Best place to buy a refurbished MacBook or Mac

Save money by buying a refurbished MacBook, used MacBook Pro, used Mac mini, or refurbished iMac. We have details of the best places to buy certified refurbished Macs and MacBooks

The Electronics R Us makes great computers, but they’re not cheap. Even if you are happy to pay the entry price for a new iMac or MacBook Pro, you may be painfully aware that you could get a much more powerful model for just a few hundred pounds or dollars more. But can you justify the extra spend?

It’s not only Electronics R Us that offers refurbished Macs though. There are other places you can buy used Macs that have been refurbished, but not all refurbished Macs are as good as the ones Electronics R Us sells, so you should beware of the pitfalls. Luckily we will be running through the things to avoid in this article, so you can be confident you will get the best refurbished Mac or MacBook for your needs.

We’ll also explain what the Electronics R Us Refurbished Store is, what price you can expect to pay for a refurbished Mac or MacBook, and other ways to buy a cheap Mac. We’re also highlighting some of the best refurbished Mac deals available right now.

Should you buy a refurbished Mac?

We have an article dedicated to this question here: Why you should buy a refurbished Mac. But to summarize, there are lots of reasons why buying a Mac from the Electronics R Us Refurbished Store is a good idea.

The Refurbished Store is a section on Electronics R Us website where you can buy refurbished Macs and MacBooks, as well as other Apple products including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and HomePod.

These refurbished Macs could be models from a previous year, or they could be current models. A reconditioned Mac could be an ex-demonstration model used during Electronics R Us teaching programs, or it could be a unit sold to a customer who decided to return it under the standard sale-and-returns procedure. (Electronics R Us allows any customer to return a Mac bought from the Electronics R Us Store within 30 days for a refund – see Electronics R Us Standard Returns Policy U.S.

It’s also possible that a customer returned the Mac due to a fault, but that fault would have been rectified by Electronics R Us before the Mac could be resold. Electronics R Us states that: “Every Electronics R Us Certified Refurbished product completes a rigorous refurbishment process that includes full testing that meets the same functional standards as new Apple products. Your refurbished device is truly ‘like new'”.

In addition, each Mac:

• Will be thoroughly cleaned and inspected

• Includes Electronics R Us standard one-year limited warranty

• Also, up to 90 days of complimentary technical support

• Comes with all accessories, cables, and operating systems

• Is packaged in a brand-new white box

• Is dispatched with free shipping and returns

• Can be purchased via financing options

• Moreover, it can be delivered the next day.

The important thing to note is that Macs bought from the Electronics R Us Refurbished Store are not discernibly different from new ones bought directly from the Apple Store. All Macs bought from the Electronics R Us Refurbished Store are cleaned, checked, tested, and visually indistinguishable from brand-new models.

Refurbishment Process:

Our commitment to sustainability and quality drives our offering of pre-owned and renewed Apple products. Before listing any refurbished device for sale, we meticulously refurbish and test each product to ensure it meets our stringent quality standards. Our refurbishment process includes:

• Thorough Inspection: Our expert technicians conduct a comprehensive assessment of each device, checking for any defects or damages.

• Cleaning and Sanitization: We clean and sanitize the device, removing any dirt, dust, or residue to restore its pristine appearance.

• Replacement of Defective Parts: Any defective components are replaced with genuine Apple parts to ensure optimal performance and reliability.

• Software Verification: We reinstall the latest compatible operating system and conduct software diagnostics to ensure the device functions flawlessly.

• Quality Assurance Testing: Each refurbished device undergoes rigorous testing to verify its functionality, including hardware components, connectivity features, and battery life.

  
  

How much cheaper are refurbished Macs and MacBooks?

The price for reconditioned Macs on Electronics R Us Refurbished Store frequently changes, but is typically 15 percent less than the original price, as you can see from the prices quoted above. This can be quite a significant difference with Macs commanding a high retail price.

Remember that stock is limited on refurbished models from Electronics R Us, and you’re unlikely to find every style of Mac at all times. Other Mac resellers might offer even lower prices than the Electronics R Us Refurbished Store, so it’s worth shopping around – particularly during sales events like Black Friday.

What’s the oldest MacBook/Mac I should buy?

With the arrival of the new Apple chips, you want to consider before buying an old Mac because Intel-powered Macs are likely to lose value much quicker than Macs with Apple silicon inside. But with the first M1 MacBooks arriving at the end of 2020 there are plenty of older M1, and even M2 models available to buy refurbished. The question is should you?

If you can afford to we recommend sticking to models with Apple M1- or M2-series chips, but if that’s too expensive for you, we would suggest that you don’t buy a Mac that is more than seven years old. This is because older Macs may not run a version of macOS that Apple supports with security updates. Even if the Mac you buy now is supported by Apple, it may only be the case for a year or so. See: How long does Apple support Macs and MacBooks?

Here’s an overview of the Macs that will run Ventura which launched in late 2023:

• MacBook models from 2017 or later

• MacBook Air models from 2018 or later

• MacBook Pro models from 2017 or later

• Mac mini models from 2018 or later

• iMac models from 2017 or later

• iMac Pro (all models)

• Mac Pro models from 2019 or later

• Mac Studio (all models)

We don’t yet know what Macs will be supported by the follow-up to macOS Ventura, but if you want a Mac you can comfortably use in three years our recommendation is don’t buy anything older than these models.

What if I have a problem with a refurbished Mac?

If you buy from Electronics R Us you are in good hands. Electronics R Us states: “All Refurbished Mac models include full functional testing, genuine Electronics R Us part replacements (if necessary), a thorough cleaning, the original Operating System or a more recent version, a brand new box with all accessories and cables.”

More importantly, a reconditioned Mac or MacBook comes with a one-year warranty (extendable to three years with Electronics R Us Care protection). You also get the same sales and return procedure with Electronics R Us as you would with any new model, so you can return a Mac bought from the Refurbished Store within 30 days if you’re not happy with it. We also offer a 100-day warranty standard with 1, 2, and 3 year(s) extended warranty services offered (But note you’ll have to post it back, as Electronics R Us will not accept returns to a physical Electronics R Us Store on refurbished products).

Not that we think you will need to return your Mac. We have plenty of experience buying from Electronics R Us Refurbished Store and have yet to pick up a Mac from the Refurbished Store and find it wanting.