When used effectively, a good mascot can boost morale capture people’s attention and build your organization’s brand. A mascot is used most effectively when you use a real live mascot, instead of a photograph — by real mascot, we mean a person in a mascot costume. That being said, a mascot costume is a often comprised of several thick layers; as such, the person wearing the costume will get extremely hot, even in a well air conditioned room.
To minimize the effects from heat exhaustion, you must ensure that the costume is properly cooled. When a costume is effectively cooled, the mascot can be more energetic, and work for longer. You have three options: ventilation, fans and ice vests. Let’s take a look at how all three work, and the pros and cons of each:
Mascot costume ventilation
Ventilation creates a natural flow of air throughout the costume; this significantly cools the wearer the entire time they are playing the role of your organization’s mascot. There are two types of costume ventilation that exist:
Hole costume vents
Just as the name suggests, this type of costume ventilation adds holes to the mascot costume for better airflow. Vent holes can be found throughout the costume.
Mesh costume vents
Mesh vents are used for three reasons: to add more airflow, to allow the costume wearer to clearly see and to disguise the vent. Mesh vents are found in areas that strongly contrast with the rest of the costume, like the eyes, ears and mouth.
Because it can naturally work with any style of mascot without destroying its aesthetic appeal, costume ventilation is an absolute must. That being said, you need to choose a good mascot production company for a well ventilated costume. This is because they will make sure that the ventilation points both maximize cooling airflow and flow seamlessly into the mascot’s design — instead of being glaring eyesores.
Mascot costume fans
When people think of ways to cool themselves off instantly, a fan is usually one of the first solutions that comes to mind. Costume designers are no different; that is why many costumes come with built-in fans.
Due to their obvious benefits, a costume fan is a great addition to help with airflow during performance. Most costume fans, however, are usually only installed to ensure a reasonable amount of breathability for the wearer, and should not be relied upon as a standalone costume ventilation solution.
Unfortunately, many costume designers are not able to properly position a fan so that it is both effective and discreet. This can affect the functionality or even the look of your mascot. As such, it is extremely imperative that you hire a very good designer for your mascot costume.
Mascot costume ice vests
Ice vests provide long-lasting cooling for costume wearers. That being said, an ice vest is not an indefinite costume cooling solution. When subjected to the extreme heat that costumes often face, the ice pack inside the vest melts. This can make the wearer very uncomfortable. What’s more, a vest only cools the torso, leaving the rest of the body unprotected from the heat.
You must take your mascot costume cooling solutions seriously
Never forget that underneath of the costume is a real person. You need to take the right steps to make them reasonably comfortable; you can do this without destroying the aesthetic value of the costume.