5 Things To Look For In A Good Muscle Suit
As a leader in quality cosplay bodysuits, Snakepit Studios is often asked about muscle suits to put under our stretchable cosplay costumes. And we've received enough of these questions over the years that I have decided to write up my thoughts and experiences with them. In short, they are great, but there are a few things you should know.
First off, good muscle suits are not cheap. But with proper care, they can be used for years and under a number of different costumes. On average, a good muscle suit can add roughly 40 pounds of muscle to your figure. Obviously this is much easier then working out for months to actually add 40 pounds of muscle.
Over the years, Snakepit Studios has purchased a number of different muscle suits from a variety of different vendors. After having tried out so many, we do have a favorite, but as I mentioned the better ones tend to be more expensive. We personally recommend the muscle suits by Blue Whale Studios. We have found over the years they have a number of advantages over others we have used.
1. Professional build quality by a professional FX company: If you see a costumed character at Universal Studios that looks jacked, he is most likely wearing a Blue Whale Muscle suit. There is no tougher test of a muscle suit then the demands of a theme park.
2. Breathable: Muscle suits don’t breathe well, and can get very warm. Of all the one we have used, the Blue Whale suits breathe the best. After 2-3 hours in costume, this becomes a big deal. And luckily, Snakepit's bodysuits are also lightweight and breathable, allowing you to enjoy a day at a Comic Con without sweating your butt off.
3. Suit flex: These suits use a heavy four-way stretch fabric. We find this material flexes great, and doesn’t hinder your motion as much as some of the other suits we've tried. We have had some muscle suits that greatly reduce arm movement, which gets really annoying after awhile. Picture the little kid in the Christmas Story morning yelling "I can't put my arms down!" However, this was not an issue with the Blue Whale muscle suit.
4. Washable: These suits can be hand washed with Woolite. Some muscle suits cannot be washed at all. And trust me, they do get smelly over time. And Febreeze can only go so far. If you are going to invest in a muscle suit, make sure you can clean it.
5. Two piece construction: The suits are a top leotard and pants. This allows some flexibility and options on how to wear it over a solid one-piece cosplay costume or bodysuit. Also, all Snakepit Studios' suits come standard with a zipper fly. If properly maneuvered, one can answer nature’s call without taking the costume off. This alone is a reason to never buy a solid one-piece rear zip muscle suit.
We may be bias, but a proper muscle suit, along with the muscle shading on our Snakepit Studios bodysuits, really make a dramatic effect. You really will have those nearly impossible superhero dimensions.
The muscle suits from Blue Whale Studios are all custom made to order and custom sized. Check them out below to see an example and a few customer reviews. Sizing requires you height, weight, waist, and chest dimensions. If you are interested in ordering, check out the Blue Whale website. You can contact them directly, and tell them Snakepit Keith sent you.
Good luck, and happy cosplaying!
