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12 Overpriced Five Below Items That You Should Skip

Collectibles, face masks, and textiles can be shopped for less elsewhere.

front of five below
Updated Nov. 18, 2024
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Shoppers often flock to Five Below to avoid wasting money on everyday purchases. Snacks, toys, collectibles, skincare items, throw rugs, pillowcases, mirrors, and more are all often available at reasonable prices — but not everything at Five Below is a steal.

Here, we’ve got 12 overpriced items you should probably skip on your next trip to Five Below.

Editor’s note: Prices are subject to change and may vary by location.

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Shea Moisture Travel Size Curl & Shine Conditioner

Courtesy of Five Below Shea Moisture Curl & Shine Conditioner

Price: $4

Purchasing travel products like the Curl & Shine Conditioner at Five Below may seem like a no-brainer, but it turns out many similar travel items are cheaper at other retailers like Target.

Cosmo Furbabies Sneaker Plush Dog Toy

Courtesy of Five Below Cosmo Furbabies Sneaker Plush Dog Toy

Price: $5.55

Pet toys sold by Five Below – while cutesy and fun – have been reported to rip apart easily, barely lasting days after purchase.

The prices are reasonable, but they’re not worth it if they won’t even last a few weeks.

35mm Color Camera Film

Courtesy of Five Below 35mm Color Camera Film

Price: $5.55

Camera film has gotten expensive, so when you see that you can grab a roll of 35mm color film to use in your camera, you may be tempted to grab it.

However, the roll sold at Five Below holds just 10 exposures, while a comparable Kodak film roll with 24 exposures tends to be just a couple of dollars more, giving it a lower per-picture cost.

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Disco Ball Sipper & Straw

Courtesy of Five Below Disco Ball Sipper & Straw

Price: $4

Plastic disco ball glasses with straws are eye-catching and super fun to have, but just know you can grab a similar 8.5-ounce lidded tumbler for half the price at Walmart, making this one to skip.

Textured Popcorn Bath Towel

Courtesy of Five Below Textured Popcorn Bath Towel

Price: $5.55

While shopping for textiles can be fun, the quality at Five Below is questionable. While you can grab an attractive textured popcorn bath towel for just $5.55, you can get higher quality for less elsewhere.

Instead, grab a larger and more affordable textured bath towel that supports sustainable farming at Kohl’s.

5-Count Washcloth Set

Courtesy of Five Below 5 Count Washcloth Set

Price: $5.55

Would you rather have a five-pack of low-quality washcloths that tend to pill up and fray quickly for almost $6 or a more durable option in a more calming colorway for half that price?

The washcloths sold at Five Below remind us of the rags in the kitchen at your high school restaurant gig.

Self-Grip Hair Rollers

Courtesy of Five Below Self Grip Hair Rollers

Price: $5

Don’t bother getting a six-pack of hair rollers at Five Below. The set comes with three bigger rollers and three smaller rollers nestled inside those. Instead, grab a similar pack for less at Walmart.

Eos Shea Butter Travel Size Shave Cream

Courtesy of Five Below Eos Shea Butter Shave Cream

Price: $3

Eos shave cream in juicy pomegranate strawberry may smell incredible, but know you can get the same product at Target for $3 less.

Funko Bitty Pop! Mystery Singles

Courtesy of Five Below Funko Bitty Pop Mystery Singles

Price: $3.25

Bitty Pop! – Funko’s miniature version of their Pop! Vinyl figurines – are taking over the collectibles game right now, but getting them at Five Below won’t be your best buy.

The discount retailer charges $3.25 for similar items, whereas other stores average a much lower price of $1.95 to $2.99.

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25-Piece Cosmetic Sponge Set

Courtesy of Five Below 25 Piece Cosmetic Sponge Set

Price: $4

While you may want a few makeup and blending sponges in your toolkit, you can certainly get them for a better price than 16 cents a piece — other big-box stores like Ulta and Target carry similar sets for significantly less per item.

Twin Wire Journal

Courtesy of Five Below Courtesy of Five Below

Price: $5

Don’t grab non-branded spiral-bound notebooks at Five Below for $5 each when you can find similar options for less than half that price at retailers like Target, Walmart, Office Depot, and Dollar Tree.

Pretty Animalz Unicorn Anti-Imperfection Sheet Mask

Courtesy of Five Below Pretty Animalz Unicorn Anti Imperfection Sheet Mask

Price: $4

It’s just not worth buying a $4 sheet mask when you can find similar Korean sheet masks for just $1 elsewhere. This is one you’ll want to not add to your basket.

Bottom line

Valerii Honcharuk/Adobe woman choosing sofa cushions in decor store

You can’t get everything at this storefront, but it’s worth popping in now and then to check out what’s in stock. 

While you can save more on everyday essentials by shopping at Five Below, just make sure you know what products are actually worth it before you go or price-compare at other retailers so you don’t end up wasting your money.

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Author Details

Meredith Schneider

Meredith Schneider is a writer, editor, and marketing professional with over a decade of experience across multiple industries. As a creative entrepreneur, she is always on the lookout for money-saving hacks to support her single-income household. Meredith is dedicated to finding high-quality products at affordable prices to elevate her life and those around her.