Best Costco deals ahead of October Prime Day – including a membership discount

October Prime Day (also known as Prime Big Deal Days) kicks off Oct. 6 — but Amazon won’t be the only place to find great deals. Costco typically runs competing sales during this timeframe, with discounts on everything from big tech purchases like TVs and tablets to home essentials.

Also: Best early October Prime Day deals: Save on TVs, smartwatches, and more tech

Costco is a membership-based wholesale retailer. While non-members can shop with a guest account online, only members can access the full savings for the store’s sales events (non-members can expect a 5% markup on purchases, and some deals are members-only). Memberships start at $65 a year (and you can sometimes find membership deals — including right now, when you can get a $20 Costco store card for signing up, effectively dropping your first year of Gold Star membership to $45). 

I’m a big Costco fan and a card-carrying Executive Member. And as an editor who covers shopping, I’m here to help you sort through the sales and find the best deals possible. Here are my favorite Costco deals to compete with Prime Day that you can shop now.

for $2,800 (save $900)

LG G5 TV (77-inch)

• Current price: $2,800
• Original price: $3,700

The LG G5 is a premium TV that offers top-notch picture with signature OLED color accuracy and contrast, as well as virtual surround sound with Dolby Atmos support. It may be one model behind now, but it’s nearly as good as the newer G6 — and less expensive.

Also: LG G5 OLED TV review

Ugreen Nexode Mini 45W Dual USB-C charger. / Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

for $40 (save $10)

UGreen Nexode 45W USB-C Charger (2 pack)

• Current price: $40
• Original price: $50

We’ve been fans of UGreen chargers for years, and this 2-pack is small but mighty, with a retractable USB-C cable, and GaN technology for cooler, safer charging. It’s compatible with laptops, tablets, and phones.

 

Also: This tiny USB-C charger packs a lot of power

for $70 (save $30)

Shokz OpenRun SE Bone Conduction Headphones

for $200 (save $150)

SimpliSafe Security System (13 piece)

• Current price: $200
• Original price: $350

This highly rated SimpliSafe security system comes with a base station, two outdoor cameras, a keypad, 8 entry sensors, and a motion sensor at a major price cut.

for $1,850 (save $150)

MacBook Pro M5 (14-inch)

• Current price: $1,850
• Original price: $1,999

The M5 MacBook Pro is the latest in Apple Silicon, on sale now as the company prepares to launch the next generation of processors later this fall. This is a well-priced but high-end model featuring 16GB of unified memory, a 1TB SSD, and the gorgeous 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display that’s vivid enough for content creators, designers, or any professional.

Also: M5 MacBook Pro vs. M4 MacBook Air: I compared Apple’s most popular laptops, and this one wins

for $650 (save $100)

iPad Air 11-inch (M4 chip)

for $1,200 (save $300)

Samsung The Frame TV (65-inch)

for $300 (save $200)

GoPro MAX2 8K 360 Action Camera Bundle

• Current price: $300
• Original price: $500

This popular GoPro camera lets you film immersive 8K video, and capture everything in a 360-degree view. It’s also waterproof up to 16 feet, and lets you use voice control. The bundle includes two batteries, a 4-foot pole, a lens replacement, and a 64GB MicroSD card. 

Review: The GoPro Max 2 is the most convenient 360 travel camera

 

FAQs

When is October Prime Day? 

This year, Amazon’s October Prime Big Deal Days event runs from Oct. 6-7, similar to the past few years.

How did we choose these Amazon Prime Day deals?

ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops. 

We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. 

Where can I find the best Prime Day deals?

ZDNET editors will be tracking October Prime Day deals before, during, and after the sale. Here are our favorite deals across categories now:

Alison DeNisco Rayome

Managing Editor

Alison DeNisco Rayome is the Managing Editor of ZDNET Commerce. She was formerly a Managing Editor at CNET, covering software, services, and home tech, and a Senior Editor at TechRepublic, covering AI, cybersecurity, tech and the workplace, and CxO/leadership.

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