Costume Jumpsuits: Choose by How Long You Will Be Wearing It

The most eye-catching jumpsuit you can buy is usually the worst one to wear for an evening. The costumes that look biggest in photos — inflatables, full heads, anything that hides your body — are the ones you will want out of first. So before you pick a character, pick a length of time. A one-piece costume goes on in seconds, but it also comes all the way off every time you need the bathroom, and it keeps you at one temperature all night. Those two facts decide more than the print does.

We have split the range by the three situations people actually buy for: a photo or a quick entrance of about ten minutes, a party of around three hours, and a whole day (a parade, a trick-or-treat route, a convention floor, a cold night outside).

1. Ten minutes: photos, a contest walk, a big entrance

This is where the inflatables live: the koala, the panda and the purple-and-yellow clown, all sold in one universal size. The balloon body is what makes them funny, and it holds its shape only while air is being pushed in, so an inflatable is really a costume plus a small fan you have to keep running. Your face sits in a small window at the front, your arms are short and puffy, and you will not fit comfortably through a doorway, onto a sofa or into a car seat.

The full-body zebra and the blue T. rex belong here too for a different reason: they cover your head, hands and feet. The zebra zips up the front; the T. rex goes on through the legs and arms with the head as a hood. Both look complete in a picture and both leave you with no hands to hold a drink.

The trade-off: nothing beats them in a group photo or on a stage, but they are hot, they are wide, and a bathroom break means getting all the way out. Plan to change out of them, not to live in them.

Choose this if: you are walking a costume contest, doing a photo booth, or making a thirty-second entrance and have something else to change into.

2. Three hours: a house party or a night out

For an evening you want a thin, woven costume fabric and a front that opens a long way. The plain coveralls are the easiest here. The orange long-sleeve utility jumpsuit and the orange jumpsuit with accessories both button down the front, have an elastic waist and two chest pockets; the short-sleeve orange prison jumpsuit is the same idea with short sleeves, which helps in a crowded room. If you need more room, the plus-size prisoner jumpsuit is sold in M through XXL.

Zip-front costume one-pieces work nearly as well: the silver astronaut jumpsuit and the white racing suit both have a centre-front zip, and the olive pilot jumpsuit is a shorts version whose zip runs down to the waist. A roomy clown one-piece like the checkered clown jumpsuit sits loose too.

If the party involves dancing, the 70s cuts are made for it. The metallic blue disco jumpsuit laces up a deep V front and flares at both sleeve and ankle; the black halter disco jumpsuit is sleeveless and open-backed, which is the coolest thing in this guide to wear on a dance floor; the multicoloured sequin jumpsuit keeps long sleeves.

Printed stretch bodysuits such as the black skeleton print bodysuit and the skull and rose high-collar jumpsuit are the slimmest silhouette in the range. They are comfortable for hours because they move with you, but they are also the least forgiving at the bathroom: expect to peel the whole thing down.

The trade-off: thin fabric keeps you from overheating indoors, and that same thinness is cold the moment you step outside. Fitted and stretch cuts photograph better than loose coveralls; loose coveralls are easier to get in and out of.

Choose this if: you will be indoors, moving around, and back home the same night. Add a jacket if there is a walk at either end.

3. All day: parades, conventions, trick-or-treat, cold nights

For a long day the answer is a flannel or fleece onesie. Several of these listings describe polyester flannel made for autumn and winter: the panda and the black onesie with the long tail call it medium-weight, the crocodile calls its flannel denser than usual, and the zebra is the same polyester flannel. They are cut loose, so a sweater fits underneath, and the hood keeps your head warm without a hat.

The front closure matters more here than anywhere else, because you will open it several times a day. The crocodile and the sea lion button down the front; the green alien has a front zip and a soft fleece-like fabric. The dragon kigurumi is described as soft plush-like fabric in the same loose cut, and the shark and grey mouse kigurumi share that roomy hooded shape.

The trade-off: these are warm, which is the point outdoors and a problem at an indoor party that runs hot. They also read as “cosy” more than “costume” — they go well with a trick-or-treat group, less well at a formal masquerade.

Choose this if: you will be outside after dark, standing in queues, or wearing it from morning to night.

Sizing: why height matters more in a jumpsuit

With separates, a top that is a little short just rides up. In a one-piece, the distance from your shoulder to your crotch is fixed, so if you are tall for the size you feel it every time you sit down or lift your arms. Size up rather than down if you are between sizes, and check each listing's size chart against your height, not only your usual letter size. The inflatables are the exception: they are one universal size, and the balloon absorbs most of the difference.

Quick picks

• Best photo-only costume: the inflatable koala or inflatable panda
• Easiest to spend a party in: the orange button-front utility jumpsuit
• For a large frame: the plus-size prisoner jumpsuit
• For dancing: the black halter disco jumpsuit
• Sleekest silhouette: the skeleton print bodysuit
• Warmest for outdoors: the flannel crocodile onesie

How do you use the bathroom in a costume jumpsuit?

You take the top half off. None of the listings in this guide mentions a drop seat or a crotch opening, so the front has to open far enough for you to step out of the sleeves. Button and long-zip fronts make this quick; stretch bodysuits and full-head costumes make it slow.

Will I be too hot in a onesie at an indoor party?

Probably, if it is flannel. Flannel and plush onesies are made for cold weather. For a warm room, choose a thin woven coverall or a sleeveless disco jumpsuit instead, and save the onesie for outdoors.

Can I wear clothes underneath?

Under a loose coverall or a flannel onesie, yes — a T-shirt and leggings, or a sweater outdoors. Under a stretch bodysuit, only something thin and close-fitting, or it will show through the print.

Do inflatable costumes need batteries?

They need a small fan running to stay inflated, and the fan needs power. What powers it and how long it lasts varies, so read the listing for the specific costume before you buy.

I am tall. Which kind should I pick?

A loose cut first: a coverall or a flannel onesie, sized up. Fitted stretch bodysuits are the least forgiving if the body is short for you. One-size inflatables fit a wide range of heights because the balloon hides the difference.

Can I sit down in these?

In coveralls, disco jumpsuits, bodysuits and onesies, yes. In an inflatable, only on the edge of something, and not in a car seat while it is inflated.

Related guides

• Animal costume types — kigurumi, inflatable, bodysuit and mascot suit, and what each one is called
• Adult animal costumes — choosing by the animal rather than the build
• Character costume sets — for full outfits that come as separate pieces instead of a single garment
• Halloween group costume planner — matching jumpsuits across a group