We’re finally seeing some warm spring weather, and the first federal holiday in months is just over the horizon: Memorial Day. Commemorating US military personnel, the holiday happens on the last Monday in May, and with it comes big discounts. This is especially true at Amazon.
The retail giant sells practically everything, and every year, in Amazon’s Memorial Day sale, it drops its prices on tens of thousands of items, including top-line tech and mattresses, to cleaning supplies.
That’s great for saving money, but it can be hard to decipher which deal is worth it. On top of that, this year’s sale is unlike any other. Most of the goods sold on Amazon will be subject to President Trump’s tariffs, so it’s no longer certain that we’ll see the usual big savings.
I’ve covered sales events like Memorial Day for years, and have tracked prices for the best part of a decade. With hands-on experience with most of these products — and insider knowledge of which prices are real and which are inflated — here’s all you need to know about the Amazon Memorial Day sales.
When do Memorial Day sales start in 2025?
This year, Memorial Day will be on Monday, May 26, with lots of deals dropping over the long weekend from Friday, May 23. However, we’ve already seen some good deals starting to come through.
What were the best deals last year?
The best deals last year were discounts on home appliances. Amazon had big cuts on air fryers, such as my personal favorite, the Instant vortex plus XL (was $219.99, now $169.95, Amazon.com). We also saw some excellent discounts on Dyson products, including the outsize+ cordless vacuum cleaner (was $949.99, now $707.44, Amazon.com). While I wasn’t overwhelmed by the tech offers, Amazon reduced the Apple iPad 10th gen — but I’ve just spotted that it’s dropped to its lowest-ever price (was $499.99, now $499.99, Amazon.com).
Deals to expect this year
It’s hard to predict what might go on sale this year. Most goods sold on Amazon are produced in China, and the tariffs introduced by President Trump earlier this year could significantly affect the deals on offer over the long weekend. Until this week, the tariff rate on Chinese goods stood at an unprecedented 145 per cent, but a trade deal means this has decreased to 30 per cent. However, this is still a high rate, and “de minimis” packages of under $800 now have a rate of 54 per cent. So, while the huge 145 per cent tariff has reduced, there could still be some price volatility.
It’s not all bad news. For example, Nintendo delayed pre-orders of the Switch 2 in response to the tariffs, but days later announced that it would sell the console at the same price it had originally announced. However, the company said that Switch 2 accessories will be subject to “price adjustments”, so while there may be some price rises, Amazon could still have some great deals on offer.
Historically, Memorial Day has been a good time to buy outdoor goods. Amazon usually offers big discounts on power tools, outdoor furniture, and outdoor toys like trampolines. Many of these are also made in China, so they will likely see price rises, but some power tool companies like DeWalt and Makita have significant manufacturing bases in the US, so they may be good options for discounts.
Best deals to shop now
Apple Watch series 10: Was $399, now $329, Amazon.com
The Independent’s tech critic David Phelan says that the series 10 is “the best Apple Watch yet”. It can track sleep apnea, detect how deep you are in water, and it can even measure your blood oxygen. It’s not the lowest price we’ve seen, but it’s still a deal worth having.
Apple AirTag four-pack: Was $99, now $79.98, Amazon.com
Apple’s AirTag is one of the best GPS trackers on the market. It’s slim enough to fit in — or stick on — almost anything, making commonly misplaced items easy to find. In his review, senior tech critic Alex Lee found it “ridiculously easy” to track a host of lost items.
The only drawback with AirTags is that they don’t have a keyring hole, so you have to buy an extra AirTag accessory. However, this four-pack is excellent value and should save you a little money.
Tech critic Steve Hogarty found that the Roku express 4k is the “best budget streaming device you can buy”. It has all the functionality of the more expensive Roku streaming stick, minus fancier features like voice control and Dolby Atmos sound. This is one of the best deals we’ve seen for this streamer, but prices for this tend to yo-yo, so you need to be quick.
Amazon Fire HD 8 plus tablet: Was $119.99, now $64.99, Amazon.com
Amazon’s tablets can’t compete with top models from Apple or Samsung, but they’re much more competitively priced. If you just want something to watch TV in bed, the Fire 8 HD is probably the best-value option on the market. It doesn’t have all the thrills of an Apple Pencil, but it actually has a slightly better battery life than most Apple products. Tech critic David Phelan gave a good summary: “The Amazon Fire HD 8 plus is not the most powerful, or fastest, or best-looking tablet around. But there’s still an awful lot to like”. Just be aware of the model. The quoted price is for the ad-enabled Fire tablet, and a version without ads is a little more expensive.
Ninja Creami: Was $229.99, now $199.99, Amazon.com
When it first launched, the Ninja creami sold out everywhere almost instantly. It more than lives up to the hype, making delicious ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbets at a fraction of the cost of traditional ice cream makers.
Dyson vacuums are incredibly expensive — if you ask me, the brand’s prices are a little inflated. However, one of the best ways to save on Dyson vacuums is to buy an older generation, like the V8, V10, and V11. Their suction is still much stronger than most of the rest of the market. The tradeoff is a very short runtime, especially with this V8, Dyson’s oldest cordless, but these vacuums are still worth having if you live in an apartment or small home.
Beats powerbeats pro 2: Was $249.99, now $199.95, Amazon.com
Our tester Andrew Griffin said these earbuds have a few features that are even better than AirPods. He said that the sound is “fantastic”, describing it as “hefty enough to power you through a workout, but not so robust that you will miss the details of what you are listening to”. Unlike previous Beats headphones, which were so bass-heavy that the EQ was a little mushy. These earbuds have excellent noise cancellation, and they can even track your heart rate.
JBL clip portable speaker: Was $7995, now $49.95, Amazon.com
For the ultimate on-the-go speaker, you can’t go wrong with this JBL model. It’s waterproof, dust-proof and comes with a built-in carabiner clip so you can take it with you wherever you go. It has a seriously impressive run-time of 12 hours, and is now more than 35 percent off.
Braun electric shaver series 9 pro: Was $319.99, now $254.91, Amazon.com
IndyBest’s favourite luxury electric shaver is now 20 percent off at Amazon. Our grooming expert and tester Lee Kynaston loved how lightweight, gentle, but effective this model was. He wrote that the “results were some of the best – and smoothest” he achieved during the testing process. It’s a luxury product with a valuable discount.
