The cheaper ways to get Which? Best Buys

At Which? we put devices through their paces at independent labs to find the very best tech for you.

We award Best Buys to devices that outperform other models, but that doesn't mean you need to pay through the nose to get one.

Here, our experts explain how they save money on the very best tech devices, from shopping refurbished to getting the timing right and what they wouldn't compromise on, no matter the savings.

Buy refurbished or second-hand

All of our experts agreed that you don't need to buy a brand-new product to get the very best device. Buying refurbished or second-hand can be a great way to get more for your money. 

You might be worried that you'll get a damaged or subpar product if you don't buy brand new, but the best refurbished and second-hand tech retailers aren't repackaging any old device that comes their way.

In 2025, we surveyed 2,495 people about their experiences of buying pre-loved smartphones, laptops, tablets and smartwatches. It was our first time asking customers for their experience with these stores, and we were pleasantly surprised when 10 second-hand tech retailers received a customer score of 80% or more. Of these, at least 90% of respondents said they'd recommend them.

• Find out more: best refurbished and second-hand retailers 

How much can you save by buying refurbished?

We collected the prices of a selection of Best Buy tech on 3 and 4 March, and compared them to their prices when bought new.  

Based on this snapshot, savings were between 13-43%. While savings may vary, it's generally good to aim for at least 15% off. 

All of the Best Buys mentioned were new when tested. We can't vouch for the condition of second-hand or refurbished products. New prices are based on the price on a manufacturer's own site (eg the Apple Store) or where that wasn't available, we took the lowest price from our pricing partner on the day.

Apple

We've looked at the price of five of the top-performing Apple devices from our testing and compared the prices at three pre-loved tech retailers. 

While iOutlet sells a handful of Samsung and Google devices, it primarily focuses on Apple devices. We looked at three iPhones with different grades (A+, A and B). Unsurprisingly, the greatest percentage saving was for the handset that was graded B. 

Apple has a good reputation for its refurbished products - it impressed in our retailer survey, although it missed out on being named a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP). It offers some trade-in savings, so it's worth checking before you go ahead with upgrading your old device.

• Find out more: best Apple deals this month 

Samsung

Samsung Certified Renewed was the joint top-performing store for refurbished tech in our survey. Products are inspected by experts, fitted with genuine Samsung parts, and repackaged. Customers gave it a full five stars for product quality, with several telling us that you wouldn't be able to tell the products were refurbished. 

Savings weren't the highest we saw, but for both Samsung phones we looked at, there was a 15% saving to be had compared to buying new. 

• Find out more: best Samsung deals this month

Google 

Amazon Renewed sells a wide variety of tech, and was the most used in our survey, with 15% of purchases made there in the two years we asked about. 

It got four stars for value for money, and we found that there are decent savings to be found, even on models that have been graded as excellent.

• Find out more: best smartphones to buy in 2026

Dell

Dell is another brand where they have a site selling refurbished items. All laptops are inspected, repaired and tested, and given cosmetic grades based on whether it has any imperfections such as scratches. For one Best Buy Dell laptop we checked, there was a 20% saving by buying a refurbished model. 

• Find out more: best laptop deals this month

How to buy second-hand or refurbished tech

When you're browsing pre-loved devices, there are a few key points to keep in mind. 

Second-hand versus refurbished  A second-hand product from a retailer such as CEX may not have undergone the same checks and repairs that a refurbished product has, so the product quality may be more variable. There may be greater savings to be had, but we'd recommend seeing second-hand devices in person where possible, or checking them over thoroughly as soon as they arrive. 

Personally, I'd opt for a store that refurbishes devices using genuine manufacturer parts, rather than simply selling on second-hand, as the quality may be more variable.

The age of the model Tech devices can age out of software updates, meaning manufacturers stop supporting them with key security updates. This puts a device at risk. Have a look at how long the particular model has been around, and if older models from the same brand are still receiving software updates. 

Device grade The majority of retailers (although not Apple or Samsung) will give a device a grade based on its condition. This varies from shop to shop, but generally you’ll find like-new devices graded as ‘Like New’, ‘Premium’ or ‘Excellent’, for example, right down to products showing more signs of wear graded as ‘Good’, ‘B’ or ‘F’ grade. What grade you buy depends on what you're willing to accept. 

• Find out more: our second-hand phone recommendations 

Look for the right specifications

Don't buy a piece of tech that has more bells and whistles than you need. Many of our Best Buy models are available in a variety of specifications, including different storage or memory options - see if there's any savings to be made by downgrading slightly. 

You can save in the long run, too, by picking models that can be updated down the line. While you might not see the same savings upfront by doing this, you may get more for your money by keeping your device working well for longer. 

One key element to check when buying a second-hand smartphone is whether you'll continue to receive important security updates. 

Check out our replaceable RAM tech spec

Lisa Barber, Which? Tech Editor said: 'Refurbished laptops and phones are a great way to get a more powerful device for your money.  My son bought a refurb gaming laptop, for instance, which is still going strong after a fair few years; it also had replaceable Ram (not every laptop does, but we now include in the tech specs on our laptop reviews if the Ram can be replaced), so we were able to upgrade that a few months ago to keep it running even longer.'

• Find out more: best refurbished laptops 2026

Plan around new launches

Doing your research on when to expect big new launches could save you money, whether you buy new or second-hand. 

After a high-profile launch, you might see retailers offering discounts on older devices as they prepare to promote the latest model.

If you're looking to buy second-hand but the model you want has been out of stock for a while, there's a chance there will be an influx of new handsets after new products launch or even further discounts on older models. 

• Find out more: the tech brands with the most Best Buys

A decent warranty and battery life are deal-breakers

Will Stapley, Which? Cars Editor said: 'For me, a decent warranty and battery life are deal-breakers, whatever I'm buying. Battery life is only going to get worse as the product ages, so starting with one that's on the way out isn't great - and getting a new one fitted is often very expensive. My advice would be to confirm the battery condition before you buy, then verify it as soon as you can. '

Use price tracking to find the best discounts

There are simple ways to start tracking and comparing prices yourself. 

• Create wish lists - some retailers let you create wish lists, which is basically a shopping list of the products you're interested in. Doing this lets you see your curated list easily and could help you notice any price drops. 
• Sign up for newsletters - you may not want to clog up your inbox with newsletters, but they can be useful if you are in the market for a particular Best Buy. Add the product to your basket on the retailer's site, and then sign up for any newsletters on offer. You may just get emailed a tempting discount code to bring you back to your basket.  
• Do your own price tracking - sites such as PriceRunner and camelcamelcamel (for Amazon only) show price history and current prices, so you can check whether the price of a product is competitive and compare a few models at a glance.

Find out more: the best tech retailers rated by customers