Want to know what others thought before you buy? Read on....
Rating scale:
A: super realistic, even your best friend won't be able to tell you're wearing a wig. Amazing quality that will last a while.
B: Looks great from a normal distance and lasts as long as you would expect.
C: Needs some work or modifications to be worn. Lacks quality and/or longevity.
D: Needs lots of modifications to be worn, only recommended for those who want to put the work into it. Don't expect it to last very long.
F: Avoid unless you're just using it to practice
STACKED Hair
Wigs I've owned: Suzy, Laura, Hope (Custom), Kanda
Rating: A+
Impeccable pre-plucked hairline and the hair is silky-smooth. The lace is nice and transparent and the cap fits well. Most pieces are Brazilian hair, which is my preferred hair type because it deems to hold a curl better than other types. Alli is a true wig artist and offers beautifully colored pieces. Density is typically low-medium, which feels very natural. The owner, Alli, and her crew are great to work with.
Wigs by Tiffani
Wigs I've owned: Kierra (x2), Dulce, Deandra, Lovelle, Julissa
Rating: A
Fantastic, soft hair and an amazing pre-plucked hairline on all of my pieces. The cap is comfortable, especially the one with felt at the nape. Absolutely gorgeous colors, each like a work of art! Most pieces are Brazilian hair, which I prefer. I had an issue with one of my pieces and Tiff took care of me right away. Then why not an A+? The lace on Dulce and Lovelle are a just little darker than all the others and while Tiff and her crew assures everyone the lace is all the same and only varies by a half shade, it is definitely enough to tell a difference on my fair skin. But it hasn't stopped me from buying more Tiffani pieces and this brand is one of my faves.
Lu's Wigs
Wigs I've owned: Pearl, Randi, "medium brown bob", Junie with Ombré underlay
Rating: A-
Gorgeous colors, comfortable caps, and soft human hair! I needed to pluck the hairline on Pearl and Julie. Randi had bangs, so the hairline was less visible, but would have needed to be plucked if she didn't have bangs. I was a little disappointed that my last order had no extra “goodies” included, especially given that Lu’s prices have exceeded other similar quality brands. Most Lu’s pieces are Mongolian hair.
The Alt Shop
Wigs I've owned: Va Va Voom
Rating: A-
Beautiful color and dimension! Soft hair, especially for a blonde, Holds a curl fairly well. The only thing I don’t like about this wig is that it has no ear tabs and has to be glued down. Aside from that, this wig is a total winner in my book!
Gardeaux Wigs
Wigs I've owned: #5149 (monofilament short brown)
Rating: B+
Soft human hair, but not luxury hair. Monofilament top, but the transition was only slightly visible. On par with the human hair Jon Renau Angie I had, and I actually wondered if this was a Jon Renau piece with the tag removed. Note that Gardeaux also sells iWigs, which are highly respected wigs, but I have not had one myself yet.
Cysterwigs/Hair Kitty Kitty
Wigs I've owned: Ambrose, Vaughn, Anya
Rating: B+
Great synthetic wigs at a (relatively) low price point! Comfortable caps with felt features. Some are heat-friendly, others are not; check the listing for each. Some have permatease, which may be hard to work with from time to time. Lots of fun colors available.
Belle Tress x Cysterwigs
Wigs I've owned: Pheonix, Evangeline
Rating: B
Nice hairline that can be styled off the face, but the hairline may be a bit dense for some preferences. Cool Opal Brown is my absolute favorite synthetic wig color and it is sadly discontinued now. (Hopefully they will bring it back!)
Jon Reneau human hair
Wigs I've owned: Angie
Rating: B+
A cut above synthetics, but lower hair quality compared to the smaller wig shops mentioned above. Lace comes pre-cut, which is nice if you're new to wigs so that you don't have to cut it yourself. The hair on Angie dried wavy, which was a nice touch.
Jon Reneau synthetic hair
Wigs I've owned: Rachel, Sarah, Amber
Rating: B
These are great quality, realistic synthetic pieces, but they only last 3 or so months of daily wear. Still a great place to start if you're new to wigs.
Rene of Paris
Wigs I've owned: Julie, Nakia, Rae, Wyatt
Bating: C+
Lots of fun colors, but with lower quality caps and the permatease can be difficult to deal with, especially on Wyatt. But with colors like pastel blue (shown), plumberry jam, and milk-tea, I can deal with some lower quality cap features!
Envy
Wigs I've owned: Brianna
Rating: C+
I had a difficult time getting the part on this one to look realistic. The hair just seemed too thin to me, but I've seen lots of other women totally rock this wig!
Hair cube
Wigs I've owned: "Long purple wig"
Rating: C
Actually, better than I expected for a $25 wig from Amazon, but it needed a hefty amount of customization (cutting, plucking, steaming, cap resizing) before I was able to wear it out. The part is fixed in the middle and it has a plastic strip along the part that attempts to mimic a silk top. Still, it has potential...
Madison Wigs
Wigs I've owned: Caramel Swirl, Anniston, Veronica
Rating: C
My first 3 human hair wigs arrived in very good condition as expected, but with thicker hairlines than I prefer (needs plucking). The 4th one that I ordered arrived a tangled mess that was difficult to comb through. I contacted the seller to respectfully let her know this was not the same quality as the other wigs, but the situation was not handled in a satisfactory or respectful manner. I therefore do not shop from this seller any longer. However, to be fair, I should note that this brand is very well respected in the wig community.
Rebel Gypsy
Wigs I've owned: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Rating: C-
This piece does have a lace front, which is nice, but it needed a lot of customization (plucking, thinning) to look more natural. I do think it's a great site to check out if you're looking for some fun costume wigs as she carries lots of fun colors and styles. (I've also heard that this seller buys cheap wigs and marks them up significantly, but I can't confirm this is true.)