How Long Do Balloons Stay Inflated?
by Ann Mifsud
You can prepare most of your party decoration items from as much before as your schedule permits, especially if the celebration is going to be held indoors.
There is one exception, however. Balloons.
You can’t really set up all kinds of balloons without first considering how long do balloons stay inflated, nicely and in pristine condition.
Standard 11” (28cm) air-filled latex balloons will stay inflated for 6 to 8 weeks if kept inside but will only stay up for 1 to 2 days when you keep them outside in hot weather. The same 11 inch rubber balloons filled with helium will stay afloat for 12 to 20 hours when kept inside and will go down after 4 to 6 hours outdoors in high temperatures.
Foil (mylar) balloons stay inflated and afloat for much longer.
A standard 18” (45cm) helium-filled foil balloon will stay afloat for 5 to 7 days in indoor conditions, but up to 24 hours if put up outside in warm weather. Air-filled mylar (foil) balloons will stay inflated for weeks both if kept inside or outside, given that the air inlet is well sealed off.
There are obviously other kinds and sizes of balloons which you might also consider to use as part of your party decor.
The type of balloons, their size, the gas used to fill them up, the treatments which may be applied to them and the conditions they will be exposed to, will make a huge difference in how long they stay inflated.
And yes we know…this might sound a bit complicated!
But don’t worry!
Here’s a simple, yet comprehensive guide to how long will each different balloon stay inflated and/or afloat. We have tried and tested specific balloons, in different conditions.
The results that we are sharing below will help you, in the choice of balloons, according to how much in advance you plan to inflate them, to what conditions you will be exposing them and to how much you are ready to spend on balloon decor.
(In the meantime, if you want to know in detail how do you keep balloons from deflating and popping you can get informed better here.)
Download a free cheat sheet to help you decide which balloons to go for, depending on when and where you’ll be setting up your balloon decorations.
Here’s what to find in this guide…
-
- How long do small 5” (12cm) latex balloons stay inflated?
- How long do standard 11” (28cm) rubber balloons last before deflating?
- How long do big 24” (60cm) latex balloons stay inflated?
- How long does it take for other rubber balloons to start deflating?
- How long do standard 18” (45cm) foil balloons stay inflated?
- How long do small 4” (10cm) and 9” (22cm) foil stay inflated?
- How long do jumbo foil balloons and air-walkers stay blown up?
- How early can I blow up balloons? (Free download)
- How long do small 5” (12cm) latex balloons stay inflated?
Affiliate disclosure: As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases.
So let’s go one by one…
1. How long do small 5” (12cm) latex balloons stay inflated?
Though not the most widely used, the 5” latex balloon comes useful especially when included in balloon arrangements such as balloon columns, garlands and arches.
How To Impress With A Balloon Arch At Your Next Kid’s Party
Balloon arches will turn your usual party decor at home into an impressive experience for all your guests. At first glance they seem very complex to make, but in actual fact they are quite easy to create.
The main drawback however in using this kind of balloon is the size itself. The smaller the balloon the less it will stay inflated, particularly if utilized outdoors.
The time air-filled 5” latex balloons stay inflated
Air-filled 5 inch rubber balloons can stay inflated for a week or two when placed indoors. Outside they will stay up for two to three days in moderate temperatures, but only 1 day in hotter conditions. Never place latex balloons in direct sunlight. They will burst almost immediately.
It is also not worth the cost to apply any treatment, like Hi-Float, to 5 inch rubber balloons to prolong their longevity.
Moreover, when we utilized balloons this size in hot conditions (though in the shade) and we applied Hi-Float to them, they just burst after a few hours. The 5″ balloons that were not treated were still good after 1 day since we inflated them.
Hi-float is excellent with bigger helium-filled balloons, as you will see below.
Helium-filled 5” latex balloons floating time
5″ rubber balloons are not designed to be inflated with helium as they will only hold a small amount of this floating gas. They can barely lift the weight of the material that they is made of. Coupled with this, when Hi-Float was applied to 5″ latex balloons, they became too heavy for the amount of helium inside to be raised. They never floated!
