Since Amazon sells pretty much everything, its Prime Day sale is a great opportunity to save on a huge variety of products. That being said, Fourth of July sales are usually some of the biggest of the year and cover some categories that aren’t so hot during Prime Day. We expect Prime Day to follow soon after Independence Day (though we’re yet to get official word on Prime Day dates), which can leave prospective buyers with a little bit of a headache, wondering when is the right time to splash the cash. 

It was a similar story in 2022, with Prime Day taking place the week after Fourth of July, which saw effectively the entire first half of July overrun with sales. It’s not necessarily bad news for buyers, but everyone wants to make sure they’re getting the best prices possible and avoid missing out on a better deal that could come later. So, if you’re wondering whether it’s best to shop Prime Day or Fourth of July sales, we’re here to help out with all you need to know about both events.

Fourth of July sales vs. Prime Day deals: Which is best? 

There’s no definitive way to say which sale is best, but each has its own pros and cons that may influence your buying behavior, which we’ll explore below. 

Both sales offer some of the best prices we’ll see all year and, in all likelihood, the two sales are going to blur into one big discount jamboree this year anyway. Ultimately, the best sale for you will be the one that has the deals you desire at the retailers you want to shop at. 

Fourth of July sales vs. Prime Day deals: Which retailers take part?

Prime Day is primarily centered around Amazon — it being an Amazon-manufactured annual event, after all — so you’ll mostly be shopping in one place. That’s certainly convenient, but not everyone wants to put yet more money into Amazon’s coffers. Big-box retailers will try to steal away some of the buyers that are already in a spendy mood, with places like Target and Walmart having launched sales during the same week in prior years, but your local mom-and-pop retailers probably won’t be getting involved. 

For Fourth of July sales, it’s much more likely that every store in your neighborhood will be slashing prices, so you could support some more local businesses. And that’s not to mention the fact that every big-box retailer in town will be running sales on and around July Fourth. That’s ideal if you want to be able to get your hands on your purchases the same day.

Fourth of July sales vs. Prime Day deals: Which product categories will go on sale?

Both Prime Day and Fourth of July sales will offer a varied slate of deals in pretty much every product category, though there can be a difference in the volume of deals per category for each sale. 

For example, if you’re after consumer electronics, especially Amazon devices, Prime Day should be your go-to sale, whereas appliance, furniture and mattress sales are likely to be more plentiful around the Fourth of July. 

That’s not to say you can’t snag a mattress deal on Prime Day or pick up a set of the best headphones during Fourth of July sales, but it’s worth knowing which sale will cater for your needs more closely.

Fourth of July sales vs. Prime Day deals: Why not both?

Since so many early Fourth of July sales are likely to kick off in the coming days, you can make the most of those sales and snap up anything you need before the mad rush happens next month. 

When it comes to snagging deals around sales like these, it’s best to set a price you’d be happy to pay in your mind and grab the item if it hits that mark. Waiting for a potentially lower price during limited event hours doesn’t always work out and you could end up with a hefty shipping time or, worse, miss out on the sale entirely if the item sells out. For the sake of a few bucks, it’s often wise to shop early, especially since most Fourth of July sales will likely extend right through Prime Day this year anyway.

One positive aspect of the two sales events occurring so closely is that you’ll have a second chance to pick any products up that you missed out on earlier in the month. By shopping both sales, you’re more likely to get everything you want rather than putting all of your eggs in one sale basket.