What’s better than cheap? Free.
While I’m no stranger to a knockout deal thanks to my day job as ES Best’s Deputy Shopping Editor, there’s just no arguing with a freebie. Amazon is famous for its competitive prices, especially when there’s a sale on (right now, it’s Amazon’s Spring Deal Days), but it’s unheard of to walk away with an invoice that reads zero.
Yet that is exactly what the Bezos-founded behemoth is offering new customers with its Prime membership.
The catch? It’s free for 30 days only.
Still, the initial free trial gives you plenty of time to try out the exclusive club for size, from boxset binging on Prime Video to singing your heart out to artists new and old on Amazon Music.
Membership also means you can say goodbye to paying Deliveroo delivery fees, spring clean your camera roll by storing pics on Amazon Photos instead, and get discounts at the likes of Odeon and HelloFresh.
As a fully paid-up member for six years, I can’t tell you how useful these services and perks are. And if you sign up for Amazon’s Prime membership, you’ll be in the club too.
Still need convincing? Gamers can plug into Amazon’s Twitch service, a massive library of epic games to discover, download and get lost in. And if you like being immersed in different worlds, you’ll love the massive library of titles at Amazon Reading. From fiction and graphic novels to self-help books and premium magazines - think Empire, Elle and Gardener’s World to name a few.
While I love having unhindered access to all these things, it’s the free express delivery that’s saved my bacon most often. Whether it’s goggles for a ski trip, freezer-safe containers when I’m on a bulk cooking spree or DIY tools to spruce up my flat, I can’t deny that Prime’s super-fast shipping is so incredibly convenient. If you live in or near a major town or city like London, same-day deliveries are possible too! From back-to-school supplies and emergency kitchen tools to desk gadgets that will make WFH days even more of a joy, there’s a warehouse of products at your very fingertips.
How much is Amazon Prime?
When you consider Prime membership and all it offers costs just £8.99 a month, or £95 for an annual fee, it starts to look like Amazon’s greatest deal of all.
Over an average month, it works out to just 26p a day (when on the yearly option). Where else can you get access to so many services, perks and benefits for mere pennies?
If you’re in education, things get even cheaper. Student Prime memberships costing £4.49 a month, or £47.49 for the year. If you live with a student, why not get them to sign up for the whole household and save on standard membership fees? Hey, every little helps.
Best of all, payment only kicks in after your free 30-day trial is up, so if you find that you don’t like it, you can cancel.
There really is nothing to lose.
Amazon is throwing a sale right now, dubbed the Spring Deal Days - see some of the best offers below
Sony PS5 Slim
Best for: Space-saving next-gen gaming
Considerably lighter and slightly less of a chunky monkey than the original PS5, the Slim now upgrades storage to 1TB to match the Xbox Series X, but that’s pretty much where the changes end. So, under the hood sits a Custom AMD Zen 2, 8-core/16 threads, 3.5GHz CPU, AMD RDNA 2, 10.3 teraflops, 2.23GHz GPU, 16GB of RAM and, in the disc-taking edition which I favour, an Ultra HD Blu-ray player (digital only edition also available), so everything even the most demanding next-gen gamer could command to indulge in 4K fun at up to 120fps, with HDR TV support for those with, well, HDR TVs, and backwards compatibility with over 4000 PS4 games.
Coming with 1x DualSense wireless controller, you’ll probably want to expand that controller empire to 2x in order to play nice with others, but I’ll come back to that in a moment.
The slender and slick alternative to the Xbox, featuring a physical design that has far more flair, the PS5 Slim offers an awful lot of gaming goodness. But can the experience be enhanced with the purchase of peripherals? What a silly question…
Was: £479.99
Buy now £459.00, Amazon
Nespresso Vertuo Plus Automatic Pod Coffee Machine
An exceptional cuppa doesn’t have to be an occasional treat. Enjoy a premium brew every day with this Nespresso Vertuo Pod Coffee Machine on your kitchen counter. It’s currently 40 per cent off and can make drinks in four sizes: espresso 40ml, double espresso 80ml, gran lungo 150ml, and large mug 230ml. Although there are 30 varieties of pods to choose from, the brand will get you started with 12 for free as a bonus welcome offer.
