Memorial Day 2026 is almost here, and Amazon has some of the best deals of the holiday weekend — the kind of discounts experts say make the long weekend a smart time to buy big-ticket items like mattresses and home appliances. NBC Select combed through Amazon's site this week, asked fellow editors for must-have recommendations and is sharing those deals below, noting that some offers are already in full effect for the holiday weekend.
The savings show in plain numbers. A popular Traeger electric pellet grill is 32% off for Memorial Day, and the smaller Traeger Pro 22 is also on sale. The larger model advertises a large main cooking area and an extra grill rack toward the back to keep cooked food warm; it includes a small screen and a dial to adjust the temperature and to view the built-in food probe temperature. Memorial Day weekend deals are starting at 40% off across categories, Marc Fisher sandals are 50% off, Coach loafers are listed under $100, and prices on some classic T-shirts are slashed in half for the holiday.
NBC Select’s curation mixes tried-and-true picks with editor-tested items. Some of the products included were tried and tested by NBC Select editors and reporters, and the recommendations are based on previous coverage and reporting. Shoppers do not need an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the deals being highlighted, the guide makes clear.
The guide runs beyond grills and footwear. Household tech and grooming items feature prominently: an air purifier rated for rooms up to 361 square feet is on the list, and its filter only needs replacement every 12 months. A handheld steamer that weighs less than two pounds and is about the size of an iPad Mini made the cut for travel and quick wardrobe touch-ups. A powdered dry shampoo with a 4.2-star average rating from more than 7,000 shoppers on Amazon — formulated with ingredients such as ginseng, biotin and betaine — is included for quick hair refreshes.
Kitchen and dining gadgets are present as well. An electric salt and pepper grinder set carries a 4.6-star average rating from more than 4,000 shoppers on Amazon, and the unit includes a small light, an adjustable fine-course grinder and USB-C charging. Skincare finds include pore pads that offer a soft, hydrating side plus a textured side for exfoliating and removing dead skin cells, and a tinted version of one sunscreen is currently 20% off.
On mattresses, NBC Select highlights models that fit a middle ground between firm and soft — a sweet spot for many sleepers. Mili Godio, who uses a similar mattress model from the brand, says it “strikes a great middle ground between firm and soft,” a practical endorsement for shoppers weighing support against comfort during a sale window that often combines deep discounts with limited inventory.
Context matters: this is a curated shopping guide focused on Memorial Day sales at Amazon, covering categories including mattresses, home appliances, grilling, skincare, hair care, clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories. The piece stresses that the recommendations reflect editors’ previous hands-on coverage and that some prices are dynamic and may change from the date of publication. That caveat matters because many deals are already live and can move quickly over the holiday.
The tension here is ordinary but real: there are strong, demonstrable discounts and editor-tested picks, yet prices and availability can shift midweek. NBC Select’s work narrows the browsing for shoppers, but it does not freeze prices or guarantee stock will last through the weekend — a gap between the promise of a sale and the practical risk of missed inventory.
For shoppers ready to act, the conclusion is straightforward and supported by the evidence assembled: Memorial Day remains one of the better windows to buy big-ticket goods and seasonal essentials, and Amazon’s current lineup includes standouts — from a 32% off Traeger grill to highly rated household and grooming items — that make it worth checking the curated list now rather than later.