If you do wish to add helium, however, note that they will float for approximately 2 to 3 hours, which makes them barely useful for party decoration purposes.
We recommend to use 5″ rubber balloons according to what they ultimately were designed for. They look really good with elaborate balloon decorations together with other different balloons.
Table 1: 5″ latex balloons
Table 1 (!) shows how long do small 5″ (12cm) rubber balloons stay inflated.
(!) As much as we tried to be meticulous with our balloon experiments, please keep in mind that apart from temperature, there are several other factors like balloon quality, humidity and altitude that contribute to how much balloons stay afloat. Our best recommendation is to put up the balloons as close to the start of the party as possible.
* In our opinion it is not worth the cost to treat balloons with Hi-Float, since latex balloons can stay up for a number of days when they are set up indoors or outside in moderate temperatures.
** Though they will float for some hours, helium-filled 5″ balloons are not practical to use for a party.
*** Hi-Float will make the balloon heavier than the helium inside can lift.
^ When air-filled latex balloons are treated with Hi-Float they have the tendency to burst when exposed to hotter conditions (86°F/30°C in the shade). Contrastingly, air-filled balloons that were not treated, lasted for 24 hours when left in the same environment.
Good To Know: A rubber balloon measurement is equivalent to the approximate diameter of the balloon when it is blown up. The size of foil balloons is calculated by measuring the uninflated width or height of the balloon, whichever is the longer.
2. How long do standard 11” (28cm) rubber balloons last before deflating?
The 11” latex balloon is by far the most popular balloon for party decor.
The time air-filled 11” latex balloons stay inflated
Air-filled 11 inch balloons can stay inflated for 6 to 8 weeks if they’re utilized indoors – amazing! They will lose some of their shine as days go by. This should not be an issue since no one really needs to put up party decorations from many weeks before, or so we think!
Having said that, you can restore balloon luster by applying HiShine on their outside.
It is another story, however, when then these 11″ latex balloons are placed outside.
Air-filled 11” latex balloons will visibly start deflating in 3 to 4 days in moderate temperatures and after 24 hours in hotter conditions when set up outdoors. They can deflate or even pop within an hour if placed in direct sunlight.
Helium-filled 11” latex balloons floating time
Helium-filled 11 inch rubber balloons will only stay afloat indoors for 12 to 24 hours if untreated. They will rise up between 8 to 12 hours when positioned outside in moderate temperatures and between 4 to 6 hours if the weather is hot. Don’t even bother to place a helium-filled latex balloon in the sun!
Pro Tip: If then, a balloon treatment such as Hi-Float is applied to the 11” latex balloons before they are inflated with helium, they will stay afloat some 2 to 4 times longer.
Get to know how Hi-Float works, here.
The same data here applies to the likewise popular 12” (30cm) latex balloons since they are very similar in size.
Here’s a summary of our 11” balloon find out.
Table 2: 11″ latex balloons
Table 2 shows how long do standard 11″ (28cm) latex balloons stay inflated.
Learn which are the top 5 places where to get balloons filled with helium, here.
3. How long do big 24” (60cm) latex balloons stay inflated?
The main advantage of 24 inch latex balloons over the 5” and 11” ones as regards to how long they stay inflated and/or afloat is their sheer size. The bigger the balloon the longer it will stay inflated. This applies to all other sizes of balloons, which are not mentioned here.
Visit How To Keep Balloons From Deflating And Popping to start getting the most out of your balloons.
How To Keep Balloons From Deflating And Popping
Though common balloons are relatively inexpensive, sizeable balloon arrangements can cost a small fortune. Getting the most out of the money you spend on balloons is a relevant matter you should look into.
The time air-filled 24” latex balloons stay inflated
Air-filled 24 inch rubber balloons can stay inflated for many weeks (much more than the 11” ones, since they are bigger) if kept inside, out of the elements, especially heat.
