Lets face it, last minute Christmas gifts have become a staple of the holidays. We've all had that panic a few days before Christmas and launched into action to grab any gifts we can find. But have you ever thought about saving yourself from that struggle by investing in a refurbished mobile phone as a gift for your family?
That might sound crazy, who wants a second hand present at Christmas? But hear us out. Refurbished phones have a bad stigma of being damaged devices but a lot of them are practically brand new, only having a few days of use and yet they can be hundreds of pounds cheaper than a brand new device.
Although there are tonnes of retailers who offer refurb models your best options right now seem to be Music Magpie and Envirofone. Both companies are big names in the refurbished electronics industry and tend to have deals on all of the biggest handsets. And not to mention Music Magpie is currently offering money off some of its biggest devices - up to £50 off the likes of mobile phones, iPads and more.
But loads of other retailers sell them as well - even Amazon has joined the party, with some of the best prices we've seen on certified refurbished phones.
So if you've not had the chance to go shopping yet and you think a love one might like the new iPhone XR or maybe you just want a new device this year then take a look through our picks of the best refurbished phones deals below.
iPhone X, XS and XS Max refurbished
Apple has really treated us this year giving us the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR and not to forget the iPhone X sliding in at the end of 2017. Although these are all great devices they are also quite pricey so these are the perfect handsets to be looking at refurbished models.
If you were hoping for the iPhone XR, the sad news is there aren't many options. Laptops Direct has a £699 model which will save you around £50 compared to getting it brand new but otherwise the best XR refurbs seem to have sold out.
If you're more in the market for the XS you can get it for £799 from Envirofone. That works out at £200 cheaper than the RRP brand new XS models. Of course you could always upgrade to the XS Max for £959.99 from Music Magpie. That works out at almost £100 cheaper than new at John Lewis for example.
If you've read through all that and still feel like it's too expensive there's always the iPhone X. You can get one for £769 at Music Magpie but it is locked into O2 or even this one for £689 from Envirofone but similarly, you're locked to Vodafone.
- Or check out all of today's best iPhone XS deals
Samsung Galaxy S9 / S9 Plus refurbished
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus have been some of the best phones of this year and why not try and get them cheaper. Music Magpie has the popular S9 Plus for £559 plus the £50 off they are offering knocks it down to just over 500 pounds. They also have the S9 for £459.99 but it is low in stock so you do need to act fast!
Topping everyone else, Envirofone can offer you the Samsung Galaxy S9 for just £399, that is incredible value for a device like this.
- Or check out all of today's best Galaxy S9 deals
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 refurbished
The Note 9, one of the best phablet devices out right now, but also one of the most expensive. But it gets a lot cheaper when you look to get it refurbished instead.
With Music Magpie you can get the device for £609.99 and you can even choose between the blue or lavender options, who doesn't love some variety. Or if you go through Envirofone you can get it even cheaper for just £559
- Or check out all of today's best Samsung Note 9 deals
Huawei P20 Pro refurbished
Not a member of the Samsung or Apple fan club? Don't worry there are refurbished deals for you too. Music Magpie has the Huawei P20 Pro up for grabs for £502. That is £452 with the money off or in other words about £177 cheaper than the average new P20 Pro handset.
Mobile Phones Direct have also joined in the refurbished fun and you can get the P20 Pro from them for just £499, another great price on one of the best phones of the year.
- Or check out all of today's best Huawei P20 Pro deals
So, are refurbished mobile phone deals safe to buy?
When you're buying a shiny, new smartphone, we completely understand that most people probably aren't too keen on the thought of being stuck with somebody's old cast-off. You may also be a bit anxious that you're receiving damaged goods - especially when it's a gift for somebody else.
But let us put your mind at rest. Generally speaking, most refurbished phones being sold at major providers are instances when the former owner simply changed their mind and returned the phone without using it. Those phones can't be sold as new, so they're branded as refurbished instead.
Others are sent back as faulty, but have been brought back to their best by the experts that work in these places and in most instances are pretty much good as new.
- Still not convinced? Then check out our best new mobile phone deals page instead
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