How Much Do Wigs Cost?

online marketplaces

You'll find the lowest prices on large online marketplaces. Many of those are budget wigs, with a shinier fiber that looks more like a wig and a basic cap, priced to match.

outlet and discount wigs

Outlet prices can come from overstock or discontinued styles and colors, but many outlet wigs are refurbished. They are often returns that someone wore, then washed and put back on the shelf, and a wig that has been worn can't be resold as new. Here too, you get what you pay for. If a wig costs far less than the same style does elsewhere, check whether the listing says new or refurbished, and check the return policy, before you buy.

designer wigs and authorized retailers

If you find a designer wig, from a brand like Jon Renau, Raquel Welch or Ellen Wille, for far less than it usually sells for, it may be a knockoff or a refurbished return. Before you buy, look on the brand's own website. Many brands list the retailers they have authorized to sell their wigs, and a seller on that list is selling you the real thing. Headcovers is an authorized retailer for every brand we carry.

online or in a shop

Wigs bought online often cost less than wigs bought in a shop, because a shop's price usually includes in-person service. Compare the final price, the return policy and the help that comes with the wig. Our guide to buying a wig online shows how to tell a retailer you can trust, and help still comes with it here: send us a cutting of your hair and we will match your color for free.

the hair

• Synthetic is the least pricey and the easiest to manage. It comes in grades too, and the grade affects the price.
• Heat friendly synthetic lets you change your style with heat tools on a low setting. It can frizz, sometimes more than standard synthetic.
• Human hair is the most costly. The supply is limited, and there are grades of human hair, each with its own price: Remy human hair, sorted so the strands all run the same direction, costs more than non-Remy. Human hair also takes more upkeep day to day, with heat tools and styling products to keep frizz down.
• Length plays a part. Longer hair usually means a higher price, especially in human hair.

the cap

Among synthetic wigs, the cap and its features change the price the most. Basic caps, classic and open, are mostly machine made, so they cost the least. Monofilament, lace front and hand-tied caps cost more because part of each one is made by hand.

• Lace front. A realistic hairline, with the look of hair growing from your skin.
• Monofilament top. Partly hand tied, so the hair looks like it grows from your scalp and you can change your part.
• Double monofilament. Like a monofilament top, but softer and gentler against the scalp.
• Hand-tied cap. The most expensive. It gives the look of natural growth, lets you move your part, and fits softly and flexibly.

On our synthetic wigs, each feature adds a step. Compared with a basic cap at around $150, the lace front wigs our customers bought typically cost about $65 more, the monofilament tops about $110 more, and wigs with both about $195 more.

what a budget wig gets you

A lower-priced wig is usually made with a less refined fiber, and you can see it in the shine: the hair catches more light than natural hair does, so it can look more like a wig. Spending more buys a softer, more natural finish, and a cap that looks like your own part and hairline.

There is no right amount to spend on a wig. What matters is how you'll wear it and what feels right to spend. Whatever that is, every wig we carry is one we would want to wear ourselves.

if your budget has a limit

Put that money into cap construction first, and into the features you'll use: a lace front if you wear your hair back off your face, a monofilament top if you like to move your part. Those are what make a part and a hairline look like your own, and even with both, a synthetic wig typically stays under about $440, well below what human hair costs.

when a price is too good to be true

If you find a wig with Remy human hair and a hand-tied cap with a lace front for $50, there's a mighty big chance it isn't all it's cracked up to be. A Remy human hair wig can cost well over $700, and with a hand-tied cap and lace front you may be looking at well over $1,000.

insurance

Insurers often list a wig for medical hair loss as a cranial prosthesis. Our wig insurance guide covers how to ask, what to send and which states require coverage, and we can give you an invoice for your claim.

ways to save

Keep an eye out for promotions and discounted shipping. Standard shipping is free on qualifying orders over $75 with code HCU75, and our current offers list what's on right now.

the care products it needs

The right products help a wig last, so keep them in mind when you add up your total. The basics are a shampoo and conditioner made for your wig's fiber, human hair or synthetic, and a stand. The rest depends on how you wear it.

• Shampoo and conditioner. Brandywine wig shampoo and Brandywine wig conditioner are made for wigs.
• A wig stand. The Cardani collapsible tripod stand keeps your wig's shape between wears.
• Styling products, if you style it. Choose the ones for your fiber from our wig care and accessories.
• A wig cap and a comb, as you need them. A wig cap if you find one more comfortable under the wig, and a wig lift comb for styling.

If you'd like a starter set, the Essentials kit brings the basics together.

Essentials wig care kit

Shampoo, conditioner, styling spray, a stand and a comb. Around $40.

shop the kit →

keeping your wig fresh

Wearing scarves or hats in your downtime makes your wig last longer. Wash it only when it needs it, since over-washing wears a wig out over time. Every six to eight wears is usually right, and if you haven't sweated much and the edges don't feel oily, you can most likely wait. Our synthetic wig care guide walks through the wash.