With Amazon Prime Day less than a week away, it’s a good time to start thinking about the things you’ll want to look for once the deal wave hits. Everything from gadgets to clothes to household necessities will be on sale during the 48-hour event, and if you’re a Prime member, you’ll have access to all of the deals on Amazon’s site. Engadget will be surfacing all of the best tech deals we can find – both on Amazon and elsewhere – but there are some important things to know ahead of time so you can get exactly what you want out of this year’s Prime Day.

When is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day 2022 will begin at 12AM PT on Tuesday, July 12, and it will end 11:59PM PT on Wednesday, July 13. The two-day shopping event will surface exclusive deals for Prime members, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of any of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial now and participate in the event.

If you don’t pay for Prime and have no intention of doing so, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day for sales that are available to all shoppers. Plus, other retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Target will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too.

Amazon Prime Day deals

Amazon Prime Day may officially be only two days, but for the past few years, the company has started pushing out deals well before the official event kicks off. That’s true this year, too. You can find a number of items on sale right now as part of early Prime Day sales. Unsurprisingly, some of the best early deals are on Amazon devices like Eero routers, Fire TVs and more.

Speaking of, Prime Day is the best time of year to pick up Amazon gadgets. You can safely bet on things like Echo speakers, Kindle e-readers and Fire TV devices to be at record-low prices for Prime Day, so if you’ve had your eye on one of those items, now’s the time to get it. Prime Day is only matched by Black Friday in its discounts, so while that means you will likely have another chance to get that smart speaker for dirt cheap, it probably won’t be until the holiday shopping season.

Make no mistake, Amazon gadgets will not be the only items discounted on Prime Day. You’ll find clothes, shoes, household items, appliances, accessories and more on sale, but here at Engadget, we’ll naturally be focusing on electronics. We expect this year’s Prime Day to be like last year’s, in that it will bring big discounts on headphones, earbuds, gaming accessories, SSDs and microSD cards, robot vacuums and more.

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It’s also worth mentioning the types of deals you can expect to see on Prime Day. Some deals will be live for the entire 48 hours, while others will be day one- or day two-only sales. Those are the hardest to predict, since Amazon usually does not give any indication how long a given sale will last. Our recommendation is to buy the things you’re most keen on as soon as you see them drop in price – that will ensure you get it while the discount is available, and while the item is still in stock.

You can also expect to see some flash sales happen during Prime Day. Thankfully, these are typically clearly labeled with the amount of time remaining to grab the deal noted on the product page. In our experience, only a handful of these flash sales are actually worth your money, but if you see something that’s been on your wishlist drop in price for the next few hours, it’s in your best interest to grab it immediately.

How to prep for Prime Day

We’ve alluded to this already, but it’s best to go into Amazon Prime Day as prepared as possible. That essentially means knowing exactly what you want to look for so you stay focused and avoid distractions. The whole of Amazon.com will be overwhelming on Prime Day, so the less time you spend aimlessly browsing, the more your wallet will thank you later.

Two simple things you can do ahead of Prime Day are make a list and bookmark a price tracker. For the former, take note of the most important items you want to pick up on Prime Day. You can either do this the old-fashioned way on a sticky note, or you can use Amazon’s wish list feature. For the latter, add the items you want to buy on Prime Day to your wish list (or, even better, make a dedicated wishlist with only your Prime Day desirables) and return to that list during the shopping event. Not only will you have everything you want all in one place, but you’ll also be able to see which of those items are cheaper on Prime Day than they were when you originally added them to your list.

As for the price tracker, sites like CamelCamelCamel let you monitor the price of specific items on Amazon. You can check out price history charts on the site and you can make your own price drop alerts, receiving emails when something you want gets a discount. CamelCamelCamel also has some browser extensions you can download so you don’t have to navigate away from a product page to check its price history.

We know that not everyone – not even every Prime member – will be flocking to Amazon during Prime Day. Whether you find such blatant displays of consumerism off putting or you simply don’t want to give Amazon more of your money, there are plenty of reasons why you might be skipping Prime Day all together. But that doesn’t mean you have to skip all of the sales that will be happening on July 12th and 13th. Retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others will all have competing Prime Day sales and many of them will match sales you’ll find on Amazon. We recommend checking them out if you want to pick up a couple of things for less without spending money on Amazon.

Engadget will be covering both days of Prime Day, so if you have a lot of tech on your to-buy list, be sure to check back here on Prime Day for the best tech sales we could find. We’ll be sure to include gadgets from across the board – from headphones to robot vacuums to gaming gear – plus the best “anti-Prime Day” deals you can find from other retailers. You can also follow the @EngadgetDeals Twitter account and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter to stay up to date on the latest discounts. The volume of deals will be daunting, but we sift through them all and pick out the best ones to make Prime Day a bit easier for you.

A new sale at Wellbots knocks the Fitbit Charge 5 down to the best price we've seen it. The GPS-toting fitness band is on sale for $110, or $40 off its usual price, when you use the code ENGDTRUN40 at checkout. If you want something more advanced, Fitbit's Sense smartwatch is $120 off and down to $180 when you use the code ENGDTRUN120 at checkout.

The Charge 5 is Fitbit's most capable fitness tracker and it earned a score of 82 from us. It's pretty similar to the Charge 4 that came before it, but it now has a full color touchscreen with an always-on mode that will make it easier to glance down at the time and activity information on your watch screen. It's also 10 percent thinner than its predecessor, making it even more low-profile than before and, more importantly, more subtle than many smartwatches.

The Charge 5 is a good option for those that prefer the band style but don't want to compromise when it comes to fitness chops. It has a built-in GPS for mapping outdoor workouts, plus an all-day heart rate monitor as well. It tracks activity and sleep while you're wearing it, and it comes with Fitbit Pay as a standard feature, which means you can go out for a coffee after your run and pay using NFC tech.

Bands like the Charge 5 also tend to have better battery lives than their smartwatch counterparts. In fact, the Charge 5 lasted about 2.5 days in our testing with the screen in always-on mode. That's already more than you'll get out of most smartwatches, but if you turn off the always-on feature, you'll get a total of five days of life out of the wearable.

But if you're willing to spend a bit more, Fitbit's Sense smartwatch has a few extra features you won't find on the Charge 5. You'll get stress tracking with EDA sensors, plus blood oxygen and skin temperature monitoring. It's the most advanced smartwatch that the company makes, and since it typically costs $300, it's worth considering while you can get it for more than $100 off.

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With early Prime Day deals in full swing, Amazon has discounted one of its more niche devices for Prime members. The Glow, Amazon's interactive video-call and projector device, is down to $150 ahead of Prime Day, which is 55 percent off its normal price. That's also the best price we've seen on the gadget since it became widely available in the US earlier this year.

The unique device combines an 8-inch LCD display with a projector that creates a 19-inch touch-sensitive surface in front of it. This allows kids to play games using the projected touch screen while video chatting with parents or other loved ones, who can also see the play surface and what the kids are doing. Adults can also join in on the games via their own smartphones or tablets. The Glow comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, too, which includes a bunch of compatible games for the device.

While admittedly a niche device, the Glow could be a good solution for parents who don't mind their kids playing digital games but would prefer something more interactive than what a standard tablet could offer. Kids can interact with things like digital storybooks with animations, card games, puzzles and more, and create digital art as well. The Glow also works with Tangram Bits, which are physical pieces that kids can use to solve digital puzzles projected in front of them by the device.

The Glow is likely a bit of a hard sell at its normal price of $330, but Prime members may find it more enticing while on sale like this. At $150, it's currently cheaper than picking up a Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet, but that could change if you're willing to wait until Prime Day proper, when it's likely that most of Amazon's kid-centric tablets will be discounted, too.

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A bunch of Amazon devices are starting to go on sale for Prime members ahead of the two-day shopping event next week, and that includes the company's most powerful streaming device. The Fire TV Cube has now been discounted to $60 for Prime members, which is $10 cheaper than its previous all-time low. Amazon appears to be staggering out its early Prime Day deals because the Fire TV Cube is one of two streaming gadgets on sale right now, the other being the Fire TV Stick 4K, which is $10 off and down to $40 for everyone — not just Prime members.

