Latex Balloons
The main types of latex balloons are "pastel", "metal", "pearl" and "crystal":
- "pastel" balloons are matte and have the widest palette of colors;
- "metal" and "pearl" are distinguished by a shiny, metallized surface;
- Balloons "crystal" are transparent and have the brightest balls of saturated colors.
Pastel balloons are considered the most durable - the fact is that metalized and crystal balloons stretch less than "pastel" balloons, and their lifespan is a third shorter. On the other hand, the appearance of balloons is seriously affected by high temperature - in hot weather, transparent balloons "crystal" gradually become cloudy, "metal" become less shiny, while "pastel" retains its original appearance the best.
Latex balloons come in a variety of sizes - manufacturers set them in inches: 5' (12 cm), 9' (22 cm), 12' (30 cm), 14' (35 cm), 16' (40 cm), 18' (45 cm) and 3' (70-80 cm).
The smaller 5" and 9" balloons are mostly used for making garlands, as well as for decorations (for example, they fill surprise boxes). These small balloons cannot be filled with helium, because helium has a very short lifespan, and the balloon will quickly go down and deflate.
The standard size 12" and 14" balloons are the most commonly used - these are balls without a pattern, balls with a pattern, and balls with confetti. The palette of colors is the widest, the balloons can be inflated with both helium and air (for decoration) and can also be used to make garlands.
Larger diameter balloons 16" and 18" have great lifting power, which allows you to use paper garlands, tassels, and stickers in their decor Examples of 16' (40 cm) balloons are Golden Glitter confetti balloons, and 18' (45 cm) balloons are large balloons with no pattern.
3' (70-80 cm) meter balloons are the largest (example). Despite the name, the meter balloons are usually inflated to 70-80 centimeters, because otherwise they may not fit in the doorway, and will be more susceptible to various external influences and mechanical damage (the more inflated the balloon, the thinner its wall). Such balloons can be both opaque and transparent with different kinds of confetti, they can be decorated with inscriptions, and garlands, and also on their basis are made large figures from balloons with helium, for example, a dog, a cat, a unicorn, a giraffe.
Agate Balloolns
Agate balloons - https://balloons.online/colors/agate-and-marble-balloons/ are balloons with an amazing pattern that resembles the patterns of semi-precious stones. They are handmade from transparent colorless 12" latex balloons using a special technique with acrylic paint. The pattern is never repeated and is always unique. Do not worry, even if such a balloon will burst, the paint will not stain everything around, because we give balloons to dry completely before delivery, so only our workshops are in danger while balloons are drying =) That's why these balloons need to be ordered at least a day in advance of delivery/self-delivery.
They are perfect for photoshoots, memorable gifts or decorating fancy parties. However, because of the technology of manufacture, the flight time of Agate balloons is only 1-3 days on average. And if it is important to you that the balloons fly for a long time, you should probably pay attention to other options.
Confetti Balloons
Confetti balloons are a type of transparent latex balloons ("crystal") that have confetti added by hand. The confetti can be either paper or metallic, in different sizes and shapes, in the same color, or several colors. Confetti of different colors, shapes, and sizes can be mixed in one balloon. Such balloons are spectacular and are perfect for photo sessions, memorable gifts, or decorating parties, they are guaranteed to bring a lot of positive emotions!
Balloons with confetti tend to fly a little smaller than regular balloons because the confetti adds extra weight to the balloon and reduces its lifting power. In addition, as with all transparent crystal balls, the process of latex oxidation is most obvious in the confetti balls: over time, the balls become less transparent, cloudy, and lose their luster (you can read more about why this happens here). Under normal conditions (at normal indoor temperature), this process is slow, but in the summer, under the influence of high temperatures and exposure to sunlight, it accelerates significantly, so in hot summer days, and if the balls are supposed to be used outdoors, you should be prepared for the fact that they may quickly lose their transparency, and you may want to opt for opaque balloons if you do not want to take the risk.
There are two ways of making such balloons: with HiFloat treatment (so the confetti are evenly distributed on the walls of the balloon, and the balloon itself flies longer than without treatment) and without HiFloat treatment (then the confetti are located at the base of the balloon and can move freely inside the balloon, but the flight of such balloons lasts only 12 hours).
Foil Balloons
Foil balloons generally last longer than latex balloons and do not require HiFloat treatment because their material does not allow helium molecules to quickly leave the balloon. Foil balloons gradually deflate without losing their attractive appearance, and if used carefully, they can be re-inflated with air (yourself with a tube) or helium! Also, foil balloons are great for putting personalized inscriptions with stickers, because on their smooth surface the sticker goes on evenly and stays on it longer.
Foiled balloons without a pattern can be in the shape of a star, heart, circle, crescent, 3D sphere, crystal, palm branch, cube, etc. They look great in sets combined with latex balloons and confetti balloons!
There are also many shaped foil balloons with all sorts of drawings, as well as "walking balloons" that are filled with helium, but do not rise high into the air thanks to small invisible weights - they start "walking" and living their lives from the slightest air movement.
