How Much Can You Really Save Buying Open Box? (Data From 847,000 Listings)
OpenBoxFox Team
Author
Based on 847,056 live US listings (July 2026), buying open box saves an average of 25% off list price. The median deal is 21% off, certified refurbished runs deeper at 31%, and the best categories average 35%. We measured these across our full database.
What the data shows
Deal blogs love claiming "up to 70% off!", which is technically true and practically misleading. We track every live open-box and refurbished listing from Amazon US and Canada, Reebelo and other retailers, so we can measure them directly. As of the July 2026 snapshot:
- The average discount was 25% off list price. The median was 21%, so half of all live deals saved more than about a fifth of the price.
- Certified refurbished averaged 31% off, on far pricier items (about $390 on average, against about $50 for open box generally). That makes it the biggest saving per purchase in the data.
- Canada averaged 36% off, noticeably deeper than the US market.
- Deep cuts exist, but they're rare. Deals past 50% off are typically lower cosmetic grades, unpopular variants, or single units that vanish within hours.
Savings by category (July 2026)
| Where the discounts are deepest | Avg discount |
|---|---|
| Cell Phones & Accessories | 35% |
| Automotive | 28% |
| Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry | 27% |
| Electronics | 26% |
| Tools & Home Improvement | 25% |
| Home & Kitchen | 24% |
| Toys & Games | 20% |
| Baby Products | 19% |
The full 20-category table is in the July 2026 Open-Box Price Index.
Percentage vs dollars: buy where the dollars are
A 35% discount on an $11 phone case saves $4. A 26% discount on electronics averaged $75 saved per listing, and July's top verified deal was a MacBook Pro 16" M1 Pro at $2,990 below list. If you want to save meaningful money, shop expensive categories at moderate percentages rather than cheap categories at high ones.
How to beat the 25% average
- Accept one grade lower than your instinct. "Very Good" prices well below "Like New" for wear you'll rarely notice. The grade definitions explain the difference.
- Go refurbished for devices. The 31% refurb average beats the open-box average and includes testing (see the difference). To compare refurbished devices, see MacBooks under $500 (CA$800 in Canada) and smartphones under $200 (Canada).
- Move fast on outliers. Deals far below their category's average are usually single units, and they sell quickly.
- Check Canada if you live there. The CA catalog is smaller, but at a 36% average it's noticeably cheaper.
- Let the return window cover the risk. With Amazon's 30 days you can go lower on grade; the safety guide has a checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How much can you save buying open box on average?
25% off list price on average across 847,056 live US listings as of July 2026, and the median deal saves 21%. Certified refurbished averages 31%.
Are 70%-off open-box deals real?
They exist, usually as low cosmetic grades, discontinued variants or single returned units of expensive items, but they're rare and disappear fast. Treat "up to X%" claims as marketing.
How big can a single saving get?
Verified deals with more than $2,000 in savings appear regularly in refurbished laptops and pro equipment. July's top was $2,990 off a MacBook Pro 16". See the Price Index for the latest edition.
All figures from the OpenBoxFox live database, July 2026 snapshot (in-stock listings with verified pricing; implausible price data excluded). OpenBoxFox earns affiliate commissions on some outbound links. See our affiliate disclosure.