Buying refurbished electronics can save you some dough, but it can also feel like a game of Russian roulette. In the case of Apple products, Lifehacker alum Rick Broida writes on CNET that it makes sense to choose refurbished every time.

The reason is Apple has a really great refurbishment process and policy: Refurbs come with a new outer shell, new battery, and the same one-year warranty that new hardware comes with. In other words, “same-as-new appearance and performance,” Broida writes. “There is literally no downside.”

And the savings are significant. A 13-inch refurbished Macbook Air, for example is $899, or $300 less than full price. A refurbished 15-inch Macbook Pro will save you $540.

You do have to give something up, however. You’ll have to deal with a nondescript cardboard box. Seems like a fine tradeoff, unlike other types of refurbished electronics (buying refurbs for PCs, for example, at other retailers will often cut the warranty to 90 days, just in time for you to miss glaring defects). Here’s the link to Apple’s Refurbished and Clearance page for future reference.