The Fire TV Cube is Amazon's most capable streamer, with support for 4K content, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR10+. It also works as an Alexa speaker as well with its built-in mics. Not only can you ask Alexa to look up TV shows and movies you want to watch, but you can also ask the voice assistant to do things like control smart lights, add things to your shopping list and more. The Cube is the only Fire TV device that has hands-free Alexa support, making it a good option for those that want a new streaming device and basic virtual assistant features in one device.

If you're looking for something more portable, or just an even more budget-friendly device, the Fire TV Stick 4K is a good option. Like the Fire TV Cube, it also supports 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos support. However, its dongle-like design makes it easy to toss in a bag before you go on vacation or ever so slightly easier to install on your aging TV. It also supports voice commands via the Alexa remote that comes with it.

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Between the July 4th holiday and Amazon Prime Day coming up in a couple of weeks, there are a bunch of tech deals available right now. Solo Stove's Independence Day sale knocks up to 45 percent off fire pits, while our favorite ThermoWorks food thermometer is down to only $79. Early Prime Day sales bring Eero 6 router packs and Blink security camera kits down to record-low prices, and you can still pick up a Google Nest WiFi router for as low as $115. Here are the best 4th of July tech sales we could find.

Apple Watch Series 7

Engadget

Most colors of the Apple Watch Series 7 are down to $329 at Amazon, or $80 off their normal price. This is our current favorite smartwatch and we gave it a score of 90 for its larger display, faster charging and handy watchOS features.

Amazon Eero 6

Jon Fingas/Engadget

Amazon has discounted most Eero 6 systems ahead of Prime Day. If you're a Prime member, you can snag the Eero 6 WiFi system for as low as $71, the Eero 6+ for as little as $90, the Eero Pro 6 starting at $148 and the Eero Pro 6E for only $179. These are some of the best prices we've seen on all of these WiFi 6 systems, especially for the Eero 6+ and Eero Pro 6E, both of which just came out earlier this year.

Echo Show 5 + Ring Doorbell bundle

Amazon

Today is the last day Prime members can get a bundle with the Echo Show 5 and the Ring Video Doorbell for only $85. That's 54 percent off what the pack would normally cost, so this is a solid deal if you're looking to add another level of security to your home. The smart doorbell will show you who's outside your home and the Echo Show 5 can show you the feed from the doorbell's camera.

Google Nest WiFi

Daniel Cooper

A number of Google Nest WiFi packs are on sale right now. You can pick up one router for $115 or a three-pack with one router and two access points for $199. We like this system for its minimalist design, easy setup and built-in Google Assistant smart speaker.

Solo Stove

Solo Stove's latest sale knocks up to 45 percent off fire pits, so you can grab one for as low as $200. The Ranger is the cheapest of the bunch, followed by the midsized Bonfire for $220. Both of those are fairly portable, but if you want the biggest possible fire pit for your backyard, you can pick up the 38-pound Yukon for $400.

Sonos refurbished sale

Kyle Maack/Engadget

Sonos has discounted a bunch of refurbished devices again, bringing many of them down to the best prices we've seen. A refurbished Arc soundbar is $360 off and down to $540 while the refurbished Sonos One SL is on sale for $119.

Samsung 980 Pro (1TB)

Samsung

Samsung's 980 Pro SSD is 33 percent off and down to $140, which is one of the best prices we've seen. It earned a spot in our PS5 SSD guide for its reliability, compact, M.2 form factor and read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s. You will need a heatsink to use it with the PS5, but you can grab a bundle that includes one with the drive for only $170.

Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras

Amazon

Prime members can save big on Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras ahead of Prime Day. The Indoor camera kits start at $55 while the Outdoor kits start at $60. Plus, the Blink Mini wired security camera is on sale for $30 while the Blink Video Doorbell is down to only $35.