Outdoor conditions will also have their toll on these 24” latex balloons. You can expect them to stay inflated outside for 5 to 6 days in temperate conditions and for a maximum of 4 on hot days.
Helium-filled 24” latex balloons floating time
It is estimated that 24 inch rubber balloons will stay inflated and afloat between 2 and 4 days when kept in a climate controlled indoor location.
Pro Tip: In moderate conditions these 24″ rubber balloons will stay afloat for 24 to 48 hours outside when filled with helium. Make sure that the knot is tied well after the ballon is inflated. In hot weather helium-filled latex 24” balloons will start loosing floating capability after 12 to 18 hours.
If treated with Hi-Float, these helium-filled balloons will stay up for 28 days indoors. The Hi-Float website says that they can stay afloat between 4 to 10 weeks, but we wouldn’t recommend taking that risk if you want to make sure that you won’t be disappointed at your party.
Here’s in a nutshell what we found about how long do 24 inch rubber balloons last…
Table 3: 24″ latex balloons
Table 3 shows how long do big 24″ (60cm) latex balloons stay inflated.
When it comes to helium-filled balloons, float times fluactuate a lot especially outdoors. Latex quality, temperature, humidity and altitude – all these factors contribute to how much balloons stay afloat.
4. How long does it take for other rubber balloons to start deflating?
You may have rightly guessed that there are other balloon sizes that you might be considering for your party decor that we haven’t included in our list above. There are for example, the 9” (22cm), the 16” (40cm), the 30” (75cm) and the 3’ (90cm), that are widely used as well for party decoration.
You can get a clear idea, however, of how long do balloons stay inflated by keeping the rule of thumb that the bigger the balloons are, the more they will stay inflated if they are air-filled and the more they will keep floating if they are filled with helium.
At the same time you can compare the data we are sharing above to make an educated guess of how long you should expect these other latex balloons to stay up both indoors and outdoors.
So for example, you can safely assume that a 16 inch air-filled rubber balloon will keep from deflating for many weeks if kept inside but it will start to deflate when exposed to outside elements after 3 to 4 days.
If then you need to calculate how long do helium-filled 16” rubber balloons last, you can take an in-between of the figures listed above for the 11” and the 24” latex balloons.
For example, let say that the 11” balloons can stay afloat indoors for up to 24 hours if untreated and that the 24” ones can stay up between 24 and 48 hours in the same conditions. Then you can safely suppose that a 16” helium-filled latex ballon can stay afloat for a maximum of 18 hours if kept inside.
Latex (rubber) balloons of lighter colors will stay inflated longer than darker ones. Balloons with pearl and metallic finishes are expected to start deflating before normal ones.
5. How long do standard 18” (45cm) foil balloons stay inflated?
Foil (mylar) balloons are your safest bet when it comes to longevity. The same principles of size and gas used to fill latex balloons can be applied to them. The bigger they are the longer they will stay inflated and afloat, and air-filled ones stand a better chance to stay blown up than their helium-filled counterparts.
Foil balloons stay inflated longer because they do not oxidize (decompose) like the latex ones.
We still have an air-filled mylar balloon fully blown up, that our son was given on his birth. Now he is thirteen!
Foil balloons also come in many sizes, shapes and themes.
We have studied for how long does an 18” foil balloon stay inflated and afloat both inside and outside, when filled with normal air and helium. Here’s what we found…
Table 4: 18″ foil balloons
Table 4 shows how long do standard 18″ (45cm) foil balloons stay inflated.
* Balloon treatment does not work on foil balloons. According to hi.float.com, “foil balloons are not buoyant enough and will not float when treated.”
The time air-filled 18” foil balloons stay inflated
As was indicated just above, 18 inch air-inflated foil balloons stay inflated for many months and even years, given that the air hole is sealed well. They stay inflated for weeks when used outside in both mild and hot weather conditions.
Pro Tip: The 18” air-filled foil balloon we tested stayed inflated for days even when left to continuous direct sun exposure.
