Have you finally decided to buy an Apple Watch? Well, it is a long-term investment and, therefore, has to be made carefully after a thorough assessment. While most people prefer only the new Apple watches, some will settle for the refurbished Apple watch as they cost less and will perform almost the same efficiently for years.

Apple products are slightly expensive. Therefore, relying on a refurbished product might serve you well for years without burning a hole in your pocket. When buying a refurbished apple watch, you must be careful while choosing the proper platform because numerous scammers exist. Various platforms sell fake Apple watches too. It might look the same to you, but they don’t last long. Once those start to malfunction, finding a service center or repairing them might become a matter of concern. Plus, one must know how to restart the Apple watch.

Best Places To Buy Refurbished Apple Watch In 2023

Online and offline both mediums offer refurbished Apple watches, and there are numerous retailers apart from Apple. You can also find various apple articles on technorms.com. Plus, while Apple provides one-day delivery and 1-year warranty, a refurbished Apple watch from other sources comes at a cheaper retail price.

Whether you buy the refurbished Apple watch online or from a local market, make sure you test it well and check the specifications properly.

Let’s check the sources where you can get your refurbished Apple watch alongside the Apple Refurb Store.

1. Apple Store

Buy Refurbished Apple Watch In 2023 from Apple store

The Apple-certified refurbished Apple watch is the best option if you are concerned about the packaging and warranty. Apart from being the best in quality, Apple Store certified refurbished watches come with new white packaging and essential Apple accessories.

Just as a new Apple watch will have a 1-year warranty, the Apple-certified watch will have the same warranty period along with one-day delivery. The discounts ranging from 10 percent for newer models to 35 percent for older ones are undoubtedly exciting.

Check out the Apple Store

2. Walmart

Refurbished Apple Watch from Walmart

With a wide selection of refurbished Apple watch inventory, Walmart offers top models like the Apple Series 3 and Apple Series 5 within the range of USD 130-250. In addition, you can get Apple watches with features like ECG and fall detection at a Bargain Price.

With a long 30-day refund window, Walmart has certified refurbished models, and if you notice any discoloration, scratch, or malfunction, there is an easy return policy.

Check out Walmart

3. Best Buy

Best buy

In association with Geek Squad, Best Buy can be your best option to get a refurbished Apple Watch by physically going to its store and verifying the quality of the watch before choosing from your preferred models.

The best thing about Best Buy is that it offers Apple Care+ warranty service to its models that can be valid for up to two years, along with its standard 24-month product support. What is better, Best Buy has a 15-day return where no question is asked regarding the reason for the return.

Check out Best Buy

4. Mac of all trades

Mac of all trades

As an aggregator for various refurbished Apple products, Mac of all trades has refurbished Apple watch models listed from multiple sellers with conditions like good, very good, excellent, and Factory Sealed that you can filter as per your choice.

With affordable prices, the latest models, like Apple Watch Edition 7, are available at about USD 400 in factory sealed condition with a 1-year warranty. Each Apple watch passes through a 40-step inspection and hardware test before being shipped free of cost. Some refurbished Apple watch models are also available with a 2-year platinum warranty.

Check Mac of all Trades

5. Back Market

Back Market

Another aggregator platform, like Best Buy, Back Market lists refurbished Apple products by grading them according to their technical conditions and look. Besides excellent quality checking, Back Market lists only reliable sellers on their platform.

Each refurbished Apple watch will get you a standard 1-year warranty and a 30-day return window. Multiple payment methods and free shipping further enhance customer experience.

Check out Back Market

6. Decluttr

Decluttr

Each refurbished Apple watch listed on Decluttr passes through ninety quality checks via the in-house refurbishment facility. Founded in 2015, Decluttr offers student discounts along with regular discounts.

While the conditions of the refurbished watches are good, Decluttr offers multiple payment methods, a 14-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, and a 12-month limited warranty. Models like Apple Watch 5 are available at around USD 240.

Check out Decluttr

7. RefurbMe

RefurbMe Buy Refurbished Apple Watch

RefurbMe is another aggregator site with a customer-centric interface and comparison process for different refurbished Apple watch models. There are filters and standards for selecting parameters like warranty, retail price, model name, features, and case material.

While properly picking retailers for their listings, RefurbMe offers warranty policies starting from 30 days, and here you can get models like Apple Watch Series 3 at less than USD 120.

Check out RefurbMe

Now that we’ve looked at some reliable sources to buy refurbished Apple Watches, here are some questions you should ask yourself before buying.

What Does It Mean For An Apple Watch To Be Refurbished?

If you want a genuine refurbished Apple watch, the best option is to get an Apple certified refurbished watch because each of them passes through a rigorous process including complete functional testing.

