If you don’t have teenagers or are not a teenager yourself, you may be wondering what SHEIN is and how to pronounce it (hint: She-in, they used to be called She Inside). Head over to TikTok or Instagram and you’ll find influencers unboxing their SHEIN hauls by the boxload! While we love a deal here, we are also skeptical about things that seem too good to be true, so we put SHEIN to the test and came up with a few reasons to love the website as well as some expert tips and tricks for getting the most out of your shopping hauls!

What is SHEIN?

SHEIN is a global online marketplace based in Singapore that sells apparel, home, and lifestyle products for men, women, and kids. They're a giant in the fast fashion space and are very popular among the Gen Z crowd who want to keep up with the latest trends. SHEIN carries their own brand of products and also sells from third party sellers. They use a fast-fashion model that constantly releases a wide variety of products in the latest designs. They're able to price their items so low because they cut out the middleman to sell directly to consumers.

What is SHEIN Marketplace?

In 2023, SHEIN launched their Marketplace to compete with Amazon. This allows third-party sellers to list and sell their products alongside SHEIN's house brands. This gives SHEIN users access to a wider variety of products, and these items may be treated as separate orders in your order history, so they could ship separately. Items from the SHEIN marketplace will have a "Marketplace" banner in the upper right hand side of the image.

Why do our Brad's Deals editors love SHEIN?

What is so great about SHEIN? We're so glad you asked! Since we love getting a good deal, our editors have found a lot of value in shopping at SHEIN. While they may not be the best place to find pieces that will last a lifetime, our editors who love keeping up with the latest trends find shopping here is the best way to do so on a budget.

A beige v-neck sweater, blue high-waisted jeans, and white sandals with a bow.

1. On-Trend Fashion

SHEIN sells very cute and fashionable trendy items. We prefer to invest in quality staples, but don't really like to spend a lot of money on trends (especially for our kids!). SHEIN has cheap fashion for everyone in the family. You can jump on the latest trends, like wide-legged pants, without having to spend too much money. Our editor Julie loves SHEIN for dresses that she knows her girls will only wear once, like prom dresses or vacation outfits.

2. Seriously Low Prices

As we mentioned before, they literally have thousands of items for low, low prices. Most items seem to be under $25, with a ton of options under $10. And they almost always have coupons on-site. New subscribers can save an extra 20%, and they are currently offering existing users up to an additional 20% off depending on how much you spend. 

3. Free Shipping

We love that you only have to spend $29 to bag free shipping. This low shipping threshold is definitely not a challenge with all the adorable items on their site! They also periodically offer free shipping with no minimum, so it’s possible to snag one of those coupons.

Free Returns

SHEIN offers free returns on most items. There are some exclusions, and free returns only apply to the first return from any order, so make sure you check out their return policy for the fine print. In our experience, returning items to SHEIN has been a very easy process. We were able to get refunded for the items we didn't want to keep.

Sustainability

Fast fashion gets a bad rap for its environmental impact, but SHEIN has a commitment to help reduce waste, become carbon neutral by 2030, and drive change by partnering with other industry leaders. We like knowing that this is a priority for them. 

Our Top 5 SHEIN Shopping Tips

You can find some great items on SHEIN, but you have to know the best way to navigate the site to do so. Our editors have put together our top 5 tips for shopping at SHEIN so you can make the most of the site.

A screenshot of an online clothing store's webpage featuring women's sweaters and cardigans.

1. Use Your Filters

Since there is so much content on SHEIN, it can be overwhelming to shop there. It helps to have an idea of what you're looking for, but if you want to browse, we recommend using the filters to help you navigate the site. For example, if you're in the market for some new fall sweaters, navigate to the "Sweaters & Cardigans" page. From there, you can filter by material, color, size, style, or price to help you narrow your search. We also like to filter by "top rated" so we can see the products that have the best reviews.

2. Read the Description, Know Your Measurements

Sizing at SHEIN is notorious for not being consistent. It's important to go product by product and read the description to know which size to order. Click the "Size Guide" link and use all the information from the product description that you can get. Knowing your measurements precisely will help you make the best choice. It also helps to see if reviewers are commenting on the sizing.

A person is wearing a black top and cream cardigan with various color options and sizes available for purchase online.

3. If It Seems Too Good to be True, It Probably Is

Just like your momma told you, if you see something that is too good to be true, then it probably is. SHEIN Marketplace is safe to order from and typically has similar sellers that you would find on Amazon. But be wary of name-brand products like Nike or HOKA being sold on the site. Check the details and you'll be able to see if SHEIN is an authorized reseller of these brands. Oftentimes, they're not. If you see a pair of On Clouds prices at $25, you can be pretty confident that they are not authentic.

4. Read the Reviews and Look at the Customer Pictures

Reviews are your best friend when you're shopping on SHEIN, especially reviews with pictures. You'll be able to see how items look on actual people and read what people are saying about the quality and size of a product in question. Buying a products without reviews is a total gamble and we advise against it if you want to be sure that you'll like what you're getting.

5.Shop the SHEIN Brands

SHEIN brands like Dazy and Motf are often reviewed as being of comparable quality to Zara or H&M. We've also heard great things about their GLOWMODE activewear line. While they're leggings are more expensive than some of the other options on SHEIN (they're usually in the $20 range) we have heard people raving about them as being close dupes to lululemon!

As with any online shopping experience, we always recommend that you use your best instinct. Take in all the information you can get to decide if a product will align with what you want. Follow our rules to shop smart and manage your expectations when shopping at SHEIN. Chances are you won't get a piece of clothing that will last you a lifetime, but you will find some trendy styles for a fraction of the name brand price. We have been pleasantly surprised by a lot of the merchandise we've gotten from SHEIN and it's actually exceeded our expectations. Since their return policy is actually quite good, our editors can confidently say that SHEIN is worth a try!