Anova Precision Cooker Nano

Anova

Anova's Precision Cooker Nano sous vide machine is on sale for $99 right now, or 34 percent off its normal rate. This machine earned a spot on our list of favorite kitchen gadgets because it combines affordability and precision in a compact package. It can also connect via Bluetooth to your phone so you can control temperature and time settings from within its app.

ThermoWorks Thermapen One

ThermoWorks

The red, white and blue colors of the Thermapen One are down to $79 for the Independence Day holiday. This is one of our favorite instant-read thermometers for cooking thanks to its fast readings, improved accuracy and bright display.

Wahoo Fitness sale

Rafael Astorga / Wahoo

In a rare sale, Wahoo Fitness has knocked up to 25 percent off its devices, from pedals to full bikes. You can pick up pedals for as low as $120, while the Elemnt Bolt bike computer is down to $240 and the Kickr smart trainer is on sale for $960.

Satechi July 4th sale

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Through July 4th, you can get 20 percent off sitewide at Satechi with the code JULY20 at checkout. That makes it a good time to grab a USB-C hub for your laptop, a new wireless keyboard or a charging stand for your phone.

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Sonos has discounted many of its refurbished speakers to some of the best prices we've seen. A refurbished Arc will set you back just about $540, which is a whopping $360 cheaper than a brand new model. The Sonos Five, one of our favorite music-focused speakers, normally costs $549, but a refurbished model is on sale for just over $373, so you can save about $175. And if you're looking to get your first Sonos speaker, we recommend the Sonos One SL, which you can pick up refurbished for only $119.

You might be hesitant to buy a refurbished gadget, and that's why it's important to check out the conditions of a company's refurbished program before doing so. Sonos includes all necessary accessories, manuals and replacement parts with its refurbished devices, and they come with the same one-year warranty as new items, too. Considering how expensive it can get to build your dream home entertainment system (whether with all Sonos devices or not), going the refurbished route is a good option if you're on a budget.

The Sonos Arc soundbar is one of our favorites and we gave it a score of 85 when it first came out. We like its modern design, excellent sound quality, support for Dolby Atmos and directional audio, plus its ability to recalibrate to your living room when you add additional speakers into the mix. The Sonos Five, on the other hand, is really for music lovers and those who want the best audio quality possible. We also appreciate its simple setup process and how easily it can be added to existing Sonos systems.

Alternatively, the Sonos One SL is a good option for those who don't have a sound system in place yet. It's the microphone-free version of the Sonos One, which means it's also good for those who don't care to have a virtual assistant speaker in their homes. It has a compact yet attractive design, great sound quality, WiFi and AirPlay 2 support, and stereo audio capabilities when you pair two of them together. Plus, it's one of the cheaper options you can get from Sonos — a brand new one costs $199, which isn't bad, but grabbing a refurbished model for $119 is even better.

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If you're looking to experiment more in the kitchen, sous vide cooking could be a way to do that. Anova makes a couple of WiFi-connected sous vide machines that we like, and our favorite, the Precision Cooker Nano, is back on sale for $99. That's 34 percent off and one of the best prices we've seen it, making it a good time to grab the entry-level device.

You'll need a couple of things to give sous vide a try, but the one that you probably don't already have at home is a machine like the Nano. This method of cooking involves putting food in a sealable bag and then cooking it in a water bath. Devices like the Nano constantly circulate that water while keeping it at a precise temperature so your food comes out perfectly done, not over- or undercooked.

Anova's Precision Cooker Nano earned a spot on our list of favorite kitchen gadgets because it combines affordability and precision in a compact device. Normally priced at $149, the Nano comes in at only 1.7 pounds and its small enough to fit in your kitchen's utensil drawer. It uses 750 watts of power to heat water for up to 3,000 hours before you'll need to recharge it, so you'll be able to conduct a number of sous vide tests before it needs more juice.

The Nano has onboard controls that you can use to adjust temperature and timing, or you can connect it via Bluetooth to your phone and do so via its companion mobile app. Unlike more expensive Anova machines, the Nano doesn't connect via WiFi, and it also has a fixed clamp that attaches to your cooking pot, rather than an adjustable one. Aside from those features, the biggest differences between the Nano and Anova's standard Precision Cooker lie in wattage and size. But we think the Nano is a great option for all home cooks, and sous vide newbies will find it especially easy to use.

