Great construction and quality, but HUGE
I purchased this helmet, as well as the deluxe costume for Disney's halloween party this past weekend. The helmet definitely completes the look, and I received many compliments on it before I even put it on as we were walking in from the parking lot.
As other reviewers have noted, if you're going for authenticity (and I would assume since you are considering this helmet, you are), consider yourself fair-warned that this helmet is massive. I am 6'3'', 190 lbs, and I really had to bulk up my shoulders with padding under the costume to minimize the "silly" factor. My height definitely helps, and I ended up taking countless photos with individuals and families throughout the night. All of whom seemed convinced that I was actually Darth Vader, so I think I pulled it off well in the end by exaggerating other features of the costume.
Regarding the quality, it is well constructed, and doesn't feel like the cheaper versions of this mask/helmet at all. The eyes are appropriately dark, and the finish is quite realistic. One thing I noted was that only one of his "cheeks" are glossy, the other I believe was mistakenly left with a matte finish. Perhaps this is how it was in the films, but I thought it looked a bit silly. Also as mentioned previously, the molds are a bit off center, and I had to do a bit of work rearranging the velcro connections that join the helmet to the mask in order to get it to sit as it should, and compensate for this slight imbalance. My final note on quality is just to indicate that the helmet scratches easily. I was extremely careful when carrying it around/wearing it throughout the night, and only remember bumping my head twice on the monorail. However, when I got it home in the light, I noticed quite a few scratches that weren't there previously. This isn't a knock on the quality, just a suggestion to use caution and keep my experiences in mind.
Lastly, it was 60 degrees out during most of the party, and my breath in the mask severely fogged up the eyes making it nearly impossible to see. I'm going to research some type of anti-fog treatment that I may be able to apply if we were to do this again. My wife and I worked out a system where she would walk at a certain position diagonal to me, and I would use her as my point of reference when walking. Not the safest method, but worked for maintaining the character illusion.
All in all, I'm thrilled with the purchase. Standard cost on BuyCostumes is a bit high, so watch for specials.
I will take more photos in the daylight so you can see what I mean about the size. For now, see dark photo attached.
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