Tech experts say these are the four electronics you should never buy used

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I recently wrapped up a week of writing about tech discounts during Amazon's Prime Day sale. Many of the "deal" prices this year were just last year's MSRPs. Don't get me wrong, it was still wise to shop these sales — but since tech manufacturers raised prices , connected devices are just wildly more expensive now.

We can mostly thank AI for the price hikes and, unfortunately, most analysts don't think tech prices will improve any time soon . That's got me thinking even more about secondhand tech. But it can feel intimidating to buy used if you haven't done so before. So I asked three professionals in secondhand tech as well as a fellow tech expert at Yahoo what things people probably shouldn't buy used.

Everyone I spoke with agreed on one point: It's not so much what you buy, it's where you buy it and who you buy it from. Buying from a virtually unregulated marketplace like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist is very different from buying a refurbished device from a vetted reseller. Still, there were a few items that did not get full-throated endorsements and might make more sense to buy new.

To be fair, no one was dead set against buying refurbished earbuds, but most people I talked to said they were one of the less desirable devices to get secondhand. Lauren Benton , the US general manager of the refurbished tech marketplace Back Market made a very good point, saying, "Would I buy used AirPod Pros that might come with someone else's ear gunk? No." But added, "Would I buy a professionally refurbished pair that has been quality tested, sanitized and had the little rubber ends replaced with new ones? Yes."

Still, for some of us, putting things in our ear feels like a very personal thing — and we might not want to do so with something that has already been in another person's head. My colleague and fellow tech expert Chris McGraw said, "I'm very pro-used — outside of earbuds." And it's not just the ick factor. The batteries are tougher to replace on small items like earbuds — and batteries are one of the first components to degrade. Here are two favorites from Yahoo's earbuds testing

EarFun Air Pro 4 Adaptive Hybrid Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds

I've tested at least a hundred power banks and power stations and have written about these convenient bricks for four years now. That means I've read a lot of stories about battery packs catching fire and exploding .

You're probably familiar with the restrictions for flying with power banks . Your local waste service probably also has some pretty strict rules against throwing away lithium ion batteries. It's all in an effort to avoid a chemical chain reaction called thermal runaway, which can produce explosive fires that are difficult to fight.

Heat, pressure and punctures as well as manufacturing defects and a battery's age all increase the likelihood of problems. For this reason, I recommend buying your power banks new and only from a reputable brand. After years of testing dozens of brands, my recommended brands are Anker (my personal favorite), Iniu , Nimble , UGreen and Belkin . These brands have consistently performed well in my testing, delivering reliable charging without worrisome excessive heat or other safety concerns.

INIU 10000mAh 45W Fast Charging Portable Charger

If there's one area of tech where true deals can still be found, it's in the TV department. McGraw says he's amazed at how affordable the technology has become, "TVs have gotten better in every way possible — better screen technology and thousands of apps — all for a fraction of what I paid for my 43-inch TV 15 years ago."

While you may be able to find a great price on a used set, the cost and hassle of shipping such a large and delicate device may offset the savings. And because nearly every TV is a smart TV, your set contains what is essentially an on-board computer, adding another layer of complexity to a secondhand buying situation. Of course, if you're looking for a low-cost new TV experience, don't forget about the transformative power of streaming sticks .

INSIGNIA 50" Class F50 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV

Roku 55-Inch Select Series Smart TV 2026-4K

"Consumer printers are simply not built to last," says Michael LeBeau, founder of EverTech Electronics Recycling in Massachusetts. "Quality models remain expensive even on the secondary market, making it far more worthwhile to buy new." LeBeau also points out that printer repair services are tough to find if anything goes awry with your secondhand buy.

Also keep in mind that few electronic devices inspire more rage than the humble printer. So this may be one area where you just don't want to take any chances. Thankfully, things like email, smartphones, QR codes and NFC tech have made the world a blessedly more paperless place. But sometimes you still just need a hard copy from a printer. If that's you, you're probably better off buying a new one.

Canon PIXMA TS6520 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer

Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer

According to everyone I spoke with, just about everything else makes a good candidate for buying used, with smartphones making the most popular option. Benton did a little back-of-the napkin math for me: "If I were in the market for a smartphone right now," she says, "I'd go for the iPhone 15 Pro. Its chip [supports] Apple AI and its camera is better than the base model 17." She then noted that a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro in excellent condition can go for $550 — a $350 savings over buying the latest base model from Apple.

But you shouldn't snap up a deal like that from just anywhere. Michael Lipson , chief technology officer at Swappa , says, "I think it matters a lot more where you buy instead of what you're buying." He recommends going through marketplaces that have been in business for a good number of years and buying from vetted sellers.

Lipson also mentioned the danger of buying a device you'll never be able to use. Block lists like the IMEI blacklists are used to prevent reselling of lost or stolen phones. Once reported, blocked phones can't be activated on major carriers. Any reputable seller will check these lists before listing a phone on its sites.

In addition to not buying from a random seller, you should consider the benefits of a refurbished device. While they may cost a little more than secondhand devices, they're typically a safer bet when purchased from a reputable seller. Unlike traditional used, a refurbished device has been cleaned, tested and repaired as needed. Usually, the devices are also repackaged nicely and often come with a warranty. I recently bought a refurbished iMac for my kid's first computer and couldn't be happier.

Manufacturers like Apple , Samsung and Bose sell their own refurbished devices while retailers like Amazon and Best Buy have dedicated refurbished sections. Sites like Back Market deal almost exclusively in refurbished tech. Marketplaces like Swappa also sell some refurbished tech, but mostly deal in peer-to-peer sales.

Even on an established marketplace, the individual seller matters. Check seller ratings and reviews, the device's condition description and any battery-health guarantee. Don't assume "refurbished" means a new battery or repairs made with original manufacturer parts.

Wherever you shop, read the return and warranty terms before paying, including who covers return shipping. Inspect and test your device as soon as it arrives so you can report problems within the required window. A little homework upfront can help you score a great deal without taking an unnecessary gamble.

When looking for laptops, LeBeau suggests considering secondhand enterprise-grade devices. "Business-grade devices are generally built to be much more durable and are designed to withstand years of daily use," he says, "Replacement parts are also more readily available." One model he recommends is the Lenovo ThinkPad T-series.

Both Lipson and Benton mentioned MacBooks as good (and remarkably popular) options for buying used. "They hold their value," explains Lipson. Benton added that MacBooks are the top category for new Back Market customers. "[They're] expensive products that provide significant savings while still working just as well as a brand new purchase," she says.

"What actually limits a device's life is the battery and software support," Benton told me. Batteries in phones, laptops and tablets slowly but steadily degrade. A reputable reselling marketplace will indicate the battery health on a secondhand device, and you shouldn't expect it to be 100%. Some refurbishers will replace batteries when needed. If that isn't the case with the device you buy, you may need to factor the cost of a replacement battery into your purchase price.

The other limiting factor is software support. In other words, how long will a given device be eligible for operating system and security upgrades? That timeframe is decided by the manufacturer, but the support windows are only getting longer.

For example, the latest Windows operating system, Windows 11 is still supported on some laptops that were made back in 2017. Apple's latest Mac OS will work on MacBooks from 2020 and the iPhone 11 from 2019 is compatible with the latest iOS 27. This six-to-nine-year range may even get even longer as manufacturers move closer to a 10-year support standard. That means buying used is only going to get better and better.