Amazon's Second Prime Day, the Prime Early Access Sale 2022, Is Here

Here’s everything you need to know about the Amazon's most impressive sale to date

By Jessica Leigh Mattern
Updated on October 11, 2022 12:36 PM

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Prime Day Explainer
Photo: Amazon
  • Amazon is hosting a Prime Day follow-up with its first-ever Prime Early Access Sale.
  • The member-only shopping event began on October 11, 2022 and will run through Wednesday, October 12 for a full 48 hours.
  • Our top sale pick: Zokerlife Cordless Stick Vacuum, $149.98 (orig. $599.89)

Amazon is hosting another Prime Day-like shopping event this year — and there are already epic savings in every department.

Amazon's new shopping event, its first-ever Prime Early Access Sale, is underway, and it features the steepest discounts the retailer has ever offered. The two-day extravaganza, which is being referred to by many as a second Prime Day, is similar to its annual global sale with special offers exclusively for Prime members. While these deals last, shoppers can save up to 80 percent.

Amazon's Best Deals Right Now:

The first Prime Day was in 2015, making the 2022 sale Amazon's eighth major shopping event, and this year marks the first time that Amazon is hosting two member-only sales in one year. Every year, Prime Day gets a little bigger, with more markdowns and more brands featured. Here's everything we know about Amazon's October Prime Day, the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale.

Is there another Prime Day?

Many media outlets are referring to Amazon's first Prime Early Access Sale as a "second Prime Day" or "Prime Day 2," but Amazon is referring to this second member sale as the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale. While there are similarities to Prime Day, there are also a few key differences, which are outlined below.

Is Prime Day twice a year?

Typically no, Prime Day is not twice a year. Amazon usually hosts Prime Day once a year, and it's typically scheduled for July. This is the first year that Amazon is hosting two major sales for its members.

What is the Prime Early Access Sale?

Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale is a special worldwide two-day savings event for Prime members. It's a time when the retailer teams up with tons of popular brands to offer its subscribers big savings. The event is designed to reward members with impressive discounts on items that will be in demand during the holiday season. In other words, it will give Prime shoppers "early access" to its Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, as its name implies.

Given the timing of the event, it's a great time to start your holiday shopping. The retailer released a list of its customers' most-loved gifts for 2022, and many are now discounted and included in the event. Amazon is also releasing gift guides and a special Toys We Love List, which will feature deals as well.

There will be Halloween and Thanksgiving items on sale, too, so if you're planning to host a Halloween party or your family's Thanksgiving feast, you're in luck!

How long is the Prime Early Access Sale?

Just like Prime Day, the new sale will run for 48 hours. It began on Tuesday, October 11 at 3 a.m. ET and will end on Wednesday, October 12. And while some deals will last for the full 48 hours, many offers will be live for one day. Its usual lightning deals will be running as well, as those typically last for just a few hours. The deals below will expire at Wednesday night, and once they do, the prices will go back up.

Prime Day Explainer
Amazon

Buy It! Eufy by Anker RoboVac G30 Robot Vacuum Cleaner, $179.99 (orig. $318.99); amazon.com

Prime Day Explainer
Amazon

Buy It! HP DeskJet 3755 Compact Wireless Printer, $79.99(orig. $104.99); amazon.com

Prime Day Explainer
Amazon

Buy It! Trendy Queen Oversized Half-Zip Pullover Sweatshirt, $27.99 with Prime (orig. $42.99); amazon.com

Prime Day Explainer
Amazon

Buy It! Cuisinart Coffee Center Single-Serve Brewer and 12-Cup Coffee Maker, $159.99 with coupon (orig. $365); amazon.com

Prime Day Explainer
Amazon

Buy It! Raiqee Vegetable Chopper Mandolin Slicer, $19.99 (orig. $29.99); amazon.com

Roundup of Prime Day Apple iPad Deals
Amazon

Buy It! 2021 Apple iPad 10.2-Inch, $269 with Prime (orig. $329); amazon.com

Hard Anodized Nonstick Dishwasher Safe PFOA Free 8 and 10-Inch Fry Pan
Amazon

Buy It! All-Clad Nonstick Cookware Pan Set, $69.95 (orig. $109.98); amazon.com

Bedsure Bamboo Cooling Sheets
Amazon

Buy It! Bedsure Bamboo Cooling Sheet Set (Queen), $49.99 (orig. $64.99); amazon.com

COOLIFE Luggage 3 Piece Set Suitcase
Amazon

Buy It! Coolife 3-Piece Spinner Luggage Set, $175.99 with Prime (orig. $299.99); amazon.com

Amazon Labor Day deals
Amazon

Buy It! Amazon Fire TV 50-Inch UHD Smart Television, $349.99 (orig. $469.99); amazon.com

When is Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day 2022 began at 3 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 12 and wrapped up on Wednesday, July 13. Prime Day is typically held once a year, and it usually takes place in July around the time of Amazon's birthday, July 15. There have been some anomalies over the past few years: Last year, Prime Day 2021 was held in June, and in 2020, Prime Day took place in October.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Prime Day is Amazon's annual sale across its entire site that rewards shoppers, especially Prime members, with exclusive savings. The worldwide event features some of the steepest discounts and the largest number of deals offered all year, sometimes matching or beating Black Friday offers. Thousands of brands and small businesses participate, and there are plenty of discounts available to non-members, too.

