.

• Punch list. A final list of minor fixes and changes that must be completed before the project is considered completed. Punch list items should not be major repairs. This becomes more important as you approach the end of the work, as the punch list is often your last chance to get things corrected before your contractor takes final payment and moves on.

• Return. The return vent pulls air from your home and brings it back to the furnace or air conditioner to be heated or cooled and then recirculated.

• Ripping boards. If your contractor starts talking about ripping boards, they don’t mean vandalism. They mean cutting it lengthwise to lessen its width.

• Rough-in. Plumbing and electrical rough-ins are the fundamental pipes and wiring running through the house, without final connections or fixtures. Sometimes rough-ins are left for future upgrades; this often happens in unfinished basements, where plumbing rough-ins for future bathrooms can sometimes be found.

• Setback. This is the minimum distance between a structure and a property line, another building, or a road. It’s common for municipalities to require a certain amount of open space between the rear of your house and the property line, for example. This can limit the size of additions or other changes to the property.

• Takeoff. A takeoff is a detailed list of the materials needed for your project, how much of each is needed, and the specifications for each. It’s crucial that what’s used in your project matches the takeoff.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know.

I usually feel pretty good about myself when I can save $40 to $50 on Amazon Prime Day sales—what a bargain hunter!—but $250 saved is next level. Let that savings be on a Vitamix blender. It’s one of the most helpful kitchen appliances you can get your hands on, and you can nab one before the official Prime Day sales start tomorrow.

The Vitamix Propel Series 750 is in, what I would consider, Vitamix’s middle model line. It’s the sweet spot between the affordability of the Explorian series and the powerful motor of the Ascent series. For context, the Ascent has a 2.2 horsepower motor and so does the Propel 750, while the Explorian has an unnoticeably weaker (in my opinion) motor at 2 horsepower. (You can read more here about my tests and full reviews on the Vitamix Ascent X5 and the Explorian E310.)

Normally, the Vitamix Propel 750 would retail for $629.95, which is pretty damn near the price of the top-line Ascent series. It has a lot of perks and presets, but let’s be honest, that’s pretty out of budget for a lot of folks. Right now, it’s on sale for $379.95. Still a big price tag, but if you’ve been meaning to get a Vitamix then this could be the difference you’ve been waiting for. It’s 40% off, making it nearly the same price as the cheapest Vitamix blender. Considering that even basic brands offer blenders for over $150 with literally half as much horsepower, this Vitamix sale is significant.

The Propel 750 comes with its four most popular presets (nut butters, soups, frozen desserts, and smoothies) and 10 seamlessly variable speed levels. Personally, I’m smitten with the Vitamix’s capabilities. The blenders I’ve tested are impressively powerful and a snap to clean—even more so with the Propel’s automatic cleaning setting. You can read about all the soups, puddings, and desserts I’ve whipped up in mine. 

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Home Depot extended its 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of its own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment. 

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

I replace the security cameras around my home with alarming frequency in order to test and write about new models (a fact I don’t share with neighbors, because I find their suspicion amusing). As such, I am often asked by friends what brand I recommend, and Reolink is one of the brands that gets my stamp of approval. Right now, several of Reolink’s cameras are on sale, making it a great time to snag one if you’ve been on the lookout.

Increasingly, the ability to skip another monthly fee is a major factor in my security camera recommendations, and that’s one of the reasons I like Reolink. Its cameras offer a number of backup hubs, so if you prefer to skip a subscription, you certainly can. Reolink cameras also offer POE (power over Ethernet) options, as well as cameras with static IPs, both of which can significantly increase the security of your cameras. (PoE ensures consist power and internet; static IPs make it easier to secure the connection to your camera, thus making it harder to hack.)

I always advise going with a PTZ camera

Point/tilt/zoom cameras (PTZ) allow you to use your phone as a remote control for your camera, so you gain a much larger field of view over fixed focal point cameras. The Argus PT is a fantastic example, with a camera that can rotate 360 degrees, offers 8MP color night vision, and auto tracking to follow your pets or strangers around the yard. Use the coupon on the product page for $28 off the regular price of $139.99.

If you’re really suspicious and need to track more than one pet or person at the same time, Reolink has a dual tracking model. The on page coupon will take $28 off the $169.99 price.

Get a video doorbell that works with your smart cameras

There are some brands of video doorbells so good that I’ve been known to keep a whole separate app and subscription just for the doorbell. This year, I decided that was absurd and I’ve been incredibly happy since—now I use one system for the whole home, including the doorbell. This allows the system to track people or pets from one camera to another, and I can easily access all the feeds in one place. If you’re in the Reolink ecosystem, this 2K wired doorbell comes with its own smart chime. An on-page coupon will knock 20% off its regular price of $109.99.

