Amazon Renewed and Amazon Resale explained: are they worth it?

What is Amazon Renewed?

Amazon Renewed sells refurbished products: phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, headphones, appliances and more, inspected and tested by qualified suppliers so that they work like new. They can show light cosmetic wear.

Renewed products come with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee, which lets you return or replace an item that does not work as expected for a set period (typically 90 days). Renewed Premium items carry a longer guarantee and stricter condition requirements. Check the guarantee shown on each listing.

What is Amazon Resale?

Amazon Resale, formerly called Amazon Warehouse, sells returned and open-box items at a discount. Each item gets a condition grade (Like New, Very Good, Good, Acceptable) with a note describing what is wrong, such as a damaged box or missing manual.

Resale items are sold by Amazon and usually keep Amazon's standard return window, which makes them a low-risk way to save on things like kitchen appliances, tools and headphones.

What is safe to buy refurbished or open-box

Good candidates: phones and tablets from major brands, laptops, smartwatches, streaming devices, small kitchen appliances and power tools. These are usually tested and the savings can be large.

Think twice about: items with batteries that wear out quickly if the battery health is not stated, personal care items, and anything where a missing accessory would be expensive to replace. Read the condition note line by line.

How to compare with a new deal

During big sales, a brand-new product can be close to the refurbished price. Before buying Renewed or Resale, check whether the new version is on sale too. A small difference is often worth paying for a full warranty and an untouched battery.