Pre-gaming Prime Day: The Wirecutter’s Top 5 Tips for Prime Day

New York, June 30, 2017-If you're an online bargain hunter, chances are, you've marked your calendar for Amazon's Prime Day, Tuesday, July 11. The site will have literally thousands of one-day-only deals, so how can you tell which are real deals and which are duds?

The product-review siteThe Wirecutterwill have more than 25 deals editors and writers sifting through all of the deals and posting only vetted and recommended products-those that are actual bargains-to itsdeals page,Twitter account, andDaily Deals newsletter. Last year for Prime Day, The Wirecutter scanned nearly 8,000 deals but found that fewer than 1 percent were great deals. To ensure that you get the bargains you want, here are The Wirecutter's Top 5 Tips for Prime Day.

1. Understand the difference between all-day deals and lightning deals.Amazon offers two kinds of deals throughout Prime Day: traditional deals, which last all day, and lightning deals, which expire after a set amount of time-or when stock runs out.Lightning dealscan offer deep discounts on a specific item for a set amount of time, usually a few hours. Once time or stock on that item runs out, the deal is done. If a lightning deal is sold out, join the waitlist if it isn't already full, because you might get another shot at claiming that deal if another buyer's claim times out.

2. Develop a game-day strategy and decide whatyou want to buy ahead of time to get the best deals. Lightning deals can get scooped up within minutes (see above), but if you've decided you want a new TV, the best strategy is to decidewhich three models you'd be happy withand then check in with The Wirecutter or price trackers to grab the deal once it becomes available.

3. Discern which deals are deals.This seems straightforward, but it's not. Although all Prime Day deals are technically discounts, there's a big difference between saving $1 and saving $20 or more, so be sure you know which deals are worthwhile. Since less than 1 percent of the deals last year were good enough for The Wirecutter to alert its readers and followers, consider bookmarking itsdeals pageto stay a step ahead.

4. The early bird catches the deal. You can start taking advantage of Prime Day deals as early as July 10 at 9 p.m. Eastern, and should be able to see hours of upcoming deals in advance. However,Amazon will have lead-up deals in multiple categoriesbeginning now, so you can get a head start.

5. Becoming a Prime member for Prime Day is probably worth it.Prime, which typically costs nearly $100 per year, gives you free two-day shipping on many items. If you place 15 to 20 orders on Amazon within a year and upgrade to that two-day shipping, the cost of the membership begins to balance out. It tips further in your favor if you use the add-on services, such as Amazon's video and music streaming services. To check out Amazon Prime for Prime Day (and beyond), you can sign up for a30-day trialand give it a spin before committing your $100. Other ways to get Prime include a six-month free trial plus 50 percent off forstudents with a .edu email address.

'There will be so many deals to sift through, which is why we have a large, dedicated team comparing prices against previous holiday pricing, and other two-week pricing periods, to let our followers know which are the real bargains,' said Adam Burakowski, deals editor for The Wirecutter. 'Typically, the best deals will be on higher-priced tech or home-related items, and Amazon also tends to offer good discounts on its in-house devices like the Echo or Kindle, so if you're in the market for one of those, Prime Day should be a good day to snag one.'

The Wirecutter andThe Sweethome(part ofThe New York Times Company) are lists of the best gadgets and gear for people who quickly want to know what to get. When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

Contact:Shawn-Laree O'Neil,shawnlaree@gmail.com, 773-802-0377