If you’re itching to get yourself a new laptop but don’t want to pay the Apple price tag—or don’t want to—a refurbished MacBook could be the perfect solution. It is less expensive but just as functional as its factory-new counterpart. In this article, we will show you the five best places to buy a refurbished MacBook in 2025, with details on testing processes, warranty, shipping, and pricing of every shop.
The best places to buy a refurbished MacBook at a glance
| Retailer | Testing process | Warranty | Shipping | Other key features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Tested and certified by Amazon-qualified suppliers; may vary depending on seller | 1-year Amazon Renewed Guarantee | Free shipping, Prime eligible | Wide selection, trusted platform |
| Back Market | Sellers screened and monitored; rigorous quality procedures | 1-year minimum, up to 2-3 years on some products | Free standard shipping, expedited available | Large inventory, competitive prices |
| Apple Store | Apple Certified Refurbished program, genuine Apple parts, thorough inspection | 1-year limited warranty, AppleCare eligible | Free next-day shipping | “Like new” quality, original accessories, new white box |
| Mac of All Trades | Extensive testing by Apple technicians, hardware and cosmetic checks, cleaning and labeling | 1-year warranty, repair or replacement, extensions available | Free shipping on all orders | Transparent process, 20+ years experience, dedicated Mac retailer |
| RefurbMe | Aggregates offers from trusted retailers with certified testing programs | Minimum 30-day warranty, most offer 1-year | Free shipping from all listed merchants | Price comparison tool, price alerts, stock alerts |
1. Amazon
For millions of people worldwide, Amazon is the one-stop shop for all sorts of goods. It is an e-commerce giant that people trust to buy refurbished MacBooks.
Testing process
Products sold through Amazon’s refurbished products program (officially called Amazon Renewed) are tested and certified by quality suppliers to look and work like new. Also, products sold through Renewed will show minimal to no signs of wear.
It should be noted that Amazon works with multiple approved third-party sellers, so the testing process itself may vary depending on the model and offer.
The retailer states that only “select sellers” are eligible to sell Certified Refurbished products on Amazon and that these sellers must maintain a high level of quality.
Warranty & shipping
Amazon Renewed MacBooks are backed for one year by the Amazon Renewed Guarantee. Moreover, Amazon offers free shipping on its refurbished MacBooks, and many of its offers are eligible for Amazon Prime.
Products will be packaged in a generic box and come with the accessories you can expect from a new product (exceptions, if any, are mentioned on the product page).
👉 Learn more: Is Amazon Renewed Reliable? A Complete Buying Guide
Products & pricing
1.3Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 4th gen
4GB memory • Silver
2013 release
1.3Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 4th gen
4GB memory • Silver
2013 release
1.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 5th gen
4GB memory • Silver
2015 release
2. Back Market
Back Market is a widely-known marketplace dedicated to refurbished products. It has one of the largest inventories for buying refurbished products.
Testing process
Back Market does not refurbish products themselves. They list, however, products from hundreds of small independent refurbishers.
Every seller goes through a screening process before joining Back Market. As a result, each seller who joins their platform answers a rigorous questionnaire on their operations and quality procedures, and they are asked to prove that they’re doing what they say.
👉 Learn more: Is Back Market Legit? A Complete Review and Guide
Warranty & shipping
All products advertised on Back Market come with a 1-year warranty. Some products can even have up to 2 or 3 years of warranty.
All products come with free standard shipping to the 48 contiguous United States. Besides, some sellers offer expedited delivery for an additional cost.
Products & pricing
1.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 8th gen
8GB memory • Space Gray
with Touch Id • 2019 release
1.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 8th gen
8GB memory • Gold
with Touch Id • 2019 release
1.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 8th gen
8GB memory • Silver
with Touch Id • 2019 release
3. Apple Store
Indeed, Apple has a section where they sell manufacturer refurbished MacBooks. Although they are more expensive than some third-party sellers, Apple offers the same quality standards for their refurbished products as for their factory-new ones. In fact, they are almost indistinguishable.
