Basic Balloon Knowledge

Entertainer balloons, those non-round balloons used by clowns and others to make crazy hats, animals and other sculptures are a world unto themselves. Here are a few things you should know.

Many companies produce a “pencil balloon” of some sort, but there are two mail companies that stand out from the rest when it comes to the number of colors and sizes available, as well as the quality of the product. The first brand you may already have heard of, Qualatex. Pioneer Balloon Company, makers of Qualatex were one of the first companies to really pay attention to entertainers when the balloon twisting industry was just getting started, and they are the only one from that bunch still around. At many, if not most, libraries you will find an old volume called “Balloon Magic” written by Marvin Hardy, a “pioneer” in the twisting world, and produced by Qualatex. The other company, Sempertex, has also been around for a number of years but only within the last 5 to 10 years really determined to meet and exceed the needs and expectations of the balloon entertainers with their brand Betallatex.

Oftentimes you will see or hear someone referring to a balloon as a 260Q or a 160B. They are referring to the size of a balloon as well as the brand. We will start from the back of the number and work forward. The initial, as you might have guessed, tells if the balloon was made by Betallatex or Qualatex. The last two digits in the number refer to the length of the balloon when it is fully inflated. In our example both balloons would be 60 inches long. The very first number tells us how big the balloon should be in diameter. So a 260B balloon when fully inflated would be about two inches around, 60 inches long and was produced by Betallatex.

What are balloons made of and how do I take care of them?
Balloons are made from natural latex, which in turn is produced from the sap of the rubber tree. They are biodegradable at about the same rate as that of a leaf from an oak tree. This means that some ways are better than others when it comes to taking care of your balloons. Balloons don’t like extreme heat, nor do they like direct sunlight for extended periods of time. This means you really don’t want to leave your balloon bag in the car on a warm summer day or the majority of your balloons are going to start popping before you finish getting them twisted. If you are not using your balloons very quickly you can keep them in the crisper in your refrigerator and they will stay in good shape for an extended period of time. Most of the time a cool room of the house without direct light shining on them will suffice; a closet or the basement for example. When you are “on the job” it never hurts to have a cooler along to place your balloons in and if it gets overly warm add a couple of the blue ice packs first and then cover with a towel before placing your balloons on top.

What balloons should I buy?
The most common balloon size used by clowns and other entertainers is the “260.” It is small enough that most people are able to grasp is comfortably when “twisting” and yet large enough to be impressive and easily seen. People with smaller hands including children often find it more comfortable to use “160s” since they are smaller around. The end result is a somewhat smaller sculpture. With practice many twisters use a variety of sizes and shapes when working with balloons. Both Betallatex and Qualatex sell assortment bags which are a good way to begin without investing a great deal in supplies. In the beginning I would recommend you stay away from the Metallics, pearls and neon colored balloons as they are more difficult to twist. Betallatex has a nice “Fashion” assortment with a nice variety of colors, while Qualatex has just introduced a number of new assortment choices. The “Traditional” assortment has been around the longest it uses Q’s more transparent balloons, and the greens, dark blues, purples and blacks are almost impossible to tell apart without partially inflating them. I would recommend the newer “Carnival” assortment as well as the “Vibrant” assortment or the “Entertainer” assortment. Once you begin twisting more often you may want to buy bags of individual colors. This is where you can really run wild. Qualatex produces the 260 in roughly 40 different colors and Betallatex, a whopping 65 or more different colors; and both companies are adding more colors, finishes and sizes all the time to meet our needs (and wants.)

How am I supposed to carry the balloons around with me?
I’ve seen hundreds of different ways to carry balloons around from aprons to special bags to boxes and suitcases, each worked for the person using them and you will undoubtedly find a way that works for you.

How do you inflate the balloon? (Or... “How do I blow the darn thing up?”)
The easiest answer is a pump. You may have seen someone blowing up the balloons by mouth but this is not the preferred, recommend or safest method. Qualatex makes a very nice double action (meaning it blows air into the balloon both when the handle is extended and when the handle is retracted.) hand pump that retails for under $10. It is often just referred to as “the purple pump.” You may see a selection of hard plastic balloon pumps at your local party store. These are about the same quality if not worse as the balloons the store sells, and I would strongly recommend not using them unless you like frustration. Another option many people enjoy is the floor pump. This is a larger pump that stands on the floor and usually is able to fill a 260 in just one or two strokes. For those that are not able to operate either type of pump there is another alternative and that is the electric pump. It usually is a battery powered pump fitted into a pack that a person is able to fasten around their waist. They generally are a bit noisy but depending on how many balloons you are expecting to use can be a great help at an event.

Basic twisting knowledge.
The end of the balloon that has the rolled lip and the opening is generally called the “nozzle” the other end of the balloon is called the tail. When you inflate a 260 you need to think ahead about the number of twists you will be making with that balloon. The more twists you will be making the LESS air you need in the balloon. The reason for this is that twisting the balloon takes up some of the space where the air was before and you need to leave enough of the balloon uninflated so that the air has someplace to go. If you over fill the balloon, as you twist you will feel it getting tighter and tighter until you can tell it is ready to burst.

This should get you started. There is a lot more to learn and what better way than to play with the balloons themselves. Balloons Jams are a great way to meet other twisters and have a good time learning.

Happy Twisting,

Dan