As you shop for the best deals during Amazon Prime Day Early Access, you should be aware of an Amazon Prime perk that doesn't get enough attention. Prime members can save 20% on eligible open box items at the Amazon Warehouse, where Amazon sells all things pre-owned, used, and open box.
Open box products are items that have been returned to Amazon which are tested and resold without their original packaging. The item description details the exact condition of the product. I'd recommend sticking to 'like new' since those items are the closest thing to buying something right off the shelf.
The price difference between new and open-box products can often be pretty impressive. Throw another 20% on top, and you'll get a sweet discount. For example, this HyperX Cloud II headset is $75 brand new, though the open box model with the discount applied brings it down to $49.43, nearly $30 off. The only note is it may have a "cosmetic imperfection" somewhere on the headset. Amazon actually offers a breakdown of what each Warehouse product condition description means, so you'll know what you're getting.
The Prime Day Warehouse deals extend beyond headsets; you can get an Xbox Series S for $211 before tax, and we even found an Asus AX1800 WiFi 6 Router gaming router for $51 after the discount. There are dirt cheap 4K HDMI cables and microSD cards. Other popular items you should consider shopping through the Amazon Warehouse are TVs or gaming monitors. Suppose you don't mind losing out on the original packaging or instruction manuals—in that case, it's a really easy way to save some money on newer products that often don't go on sale this deep, as long as you don't mind them showing up in a nondescript brown box (or one that's a bit beat up).
You don't have to worry about getting stuck with dead pixels: All open box items are covered under Amazon's return policy, meaning the same rules apply to these items. Amazon can't guarantee replacement stock in the same condition if you decide to return it, though, so, that's something to keep in mind.
Again, be sure to read the details of the product to see what's missing or for cosmetic damage. Even if you don't take advantage of the current 20% discount, remember to keep an eye on Amazon Warehouse, especially after Prime Early Access has ended. You might be able to save some money on PC gaming gear someone impulsively bought and returned a week later.
