What You Need to Know About Halloween Costume Flammability

Glowing jack-o-lanterns and candle decor are synonymous with Halloween, but with them come some serious fire risks. And when you add costumed children to the mix, the dangers compound. Flowy princess dresses and long superhero capes can easily brush by a flame and accidentally catch fire.

Here at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, we tested the flammability of eight sure-to-be-popular kids’ costumes because they contain what we have found in the past to be risks, like glitter and long, dangling fabrics. To make sure your Halloween stays fun and safe, read this before you buy your child’s costume.

How We Tested
All clothing — not just children’s costumes — must pass CFR 1610, the legal standard for clothing flammability. Following this standard, we placed swatches of fabric in a 45 degree Flammability Test Chamber to measure how quickly a flame spreads up a five-inch length. Watch how it works:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a21683/halloween-costume-flammability/