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Amazon has brought back a great price on the Apple Watch Series 7. The 41mm blue model is on sale for $312 right now, or $87 off its normal price. That's close to the all-time-low price we've seen on the Series 7, but the best prices vary depending on your choice of color. If blue isn't your style, the midnight, starlight and green models are on sale for $329 each at the moment, too.

The Series 7 wasn't a huge departure from the Series 6 that came before it, but Apple did make a few key updates. First and foremost, the Series 7 has more screen space, making it easier to see text and graphics. It's also the first Apple Watch that's IP6X dust resistant, so it's a bit more durable than previous models. Finally, it supports faster charging that can power up the wearable from 0 to 100 in less than an hour.

Otherwise, the Series 7 shares most of the same features with the previous edition. It has an always-on display, built-in GPS, heart rate monitor, ECG tool and blood oxygen measurement capabilities, along with things like fall detection, Emergency SOS and more. Our biggest gripe with it is that its sleep tracking abilities are a bit lackluster. It mostly tracks how long you slept the night before as well as respiration rate, but you'll get much more information from competing devices from the likes of Fitbit, Garmin and others. Nevertheless, we still consider the Apple Watch Series 7 to be the best smartwatch available right now. 

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If you've had any Blink cameras on your to-buy list, you're in luck. Amazon has discounted both the Indoor and Outdoor versions of its compact, wireless security cameras for Prime members, so you can get a Blink Indoor one-camera pack for $55 and a Blink Outdoor one-camera bundle for $60. The wired Blink Mini has also dropped in price to $30, while the Blink Video Doorbell has been discounted to only $35.

Blink cameras are affordable options for those that want some kind of security camera network keeping watch over their home. Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras share most of the same features: they record 1080p video and support infrared night vision, two-way audio, motion alerts and temperature monitoring. As the name suggests, the Blink Outdoor devices have a weather-resistant design, so you can mount them over your front door, above your garage and in any other outdoor space you want to monitor.

Arguably the best thing about Blink cameras is their wireless design. Neither the Indoor nor Outdoor devices need to be plugged in, rather they run on two AA batteries each and communicate wirelessly to the Blink Sync Module. That gives you much more freedom when it comes to placing these gadgets around your home. Plus, the batteries should last up to two years before you need to replace them.

If you'd rather try the system out before fully diving in, the Blink Mini is a good way to do that. It has all of the features the standard Blink cameras do, but it's wired rather than wireless. While that makes it a bit less versatile, it's hard to argue with a capable security camera that comes in at only $30.

As for the Video Doorbell, it combines the features of a Blink camera with smart doorbell features. Along with two-way audio and motion alert support, it'll record videos in 1080p and you can choose to hardwire it to your existing doorbell system or keep it wireless.

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If you missed Solo Stove's Memorial Day sale, you have another chance to pick up one of the fire pits for less ahead of the July 4th holiday. Solo Stove has knocked up to 45 percent off fire pits again, so you can grab the Ranger for $200, the Bonfire for $220 and the Yukon for $400. These are some of the best prices we've seen on Solo Stove's devices, and if you want to get all of the things you'll need to use the fire pit in your backyard, a number of bundles have also been discounted, too.

We've recommended Solo Stove fire pits a few times in the past as they are solid alternatives to standard fire pits. All of the models actively channel smoke away from you while you're using it thanks to their double-walled design that pulls hot air through vent holes and back into the fire. This keeps flames hot while reducing smoke and creating fine ashes.

Two out of the three Solo Stove models are also fairly portable, so you can bring them with you on a camping trip or to a party without much hassle. The 38-pound Yukon, however, is probably best left in a semi-permanent spot in your backyard. And while you don't need any accessories to use these fire pits, there are some that might make the experience even better. For example, the essential bundle includes the fire pit of your choice plus a stand and lid. The backyard bundle includes all of those things, too, plus a shield that keeps pops and embers from escaping and a weather-resistant cover.

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