Pro Cosplay vs Herostime

Continued from above...

There is nothing like being able to wander around dressed as your favorite movie/TV/anime character. If you do it up right you might even have photographers wanting to take your picture. Some of them may even be willing to do some pretty neat composite work on the image and let you have it as well. Because cosplay is all about looking as realistic as you can, you want to make sure that you get a costume that could pass as screen-accurate.

A lot of cosplay stores are based in China - most, in fact. That's why shopping online is a great way to go about finding the next character to dress as, for taking part in your next Comic Con. Since there are so many to choose from, how do you know what to look for? Keep these things in mind as you shop:

• Sizing. This one is probably the most important. If you decide to go with a China-based store, Asian sizing is not the same as anywhere else in the world. All the websites in our review have extensive directions on exactly how to measure yourself - either for the given sizes of ready-made outfits or for a completely customizable costume. Make sure you pay very close attention and measure just as they say. Some even want you to add a little bit because they will make the costume to the exact measurements you send and if you don't add a little wiggle room your costume will be too tight.
• Shipping. How much will it cost, and how long will it take to be delivered? Because most cosplay costume stores are located in China, you will have to plan ahead for your event - months ahead. Having something shipped from China isn't cheap or fast. There was only one China-based company that shipped for free. Most of them charge a shipping cost of anywhere from $30-$70 extra.
• Return policy. Because you're shipping back to China to return or exchange your item, it can cost a pretty penny to send something back. Some retailers - though not all - will eat that cost if the fault was theirs. Obviously, if you ordered the wrong size, measured wrong, or picked the wrong color, then that's on you to pay to ship it back. Be sure to check out the policy before you order.
• Props/wigs. In order to complete the look, you might need more than just the basic costume. The stores in our evaluation all tell you exactly what comes with your order and what doesn't. Generally, boots/shoes/shoe covers don't come with the outfit, so if you really want to do it up right, you'll have to add that cost. Same with props. Do you want to have a weapon that Black Widow used? Obi Wan's lightsaber? Cap's shield? A wig? Those will be extra.
• Ease of navigation. Some sites are easier to get around than others. If you know what you're looking for there is usually a search bar, but if you just want to browse, you might have to spend a lot of time scrolling.
• Customs taxes. If you are ordering from China, it is possible that you'll have customs taxes to deal with in order to get it from overseas.

To help you get the best look available, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked today's most popular online retailers of cosplay costumes. We're confident this information will make it fun to get the whole vibe you're going for!