The best time to buy furniture is in January, July, and around major holidays like Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday. Retailers clear old inventory before new collections arrive in February and August, offering discounts of 40–80% off during these peak clearance windows.
Buying furniture is one of the bigger purchases most people make for their homes. A good sofa can run you $1,000 or more. A proper bedroom set? Easily $2,000. So if you can save 40%, 50%, or even 70% just by waiting a few weeks, that’s real money back in your pocket. The good news is the furniture industry runs on a pretty predictable cycle, and once you understand it, you can time your purchases to get the best deals.
Why Furniture Goes on Sale When It Does
Furniture retailers follow a biannual calendar. New styles of indoor furniture hit retail floors every spring and fall. That means new collections arrive in stores around February and again in August. When fresh stock comes in, old stock has to go — and stores drop prices to move it fast. That’s your window.
The interior design world operates on a biannual launch of spring and fall, which makes the months leading up to spring — January, February, and the first few weeks of March — and those leading up to fall — July, August, and the first few weeks of September — some of the best months to buy furniture for your home.
This pattern repeats every year without fail. If you miss one clearance cycle, another one is only a few months away.
January and February: The Best Months to Start the Year
If you want the widest selection of deals on indoor furniture, January is your best bet. January clearances showed 178 promo codes in January 2025 — a 9.9% increase over January 2024 — offering 40–60% off as retailers clear last season’s inventory to make room for spring collections. You’ll find solid markdowns on living room sets, dining tables, and bedroom furniture.
February brings Presidents’ Day weekend, which is one of the most reliable furniture shopping events of the year. Many retailers run Presidents’ Day sales with deep discounts. Ashley HomeStore often advertises 30–60% off living room sets, and Wayfair features up to 70% off across all categories during this weekend.
If you’re shopping for a mattress specifically, February is your month. Fraioli points to Presidents’ Day sales in February for excellent discounts on this investment item. Retailers treat mattress deals as a major draw during this weekend, so you’ll often see better prices than even Black Friday offers.
March Through May: Spring Sales and Memorial Day
Spring is a transition period. Retailers have started putting new stock on the floor, which means anything left over from winter is priced to move. Sales ramp up in March and peak around Memorial Day weekend, offering deep discounts on outdoor furniture, as well as indoor furniture in lighter, brighter styles.
Memorial Day is particularly strong. Memorial Day kicks off summer with significant furniture sales. It’s one of the best times to buy patio and outdoor furniture, as retailers discount last season’s inventory by 40–75% to make room for new summer styles. Mattress and bedroom furniture deals during this long weekend often rival Black Friday bargains.
Wayfair also runs its annual Way Day sale around late April. On Way Days, which take place at the end of April, you’ll find discounts up to 80% off. Even if you don’t buy from Wayfair directly, competing retailers often run matching sales around the same time.
July and August: Mid-Year Clearance You Shouldn’t Miss
July is one of the most underrated months for furniture shopping. Starting in July, you can see home furniture discounts ranging from 50% to 80% at end-of-summer sales. Retailers are gearing up to bring in fall collections, so anything from the spring lineup gets deeply discounted.
Amazon Prime Day 2025 (likely in July) has become a mid-year Black Friday, and many sellers join with competing deals. Look for big markdowns on furniture during Prime Day and related events.
August is also a solid month for outdoor furniture. Beginning in August, outdoor items start to get discounted, with sales getting steeper as the month goes on. Stores know summer is winding down, and they’d rather sell patio sets at a reduced price than store them all winter.
September: Labor Day Brings Some of the Deepest Discounts
Labor Day weekend is one of the top three furniture sale events of the year, right alongside Black Friday and Presidents’ Day. Labor Day is traditionally one of the year’s deepest discount periods for indoor furniture. Retailers clear out summer stock to prepare for fall collections, meaning you can save up to 80% on sofas, dining tables, and more during end-of-summer clearance sales.
This is also a great time to catch leftover outdoor furniture. By Labor Day, you should see the lowest prices of the season on outdoor pieces. The tradeoff is that popular items can sell out quickly when prices get that low, so don’t wait too long if you spot something you like.
November: Black Friday and Cyber Monday Are Worth the Hype
Black Friday and Cyber Monday, sometimes called the Cyber Five when grouped together, are the biggest deal events of the year for furniture. The Cyber Five is really when the deepest discounts happen. Nearly every major retailer — Wayfair, IKEA, Ashley HomeStore, Overstock, and more — runs significant promotions during this period.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday feature doorbuster deals and site-wide sales. It’s common to see 50–75% off select furniture online. The advantage of shopping online during this window is that you can compare prices across dozens of stores in minutes. You’re not limited to whoever has a good sale near you.
May and November are prime furniture shopping months, each with 221 promo codes in 2024 — 19% above the monthly average. That stat alone tells you how active these months are for deals.
December and Post-Holiday Sales
Most people are buying gifts in December, not sofas. That works in your favor. After Christmas, retailers liquidate remaining inventory. The final week of December through New Year’s Day is packed with clearance deals — perfect for grabbing floor models or last year’s styles at rock-bottom prices.
If you can push your purchase to the last week of December or first week of January, you may catch the best of both worlds — holiday clearance and the early start of the January post-season sale.
The Worst Time to Buy Furniture
Knowing when NOT to buy matters just as much. The worst time to buy furniture is right after major sales end, when prices shoot back up to their original list prices. Stores also typically introduce their new indoor-furniture styles in February and August, so prices are likely to be at their highest then.
If you walk into a furniture store the week after Presidents’ Day or the week after Labor Day, you’ll likely see full-price tags on a fresh batch of new arrivals. It’s the least ideal moment to buy.
Smart Habits That Get You Better Prices Year-Round
Timing is the biggest factor, but a few habits can stretch your savings further no matter when you shop.
Shopping mid-week gives you a real edge. Mid-week shopping on Tuesday through Thursday offers less competition and better service than weekends. Sales staff have more time for you, and you may find it easier to negotiate on floor models or delivery fees.
Floor models are often overlooked but genuinely valuable. They’ve been sat on, tested, and admired — that’s it. If minor wear doesn’t bother you, this is value hiding in plain sight.
Signing up for retailer newsletters also pays off. Many stores give email subscribers early access to sales or exclusive discount codes before anything goes public. A few minutes of setup can save you hundreds.
Outdoor vs. Indoor Furniture: The Timing Differs
One important distinction to keep in mind: outdoor furniture follows its own schedule. The best time of year to buy furniture for your home’s outdoor spaces, including grills, poolside sets, and patio furniture, is between the Fourth of July and Labor Day. After Labor Day, prices drop even further, but selection shrinks fast.
Indoor furniture, by contrast, sells well year-round and follows the biannual cycle tied to February and August collection launches. Plan for January or July if you want the best combination of price and selection for indoor pieces.
When You Can’t Wait, Don’t Stress
Sometimes a couch breaks. A bed frame gives out. You need something now, not in three months when the next sale hits. That’s okay. If the frequent advertising in the furniture industry is any indication, there’s almost always a sale forthcoming. If what you’re looking for isn’t discounted yet, it might be soon.
And if you do have to buy at full price, prioritize quality over timing. A well-made piece bought today will outlast a cheap one bought at 70% off. The best deal is always the one where you don’t have to replace it in five years.
Comments are closed.