Before you buy a Mascot costume from anyone, you would be wise to learn from the mistakes of others. Mascot costumes around the world are used for a whole array of purposes, and when in use their materials and fabrics are pushed to the limit. Weakness in design and construction often only become apparent when in use. For you, this is the worst possible time to discover a limitation in your costume. Nothing destroys the entertainment value or PR gesture of your mascot more than having a head fall off or a seam rip open in the middle of a performance.

Don't repeat the painful and expensive learning curve of other Mascot buyers before you. It will cost you too much time and too much wasted money. Mascot design, construction, and materials vary tremendously from supplier to supplier. So...

If so, you should be aware that fiberglass is a poor choice because it is too rigid, prone to cracking, and is extremely heavy. Further it is almost impossible to repair in a mascot.

If so, this is another bad choice. Upholstery Foam absorbs moisture and tends to rot after usage. Also it will sag after use since it is not rigid enough. This results in a droopy looking mascot over time.

If so, this is a poor choice since it is a heavier material and will cause undue fatigue and soreness with your performer. Further the material is too rigid and can crack & break with use and performance

Street Characters uses a closed cell foam which is ultra-lightweight, it holds its shape longer than any other material, and it is virtually indestructible. This is why we are so confident in providing our lifetime warranty.

This is less desirable, since the construction helmet tends to have less stability and the chin strap often used is bad for the performers comfort

Less desirable as well, since a football helmet is bulkier and heavier.

All Street Characters heads have specialized compact helmets with chin straps used inside of them. This gives the user a lighter weight helmet and maximum surface area contact with the performers head. The benefit is less fatigue and a Mascot head that is more responsive to the subtleties of the performers motions. Also, the sleeker profile of the specialized helmet and the secure connection with the chin strap helps keep consistent, solid contact.

If so, run for the hills! Rivet or screws inside a performers helmet are extremely dangerous. As an example, the US Air Force Eagle mascot once suffered severe cuts to his head due to protruding rivets and screws. Avoid this construction technique at all costs.

All Street Characters mascots use secure foam and glue mounting to connect a Mascot head to a helmet. This allows for a solid, safe bond to the head of the performer that in turn will make the mascot head more responsive to his or her motions. This construction material also enables specialized ventilation holes to be cut into the Mascot Head-, which is very helpful for releasing head heat. Lastly, this means there are no screws potentially protruding into the performers head, and no hard edges as a potential cut hazard.

If so, this is not desirable. Straps do not provide consistent footing for the performer, and are very difficult to replace if they break. Plus a Mascots leg will be exposed when it is climbing stairs, which takes away from the illusion.

All Street Characters mascots use our proprietary "Integrated Footing ™". We insert a specially selected running shoe and embed it permanently within the Costume Footing. This results in more stable and responsive footing for the performer and a more credible appearance for the Mascot itself.

Then you risk having the performers arms exposed-, which destroys the illusion when a human arm is shown in the context of a mascot costume. Also, you risk losing one or both of the gloves of the costume when the performer is taking off the costume.

All Street Characters mascot costumes have the mascot gloves attached to the Mascot costume. This results in a more believable illusion and no lost or misplaced gloves.

If so, this is not good. It prompts many safety concerns for the performer and the organization owning the mascot costume. Firstly, having the head held to the shoulders by straps makes access and egress very difficult. If a mascot is in a dangerous predicament he needs to be able to get out quickly. Secondly, vision is impaired for the performer because the mascot head moves to the shoulder movements- not necessarily to the movements of the head of the performer.

All Street Characters costumes have an independent head and body. This allows for quick access and egress in emergency situations and also ease-of-use, as the performer can put the outfit on by him or herself. Plus better vision as the head moves to the head movements of the performer, not the shoulder movements of the performer.

This is not good. Built-in muscles or a body liner are imperative inside a Mascot Costume for a number of reasons.

1. They make the Mascot more huggable. Never underestimate the number of times that your Mascot will be hugged by children and adults. You want your Mascot to feel like a huge Stuffed Animal, not a cloth & hoop or paper maché creation.

2. They provide bulk to the costume. Most Mascot characters are over-sized. so it is important that the exterior of the costume does not sag where there is no back-up padding. This is an important part of the illusion.

3. They hide the gender of the performer. You may have a female performer inside a costume of a Male Character. Or vice versa. It is important to keep gender neutrality for the performer.

As above, this is nowhere near as good. Your mascot costume will not be as huggable, as believable to your audience, or as comfortable to wear.

All Street Characters costumes use built-in muscles or body liners.

Then prepare yourself to have a Mascot image that many people will feel they have seen before. Plus prepare for the potential embarrassment of seeing a duplicate Mascot showing up at a game representing an opposing team or at a trade show representing a rival competitor.

All Street Characters costumes are custom designed and custom built. We never make two of the same costume unless it is for the same client. We strongly believe that your team or corporation deserves to have a fresh & exciting look to it. You are unique, and so should be your Mascot Costume. Avoid the embarrassment of running into a duplicate "off-the-shelf" mascot at any time. Plus avoid the potential legal hassle that may come if there is a trademark infringement with someone else's mascot costume.

Then this is a potential safety risk if your Mascot every performs around ponds, water fountains, swimming pools, oceans, or other waterways. If a Mascot is pushed or accidentally stumbles into water then a non-floating costume will quickly absorb water and sink like a heavy weight. Once, a performer dressed up in a Tasmanian Devil mascot costume nearly drowned because his costume did not float when he accidentally fell into deep water.

Thanks to the construction of our costumes, the heads of our Mascots actually float. In fact they are so buoyant, that NHL Mascot "Harvey the Hound" had to put weight belts on when he was performing a stunt underwater. As a Street Characters customer- this is nice to know you have a good safety feature built into your costume.

Note: We at Street Characters strongly discourage use of our Mascots in or around water and warn users that they are not approved as life preservers.

Then this probably indicates that the person you are talking to has never been a professional mascot himself or herself. Clearly they don't know the importance of responsiveness.

All Street Characters costumes have been designed to give the utmost responsiveness to the performer. We are professional mascots ourselves, and we understand the importance this factor means to you. When a performer nods his or her head, the Mascot head should make the same motion immediately. When a performer turns around, his or her vision should not be impeded by a slipping head caused by poor helmet contact, a loose head, or a loose chin strap. Our exclusive "12 step Ergonomics System" ensures you the best & most comfortable fit while giving you an ultra-responsive Mascot costume.

Compare all of the great Features & Benefits of the high-performance mascots made by Street Characters to all of our competitors. We are confident that you will see where our extensive experience and expertise will give you the best mascot value for your dollar.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We would love to serve you.