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How long do helium balloons last?

This is one of the most common questions we get and there is no simple answer. There are many different types of balloons and each of them is very different.

Our most popular balloons here at Party World are latex balloons and foil balloons.

Latex balloons are made from natural biodegradable rubber and that makes them very popular. However, they have pores on their surface and that makes them float for a shorter time as the helium will leak from them faster. We usually fill 11 inch (30cm) latex balloons and those will float for about 10 to 12 hours when kept in the right conditions.

•  Balloons like to be at a stable room temperature (20-25°C ) as they don’t like extreme heat or cold. Helium will expand when it gets hot so if you leave your balloons in i.e. a really hot car, it could make your balloons burst. And when you leave your balloons in a very cold room, helium will “shrink” your balloons much faster.
• Darker balloons will attract heat faster too, so be careful with leaving your elegant-looking black balloon in the sun on a hot day.
  Another thing that affects the length of floating time is any additional decoration e.g confetti inside, or attached tassels, that will make your balloons float for a much shorter time.

There is however a magical thing called Hi Float – this sticky, clear, glue-like substance can be put inside a latex balloon and makes it last for days (3-5)!
It fills the pores of a balloon and that stops the helium from leaking so fast.
What is important about Hi-Float-filled balloons is to let them dry once they are filled and not keep them in any plastic bags. The faster they can dry, the better.

Then there are foil balloons.
Those are the shiny balloons with cool prints and in a variety of shapes like animals and numbers.
The floating time depends again on the temperature they are kept in and how they are handled – careful with children pulling strings too hard and damaging the valve.
In good conditions, our most popular 18inch (45cm) foil balloons will float for at least 3-5 days. Bigger foil balloons will last longer, sometimes even weeks!

Also, 17inch (43cm) balloons are the smallest balloons we can fill that will float.
If we were to fill any smaller balloon, it will not float as there is not enough space inside the balloon to lift the weight of the foil
(i.e. small 14 inches (35cm) shaped letters & numbers – those are just for air filling)

A bit less common balloons that we have are plastic bubble balloons.
They look amazing as usually part is printed and part clear which makes them look a bit different, like a floating bubble 🙂
These balloons can again last for at least 3 days but usually for a few weeks, depending on how they are being handled.

If helium is not an option for you, you can always fill any balloon with air.
That way your foil balloons won’t deflate at all and you can reuse them for years – just until you pop them 🙂

If you are filling latex balloons with air, they will stay looking pretty for a few days too, however, be careful when you are tying them to not damage the neck of your balloon. You can always hang your balloons, attach them to sticks, create garlands and arches and much more – check out our Pinterest page for inspiration!

And one more tip from us! → If you bought a bag of latex balloons, make sure to store them in a cool, dark & dry place, preferably in an air-tight container. That way they will not start disintegrating that quickly and they won’t pop when you fill them!

If you have any more questions about your balloons, let us know!

Visit our Pinterest page for more ideas! Keep in touch through our Facebook page & Instagram!