Best early Amazon Prime Day deals 2025: Our 35+ favorite sales ahead of October

Amazon just confirmed that its Prime Big Deal Days sale — also known as October Prime Day — will return Oct. 7-8. It’s one of the first sales to kick off the 2025 holiday shopping season. You can expect to find discounts sitewide on tech, home, and more, including deals on Amazon-exclusive products like Fire TVs and Echo devices.

Also: Everything you need to know about Prime Big Deal Days

- Advertisement -

As ZDNET’s experts, we cover deals 24/7, and we’ve learned a thing or two about finding the best offers to share with you. Amazon and competing retailers tend to inflate prices to make deals and discounts look greater than they are. That’s why we’ve vetted and curated these deals, featuring ZDNET-tested and recommended products. Here are our favorite picks for the best early October Prime Day deals.

Find Prime Day deals

- Advertisement -

Simplify your streaming with this Amazon Fire TV Stick for 40% off.

- Advertisement -

Charge your devices from the car with ease.

Early October Prime Day deals under $25 Anker’s Nano Power Bank features a foldable USB-C and a small form factor that’s perfect for those on the go.

- Advertisement -

Now is a great time to nab a new USB-C cable and block for under $25.

- Advertisement -

This case isn’t on sale, but for $10 you can’t go wrong.

Early October Prime Day Apple deals ZDNET laptop reviewer Kyle Kucharski recommends the MacBook Air M4 to most people, and it’s finally on sale again.

Our expert recommends the M4 Mac Mini for creatives and professionals alike — especially at this price.

ZDNET reviewer Maria Diaz has tested every iPad model, and still recommends the Mini to most people.

ZDNET reviews editor Kerry Wan says he recently upgraded to the M4 MacBook Pro, and that it’s “totally worth it.”

iPad Air 13-inch M3: $649 (save $150): The larger 13-inch iPad Air M3 (the latest model) features Apple Intelligence, an M3 processor, and some of the best performance our reviewer Maria Diaz says she’s seen on an iPad to date.MacBook Air 13-inch M4: $799 (save $200): Our pick for the best lightweight laptop you can buy, the popular MacBook Air M4 13-inch is on sale for less than $800 — a great buy for students or professionals.AirPods Pro 2: $199 (save $40): The AirPods Pro 2 are no longer the newest model, but they’re discounted and still a solid option if you’re not eyeing the newest features. AirPods Max USB-C: $500 (save $549): The USB-C AirPods Max headphones are $50 off. Apple Watch Series 10, GPS 42mm: $329 (save $70): Last year’s watch model is still available new in box for $70 off. Apple Watch Ultra 2, GPS 49mm: $700 (save $100): Select models of the Ultra 2 are also on sale following the release of the Ultra 3. Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen), GPS 40mm: $179 (save $70): My favorite Apple Watch is still a great pick for kids and new users, and select models are under $200 now. Early October Prime Day laptop deals The smaller yet popular MacBook Air M4 13-inch is on sale for less than $800 — a great buy for students, professionals, and more.

We went hands-on with Dell’s new 14 Plus earlier this year, and praised it for its all-around reliability and performance relative to value.

If you’re looking for a 15-inch laptop with a gorgeous OLED screen, the Vivobook S 15 has a 3K 120Hz display paired with a 12-core Snapdragon X Elite processor for vibrant visuals and fantastic battery life.

Review: Asus Vivobook S 15

Acer’s Swift 14 AI is a versatile laptop for work, school, or home use, covering the basics and a respectable hardware loadout for a midrange price point.

Review: Acer Swift 14 AI

When we tested the Surface laptop last year, it was a surprisingly enjoyable experience backed up by some pretty fantastic battery life.

Review: Microsoft Surface laptop

MacBook Pro M4 14-inch: $1,299 (save $300): ZDNET reviews editor Kerry Wan says he recently upgraded to the M4 MacBook Pro, and that it’s “totally worth it.” HP Envy x360 OmniBook X Flip: $1,010 (save $60): This popular 2-in-1 laptop from HP is on sale for its lowest price in 30 days. Dell Inspiron 16: Dell’s 16-inch Inspiron from 2024 is heavily discounted right now as the manufacturer rolls out its latest lineup.Early October Prime Day phone deals This is not an Amazon deal, but you can save $70 on the 13R at OnePlus with the code BACK2COLLEGE.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G: $175 (save $25): Our tested pick for the best cheap Samsung phone you can buy, the Galaxy A16 5G has all the specs you’d want, including a sizeable 6.5-inch 90Hz AMOLED screen — a rarity in this price range, according to ZDNET reviews editor Kerry Wan.Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station: $83 (save $27): Our expert says Apple users will love this Qi2 charging station, and it just got cheaper. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: $820 (save $400): Amazon is essentially selling the thinnest Samsung phone right now with a free storage upgrade.Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: $933 (save $166): Google’s flagship handset comes with a large 6.7-inch display, a slew of Gemini-enhanced AI features, and a proven camera system.Early October Prime Day tablet deals This is our pick for the best tablet for most people, thanks to its upgraded A16 processor, low price, and a bigger 11-inch Liquid Retina True Tone display.

This midrange Samsung tablet has similar specs to the S10 Ultra, but it’s much cheaper. Plus, it has an updated Dynamic AMOLED display.

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch M4 (7th-gen): $896 (save $104): Apple’s newest iPad Pro is faster than ever, thanks to the new M4 chip that can handle a diverse range of tasks, making it one of our top picks as the best iPad for power users. Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 11-inch: $160 (save $60): With a large screen to watch content, plenty of memory for multi-tasking, and super-fast 5G connectivity, this is a fantastic tablet for work, gaming, or entertainment. Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet: $65 (save $35): This budget Fire tablet just got cheaper. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: $107 (save $37): Save nearly $40 on a Kindle Paperwhite in like-new condition. Early October Prime Day kitchen & household deals Eufy’s X10 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop combination helps superpower your smart home. This model offers powerful 8,000 Pa suction, a dual mop system with auto-lift and carpet detection capabilities, and boosts to obstacle detection and avoidance via smart learning technologies. In addition, the vacuum is self-emptying and drying.

Arlo’s 2K Video Doorbell offers fantastic visual playback, a loud alarm, and customizability in all the ways you’d want. It’s 54% off right now.

Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop: $700 (save $700): Our expert says this is the best robot vacuum model she’s ever used, and right now, it’s on sale for 50% off. Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni: $450 (save $250): Home expert Maria Diaz was impressed that this robot window cleaner actually works, and now it’s on sale.Eufy C10: $200 (save $280): This Eufy robot vacuum has a self-emptying station that can collect debris for up to 60 days. (Lightning deal)Bissell Little Green Portable Cleaner: $100 (save $24): The Little Green can tackle big stains, and it’s on sale. Eufy Omni S1 Pro: $950 (save $550): This powerful robot vacuum expertly navigates carpets and hard floors, leaving the latter as clean as you can get without a mop and bucket.When is October Prime Day 2025? October Prime Day (or Prime Big Deal Days) returns on Tuesday, Oct. 7, and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 8 this year.

Are deals really cheaper on Prime Day? The legitimacy of Prime Day is a hotly debated topic every year. Prime Day does have some legit deals, usually on flagship Amazon products like Fire TVs, Echo devices, Kindles, and more. However, the best way to ensure you’re getting an actually deal is to prepare to shop for offers and use price tracking tools to make sure you don’t fall victim to brands marking up items to “discount’ them later.

How did we choose these October Prime Day deals?ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops.

We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.

More questions? Read our Prime Day guide to discover everything you need to know about Amazon’s October sale event.

Our top Prime Day deals