Everything you need to know about October Prime Day, according to someone who covers it every year

Amazon will host its annual Prime Big Deal Days sale on Oct. 6 and 7. If you're looking to save on fall essentials — or yearning for a break from this year's tech price hikes — the event will be a good opportunity to get some shopping done ahead of the busy holidays.

I've covered Prime Big Deal Days every year since its inception. Here's what you should know about the sale before it starts. (Plus, check out my team's dedicated guide to the best early deals you can score already.)

The best early October Prime Day deals at a glance: Best Prime-exclusive deal Audible (Standard) $0.99/month + free $20 credit with Prime (save $32) Get Deal Best free deal Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $0/month (save $35.97) Get Deal Best deal under $25 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $17.99 (save $32) Get Deal Best deal under $50 Amazon Echo Dot $39.99 (save $40) Get Deal Best Apple deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal Best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) $319 (save $40) Get Deal Best TV deal Amazon 55-inch Ember Artline 4K QLED TV $499.99 (save $400) Get Deal Best Lego deal Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement $62.04 (save $47.95) Get Deal Best SSD deal Samsung SSD 990 Pro (2TB) $389.99 (save $250) Get Deal Best gaming deal The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo Switch 2) $59.88 (save $10.11) Get Deal

What is Prime Big Deal Days?

Prime Big Deal Days is a 48-hour sale that Amazon has put on every year since 2022 in early October, about a month and a half before Black Friday. (Fun fact: It was originally called the Prime Early Access Sale.) It's often referred to as "October Prime Day" because its deals are exclusively for Amazon Prime members, just like the retailer's flagship Prime Day sale.

Prime Big Deal Days serves as Amazon's unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

When does Prime Big Deal Days start?

Prime Big Deal Days 2026 will officially begin at 3:01 a.m. ET (12:01 a.m. PT) on Tuesday, Oct. 6. It will end at 2:59 a.m ET on Wednesday, Oct. 8 (11:59 p.m. PT on Oct. 7).

How is Prime Big Deal Days different from Prime Day?

Prime Big Deal Days is a two-day event in the fall, while Prime Day is a four-day event in the summer. (It's usually in July, but Amazon moved it up to June this year because of the timing of the FIFA World Cup and the U.S. 250th anniversary, a company exec told Reuters.)

What are the best early October Prime Day deals?

Credit: Amazon

You don't need to wait until Oct. 6 to start filling your cart. Prime members can score the following deals on Amazon devices and services in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days:

• Save up to 65% on select Amazon gadgets, including Fire TV Sticks and Echo smart speakers

• Get a free $30 credit when you buy select Echo devices on sale

• Get a free $5 Prime Big Deal Days credit for every Amazon Now order of $25 or more through Oct. 3 (up to $25 total)

• Get four free months of Amazon Music Unlimited (three months for non-members)

• Get four months of Audible Standard for 99 cents/month plus a free $20 Audible credit

• Save $20 on Grubhub orders of $30 or more with code DEALS20 through Oct. 5

• Get a free $1,500 gift card when you buy or lease a new car with Amazon Autos through Oct. 7

All shoppers can get three months' worth of Kindle Unlimited for free ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, regardless of their Prime status.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day Apple deals guide: Buy now or wait?

My fellow Mashable reporters and I are also tracking early October Prime Day deals on popular tech gadgets, including Apple devices, headphones, speakers, TVs, laptops, robot vacuums, smartwatches, power stations, and SSDs. Many of those products are on sale already, but keep in mind that their prices will likely drop further once Prime Big Deal Days starts.

What deals will be available during Prime Big Deal Days 2026?

Prime Big Deal Days will feature "millions of deals across fashion, electronics, beauty, toys, and more," according to a company blog post. Some of them will be special, limited-time offers called "Today's Big Deals" that involve discounts of "up to 50% or more" on "trending products and new releases," the retailer said (think $2,000 off a big-screen Sony TV, it added). Today's Big Deals will drop daily at 3 a.m., 11 a.m., and 4 p.m. ET during the sale, so keep a lookout. They're only available while supplies last.

Here are the other sorts of deals you can expect to see once Prime Big Deal Days starts, per Amazon's blog post:

• Over $500 off select cameras from Canon and Nikon

• Up to $500 off select Breville espresso machines

• Up to 50% off select headphones and earbuds from Beats, Bose, and Anker's Soundcore line

• Up to 40% off select TVs and streaming devices from Sony, TCL, and Toshiba

• Up to 40% off select PCs and laptops from Asus, Dell, and HP

• Up to 40% off select floorcare from Dyson, iRobot, and Ninja

• Up to 40% off select kitchen appliances from Crock-Pot, Keurig, and Ninja

• Up to 40% off select power tools from Bosch, Craftsman, and Dewalt

• Up to 40% off select collectibles and toys from Funko and Miniverse

• Up to 40% off select sensory toys from Kinetic Sand and Play-Doh

• Up to 40% off select party supplies and decorations

• Up to 35% off Halloween costumes

• Up to 30% off select thermostats from ecobee, Honeywell, and Google

• Up to 30% off select LED lighting and smart plugs from GE, Philips Hue, and TP-Link

• Up to 30% off toys from Barbie, Hasbro Games, Hot Wheels, and Mattel Games

• UP to 30% off select building sets from Lego and Magna-Tiles

• Up to 30% off select cleaning products from Lysol, Scott, and Tide

Which offers better deals, October Prime Day or Black Friday?

Credit: Amazon

Black Friday generally features better deals than October Prime Day. There are several reasons for this:

1. Basically every retailer runs a Black Friday sale, so there's a wider selection of deals available; the festivities aren't limited to Amazon and its immediate competitors (more on them momentarily).

2. Black Friday deals are open to everyone, not just Prime members.

3. Retailers really want to clear their shelves of old inventory ahead of the new year, so they're inclined to offer record-low prices during Black Friday.

That said, there is a lot of overlap between October Prime Day and Black Friday deals, especially when it comes to Amazon devices. (Most of the Echo, Kindle, and Fire TV deals we'll see during Prime Big Deal Days will probably pop back up in November.) You should definitely still check out Prime Big Deal Days if:

1. You're a Prime member who wants to maximize the benefits of your subscription.

2. You want to avoid the chaos of Black Friday and get your holiday shopping over with.

3. You're worried about an item on your wishlist selling out before the holidays.

4. You need an item sooner than late November or early December for gifting purposes.

Will any retailers be competing with Prime Big Deal Days?

Target and Walmart are both planning to run their own sales alongside Prime Big Deal Days. (Target's Circle Deal Days is also set for Oct. 6 and 7, while Walmart's Fall Deals event runs for a whole week from Oct. 5 to 11.) Best Buy previously said that its "[holiday] Savings start in October," but it hasn't confirmed anything yet.

How many times a year is Prime Day?

Credit: Amazon

Prime Day technically only happens once a year in mid-summer, but Amazon puts on two other Prime-exclusive events throughout the year that function similarly. One is Prime Big Deal Days in early October; the other is the Big Spring Sale in late March.

Do you need to be a Prime member to shop Prime Big Deal Days?

Amazon's October Prime Day deals are reserved for members of its Prime program, but you don't need to pay for a subscription to participate. Shoppers who haven't had an active Prime membership within the past 12 months can score a free 30-day trial. Just remember to cancel your membership before your trial period ends, or else you'll get charged. (Prime normally costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually.)

If you're between the ages of 18 and 24 or a college student, you're eligible for a free six-month trial via Amazon's Prime for Young Adults program. At the end of your trial period, you can upgrade to a paid membership for 50% off the usual rate.

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