Fursuit/Mascot costume head cooling fan

Fursuits (and other costume heads) get really hot! Unfortunately, if you don't own a full fursuit (just a partial or mini-partial), there really aren't any easy hands-free options for cooling down that don't involve modifying your suit. With this cooling system, you can keep fresh air coming into your head piece, which is the biggest challenge with suiting.

New!

Don't want to print this, or can't find all the parts? You're in luck! I sell the completed model on my Etsy shop here.

Parts List

You will need the following parts:

• 1x of each printed part (cooling fan cover, cooling fan back plate, cooling fan hose connector, Y connector, back joiner piece)
• 1x 9733 blower fan with USB-A connector (preferably one advertised as "large volume"; I can recommend this fan on AliExpress from personal experience, just make sure to use the -offset connector)
• 1x USB-A power bank (preferably one flat and light enough to hang on a belt)
• 3x 18"/45cm CPAP tubing, 19mm ID (I personally used this supplier)
• 2x M4x40mm bolts
• 2x M4 nuts
• 2x belt clips (such as The Original Belt Clip from THECLIP.COM or a printed model such as my printable belt clip; if you order the fan I recommend above it comes with a belt clip you can easily repurpose) with double-sided adhesive
• Silicone glue/contact adhesive
• A sharp craft knife or pair of scissors (such as iris scissors or an X-ACTO knife)
• A marker (preferably permanent so it'll stay on more easily)
• OPTIONAL: If you don't want to print a Y connector, a premade 20mm Y connector (such as this one from AliExpress) will work just fine

Assembly Instructions

1. Gather all your parts together and make sure you have them all. Be sure to test the fan beforehand to make sure it works; sometimes they can be faulty and unable to run at the maximum speed.
   
2. Remove any existing belt clips and/or fan grills from the 9733 fan. If there are any holes left behind in the body from screws, patch them using silicone glue or electrical tape.
   
3. Attach the fan grill and backplate using your M4 bolts and nuts.
   
4. Stick the belt clip to the backplate with the double-sided adhesive. Remember to orient the belt clip properly so the fan duct points forward.
   
5. Snap the hose connector into place in the fan duct and seal with silicone glue. (You can opt not to use glue here, but the connector will tend to fall out if jostled too much if you don't.) Set the fan aside for now and give the glue time to cure.
   
6. Attach all three hoses to the Y connector, making sure to set the curve such that the hose won't try to twist out of position.
   
7. Between the two upper hoses, attach the joiner piece with the holes facing upward. (If the air pressure is too low, print the solid version of the joiner piece.)
   
8. Starting from about 8 cm below the back hose connector and moving downward, mark out three segments of tubing about 2.5 cm apart (on a standard Sunset hose, there will be 4 unmarked segments between each mark). The marks should be on the clear portion (e.g. on the thin wall of the tube, not the plastic reinforced spiral).
   
9. Take the loop back off your neck. Using the sharp scissors, cut a small oval about 2.5 cm wide into the tubing oriented inward at each mark. If you have a fine enough cutting implement, try to make the edges as clean as possible (rough edges will cause the airflow to be louder while in use).
   
10. Attach the free hose end to the hose connector.
    
11. Sling the loop around your neck again and turn on the blower fan. You should feel airflow even when your suit head is off.
12. Stick a belt clip to the power bank, once again orienting so the USB ports will be accessible in the correct direction while in use.
    
13. With everything together, test the fan while wearing every component of your suit. If all goes well, you should have plenty of fresh air flowing into your head.
    
14. If needed, cut one more hole into the hose about 5 cm above the highest one (this will provide some extra air). Alternately, print the solid version of the back connector piece and this should increase the air pressure a little.
15. OPTIONAL: Use the zip ties to shorten the power cable and make it more manageable.
    
16. Find a convention to attend and go wild :3

Some Notes

Depending on what fans and tubes you order, there can be some variation in size. If you need to change things up, head to the original models and play with the parameters available. You can even use just a single 6-foot tube cut to size with the right edits (and some extra glue). The models offered here have been cleaned up significantly from the originals (I've gotten better at using OpenSCAD) and will print more easily. If you don't have a lot of modeling experience, I highly recommend sticking to the supplies I listed above (especially the 9733 fan).

Recommended Print Settings

• 0.4mm nozzle
• 0.2mm layer height
• 10% infill
• 2+ walls
• No supports except fan hose connector (regular zigzag supports)
• Any filament that isn't flexible
• Print as oriented

Bonus

Have a picture of Clover (built by ChasingTailsWorkshop) wearing one of the prototype cooling systems at Eufuria 2025!

Updated previous models and sized them specifically for this purpose. Also added a paw print on the fan :3c