When you need a lot of storage and incredible detail

The Reolink Duo, another camera included in the sale, isn’t PTZ, but it’s still a good option. The camera’s focus remains fixed, so you never miss a second of what happens in the field of vision, which is still pretty wide, at 180 degrees. This camera also doubles the detail of the Argus models, with a full 16mp UHD. Another notable perk: up to 512GB of storage on board, so you don’t have to delete clips every few days. Normally $189.99, a $45 off coupon can be stacked with an additional 5% off coupon, both on the page.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Home Depot extended its 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of its own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment. 

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. 

Prices have already begun to drop on Garmin fitness watches for Amazon’s Prime Day sale (which officially begins tomorrow, July 8). One of the best deals so far is Garmin’s Forerunner 955, an older model with advanced functionality that keeps it relevant even though the company has released flashier models. The 955 is on sale today for $349.99, the lowest price I’ve ever seen for this watch.

I’ve written here why I think the 955 and its less-premium sibling the 255 are Garmin’s best value watches. Their features and internals are nearly identical to the newer 965 and 265, but at a significantly lower price. And even though Garmin has technically replaced them with the 970 and 570, the older 955 and 255 are still available for sale at steeply discounted prices. The 955 is $349.99 today, down from an original price of $599.99. 

The 955’s features include: 

• Full-color maps, including topographic and street-level views.

• Up to 15 days of battery life.

• Multi-band GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and Beidou location systems.

• A touchscreen, with the reflective, always “on” MIP display. (More about display types here.)

• Tons of analytics, including an endurance score, hill score, heat acclimation score, training status, and race time predictions.

• Daily suggested workouts for running and cycling.

• Plus all the usual features a fitness watch has these days: sleep tracking, heart rate, notifications, etc.

The 255 is also worth a mention, since it’s a steal at $199.99. It has all the basic smartwatch and training features of the 955, but without the touchscreen and full-color maps. It’s also missing some of the more advanced analytics, like the endurance score and hill score. But it still has highly accurate location and distance readings and all the other good stuff. If you’re looking for a budget running watch, I’d recommend this over a 165 or even a 265, given the combination of price and features. 

Other Garmins that are already on sale: 

• Epix Pro (gen 2), Sapphire Edition is $609.99, down from an original price of $1,099.99. This is a high-end sports and running watch, with an LED flashlight, ECG, sapphire glass, titanium bezel, AMOLED display, and up to 31-day battery life.

• Vivoactive 5 is $190.99, down from an original price of $299.99 and a more typical recent price of $229.99. This is the older version of Garmin’s most underrated watch, a casual lifestyle watch with easy-to-use fitness features.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Home Depot extended their 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of their own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment. 

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Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. 

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Not all Prime Day deals are open to just anybody. Since 2023, some of the best deals in Amazon’s annual sale are invite-only—you have to sign up for them in advance of the sale going live, and hope you get chosen to receive the discount. These deals have become a common fixture for Amazon’s major sales, including last fall’s Prime Big Deal Days. With Prime Day 2025 kicking off on July 8, you can expect to see more invite-only deals popping up around the site. Here’s how to find and sign up for them, so you have a fighting chance at taking advantage of some great offers.

Who is eligible for Prime Day invite-only deals

Only a select number of products will be invite-only deals. You’ll be able to spot them via an “invite-only” banner visible on the product page. As Amazon explains, you must be a Prime Member to sign up for the invite-only deals. What you’re doing is essentially requesting an invitation to purchase the deal, which will come by email.

Here are the steps to sign up:

1. Find an “Invite-Only Prime Deal” that you want to purchase. You can find these deals listed on the Deals page once Prime Day begins.

2. Navigate to the product detail page.

3. Select “Request Invite.” If you are not a Prime member, sign up for Prime to be able to request an invite.

4. You will receive an email notification confirming that you requested an invite. The confirmation will be sent to the email that is on your Amazon account. If you don’t have an email on your account, add one by navigating to Your Account > Login > Security.

How to know if you were approve for an invite-only deal

Keep in mind that just because you requested an invitation doesn’t mean you’ll receive one. If you are selected, you’ll receive both a push notification in the Amazon app and email notifying you during the sale. If you’re not selected, Amazon will also let you know you didn’t get one. You can only buy one of the products that you were invited for, but you can request as many different product invitations as you want. The invitation will last as long as Prime Day lasts (four days this year), or as long as there is stick remaining.

