Why Buy a Refurbished Mac

Want to buy a new Mac and don’t want to spend a fortune? Buying a new Mac is an expensive business, but there is a way to get a new Mac for less.

We don’t mean buying a used Mac from someone on eBay. We mean you can get a brand new Mac directly from Apple for less money. Read Should I Buy a Used Mac?

Want to know how? Shop at Apple’s Certified Refurbished Store. On the refurbished store, you can find Macs from the past few years, all with cash on Apple’s regular price. See how much you can save here: How Much Can You Save on Apple’s Refurbished Store.

Price isn’t the only reason to buy from Apple’s Certified Refurbished Store. Here, we’ll tell you all the reasons why you should buy a refurbished Mac.

Apple isn’t the only place that sells refurbished Macs. We discuss the best place to buy a refurbished MacBook or Mac in a separate article, and also make some recommendations below.

1. Refurbished Macs are like new

You might think that buying from Apple’s refurbished store is a lot like buying used, assuming the Mac had a previous owner and for some reason it has returned his Mac to Apple. Your concern might be that this means there is something wrong with the Mac, but as you will see below, Apple will have identified and fixed all faults.

The Mac you’re buying probably wasn’t straight from the factory, but its interlude with a previous customer will have been brief. The previous owner may have exercised their consumer rights and returned it unused within 14 days (which is Apple’s refund and exchange policy). Or the Mac may have been used as a demo model, but that doesn’t mean it will have been used by many people and it’s unlikely to have undergone heavy treatment.

2. You can get current-gen Macs for less

You can save money on current generation Macs if you shop at the refurbished store.

For example, in July 2023, we found a refurbished 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip for $929, which is a savings of $170, and less than the MacBook Air M1 is still selling for.

It usually takes a few months before Apple starts selling the current generation Mac on the refurbished store, but Apple has started selling refurbished M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro and M2 Mac mini on the refurbished store to nine in May 2023, approximately four months after their departure. put on sale in January 2023.

Apple

3. You can get more for your money

Buying from the refurbished store is a great way to get a more powerful Mac than the current entry-level for less money.

If you purchase your Mac from your local Apple Store, Apple Authorized Reseller, or Apple’s online store, you can only purchase the latest version of a particular Mac. Instead, head to the Refurbished Store and you’ll find Macs from recent years at a lower price than their successors.

What’s really appealing is that these older Macs often aren’t much different from current models. Sure, the new Mac could have the next-gen processor, but if you had the choice between an M2 or an M1 Pro, the M1 Pro would still be a more powerful option. See our comparison of Mac processors.

For example, we took a look at the refurbished Apple Store in July 2023 and found a refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip (14-core GPU, 512 GB SSD and 16 GB unified memory ) for $1,539. That’s a savings of $360 off the $1,899 price it had when new. But the deal is even better when you consider that a brand new 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip, configured to have the same 512GB SSD and 16GB of memory, would cost $1,699 and be a less powerful Mac. with a 10-core GPU.

Typically, you can see the following savings on Apple’s Refurbished Store for both current-generation and legacy Macs:

There are big savings to be had on Intel-powered iMacs, too.

4. Apple tests and replaces parts as needed

You might think that’s all great, but these are Macs that were probably returned to Apple due to a defect. Would it be unwise to buy a Mac that has already proven to be defective?

The good news here is that you can be sure that any defect will have been corrected by Apple. The company says all refurbished Macs include “full functional testing, genuine Apple part replacements (if necessary)”, as well as a “deep cleaning”.

The Mac you buy will have gone through more checks than any factory-direct Mac, so you can be sure that any issues will have been caught.

Apple

5. You get 1 year warranty and 90 days technical support

Best of all, you get a one-year warranty, so if something goes wrong, it’s easy and free to fix.

You also get free technical support, which means you can call Apple if you have any setup, software installation, and connection issues.

You can also extend the one-year warranty up to three years if you purchase AppleCare protection when you purchase your refurbished Mac.

If you buy second-hand from another source, you’ll only have the remaining warranty left – and since the model you’re buying is probably over a year old, that protection will have expired.

6. It ships free with free returns

Because you buy the Mac directly from Apple, it has other advantages. For example, not only will there be no shipping costs associated with your new Mac (Apple will send it to you for free).

You’ll also be protected by Apple’s 14-day return policy, which means if you change your mind, you can return it, no questions asked, within two weeks.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

7. You could get your new Mac today!

Another benefit is that if the Mac is in stock at your local Apple Store, you can pick it up today. And if you prefer it to be delivered to you, it could arrive as soon as tomorrow.

8. You can buy your refurbished Mac with financing options

If you don’t have the money right now, you can still get your new Mac. Apple offers financing options. In the United States, Apple offers its own Apple Card which offers the benefit of 3% daily cash back when you buy from Apple.

The Apple Card isn’t available in the UK, but Barclays and PayPal Credit provide financing if you want to buy a new Mac. All you have to do is apply for financing when you leave.

You can also trade in an old product to get credit for your new purchase. You could get up to $775 / £615 in credit to trade in a MacBook Pro, for example.

9. You don’t have to deal with a former user

Doing business with Apple is a real advantage. You don’t need to deal with a previous owner who might not be completely honest about problems with the machine, or who might be tough if you run into problems later on.

Dealing directly with Apple should give you peace of mind that you are buying exactly what is advertised and that if there are any issues they will be professionally addressed.

10. You may be able to save even more

Apple isn’t the only place you can buy a refurbished Mac. There are a number of Apple resellers and refurbishment specialists who will also sell you a used Mac that has been thoroughly checked.

We advise you to be a little more careful if Apple isn’t selling the refurbished Mac, and we recommend that you don’t buy a very old Mac, even if it’s been refurbished, but that can be a good way to get a relatively new Mac for less.

These refurbished stores will have the Mac thoroughly checked so you can be sure it will work!

In the USA:

The UK:

If you want to know more about buying a refurbished Mac, read this: Where to buy a refurbished Mac.

We also have the best place to buy a Mac and the best time to buy a Mac.

For advice on which Mac to buy, read the Best Mac Buying Guide

And if you want a deal on a new Mac, read: Best MacBook Pro deals or Best iMac deals