Hats, frames, chains, tops and coats: the upper shelves
Five zones from the crown down to the hem, with the sizing codes, standard photos and parcel-weight effects that matter on each shelf.
Crown and collar shelves
Hats. Caps are usually sold as one size with an adjuster, but beanies and fitted caps list a head circumference in centimetres. Measure around the forehead just above the ears. MambaBuy's photo sheet gives caps a front-and-side view, a rear view and a label view, so the adjuster and the inside label are both visible before you ship.
Eyewear. Glasses are photographed with their box, then front and side, then rear. If the lens tint matters to you, pay CN¥2 for a detail photo against a white background; warehouse lighting changes how tints read.
Jewellery. Chains, rings and pendants weigh almost nothing, so they rarely change the shipping bill. The catch is cover: MambaBuy's Shipping Protection lists jewellery, jade, gold ornaments and other valuables among the excluded categories, so a lost ring is not compensated even if you bought protection.
Headphones and curling irons. Both are electronics. MambaBuy's inspection does not test function, and its disclaimer says batteries may be removed for compliance. Read the listing to see whether the battery is built in.
Chest shelves: the everyday top layer
This is the deepest part of the catalogue: the T-shirt shelf alone counted 4,015 and the hoodie shelf 2,362 when we read them. Most come from Chinese sellers who label sizes in the national format, which MambaBuy's Size Assistant explains with the example 160/68A: 160 is height in centimetres, 68 is chest or waist girth, and the letter is body type (A normal, B heavier, C heavier still, Y slim).
Two habits help. First, compare your own chest measurement against the seller's chart rather than your usual S to XL. MambaBuy's help says store sizing is inconsistent and recommends measuring yourself, allowing 1 to 3 cm of error. Second, use the label photo. Clothes get front, rear and label views as standard, and the label view is where the size code is readable.
Jerseys need a little more. Printed numbers, names and badges are the details that differ between listings; one or two CN¥2 detail photos of the print will tell you more than the standard front view.
Outer layer and head-to-hem pieces
Down jackets are the shelf where chargeable weight bites hardest. A puffer that weighs 900 g can fill a 50 x 40 x 15 cm carton; at the 8000 divisor most MambaBuy UK and EU lines use, that box bills as 3.75 kg. Two fixes are on the menu. MambaBuy's free luggage space optimisation applies only when a suitcase is in the parcel, and the paid Package Preview (CN¥18) packs and weighs the parcel before you choose a line, so you see the real chargeable weight first.
Womenswear on the catalogue is a keyword search, not a single shelf, so results mix dresses, knitwear and coats. The dresses shelf itself is small (33 listings) and so are swimwear and sleepwear.
Underwear, bras and socks are on MambaBuy's list of items that are not eligible for no-reason returns, along with leggings. Order these in the size you are sure of.
Measuring before the upper shelves
MambaBuy publishes four measuring diagrams. For tops, measure shoulder point to shoulder point, chest at the fullest point and waist at the slimmest, with the tape straight and loose. For bras, the help gives cup size as upper chest minus lower chest. Write the numbers down once and keep them beside you while you browse; every top shelf asks the same three questions.
If you sit between two sizes on a listing's chart, the size with the larger chest measurement is the safer choice for anything you will layer under a jacket.
