Where to buy the best Halloween costumes for kids, adults, and pets

The best Halloween costumes overall

Amazon has an endless trove of Halloween costumes, including accessories, pet costumes, and pop culture options.

Instead of searching "Halloween costumes" on Amazon, we recommend going straight to Amazon's Halloween Store page. From there, you can browse costumes by categories including kids, women's, men's, or pets. This is a great way to get some costume inspiration if you haven't landed on a theme yet. You can even buy your decor, party supplies, and candy from Amazon's Halloween Store — a true one-stop shop. 

The wide range of costumes and accessories is Amazon's biggest selling point. Humorous options like an inflatable alien costume appear on the same page as the creepy Wednesday Addams costume. If you're opting for a low-key look, 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 listed as "Ships from and sold by Amazon" or "Fulfilled by Amazon."

Shop Halloween costumes at Amazon

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Adult Official Jurassic World Inflatable Dinosaur Costume (small)Adult Skeleton Costume (small)Link Deluxe Child Costume (small)Spider Dog Costume (small) The best Halloween costumes for kids

Great Pretenders balances whimsy with budget, offering an affordable selection of full costume sets and accessories for kids.

Envisioned as a store for pretend play, Great Pretenders will spark your child's imagination. Halloween costumes are front and center among mermaid hair elastics and superhero party supplies. Because these costumes are meant for pretend play, they can do double duty as dress-up outfits after Halloween is over. 

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

Kids can even get creative with Great Pretenders' 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 browsing on Amazon, make sure to check that the costume you're buying is sold by Great Pretenders and not another pretend play store.

Shop a wide range of Halloween costumes at Great Pretenders

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Luna the Midnight Witch Dress (small)Kids Mummy Costume (small)Colour-A-Cape Rocket Costume (small)Kids Knight Costume (small) The best cheap Halloween costumes

Walmart offers a large variety of affordable Halloween costumes for kids and adults.

If you're on a tight budget or you simply don't want to spend a lot on a cheeseburger costume that your kid will wear for all of a single afternoon, Walmart is your best bet. Its Halloween costume offerings are divided into many categories: adults, kids, babies and toddlers, TV and movie costumes, and animal costumes. They also have dog costumes.

Within each category, there are many popular characters available, but the size options are limited. Most of the costumes are affordable — between $20 and $30. There are also similar costumes in kid and adult sizes that can be purchased together for a family theme. 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. 

Shop for affordable Halloween costumes at Walmart

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If you're looking for a pop culture-inspired or classic Halloween family costume, Party City has you covered.

When it comes to Halloween costumes, Party City has thought of everything. Many of its outfits start at $19.99, so it's possible to pull together a family theme on a budget. There are quite a few pet costumes for those who like to include their furry family members, too.

If your family is looking for the latest pop culture trend, check out the Space Jam collection, complete with outfits for kids, adults, and pets. There are also costumes inspired by Star Wars, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and everyone's favorite mouse.

Party City makes the Halloween costume online shopping experience easy with a family costume page where costumes can be sorted by size, and there is also a tab for accessories. As you add costumes to your cart, the family costume page keeps track of your group costume total cost.  

Shop for family Halloween costumes at Party City

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Etsy is where you'll find a truly unique, handmade Halloween costume made to fit yourself or your little one.

If you can't find the perfect Halloween costume from a major retailer, then consider the offbeat 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 also connect you with 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. Because many costumes on Etsy are handmade, shipping may take longer than stores like Amazon or Walmart. Our advice is to shop early if you're going to get a costume from Etsy. 

Shop all custom Halloween costumes at Etsy

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Adult Witch Costume (small)Kids Puppy Costume (small)Little Red Riding Hood Kids Costume (small)Harry Potter Dog Costume (small) The best sensory friendly Halloween costumes

For people who need sensory-friendly materials, Hanna Andersson's organic cotton costume and pajama sets are an excellent choice for Halloween.

