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Mascot Cooling Fan – Good or Bad?

One of the most often asked questions is whether or not a mascot cooling fan is really necessary.  Many people assume that all “pro” mascots come with fans and elaborate cooling systems. This is rarely, if ever, true.
 
In my years of experience performing at major theme parks, I can tell you that NONE of the mascot costumes had fans installed.  As a mascot performer, you quickly accept it as a fact of life that you are going to get hot and sweaty!

So How Do You Stay Comfortable?

To minimize the discomfort and reduce your risk of over-heating, I recommend wearing a costume for no more than 30 minutes in normal summer temperatures.  If it’s an unusually hot day, cut the time down by 5 minute increments and see how it goes.  In cooler weather, you can go a bit longer if you want, but in general try to stay in the 30 minute range. Then jump out for 30-minute break, drink some water and get back in! Ultimately it comes down to personal preference, as each mascot performer has his or her own tolerance level for heat.
 

What’s the Best Fan Position?

Most mascot costumes come with fans that blow air into the costume.  I believe this is why most people find that they are not very effective.  The purpose of the fan should be to exhaust heated air – think of it like a bathroom fan after you shower.  You want the hot, moist air to be expelled to the outside and the vacuum that this creates will pull fresh air into the head through the meshed areas.  As the cooler air gets drawn in it does a more effective job at lowering the temperature inside the costume.
 
When it comes to the type of fan, be wary of any type of “specialty” battery pack or fancy connectors. Keep it simple by using inexpensive and readily available AA or 9-volt batteries. Our cooling fans are removable and reversible which offers a lot of flexibility.
mascot cooling fan
 
So call me old school – I still don’t think that a mascot cooling fan is entirely necessary but I do understand why people find them useful. I’ll leave it up to you to decide!  
 
What do you think??
JK