I shopped like Gen Z and saved $456 on dupes I found at Five Below
Gabbi Shaw
- Discount store Five Below is known for its "dupes" or duplicates of high-end products.
- I visited my local Five Below in February and saved over $450 by buying cheaper products there.
Five Below, a discount store founded in Pennsylvania in 2002, is known for — as the name suggests — selling most of its products for $5 and below. There are some exceptions, including the Five Beyond shop, which is mainly stocked with items that are less than $20.
Its cheap products align with the dupe culture that's popular among Gen Z. Dupes — short for the word "duplicates" — look like high-end products but have much lower price tags.
As Business Insider's Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins put it, Gen Z "prefers knockoffs more than other generations" and is obsessed with getting things at a bargain.
During my first visit to Five Below in December, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. On a second visit, I wanted to see which cheaper versions — or dupes — of expensive items I could find. I was hopeful I would find some worthy items but I didn't know what to expect realistically.
Here are the dupes I found at Five Below.
I went holiday shopping at Five Below in December and was pleasantly surprised. Last month, I visited again to find dupes of higher-end products.
I went to a Manhattan location of Five Below in December with a $50 budget and found fun stocking stuffers.
In February, I tried a more suburban location on Long Island. I didn't see any difference in quality or selection.
My first stop in Five Below was the water bottle display. I was looking for a cheaper version of a Stanley cup or an Owala water bottle, two of the most popular brands right now.
A water bottle has become a trendy accessory. But water bottle trends are lasting increasingly shorter — in the last couple of years alone, the "it" water bottle has changed from S'well to Hydro Flask to Stanley to Owala.
A Stanley cup can range from $35 to $55. To be honest, I don't really get the hype when there are many cheaper alternatives.
The Stanley Quencher — or "Stanley cup," as it's called — is a 40-ounce stainless steel tumbler.
As a brand, Stanley has been around for decades, but the Quencher has recently become a hit due to its trendy, influencer-friendly color variants and ease of use.
It's paid off for the company in a major way: Stanley's revenue, which was $73 million in 2019, was projected to hit $750 million last year, CNBC reported in December, citing data from the company.
In the past, I've bought a HydraPeak look-alike at TJ Maxx, which I love. But my mom was in the market for a new water vessel, so I figured it would be perfect to grab a cheaper dupe at Five Below.
They only had this Hydraquench tumbler, which is a dead ringer for a Stanley — the same size, same shape, same capacity — except it was $5.55.
I saved almost $30, and I was pleased with this purchase. Is the color my favorite? No, but I can mix it up with any of the common pastel Stanley variants.
Since we're all obsessed with our water bottles, a popular accessory right now is a water bottle bag. This one from CalPak costs $45.
Water bottle bags or pouches are exactly what they sound like: a sling that lets you still not carry a huge purse, but allows you to walk around without just holding your water bottle.
It has two pockets: one for the actual water bottle, and then another zipped one for your keys, phone, etc.
As smaller and smaller purses become trendy, and as athleisure continues to stay in style, a water bottle bag is a must-have.
Five Below had its own version for $5. It doesn’t seem to be as well-constructed, but I saved $40.
The prints were even similar. CalPak's is covered in daisies, while Five Below's versions have lemons and cherries. These also had two pockets: a zippered one in the back and an elastic one in the front.
My water bottle fits in both pockets, though the zipper doesn't close when the bottle is in the zipped, lined pocket. Here it's pictured in the elastic front pocket.
Of course, this doesn't fit a Stanley cup, but it did fit my normal Hydro Flask.
San Francisco-brand Baggu is having a moment on TikTok right now. Its signature puffy style is everywhere, including this $16 laptop case.
The best-known Baggu item is its nylon Crescent Bag, which, as Vice pointed out, is worth the hype.
Now, the brand's simple and puffy aesthetic is taking off.
This laptop case at Five Below costs $5.55, and looks remarkably similar. I saved another $10.45.
I've been using this for a few days, and I've been pleased. It has sufficient cushioning and I like the colors.
I read about a dupe on Apartment Therapy for the $150 Barefoot Dreams blanket at Five Below.
As Apartment Therapy noted, the Barefoot Dreams blanket has an "ultra-plush and fuzzy feel," which contributes to its popularity.
According to the site, the Luxe Collection sherpa blanket ($5.55) is a pretty solid dupe. They are similar in size and are both made of 100% polyester. That's another $94 saved.
The Five Below version is a little smaller than the original, which works for me. This seems like it would be a good travel blanket, and at $5, I won't be concerned if it gets lost or ruined.
This pink Skims one-piece costs $68.
Skims, Kim Kardashian's $4 billion shapewear brand, has developed a strong following since its launch in 2019. I own a few pieces, including the internet-favorite Seamless Sculpt Bodysuit.
But it's not always in the budget to spend $50+ on shapewear.
I found a slightly pinker version at Five Below for $5.
The biggest difference between the two is that the Five Below dupe doesn't have adjustable straps, which is a plus in the Skims column.
But besides that, I was satisfied with this piece. It wasn't too thin, it had good stretch, and it didn't feel cheap at all. I'll be wearing this in the summer for sure.
This heart-shaped mirror with a ring tray is sold at Urban Outfitters for $20. It requires three AAA batteries.
Pink and heart-shaped accessories are all the rage after a summer of celebrating Barbie and girlhood. So it's no surprise that Urban Outfitters is capitalizing on this trend with a heart-shaped pink mirror.
The $5 version at Five Below looks almost the exact same, and also takes three AAA batteries.
Besides a slight shift in color, this was exactly the same.
The Beautyblender sponge ($20) is one of the best-known makeup sponges on the market.
Instead of using a typical makeup brush for foundation or blush, many people will use this sponge instead. I've gone through a few Beautyblenders in my time, though I don't feel like they last long enough to spend $20 on.
A Wet N Wild sponge is $4.50 at Five Below.
The Wet N Wild variant was the exact same color but has a slightly different shape. A Beautyblender has no flat surfaces, and is instead a perfect teardrop shape.
This sponge has a flat side, making it easier to lay flat on my vanity without worrying it will roll away.
One of the most expensive alarm clocks on the market is the Hatch Restore, which has "a gentle sunrise alarm and soothing sleep sounds," according to the brand. It retails at $199.
I get advertisements for Hatch alarm clocks on almost every podcast I listen to, but I can't justify spending $200 on a glorified white noise machine.
The Sunrise Alarm Clock at Five Below is $10. Besides the color, it seems almost the exact same.
This shape and concept appear to be modeled after the Hatch. I've used it for a few days now, and it certainly does what's advertised. It has a light setting, and it's an alarm clock.
Overall, I saved $456 on dupes at Five Below — though it remains to be seen how long these cheaper products last.
At this price point, I'm not really expecting long-term wear and tear. But I will know that if I love the cheaper version of something, it might be worth investing in the more expensive version down the road. But for now, these dupes will do the trick.
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