How long is Prime Day?

Amazon usually hosts Prime Day over two days, giving shoppers 48 hours to save. When Prime Day began in 2015, the sitewide sale lasted for just 24 hours. In 2017, Amazon extended its length to 30 hours, and then increased the duration again in 2018 to 36 hours.

But what many shoppers don't know is that when Amazon announces the official date of Prime Day, the sales begin! There are always exclusive savings offered on an array of products, giving shoppers many chances to save before and during the big event.

What's on sale on Prime Day?

Amazon offers Prime Day deals in all of its departments and categories, including electronics, home, kitchen, beauty, clothing, shoes, pets, books, and more. Best-selling items, top-rated finds, and products with thousands of five-star ratings are all included. And there are always epic deals on its devices, like Echo Dots and smart speakers, Fire tablets, Fire TV Sticks and televisions, Kindles, Ring doorbells, and Eero WiFi systems.

This year, Amazon's Prime Day 2022 hub went live in June, and it featured three big sales, giving shoppers a taste of what was to come: device deals, markdowns on Amazon's private fashion labels, and back-to-school savings.

Is Prime Day only for Prime members?

Amazon offers a huge assortment of Prime Day deals exclusively for Prime members, but there are also sales for non-subscribers. And those without a Prime membership can sign up for a free 30-day trial to gain access to every single deal. The month-long trial also comes with complimentary two-day shipping, exclusive discounts at Whole Foods, and more than 30 other perks.

What's new this year?

Amazon announced a huge initiative to support small businesses this year with more brands and third-party sellers participating. They also added a Small Business Badge, so shoppers can easily find and support small businesses apart from its Support Small hub.

Is Prime Day worth it?

With millions of deals and steep discounts, Prime Day is an excellent opportunity to save on both big-ticket purchases and everyday items, like sneakers, sunscreen, and pet food. Since anyone can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime and take advantage of member-exclusive deals, there's nothing to lose. Some items, like Echo Dots and Fire TV Sticks, will be marked down to the lowest prices you'll see all year, so it's a great time to shop. Use it as a chance to restock your pantry, upgrade your electronics, and refresh your closet.

This past summer, Prime Day was the retailer's largest event to date with record-breaking sales for its small and medium-sized business partners, according to a press release. Top-selling products included the Apple Watch Series 7, Fire TV and Echo devices, Laneige's Lip Sleeping Mask. And brands like NuFace, The Honest Company, Le Creuset, and Hamilton each were popular among shoppers.

In 2021, Amazon offered more than 2 million deals. Shoppers gravitated toward beauty, baby items, electronics and devices, and clothing. Amazon's best-selling items included iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners, Keurig coffee makers, and Crest 3D Whitestrips. The Fire TV Stick 4K was its top-selling product overall.

There are dozens of products that have earned the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval that are worth keeping an eye on. If items like Dash's Compact Air Fryer, Shark's Vertex DuoClean cordless stick vacuum, Lodge's cast iron skillet, or Nespresso's Vertuo Plus coffee and espresso maker go on sale, you'll want to consider snagging these editor-loved finds.

Prime Day Explainer
Amazon

Buy It! Shark Vertex DuoClean Cordless Stick Vacuum, $329 (orig. $429.99); amazon.com

Lodge Deals Roundup
Amazon

Buy It! Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, $34.25 (orig. $37.35); amazon.com

And here's the best news of all: These sales are just the start. There are droves of other offers in Amazon's Gold Box deal hub. Start your shopping there, or check out this curated list of deals below.

Shop More Amazon Prime Early Access Sale Deals:

Do you love a good deal? Sign up for PEOPLE's Shopping newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest sales, plus celebrity fashion, home decor and more.

See More from PEOPLE Shopping

Lady Gaga Oscars Tee
This $7 Tee Reminds Us of Lady Gaga's Simple but Stylish Rockstar Look at the Oscars
Aerie CPC - Two Day 30% Off Sitewide Sale TOUT
18 Must-Haves to Buy from Aerie's Colorful Spring Drop While It's on Sale
Drew Barrymore x Grove Collaborative
Drew Barrymore's 'Favorite' Product from Her New Grove Collaborative Collection Is Just $6