Buying a refurbished device rather than a new one can save you a ton of money. It can also be a savvy method of getting what you want during yet another moment of global trade instability, with the latest blow coming from the Trump administration’s intense tariffs on US imports from China. However, these products don’t usually receive any spotlight from retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H Photo. You also won’t find them sitting on the homepage of Apple, Google, Nintendo, Sonos, or Microsoft, to name a few. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find refurbs on these sites.
First, a quick description of what “refurbished” means. If a product has been refurbished and is for sale again, that likely means the product was either broken or roughed up enough to warrant a repair. It could also mean that whoever bought it simply decided they didn’t want it and returned it to the store. The definition of what makes for a refurbished product varies depending on the seller, though something that may ease some worry is that there are US laws that prevent once-used tech from being sold as new, even if it’s in new condition.
For more information on what defines a refurbished product and what the best strategy is when shopping for refurbished devices and other items, check out our detailed guide on how to purchase refurbished electronics. If you’ve already decided that you’d like to go the refurb route, here are some places to try.
Photo: Umar Shakir
Best Buy Outlet, as it’s called, is the retailer’s dedicated site for refurbished tech. Here’s Best Buy’s claim for its refurbs:
Refurbished products have been restored to like-new condition. All vital parts and accessories that would have been included with the original product are present, and our thorough inspection process ensures that the product is clean and in working condition.
Products purchased through Best Buy Outlet are subject to the company’s standard return policy. In terms of warranty coverage, it says that refurbished products sold through its Outlet “often include a limited warranty through Best Buy.” Given that it doesn’t broadly provide all refurbished products with a warranty, it’s worth investigating a product before you buy it.
You can also browse for the product you’re actually looking for on Best Buy’s website, then scroll down the page until you see the “More Buying Options” section. Click it to see some other, more affordable options for buying similar devices. Sometimes what you’ll see are refurbs, but most of the time, they are simply open-box returns in varying states of condition.
Amazon Warehouse is the section of the retailer’s site dedicated to used, refurbished products — or “renewed,” as Amazon calls it. If you shop regularly for tech on Amazon, you stand to save some money here. There are sometimes special discounts during Prime Day and other seasonal sales. Here is the fine print from Amazon on its renewed devices:
Amazon Renewed is your trusted destination for pre-owned, refurbished products. Products sold on Amazon Renewed are professionally inspected and tested to work as expected by an Amazon qualified and performance-managed supplier. If we source products from a third-party seller, the third-party seller tests and inspects the product.
You can find renewed versions of lots of tech items here, all of which have a 90-day money-back guarantee. You can also find Warehouse deals by looking at the “New & Used” options on the product page of the device you’re interested in. If Amazon offers a refurbished or used option, it will be listed right at the top. In the “condition” section listed next to the price, it will include any disclaimers you should be aware of in relation to the product’s condition.
As if Amazon didn’t already dominate enough of the online commerce space, it also owns an online retailer called Woot that often has appealing deals on refurbished tech. That site is usually upfront about warranty information for each device, as well as the condition that it’s in. Woot applies a 90-day limited warranty to most of its products (in some cases, tech comes with the original manufacturer warranty).
Additionally, eBay has a certified refurbished program, which provides a one- or two-year warranty from Allstate for each product listed. The online seller promises hassle-free returns if you’re unhappy with the purchase or a money-back guarantee if your item arrives in a condition that doesn’t match the listing description. Typically, you can find items from Bose, Acer, iRobot, Lenovo, Razer, and a range of other products on eBay’s refurbished page. It guarantees that you’ll get new accessories, new manuals, and manufacturer-sealed packaging with each purchase.
Apple has one of the best refurbishment programs around. All products sold as refurbished will arrive in “like new” condition with at least 15 percent in savings compared to the cost of a brand-new device. Products will ship in a box with all of the original accessories. In addition to coming with a one-year limited warranty, you can buy AppleCare for your refurbished purchase. Just to give you an idea of the level of care Apple puts into its refurbs: it replaces the battery and the outer shell of all iOS devices, and they all receive new cables.
The Google Store has long had a refurbished section on its site, though it remained mostly dormant with no refurbished products for what seemed like years. As of 2025, it’s populated with phones, ranging from the Pixel 6A to the Pixel 7 Pro. The prices aren’t as cheap as you’d likely be able to find buying a secondhand phone via Craigslist or Swappa. However, each phone comes with a one-year Google warranty.
Sonos sells refurbished audio products on its site, each of which comes with a one-year warranty from the company and a 30-day return policy. Additionally, Sonos says each product has received internal and external cleaning and inspection, and it comes in a brand-new box with all the original accessories and cables.
Nintendo sells refurbished Switch consoles, and they’re listed at the bottom of this page. When this was originally written, it was sold out due to the demand spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that supply and demand have mostly stabilized, you can save some money on a refurbished unit of the Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite. Here’s what Nintendo says of the process on each of its refurbished product pages:
The Nintendo Switch is now available as an Authentic Nintendo Refurbished set only from Nintendo, and it comes with our standard one year warranty. Although it may have minor cosmetic blemishes, it is guaranteed to be fully functional. We think you will find the standards for Authentic Nintendo Refurbished Products are VERY high.
Valve’s Steam Deck (both the LCD and OLED models) is available in refurbished condition. Stock quickly sells out, but you can sometimes find handhelds starting at $279, going up to $519. Whichever one you find, the chances are good that it’s over $100 off its original price. And yet, it’ll come with a one-year warranty, a refurbished power supply, and a carrying case.
Microsoft has a part of its store specifically dedicated to products that it has refurbished. There, you’ll find the likes of the latest Surface Pro tablets and laptops, along with Xbox consoles. Microsoft says that people who buy refurbished products get the same kind of tech support as those who purchase new products. While Surface products get a year of warranty service, Xbox consoles are only covered for 90 days, though there’s an option to extend coverage at a cost.
BackMarket is one of many online storefronts that sells refurbished tech at steeply discounted prices. Each product page clearly lists what condition the device is in, what kind of warranty it comes with, and exactly which refurbishment company helped to restore it. It’s one of the more transparent resellers, and it offers one-year warranties on all of its products with a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases if you aren’t happy.
Not sure if your favorite brand sells refurbished? Just search!
The chances are in your favor that your favorite brand sells refurbished tech. I was in the market for an upgraded desktop graphics card recently, and I found that Zotac has a somewhat regular restocking cadence of refurbished graphics cards. The PC builder iBuyPower also sells refurbished graphics cards on its site, as well as laptops and PCs. The odds were also in my favor when I was looking for refurbished lenses for my Olympus camera (they’re sold on an OM System Outlet eBay page now). Nikon offers its own refurbished products, too. Just search!
It’s possible that some brands don’t offer their own dedicated shop for refurbished goods. In that case, sites like Decluttr and others offer refurbs — and usually with a good warranty. If you’re just looking for secondhand products that, in most cases, haven’t been restored and are being sold as-is, check out Swappa.
Update April 15th, 2025: This article was originally published on May 15th, 2020. The information for various vendors has been updated, along with some links and images.