Invite-only deals are usually some of Prime Day’s most impressive offerings. Last year, for example, Amazon sold a 43-inch 4K Smart Fire TV for just $99, and you’ll likely see similar deals this year.

Here are more tips to shop smartly for Prime Day, using Alexa to remind you about deals to signing up for deal alerts so you receive notifications related to your Amazon searches and recently viewed items.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Home Depot extended their 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of their own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment. 

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 is here from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. 

With Amazon Prime Day imminent—this year’s extended sale runs July 8 through July 11—you might be practicing self-control in the days leading up to the annual shopping holiday, hoping to save your dollars for the best bargains.

Well, I’m happy to report that you can throw caution to the wind a bit early: Amazon already has some great deals on kitchen appliances. Here are my favorite deals paving the way for Prime Day. 

The best early Prime Day deals on multi-cookers

Under $100: The Instant Pot brand has been holding their own holiday sale for the past few days, and this Instant Pot 9-in-1 Duo Plus multi-cooker is a downright bargain at the moment. It’s $69.99, which is 50% off of its regular retail price of $139.99. It’s the six-quart model which is a great size for larger families, or folks who like to meal prep multiple servings at the beginning of the week. 

Splurge sale option: The Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 multi-cooker for $99.99. It’s 41% off the retail price of $169.99. For $30 more than the Duo right now, this appliance has greater functionality, more presets, and monitoring capabilities via the Instant Pot app. 

The best early Prime Day deals on stand mixers

A good quality stand mixer should be able to do all the hard work for you with kneading dough, whipping cream, and beating butter—and it should do it for years. With that in mind, these heavy-duty appliances aren’t cheap. However, this Instant brand stand mixer gets about as close to cheap as possible without being suspicious. On sale right now for $169.99 (43% off of $299.99), this mixer has 10 speeds, and unlike most stand mixers, you can actually program the speed and duration for it to mix. That’s pretty fancy.

Splurge sale option: The Cuisinart 5.5-quart stand mixer is a brand I trust for numerous kitchen appliances and quality cooking gear. This stand mixer is $234.94 right now, 22% off of the normal retail price of $299.95, and it comes with a three-year warranty. 

The best early Prime Day deals on air fryers

Under $100: Instant Pot again? Listen, if it weren’t a good piece of equipment, I wouldn’t cover it. The Instant Vortex air fryer is my go-to air fryer, and right now it’s 44% off, selling for $89.99. It’s powerful, heats evenly, it’s incredibly easy to operate, anda breeze to clean. Still not sold? Read my glowng review and see how it stacks up against other great air fryers that I tested.

Under $50: For $49.99 you can get a less flashy air fryer that will get the job done. The Dash 2.6-quart isn’t huge and it doesn’t come with fancy preset cooking options, but you can set the time and temperature, and that’s all a petite countertop convection oven needs to offer to crisp up some fries or reheat last night’s fried chicken. 

The best early Prime Day deals on blenders

Splurge sale option: As a highly respected name in the kitchen game, Breville products would never be described as “cheap” but you can describe this one as “on sale.” The Breville Commercial Super Q Pro is currently $499.99, or 17% off. This model has five preset programs, and includes two blender containers so you can swap them out while the other is in use.

Under $100: The Breville is the splurge option, so here’s a blender that might fit your budget better. The Ninja Blender is 27% off right now, for a more manageable $79.99. I’ve always found Ninja appliances to be effective and high-quality, so this blender should be an excellent helper in your kitchen.

Under $50: While they aren’t as versatile as a stand-alone blender, for years I effectively blended everything from single servings of whipped cream to protein smoothies, chunky salsas to large batches of velvety broccoli soup using only an immersion blender. A good immersion blender is the best-kept secret for a chef on a budget. The Braun Immersion Blender is 29% off for $49.95. 

The best early Prime Day deals on coffee Makers

I’m an insufferable coffee snob most days (here’s my favorite pour over vessel, if you’re looking) but I’ve also been known to pop a Nespresso from time to time. Breville teamed up with Nespresso to bring you a compact espresso maker and it’s 35% off right now, at $110.47. 

Under $100: If you like to have more variety with hot and cold coffees and you don’t mind a splash of self-expression, the pistachio-colored Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ might even be a better deal for you. It can brew all the same types of coffee as the above, in addition to making 12-ounce serving sizes.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Home Depot extended their 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of their own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment.