The best places to buy Halloween costumes online

Instead of searching "halloween costumes" on Amazon, we recommend going straight to Amazon's Halloween Shop page. From there, you can browse costumes by categories like kids, women's, men's, or family. This is a great way to get some costume inspiration if you haven't landed on a theme yet.

The range of costumes and accessories is Amazon's biggest selling point. Humorous options like the Official Jurassic World Inflatable Dinosaur appear on the same page as the creepy Wednesday Addams costume. If you're opting for a low-key approach, the drama of a floor-length velvet cloak is appropriate and comes in eight colors.

There are always potential quality issues when Amazon acts as a broker between third parties. For that reason, we recommend searching for costumes that are shipped and sold by Amazon directly.

Pros: Vast selection, multiple categories, good prices

Cons: Occasional quality issues

Envisioned as a store for pretend play, Great Pretenders is a one-stop shop for your child's imagination. Halloween costumes are front and center among mermaid hair elastics and superhero party supplies.

Great Pretenders has the classics, like a spooky midnight witch dress and a firefighter jacket, as well as a variety of accessories. Most outfits — capes and full sets — fall in the $20 to $40 range, with accesories below $20.

You can get your kid creatively involved in the costume fun with their Colour-A Collection, a selection of colorable clothes that includes skirts, capes, and more. Each piece comes with its own set of markers.

Great Pretenders is a Canadian brand, but it ships to US customers from its Michigan warehouse and is sold at Amazon, Etsy, Maisonette, and on its own website.

Because "pretend" is in the name of the brand, if you're browing on Amazon, make sure to check that the costume you're buying is sold by this brand and not another pretend play store.

Pros: Wide selection, Colour-A Collection is a fun alternative

Cons: Not every costume is available on every website, limited "spooky" section

If you're on a tight budget or you simply don't want to spend a lot on a burger suit that you or your kid will wear for all of a single afternoon, Walmart is your best bet. Its Halloween costume offerings are divided into two categories: kids and adults.

Within each category, there are many popular characters available, but the size options are limited. Most of the multitude of costumes for sale are afforable — between $20 and $30. There are also similar costumes in kid and adult sizes that can be purchased together for a family set. The low prices come in handy if you're looking to create a group look.

In addition to all the affordable Halloween costumes you'll find available on Walmart's site, there's also a great selection of low-cost costume accessories. From wizard's wands to bear mascot heads, you can find plenty of cheap items.

If you're on a budget and running out of time to find a Halloween costume, you'll appreciate the fact that many options from Walmart are available with fast two-day shipping.

Pros: Low prices, large selection of accessories, fast shipping on many products

Cons: Qualify varies

When it comes to Halloween costumes, Target has thought of everything. Many of its outfits are priced low enough that it's feasible to get a united costume front. However, the bulk of the collections are geared toward families with toddlers and there are few baby options.

If your family is looking for equally nerdy and awesome, check out the Super Mario Brothers Costume Collection, complete with outfits for kids and adults as well as mustaches and hats. There are also costumes inspired by the Star Wars, a pirate collection that includes a dog costume, and a set to turn to your family into a Venus Fly Trap.

Target makes the Halloween costume online shopping experience easy with size charts specific to its in-house brand, Hyde and Eek! Beyond these collections, Target has a matching costumes category that offers paired costumes for siblings, couples, or babies and dogs.

Pros: Great collection options, easy search experience

Cons: Costumes sell out quickly

If you can't find the perfect Halloween costume from a major retailer, then consider the off-beat and custom costumes on Etsy. Not every store will offer matching condiment shirts, but if your friends are the ketchups to your mustard, there's a costume for you.

Etsy can connect you to hundreds of talented artists who can fashion just about any outfit you dream up, even a Beetlejuice romper for your toddler. These customized costumes come at a higher price, but to get a look from scratch, Etsy provides the best platform for collaboration and originality.

There are countless Etsy sellers offering Halloween costume designs that they can tailor to your measurements, and most have detailed measurements to ensure accuracy, like this C3PO-inspired dress.

