'I've covered 13 Amazon Prime Days and a regular bestseller still surprises me'
Forget Airpods and airfryers, one chart-topping item snapped up by thousands of bargain hunters every Prime Day is considerably more low key
With Amazon's latest sale in full swing the online retail giant has slashed prices on tens of thousands of items from gadgets and gizmos to household staples. While we’re still a way off Black Friday season, when traditionally big brands vie with each other to tempt us to dip into our pockets, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sees the internet giant take centre stage - although that hasn’t stopped Debenhams, Lakeland, Ninja, Dunelm and even Boden busting out some discounts of their own this week to try and share the spotlight.
Despite that, for its sheer volume of deals, Prime Day is the first and, arguably for Amazon shoppers, the best opportunity of the autumn to grab massive discounts on both essentials and luxuries. This is my thirteenth Amazon sale event and I reckon I've got a pretty good grasp of the extravaganza's inner workings including how to snag the best deals and avoid the risk of buyer’s remorse.
The most crucial thing to do to secure the best Prime Day deals is also actually the simplest - shoppers need to be an Amazon Prime member to pick up many of the biggest bargains. There’s plenty of other perks to Prime membership beyond free delivery and access to these deals, but anyone unconvinced can simply sign up for a free trial and cancel before the thirty days are up and it won’t cost a penny.
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While the names of the Amazon events I’ve covered have changed, from Black Friday to Prime Day, Spring Deals Days and now Big Deal Days, a lot of the brands that cause the biggest stir have remained consistent. Each event brings solid deals on Ninja, Shark, Remington, COSRX, Samsung, Lego and Apple.
In recent years different iterations of Airpods have been a consistent bestseller, with the AirPods 4 reduced to £109.99 currently flying off the virtual shelves. Meanwhile Amazon devices now cause some of the biggest stirs, offering some of the largest discounts as the brand has more wiggle room on pricing their own products.
Fancy free takeaway delivery? Access to Deliveroo Plus is one of a host of advantages of Amazon Prime membership, including exclusive Prime Day discounts and perks on Hello Fresh, music, books and Prime Video. Usually £8.99 a month, you can now get a 30-day free trial to get access to the latest deals.
Of course all of these products have had upgrades and updates during that time. When I first started covering Amazon the Kindle was purely for reading books, whereas now it’s possible to write one on the Kindle Scribe 2022 which is now available at its lowest ever price of £199.
But across all the shopping events, one product has been a consistent bestseller and this week’s Prime event is no different. It might be surprising, it’s certainly more humble than some of the high tech gadgets on offer, but it’s also something most of us need: underwear.
Calvin Klein classic black boxer shorts have been a number one bestseller for every Prime Day I can remember. This week they're down to £26.66 for a pack of three, a saving of 39% and working out at £8.88 a pair.
There are various colour options available with some of them working out even cheaper, for example this blue, white stripe and grey set is £23.71 which is 44% off the usual price. But the iconic black pants with the white Calvin Klein logo on the waistband remains the favourite, with shoppers snapping them up in their thousands when they're reduced from their usual £44 price point.
The boxers are an Amazon bestseller having sold over 10,000 times this month
They've racked up an impressive 4.6 star rating based on more than 55,000 reviews, with shoppers praising them for being soft and good quality as well as a timeless style. One shopper explained: "Calvin Klein underwear is always reliable — really comfortable, soft material and a great fit.
"The waistband holds its shape well and doesn’t dig in, and they keep their quality even after lots of washes. They’re lightweight and breathable, so they feel good for everyday wear. They are a little more expensive than other brands, but the comfort and durability make them worth it. Stylish, simple, and dependable — definitely recommended."
With many shoppers having one eye on Christmas, lots of reviews also mentioned buying them as gifts for family members of all ages. One five star reviewer said: "I got this as a gift for my dad. They are amazingly soft and fit great, stretchy so no worries if you are not sure. My brother wants some now as well so I will have to order another few boxes."
Another shared: "Good quality, boyfriend has ordered more since, says they are extremely comfortable. Come packaged in Calvin Klein official packaging so would make a brilliant gift."
However, not everyone was so keen, with a three star reviewer offering a word of caution on sizing: "The feel and quality of the item is good but the sizing seems off, I am a large and so ordered large but they seem more like a medium or even a small which means I cannot wear them or return them. In a comfortable size I think they would be a nice item and would probably get 4 or even 5 stars but the sizing issue is a big problem."
Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Day runs until 11.59pm tonight (Wednesday, 8 October). See the top 100 deals across the entire site right now here - I guarantee those black Calvin Klein boxers are still in there.