With Amazon Prime Day happening on October 13 and 14 this year, people want to know if they should make their purchases now or hold out for Black Friday.
Since its launch in 2015, Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale has improved steadily for tech bargain hunters. You can scoop up some genuinely good deals—in fact, last year was the first time you could build a whole gaming PC with Prime Day finds. But 2020 has upended all regular expectations, including Prime Day’s timing. (Normally, it’s held in July.) Since October 13 and 14 fall so close to Black Friday, a lot of people have asked: Should I buy during Prime Day or wait for November’s sales? The answer varies—here’s how to figure it out for your situation. Our general advice is to buy when you need it, at the best price you can get. But for those keen on scoring major savings, ask yourself this series of questions: Urgency plays the biggest role in how fast to spend your cash. Delivery times have improved greatly since the beginning of the pandemic, but it can still take a bit longer for shipments to arrive. Calculate how long you can wait for packages to determine if you want to bite the bullet now or hold out. People with an eye on, say, a particular Sony TV model or Gigabyte Z390 motherboard have to be more conservative about passing up deals. Amazon often says that its best Prime Day offerings are unique, and that can be true for specific items. So if you see the exact Canon camera lens on your wishlist at a steep discount, you’re better off buying now. (Assuming, of course, having one in hand is more important to you than saving the absolute most money possible.) Having your heart set on an exact item leaves you less leeway for passing on a deal, should one pop up.