Was: £133.81
Buy now £79.99, Amazon
Oura Gen3 Horizon Smart Ring
The celebrity-endorsed smart ring is in Amazon's sale. Oura has been spotted on the fingers of A-listers including Prince Harry, Richard Branson, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and more. The clever device monitors everything from sleep quality, stress indicators, daily fitness and more, tracking it all diligently to give you a 360° view of your health and well-being.
Was: £249
Buy now £199.00, Amazon
Ninja Blast Portable Blender
Make fresh juice and smoothies wherever you go with Ninja’s portable blender. The cordless model is perfect for taking on the go and comes with a USB-C base for easy recharging. Fully juiced up (sorry), you’ll get up to 10 hours use.
Was: £49.99
Buy now £39.00, Amazon
ghd Helios Hair Dryer
Say goodbye to frizz and annoying cowlicks with ghd’s powerful Helios hairdryer. It’s been discounted by 28 per cent in Amazon’s Spring Deal Days event.
Was: £179
Buy now £127.99, Amazon
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant for Face & Body (50ml)
Half off a premium beauty brand like Elizabeth Arden is definitely a run-don’t-walk kind of situation. The Eight Hour cream is perhaps the most famous of the brand’s collection, soothing everything from dry hands to chapped lips.
Was: £31
Buy now £15.64, Amazon
Fairy Non-Bio Platinum PODS
Sales are the best time to pick up things you need for less than you want to spend on them. Keep laundry smelling and looking daisy fresh with 120 Fairy capsules.
Was: £36
Buy now £23.32, Amazon
Oral-B iO5 Electric Toothbrushes For Adults
Oral-B’s iO5 toothbrush calls on the powers of artificial intelligence to give you an effective clean. The oscillating brush head tracks in real-time and shares information about your brushing style and areas you may have missed when paired with the app. There are also helpful features like a light sensor if you’re pressing to hard and five modes for an intensive or more sensitive teeth-friendly clean.
Was £280
Buy now £89.99, Amazon
Our Place Wonder Oven
Best for: aesthetics
The six-in-one appliance from Our Place comes with an air frying function, but it can also bake, roast, toast, reheat, and broil, making it an invaluable piece of kitchen tech.
The compact dimensions make it ideal for small households or spaces - for instance, you could feasibly use it in a caravan as long as you have mains power. A nifty reheat function means you can get rid of your microwave. Steam infusion ensures food comes out crispy on the outside and juicy inside: the best combination for everything from fries and wings to cookies.
Comes with a one-year warranty and a 100-day trial period.
Was: £155
Buy now £155.00, Amazon
Amazon Fire TV 32-inch
If you’re after a seriously smart TV, this should be your top pick.
Amazon’s small but mighty 32-inch Fire TV is equipped with all the mod cons you would expect, including wireless Bluetooth listening so you can watch telly while your partner reads a book, access to all the streaming apps, and a remote that allows you to ask Alexa to find whatever show or film you’re looking for.
There are also games to play, and it can sync up with other household Fire devices so you can watch your show simultaneously even if in different rooms. With an HD 720p resolution, Dolby Digital audio and two standard HDMI inputs, it has everything you could want from a telly. If you fancy something a little bigger, the 40-inch is just £50 more.
Was: £249.99
Buy now £149.99, Amazon
Fleetwood Mac Rumours Grape Vinyl
It’s widely recognised as one of the greatest albums of all time, and now a special purple vinyl version of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours can be yours thanks to this Amazon exclusive deal.
Was: £27.99
Buy now £22.39, Amazon
Le Creuset Stoneware Rainbow Coffee Mugs
A rainbow array of Le Creuset’s finest mugs with one for (nearly) every day of the week.
Was: £85
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
