Is Amazon Renewed worth it? The saving, model by model
Of the 30 models we price both Renewed and new on Amazon today, Renewed costs a median 20% less. One costs the same as new or more.
Often, but check the new price first. Amazon Renewed units are inspected and tested by Amazon-qualified suppliers and most come with a 90-day return period, 365 days for Renewed Premium. Against the same model sold new the saving varies widely, and some Renewed listings cost as much as new.
Updated · BasketPrice editorial
What Amazon Renewed is
Amazon says products sold on Amazon Renewed are “professionally inspected and tested to work as expected by an Amazon qualified and performance-managed supplier.” When the product comes from a third-party seller, that seller does the testing.
A Renewed unit arrives restored to its factory settings, in its original packaging or a new plain box. Where it has a battery, Amazon says the battery holds more than 80% of its original capacity.
How long you have to send it back
Most Renewed items have a 90-day return period under the Amazon Renewed Guarantee, and Renewed Premium items have 365 days. Some items instead get Amazon’s usual 30-day return period followed by a free 11-month limited warranty serviced by Asurion. The product page says which applies before you order.
Set that against what a new unit comes with: the standard return window and the maker’s own warranty. On a phone or a laptop, the gap between 90 days of cover and the maker’s warranty can be worth more than a small saving.
What the condition grades mean
Amazon grades the outside of a Renewed unit, judged from 12 inches away. Premium or Excellent: no signs of cosmetic damage. Good: light scratches, barely visible. Acceptable: scratches you can see and feel. The grade says nothing about how well it works; the testing and the guarantee cover that.
When Renewed is not the cheaper buy
A Renewed price is set by its seller and does not follow the new one down. When the new model is discounted, the Renewed listing can end up at the same price or above it. The table below sets each Renewed listing against the same model new, today, with the smallest saving first.
Renewed against new, model by model, today
The same model, configuration and kit on both sides, the smallest saving first. Of the 30 pairs we can price right now, 1 costs as much Renewed as new or more, and 2 save less than 10%.
Questions people ask
- How much cheaper is Amazon Renewed than new?
- Of the 30 models we price both Renewed and new on Amazon today, Renewed costs a median 20% less. One costs the same as new or more.
- Is Amazon Renewed reliable?
- Amazon says Renewed products are inspected and tested to work as expected by an Amazon-qualified supplier, and backs them with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee: most items can be returned for a replacement or refund within 90 days, Renewed Premium within 365 days.
- What is the difference between Amazon Renewed and Renewed Premium?
- The return period: 365 days for Renewed Premium against 90 days for most Renewed items. Amazon sells some models as both, at different prices, so check which grade a listing is before comparing.
- Do Amazon Renewed batteries last?
- Amazon says that where a Renewed product has a battery, it holds more than 80% of its original capacity. It does not promise more than that, so a battery-heavy device such as a phone or a laptop can arrive with noticeably less life than new.