Pro Cosplay vs Herostime for January 2023

Item: Pro Cosplay vs Herostime
Rating: 3.5
Author: Top Consumer Reviews

Saturday, January 28th

2023 Cosplay Store Reviews

Pro Cosplay

Prices range from around $40-$300
Hundreds of costumes
Adult and children's available

Pro Cosplay has some extremely happy customers, but also some unhappy ones. The positive reviews and very realistic looking costumes outweigh the negatives we found though. Do be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get your cosplay into your hands though.

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Herostime

Around 50 kids' costumes and over 1,000 adult
Prices range from $35-$440
Custom sizing available
Can design your own costume and have them make it

Herostime has a huge selection of costumes, especially for Spiderman. Their website is just average, but customers seem happy - and it's a plus that this cosplay costume store offers free returns for items that arrive damaged. Most of Herostime's costumes are of the spandex jumpsuit variety, but if that is what you're looking for, this might be just the place for you.

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Read Full Review

See Costumes

Read Full Review

See Costumes

The 10 Best Cosplay Stores

Where Can You Buy the Best Cosplay Costume?

Cosplay is short for "costume play." So just what IS the difference between a cosplay costume and your run-of-the-mill Halloween get-up? While both of them involve dressing up as a character from a book, movie, or video game, a Halloween costume expands that into just about anything, including a bottle of ketchup or your favorite candy bar. It is something fairly casual and meant to be for fun. It can be cheaply made, have fake muscles, and quite possibly a lot of velcro.

A cosplay costume, however, tends to be a little bit more on the serious dress-up side. In cosplay the goal is to do your very best to look as authentic, accurate, and immersive as you possibly can. Not only do you want to look the part, but you want to act the part as well. Cosplayers tend to put a lot of time and money into their craft.

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Cosplay Store FAQ

When did Cosplay become a thing?

Dressing up as a character has been around for about 100 years, but the term "cosplay" - a combination of costume and play - first came into being in the mid 1980's in Japan. While cosplay was initially based primarily on Japanese anime characters, it has expanded into characters from movies, TV, and literature as well.

Is Cosplay just for kids?

Not at all! As a matter of fact, most cosplayers are adults. While in the US it is most popular to cosplay at a convention such as Comic Con or Star Wars Celebration, there is a district in Japan - known as the Harajuku District - where people do their everyday activities while in cosplay.

I'm heading to a convention. How early do I need to plan out my cosplay?

We recommend planning months in advance. You'll want to shop around for the costume that fits both in size and budget. Since you are possibly going to be ordering from China, you'll want to make sure you leave plenty of time for your costume to be made - often retailers make them as they are ordered - as well as ship from overseas.

Why should I shop online for my cosplay?

In order to get a screen-accurate costume, you'll probably want to order from a retailer that has access to the fabrics that will have you looking your best. Also, there aren't a lot of brick-and-mortar stores to choose from. If you decide to go with a store in China, that would add a lot to the cost of your costume to fly over there yourself!

Can I get a completely custom size?

Yes! Most cosplay costume stores give you the option to send in your exact measurements and they will make your outfit according to those. Some of them have that option available for any costume, and others only for the higher-end - and more expensive - choices. Either way, if typical sizing doesn't really fit you the way you'd like, there are plenty of possibilities for you.

Can I return my cosplay items?

That depends on the retailer. We definitely recommend checking out the policy before you buy to make sure you know their terms. Some of them make it easier - and cheaper - to return an item than others.

Are cosplay costumes expensive?

They certainly can be. Because of the desire to be "screen accurate" and to act the part - and not just dress up for a night - it can be an expensive hobby. However, it doesn't have to be. While some costumes can cost you over $1,000, there are plenty of good ones that will run you more in the $200-$400 range. If you don't care as much about the types of fabrics, you can possibly go cheaper as well. No matter which way you go, don't forget the extras such as shoes, props, wigs, or masks, that don't always come with the initial outfit.

How into this do people get?

You can dip your toe into the world of cosplay or you can go all out. How much or how little you do is completely up to you. For example, have you ever heard of the 501st? They are a group of cosplayers that spend hundreds - at least - on their screen-accurate Star Wars cosplay. In order to be accepted, your costume has to pass an inspection! They often have special luggage just for their attire as well. Once you're part of the group, you get to go do charity events with them to raise money.

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!