Amazon Now Lets You Try On Clothes At Home Before You Buy Them

In the *ahem* great before times, I was a sworn in-store shopper. No virtual try-on, model video, or reviewer's photo could compare to seeing a piece of clothing with my own two eyes and feeling the fabric with my own two hands. I'd browse online, sure, but when then time came to buy (especially when a hefty price tag was involved) I'd dutifully march myself down to the brand's brick-and-mortar, find the piece I was eyeing online along with a few inevitable others, try them on in the fitting room, then finally make purchase decisions and swipe my card.

Nearly two years later in the *ahem* not-so-great pandemic times, I, like the rest of the world, am an online shopper through and through (in a weird twist of fate I'm also an e-commerce editor, so here we are). Thankfully, a host of new products and services have made the online shopping experience much more practical and enjoyable. Chief among them—Amazon Prime Try Before You Buy.

What is Prime Try Before You Buy?

The first iteration of Prime Try Before You Buy—Prime Wardrobe—launched as a pay-as-you-go personal shopping service last year. A few ironed-out kinks and a name change later, Try Before You Buy is now included free with your Prime membership. The name says it all; you can order clothing without purchasing it, try it on at home, then decide whether you like it or not. The service includes hundreds of the most popular name brands available on Amazon, like Adidas, Levi's, and Carhartt, to name a few. It goes something like this:

You order up to six items at a time, free of charge. Once they arrive to your home, you'll have a week to try them on and decide what you like and what you don't. Then you'll indicate which items you'd like to keep and which you'll be returning in your Amazon account. For items you decide to keep, you'll be charged for them and they're yours. Returns (one of the banes of online shopping of yesteryear) have never been easier, as each item comes in a resealable box with a prepaid shipping label. Simply pack them up, send them back, and you won't be charged a dime. If you like, you can also take advantage of Amazon's personal shopping service for an additional $4.99 per styling.

Trust me—there are so many instances when this comes in clutch. Whether you're splurging on a big-ticket item, whittling down an ocean of options, itching to try something new, or suspicious of a bargain, here are some of the best ways to take advantage of Prime Try Before You Buy.