The dates for Amazon’s highly-anticipated Prime Day have just been announced, so cue excitement, folks. Some of us shopping geezers remember a time when the only blowout sale event that attracted crowds and warranted news coverage was Black Friday. Times have a-changed with one massive sale that rivals its post-Thanksgiving counterpart in terms of scale, savings, and ubiquity. Amazon didn’t disappoint with the last year’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" epic annual sale (opens in a new tab)” href=”https://amzn.to/2S8VKTR” target=”_blank”> epic Prime Day sale, so we can only anticipate this year’s to be just as good, if not better. Keep reading to make the most of Amazon Prime Day 2022.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

What started as a one-day sale in 2015 to mark Amazon’s 20th anniversary is now in its seventh year and spans a full 48-hour period of daily and hourly deals on a massive selection of the site’s bestselling stock. While you might think it’s getting long in the tooth after all this time, the luster of Prime Day hasn’t worn off one bit. In fact, the hype seems to grow with each passing year, with more and more discounts being offered and rival retailers feeling the pressure to get in on the action.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2022?

After moving around a bit earlier in the pandemic, Prime Day has returned for a second year in its familiar spot in the mid-summer calendar. For 2022, the dates will be July 12 and 13. (The sale period officially starts at midnight PDT – aka 3 AM EDT.) Past Prime Days have taken place in mid-June and October, but this year’s epic sale appears to most closely match 2019’s post-July 4 sale spree. Is Amazon’s new buzz-building strategy to keep us on our toes with an ever-changing date? Only time – and future Prime Days – will tell.

What will be on sale for Amazon Prime Day?

According to an Amazon press release, some of the hottest brands participating in Prime Day will include Beats, Casper, ELEMIS, Levi’s, iRobot, and SharkNinja, in addition to Amazon’s “lowest prices ever” on select items from Sony, Bose, and GE.

Other early deals are only starting to trickle in, but so far, a few have caught our eye: Expect epic discounts on Amazon Devices (like the Echo, Kindle, Fire TV Stick, and more), plus steep price-slashing on other goods like sleek air purifiers, Marshall speakers, robot vacuums, among other finds.

How do I get access to Prime Day deals?

There’s no way around it: You do have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the Prime Day sale-a-bration. If you’re on the fence, you can always sign up for a 30-day free trial to test the waters. However, it’s worth adding that memberships have pretty solid year-round perks: free lightning-fast shipping, access to Prime Wardrobe and Personal Shopper, hours of entertainment, music, and more. Another pro tip for shopping the sale like a pro: Set deal alerts based on shopping and search history for personalized recommendations on the best Prime Day deals just for you. (Alexa can also help you in this department.)

What Prime Day deals are available now?

At the moment, we’re still in nascent stages of Prime Day 2022, so keep checking <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Amazon's Prime Day landing page (opens in a new tab)" href="https:// amazon.com/ primeday” target=”_blank”>Amazon’s Prime Day landing page to stay in the know. Per Amazon, early deals and member-only promotions are set to start June 21.

What are the benefits of Amazon Prime?

As mentioned above, if you’re unsure about joining Amazon Prime but don’t want to miss out on Prime Day deals, you can sign up for a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="30-day free trial (opens in a new tab)” href=”https://amzn.to/3xcEhJe” target=”_blank”>30-day free trial, no questions asked. (With Prime Day just under a month out, this is kind of the perfect time to work the system, if you know what we mean.) In addition to the marquee benefits of free shipping, there are lesser-known conveniences like two-day delivery and discounts from Amazon Pharmacy, early access to blink-and-you’ll-miss-them Lightning Deals, beloved original TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and over two million songs ad-free with Amazon Music.

What deals will Amazon’s competitors have on Prime Day?

While nothing has been confirmed yet, Amazon has done such a thorough job of creating a frenzy around Prime Day that almost every other big-box retailer under the sun (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, even eBay) is likely to run some sort of alternative sale around the Prime Day period. Last year, the competition from the big dogs was pretty stiff: we saw some fiery deals from the likes of Target, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Wayfair. All’s fair in love and online shopping, right?

Does Amazon ever offer discounts on Prime memberships?

If you decide you like the Prime lifestyle and want to keep your access to everything that Amazon has to offer, there are two ways to get an ongoing discount on your Prime membership. College<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Students are eligible for a six-month free trial (opens in a new tab)” href=”https://amzn.to/3geUgB1″ target=”_blank”> students are eligible for a six-month free trial followed by a $6.49 monthly fee for Prime, which is a 50% discount off the regular monthly price. In addition, if you receive benefits in the form of SNAP, WIC, or other EBT programs, you can get Prime perks for a discounted $5.99 per month.