Testing process
Refurbished MacBooks sold by Apple go through their Apple Certified Refurbished testing program. As a result, you receive a “like new” device with genuine Apple replacement parts (as needed) that has been thoroughly inspected and cleaned. In addition, every device will come with all original accessories, cables, and operating systems. The device will come in a new white box.
Warranty & shipping
Apple includes with every certified refurbished product a standard 1-year limited warranty. These products are also eligible to get additional coverage by purchasing AppleCare products.
In the same way as the new products, all refurbished products sold by Apple come with free next-day shipping.
Products & pricing
Apple M1 with 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU
8GB memory • Silver
with Touch Id • 2020 release
Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU
8GB memory • Starlight
with Touch Id • 2022 release
Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU
8GB memory • Midnight
with Touch Id • 2022 release
4. Mac of All Trades
As the name would suggest, Mac of All Trades knows quite a bit about MacBooks. The company has been in business for over 20 years and has built a solid reputation as a trusted Mac retailer. As you’ll see below, it’s easy to see why.
👉 Check Mac of All Trades profile
Testing process
Mac of All Trades employs an extensive and transparent testing process for its refurbished MacBooks. Its Apple technicians test the hardware and cosmetic quality, including thoroughly testing all hardware components (and replacing those that fail). They also clean and label an item with its specifications.
When they sell a device, their technicians will even retest and inspect it a second time for quality control before shipping it.
Warranty & shipping
In case the testing process wasn’t reassuring enough yet, every Mac of All Trades device includes a 1-year warranty.
This warranty covers any hardware failure that might occur during this time. Mac of All Trades will either repair the issue (generally completed within three business days of being returned to the retailer) or offer either an exact replacement or store credit equal to the product’s total price at present.
You can also buy warranty extensions (one-year or two-year extensions), but these will have an additional fee.
Mac of All Trades offers free shipping on all orders.
Products & pricing
2.2Ghz Intel Quad-Core i7 2nd gen
4GB memory • Silver
2011 release
5. RefurbMe
If you don’t have time to visit all of the above retailers and creating nerdy spreadsheets isn’t your thing, RefurbMe can help you out.
We are a comparison platform for refurbished Apple products that make it easy for you to get the very best price.
You won’t have to explore the web; RefurbMe does it for you.
We compile the best deals on refurbished MacBooks from several professional refurbishers with a solid reputation and excellent deals.
Testing process
Since RefurbMe is a comparator for Refurbished Apple products, we don’t refurbish the MacBooks ourselves, but we put every merchant we work with under scrutiny.
We work with the four previous merchants you can see in this article (and more), and they will undergo the same testing processes mentioned above. The advantage here is that you can compare all MacBooks sold by these refurbishers in just one place before deciding where to finally buy one.
👉 Compare testing processes of all merchants at once
Warranty & shipping
All refurbishers advertised on RefurbMe provide a minimum of a 30-day warranty. However, most of them offer a 1-year warranty and, in some cases, the possibility of extending your coverage.
👉 Compare warranties of all refurbishers
In terms of shipping, all merchants listed provide free shipping.
Products & pricing
2.5Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 3rd gen
4GB memory • Silver
2012 release
1.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 5th gen
4GB memory • Silver
2015 release
2.7Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 5th gen
8GB memory • Silver
2015 release
Additional features
RefurbMe lets you set up price alerts so you can receive an email as soon as the price drops. This will allow you to buy the refurbished MacBook with the exact specs you want at the exact price range you wish.
You can even set up availability alerts that let you know as soon as the refurbished MacBook you want is back in stock. This feature will also notify you when a new device has been refurbished for the first time.
👉 Related: 10 Best MacBook Accessories
Conclusion
Buying a refurbished MacBook doesn’t need to be a headache. Getting the best price on the device you want is remarkably simple once you know how.
Our goal at RefurbMe is to make it more accessible and save you time searching and comparing offers. See our catalog in real time below:
1.3Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 4th gen
4GB memory • Silver
2013 release
1.3Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 4th gen
4GB memory • Silver
2013 release
1.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5 5th gen
4GB memory • Silver
2015 release
In addition, if you are not based in the United States, you can import any refurbished Apple device using MyUS.
Happy shopping! 🛍️