This is good news if you don’t have any other choice other than to do your event in outdoor hot conditions, even during the day. You will never have the same result if you choose latex balloons in such conditions, not even close.
Having said that, make sure that you don’t blow up foil balloons until you can’t fill them anymore, if you’ll be exposing them to direct sunlight. The air inside foil balloons will expand, potentially bursting them.
Just fill them until they’re not saggy and nice to look at. The air inside will expand after a short exposure to sunlight and will make them even more full and attractive.
Helium-filled 18” foil balloons floating time
Helium-filled mylar balloons also do better than latex ones, though you can’t expect them to stay in ship shape for as long as when they are inflated with normal air.
Helium-filled 18 inch foil balloons will float between 5 to 7 days inside and between 3 to 4 days outside in moderate conditions.
On the other hand, a helium-filled 18” inch foil balloon will stay afloat outside in hot conditions for not more than 24 hours.
6. How long do small 4” (10cm) and 9” (22cm) foil stay inflated?
Small mylar (foil) balloons like the 4 and 9 inch ones are designed for air inflation. Because of their smallish dimensions, even when they are filled with helium to their full capacity, the amount of gas inside them will not be enough to make them float.
So, if you’re thinking of using small 4 and 9 inch foil balloons, just inflate them with normal air for a satisfactory result. Though they won’t float in mid air, they would still look stunning together with other party decoration items. You can always use a balloon cup and stick to hold these balloons up.
Check our party decoration section and discover ideas how to decorate your venue for party themes such as pirate, camouflage and neon.
7. How long do jumbo foil balloons and air-walkers stay blown up?
Jumbo foil balloons and air-walkers will make your over-all party decor look spectacular. Especially if you’re looking for a particular party theme, then these mylar balloons should be your natural choice, since there are a lot to choose from.
If you’re not familiar with the kinds of balloons that are available, go to our article here.
The time air-filled jumbo foil balloons and air-walkers stay inflated
40 inch (100cm) air-filled jumbo foil balloons will stay inflated for about a month before they start to flatten. Air-filled air-walkers will stay up for weeks. We haven’t yet tried these big foil balloons outside, but we can safely assume that they will stay inflated at least for some days when inflated with normal air and sealed off properly.
Watch this video to master how to secure well the air-hole of a foil balloon.
Helium-filled jumbo foil balloons and air-walkers floating time
40” helium-filled jumbo foil balloons will float for 10 days, while helium-filled air walkers will stay in midair for 7 days. Again, we still need to test what happens to these balloons when placed outside especially in hot conditions.
8. How early can I blow up balloons? (Free download)
We have designed a cheat sheet to help you plan how far in advance you can set up your balloon decorations. Using this cheat sheet you can instantly decide which balloons you can go for according to:
- How much ahead of time you need to set-up your balloons and;
- To which conditions you will be exposing your balloons.
Download your free balloon choice cheat sheet below.
How early can I blow up balloons?
Recapping… how long do balloons stay inflated?
In this complete, yet straightforward guide to how long do balloons stay inflated you can find very specific data on how much do particular balloons last when they are exposed to different conditions.
We have tried and tested ourselves how do 5”, 11” and 24” latex (rubber) balloons behave when getting them ready indoors and when exposed to external conditions.
You can also find extensive data on how long do 18” foil (mylar) balloons stay inflated and afloat. We have tried out these balloons both when helium-filled and when blown with normal air.
We have also given our recommendations on other sizes of balloons and to what happens when balloons are kept in the cold.
Get your hands on a free to download cheat sheet, to have a clear idea on how early and which balloons you can get ready for your party.
Wish you some great partying!
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Hi I'm Ann
Mom to three kids, I am the proud co-founder of Easy Kids' Parties. After a career in journalism and education, I diverted my skills to creating this website, with the aim of helping all those parents out there who wish to organize amazing and memorable parties for their kids but feel overwhelmed at the idea. Discover more...
How early can I blow up balloons?
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