While you can save up to 15 percent with such a refurbished Apple watch, here are the things you should expect from it –

Apple Watch Packaging And Accessories

The refurbished Apple watch will contain all the genuine replacement parts of Apple as necessary – each part will be thoroughly inspected and cleaned. Refurbished Apple products include a new battery with a new outer shell, well-configured operating systems, cables, and accessories. The Apple refurbished watches are packed in a brand-new white box. You will get an easy return and free shipping facility.

Guarantee And Warranty By Apple

The standard 1-year limited warranty backs the commitment to the refurbished Apple watch’s quality and free technical support for 90 days. Moreover, on purchasing Apple Care products, you can avail of additional guaranteed coverage.

The Difference Between A Refurbished Apple Watch And A New One

The main difference between a new Apple watch and a refurbished Apple watch is that the latter is a restored version to fully working condition like a new one after being used for display products or pre-owned. Refurbished Apple products are often referred to as reconditioned, remanufactured, and refurbed.

  • Unlike the new Apple watch, the refurbished Apple watch often comes as second-hand, i.e., from some returned unit, which was worn before, repaired on being replaced, and assembled from the reused accessories.
  • The refurbished Apple watch will come in the package with white card stock wrapping that looks identical to the retail package. It will have the 3D logo of the Apple Watch on the front, and below this will be a tiny sticker saying “Apple Certified Refurbished.” The back label of the refurbished Apple watch is quite generic, unlike that of the retail product with a pictorial and descriptive label.
  • Once you get rid of the wrapper, there is a grayscale image of the Apple watch on the refurbished Apple watch, while in the new one is an embossed picture from the watch inside with metal type, size, and finish. There is also a generic picture for the bundled band.

Is Buying A Refurbished Apple Watch A Good Idea?

When looking for a refurbished Apple watch, you will get plenty of models like the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch 5, Apple Watch Series 6, and so on, many of which are no longer sold by retailers. So, you can get old and new models while choosing to go with refurbished Apple products.

  • A refurbished Apple watch and its components work and look 100% like new. Everything is completely functional, from the display screen to the battery charger, and if any part is malfunctioning within the guarantee period, it is replaced.
  • Apple refurbished products go through extensive software and hardware tests with checking of components. If any defect is found, it passes through a troubleshooting process or is replaced accordingly. After the refurbishment is done, the now refurbished Apple watch passes through a complete product test, and only when it passes through all the checkpoints, it is put up for sale.
  • As the watches might be pre-owned, used, or displayed before coming for refurbishment, the products are cleaned properly to give a shiny new-like look. Each refurbished Apple watch has its screen polished, ports sanitized, and hardware cleaned.
  • The refurbished Apple watch will not have any old data stored in the internal storage by the old owner because the old configurations and data are formatted during the refurbishment process.
  • Just like a new model, the refurbished Apple watch will have a new copy of iOS ready for setting up.
  • Refurbished Apple watches come with a standard 1-year or 90-day warranty, and some retailers also let you extend the warranty period by paying additionally. In addition, as mentioned above, some platforms, including Apple, also offer Apple Care+.

Are Apple Refurbished Items Worth It?

A refurbished Apple watch can be your way into premium Apple merchandise while paying about a fraction of its actual retail price. If you are not after the latest specifications available in the latest Apple Watch models, the refurbished Apple watches will be your best bet out there.

Apple certified refurbished watch is purchased from the company instead of resellers. If you buy an Apple watch renewed by Amazon, you will only get a warranty of 90 days, while Apple has one year warranty. Apple also has an AppleCare+ plan as additional protection, but Amazon or other resellers will offer any third-party warranty. Resellers like Amazon do not provide similar packaging and accessories like Apple, and you will get the refurbished Apple watch in ordinary cardboard packaging with a refurbished charger.

Final Thoughts

When buying a refurbished Apple watch, it is better to rely on Apple Store, Amazon, etc., because they do great restoration while finding warranty information that is very vital for refurbished products. It is always necessary to read the description and verify the condition of the watch before ordering it by checking reviews.

Also, check the warranty label on the watch because the certified pre-owned Apple watch device comes with a 1-year warranty and 90-day additional support by AppleCare, while other retailers offer a 90-day warranty. As for return policy, Apple has a 14-day return, while Amazon’s Renewed Apple Watch has a 90-day return policy. While buying, look out for any defect in the body and functionality so that you can get it repaired with AppleCare+ (eligible for Apple, Best Buy, and Walmart) or returned. Finally, if the cost difference between the new model and the refurbished Apple watch is less than ten percent, it is better to go for a new one.