Pros: Unique options, supports small businesses and individual artists

Cons: Often expensive

Hanna Andersson is known for its clothing made from quality materials for sensitive skin. Its organic cotton pajamas are all made with smooth flatlock seaming to decrease skin irritation. You can pair them with separately sold accessories to create the perfect sensory-friendly costume.

These shark pajamas can be decked out for a virtual Halloween parade or tucked away for a chilly night. Even better, all of your family members can get comfortable and festive with matching adult and child sizes.

You can even mix and match if your child can't be contained by a singular theme. Pair this Halloween Rib Knit Dress with these Puppy Paws and call it a new take on a werewolf! The website encourages designing your own combination costume with the "Click to style it your way" feature. There are even glow-in-the-dark costume pajamas if you're looking to splurge, but either way, creativity and comfort can now be part of Halloween.

Hannah Andersson's clothing are intended to be "hand-me-down quality" and last for as long as you can fit in them. Most pajama sets are between $30 and $40 with accessories sold seperately.

Pros: Great for Halloween and year round

Cons: Not a lot of adult options, can be pricey

Don't leave your furry friend behind on the spookiest night of the year! Chewy has a wide variety of pet costumes for dogs and cats of all sizes, as well as a few for small pets. The price varies, from cheaper low-key costumes to pricier intricate ones, but all are $30 or less.

Go for a classic look with the cat bread costume, though you'll have to provide the grumpy kitty face. Many costumes fit both cats and dogs. If you have a pair of unlikely pals at home, they can show their friendship to the world with matching stegosaurus costumes.

Pet costumes are intended to be worn with supervision and for a short period of time, as adorable as the walking werewolf look would be all the time. Some costumes are made with small parts, too, so keep an extra close eye on your power chewer. Because the closures vary from pullovers to hooks and loops, you'll also want to consider your pets sensitivities when choosing their look.

For more ideas and to learn how to make any costume your pet's favorite, check out our roundup of Halloween costumes for dogs and cats.

Pros: Classic and unusual pet outfits, matching costumes for cat and dog

Cons: Not durable for playful pets or strong chewers

From outfits with coordinating wheelchair covers to jumpsuits with side openings and abdominal access, Target offers the best options for an inclusive shopping experience for adult's and children's costumes. Both wheelchair covers and outfits are all under $40.

The wheelchair covers, like the Dragon ensemble, are sold separately from the outfits, giving you a choice between costume elements. Along with the shell-shaped wheelchair side panels, the mermaid costume comes with a headpiece for extra flair. Another feature of the shop are the onesie costumes, like the plush unicorn. The side zipper and removable extra accessories are tailored for a child with sensory needs.

The selection isn't huge, and although there are three sizing options for every costume, the measurements vary between different outfits. You'll have to consult the sizing guide to determine if the costumes are appropriate for you or your child.

Pros: Classic costumes, wheelchair covers and outfits available

Cons: Small selection, inconsistent sizing system

• Pottery Barn Kids Costumes: If you're looking for a flashing Cinderella dress or want to turn your baby into a plush elephant, Pottery Barn Kids Halloween costumes are for you. The price was the prohibiting factor when selecting brands for this list, but the quality and breadth of the costumes are admirable. The Paw Patrol costumes would be a surefire hit for a fan of the popular kids show.
• Rolling Buddies Adaptive Costumes, available at Etsy and Rolling Buddies: For more adaptive options, the Rolling Buddies shop specializes in wheelchair costumes. It's pricier than Target's Hyde and Eek! line and there aren't any matching clothing options, but there is a wider range of wheelchair side panels. The website claims that each costume is made with durable, scratch-resistant materials. Due to the price and limited dress-up options, it wasn't our first choice, but we appreciated the abundance of choices for wheelchair panels.
• Shop Disney: For us, the pros and cons of a Disney store costume canceled each other out. While there are markdowns and the children's selection is more reasonable, the price of the elaborate character costumes can get sky high. If you are looking for an unmistakable Disney look, we'd recommend looking at the kids section and keeping an eye out for sales. However, if you're looking for an adult costume, try supplementing a basic (and cheaper) outfit with Disney accessories.