Top refurbished phones compared

About Top refurbished phones compared

A refurbished phone is bought outright rather than subscribed to, so the price on a listing is the whole cost instead of a rate that renews each month. That changes what matters here. There is no renewal price to weigh, only the entry price of the handset and what covers it afterwards. This ranking sets 20 sellers of refurbished phones side by side on those two points, along with the condition grades they use, the battery health they promise, the warranty length, the return window and the countries each ships to. The main trade-off is entry price against cover. The lowest entry prices in the group come with shorter return windows and thinner warranties, while the longest cover sits with sellers priced higher. Reach splits the list too: some sellers serve a single market, others cover much of Europe, North America and beyond. Grades matter as well, since a seller stocking a like-new tier and a seller starting at excellent are selling different things under the same label.

How we picked

Scores combine cost, the offer and trust, weighted at 40%, 40% and 20%. Cost reads the entry price each seller asks. Offer reads what a handset comes with, such as the condition grades listed, the promised battery health, the range of countries served and the mix of products sold. Trust reads warranty length, the return window, whether handsets arrive unlocked, whether trade-in is taken and which support channels a buyer can reach. Figures come from published product and category pages, delivery and shipping pages, returns and refund policies, warranty pages, help centres and terms documents published by each seller. Where a seller states a range, the range is kept as it stands rather than narrowed to a single figure. Partners that serve your country are listed first in this ranking, then the rest by score.

Our top picks

1. 1. Coolblue Belgium

   Coolblue Belgium belongs in this ranking on cover rather than price. Its warranty runs 24 months and returns are open for 30 days. Battery health is 85% and grades run like new, very good and good. Entry price is €139, which is where the value thins out, and it accepts trade ins. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, and it trades across BE, NL and DE. Its catalogue also reaches past phones into laptops, desktops and gaming PCs. Back Market covers far more countries from a lower starting price, but on a 12 months warranty.

   • Free delivery threshold: €0
   • Return window: 30 days
   • Extended warranty: Yes

   Pros

   • You have 30 days to send an order back, which takes the risk out of a big purchase.
   • Every product carries 2 years of cover, and an extended warranty is available on top of it.
   • Delivery is free on every order, with the threshold at €0, and click and collect is offered for small items.
   • Refurbished is part of computers, phones and audio here, which the JBL range does not cover: its categories run audio, gaming and refurbished.

   Cons

   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre only, so there is no live chat in the list.
   • The noise cancelling earbuds listed run 8 hours on a charge, well under the 40 median across the products compared here.
   • A 30 days return window places Coolblue Belgium at 3 of 80 brands compared, so it is not the longest window in the field.

2. 2. Newegg

   Newegg appears in this ranking on the strength of its returns, which run to 30 to 90 days, the longest window here, and on the breadth of US, AR and AU. Against that, the cover on a refurbished handset is thin: the warranty is 3 months, the shortest in this ranking, and entry prices start at $1,099.99, well above the £143.46 asked by refurbed in the next slot. Grades run excellent, very good and good and battery health is promised at 80%. Handsets are unlocked, trade-in is taken and support runs on help centre, phone and chat, and the company has traded since 2001.

   • Return window: 30 to 90 days
   • Price match: Yes
   • Extended warranty: Yes

   Pros

   • Return windows run 30 to 90 days, long enough to set a machine up properly before deciding to keep it.
   • Categories cover computers, phones and audio, so computers, phones, audio, gaming and refurbished kit come from one account.
   • Price match is offered, so a cheaper listing elsewhere gives you a number to hold the seller to.
   • Trade in is available, so an older phone or laptop can offset part of a new order.
   • Support covers help centre, phone and chat, so help is not limited to reading policy pages.

   Cons

   • Refurbished phones are graded excellent, very good and good, so a lower price can mean fair rather than excellent condition.
   • The refurb warranty runs 3 months, shorter than the usual 12 months for the sites in this group.
   • Support runs on help centre, phone and chat only, with email absent from the listed channels.

3. R5. Recommerce: best for Recommerce

   Recommerce is a French refurbished electronics specialist selling reconditioned iPhone, Samsung, MacBook and iPad devices.

   • Markets: DE, FR, NL

4. H6. Hubside: best for Hubside

   Hubside sells new and refurbished iPhones with free delivery and a satisfied-or-refunded policy.

   • Markets: US

5. R7. Revibe: best for Revibe

   Refurbished and used electronics in Dubai and across the UAE, including iPhones, Samsung phones, MacBooks, laptops and iPads, with a 12 month warranty.

   • Markets: AE

6. R8. Remarkt: best for Remarkt

   Refurbished laptops, computers, monitors, MacBooks, smartphones and iPads shipped from stock the next day.

   • Markets: ES, FR

7. 1D9. 123ReMarkt DE: best for 123ReMarkt DE

   Refurbished laptops, desktops, monitors, MacBooks, smartphones and iPads, available from stock.

   • Markets: DE

8. O10. OnlyMovil: best for OnlyMovil

   OnlyMovil is a Spanish online shop selling new, used and outlet mobile phones and second-hand tablets, with 1 and 2 year warranties.

   • Markets: ES

What to look for

Entry price

Listings in this category cluster under the new market: the middle listing starts at €123.40, the lower quartile sits at €113.42 and the upper quartile reaches €398.14. Compare entry prices first, then read what the money includes.

Battery promise

40 is the middle reading for battery life in this category, and Android accounts for 84.2% of the field. A seller that publishes a battery health floor gives you something to hold it to.

Condition grades

87.5% covers most of this category and 75% appears widely too, so grade wording is a genuine difference between sellers. Check whether a seller stocks the like-new end or starts at excellent.

Warranty length

Cover here typically runs 12, with 2.5 at the top end. Sellers that stretch warranty length often pair it with a longer return window, so read both before buying.

Where it runs

Phones sit at 100% for this category and refurbished stock at 100%. A seller shipping to a single market cannot be compared with a seller covering many countries on delivery alone, so check the destination before the price.

Everyday extras

Extended warranty cover applies across 100% of this category, unlocked handsets at 100% and trade-in at 100%, while click and collect appears at 28.6%.

Frequently asked questions

Top refurbished phones compared by country

• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV