Harry Potter Costume Kit Review
With Halloween less than 6 weeks away and both of the Tiny Toy Reviewers too big to shoe-horn into last year's costumes, discussions were turning to what the boys wanted to be this Halloween. Since Tiny Toy Reviewer #1 has recently discovered the joys of J.K. Rowling's books (we're half way through The Prisoner of Azkaban) it was inevitable that Harry Potter would come up as a suggestion. And since their school has a book day every October where pupils dress as their favourite characters getting a Harry Potter costume now seemed a great idea.
There were two issues... one, we're on a budget and character themed costumes are always overpriced. Two, most of the Gryffindor robes available have poor reviews. So after briefly considering the idea of actually learning to use my sewing machine and make the costumes myself, I eventually took a punt and bought two of the Harry Potter Costume Kit.
So how good is the Harry Potter Costume Kit?
The Harry Potter Costume Kit by Rubies is a "one size fits all" dressing up kit that comes with a Gryffindor robe, clasp, wand and glasses. Ignore the bit on the packaging that says "age 8 to 10", that's the American rating and is the equivalent of a UK age 5 to 7. It comes down to the ground on my small-for-his-age 6 year old and his 3 year old brother plays quite happily in his too although I need to take up the hem a bit (see previous comment about learning to use my sewing machine). Here are my thoughts on the different bits that come in the kit:
Gryffindor robe - Since this entire kit cost me the same as most of the 'proper' Harry Potter robes do without the extras, my expectations were not high. So I was pleasantly surprised that the quality is actually fine. Sure, the robe isn't lined and it's a little see through if you hold it up to the light, but when you compare it to the quality of kid's costumes in general it does compare favourably for the price. In an ideal world I'd have liked a robe with the Gryffindor emblem sewn on, but the printed version on this actually looks pretty good. I've seen some criticisms that the robe doesn't come out of the wash well, but it does state quite clearly on the label that it is wipe clean only and shouldn't be put in your washing machine.
Clasp -This is the only bit of the kit that is poorly made. The clasp isn't easy to put on and it comes off easily so generally we don't bother with it at all.
Harry's glasses - For the cost of the kit, I was expecting the glasses to by naff and plasticky and not very durable - again, I was pleased to be proved wrong. They're actually quite good quality and are the same as the Rubies Harry Potter glasses that you see retailing separately for around £5. The rims are slightly too large in comparison to Harry's glasses in the films, but they fit well on the head and the effect is adorable. Tiny Toy Reviewer #1 loved the glasses so much he literally wore them non-stop for 5 days, only taking them off to go to sleep or school.
Harry's wand - I was expecting a wand so cheap you could break it easily, but the wand is actually made from tough plastic and appears robust. This is another item that individually retails at about £5 and to be honest I think I'd be disappointed if I'd bought the wand alone. It's not terribly inspiring. But as part of a kit I'm very satisfied with it, and the kids love them and don't care how basic they are.
Verdict
I really love the Harry Potter Costume Kit. I paid about £15 each and think I got excellent value for money. The Tiny Toy Reviewers are showing no sign of growing bored of the costumes and since Harry Potter is something I'm sure that will appeal to them for years to come they will get plenty of play time.
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