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 dragon pajamas are just right for a cozy Halloween party, or they can be tucked away for a chilly night. Even better, all of your family members can get comfortable and festive with matching adult and child sizes. 

The site sorts Halloween attire into six categories: costumes, play clothes, matching family pajamas, baby's first Halloween, kids pajamas, and characters. Your child can wear a full costume set, like this mermaid, or they can wear pajamas that look like a full costume, like this pirate.  

Hannah Andersson's clothing are intended to be "hand-me-down quality" and last well beyond as long as a kid can fit in them. Most pajama sets are between $30 and $40, and most costume sets are between $30 and $60.

Shop organic cotton sensory-friendly costumes at Hanna Andersson

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Mermaid Costume Set (small)Mermaid Scales Long John Pajamas (small)Bat Costume Set (small)Night Flight Long John Pajamas (small) The best adaptive Halloween costumes

Target's exclusive Hyde and Eek! Halloween collection includes a line of affordable and fun adaptive costumes for adults and children.

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 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. 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. It also offers easy abdominal access if needed.

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. 

Shop for adaptive Halloween costumes at Target

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Kids' Adaptive Mermaid Halloween Costume (small)Kids' Adaptive Princess Carriage Halloween Costume (small)Kids' Adaptive Batman Halloween Costume (small)Adult Adaptive Witch Halloween Costume (small) The best Halloween costumes for pets

Dress up your cat, dog, or guinea pig in one of Chewy's many pet Halloween costumes. 

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 like guinea pigs. The prices vary, from cheaper simple 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. Pet costumes are intended to be worn with supervision and for a short period of time, as adorable as the walking werewolf and taco cat 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 velcro, you'll also want to consider your pets sensitivities when choosing their look.

This year, Chewy is also offering a virtual costume experience through its Fur-tual Boutique. You can upload a photo of your pet to capture a realistic image of them wearing one of seven exclusive Frisco costumes. 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.

Shop all pet costumes at Chewy

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Bread Cat Costume (small)Front Walking Werewolf Dog & Cat Costume (small)Chef Guinea Pig Costume Hat (small)Wonder Woman Dog and Cat Costume (small) What else we considered

• Pottery Barn Kids Costumes: If you're looking for a light-up astronaut costume or want to turn your baby into a plump pumpkin, Pottery Barn Kids Halloween costumes are for you. The prices kept Pottery Barn from landing in a top spot, but the thoughtfully designed, high quality costumes are worth checking out if you plan to spend extra. 
• Rolling Buddies Adaptive Costumes, available at Etsy and Rolling Buddies: For more adaptive options, the Rolling Buddies shop specializes in wheelchair costumes. Due to its prices and limited selection, it wasn't our first choice, but we appreciated the abundance of choices for wheelchair panels. Unlike Target, there aren't any matching clothing options, but there is a wider range of wheelchair side panels. 
• Shop Disney: While there are markdowns and the children's selection is more reasonable, the price of the elaborate character costumes can balloon quickly. If you are going 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. Disney also added adaptive costumes to its collection this year. 
• Primary: Primary's website is chock full of ideas for costume you can make with its clothing. The keyword here, though, is make. There is at least some sort of DIY involved in each of Primary's costume options, like this Blippi costume or this family BLT sandwich.  
• HalloweenCostumes.com: As a website devoted specifically to Halloween costumes, you'll certainly find plenty of options on this site. While you can't beat the selection, you can beat the price with most of these costumes. Very few are below $30, and many start at $60, like this Ghostbusters costume. For each costume, the site offers suggestions for accessories, which often start around $10 and go up from there. If you don't mind spending $60-plus to be Poseidon, this site is worth a look. Many of their baby costumes are more affordable.   
• Melissa & Doug: Similar to Great Pretenders, Melissa & Doug offers Halloween costumes that are intended for dress-up play. Kids will love pretending to be a pilot or a fire chief well beyond trick-or-treating. The prices are reasonable with all sets coming in at $32.49. However, with only 19 options, you'll find more variety elsewhere.