Beware in Winter! Important Tips for Buying Balloons from Balloon Vendors

2020.12.17 published

They quickly become sad and wrinkled.

Recently, I bought some balloons at a balloon shop!

For a birthday party, I chose helium-filled balloons that float.

They were nice and plump when the shop filled them with gas, but.....

Once I went outside, they started to deflate and looked a bit lifeless....

The properties of helium gas.

Helium gas has the property of expanding when the temperature is high and contracting when the temperature is low, just like air.

So, in winter.

When inside a warm room, the balloons look great, but when you go out into the cold, they start to deflate.

Also, in summer, since it’s hot outside, shops tend to fill the balloons with slightly less helium gas, calculating for the temperature difference.

It's understandable that when helium expands, the balloons may burst, so it's a necessary practice.

But....!!!

Honestly, it’s shocking.....

I was in shock when the balloon that had been filled with gas at the shop started to deflate the moment I went outside!

After moving back indoors, the air expanded, and it looked vibrant again, which was good, but at the same time, I thought, "Wait!? What if I want to use the balloons outdoors? What would I do?"

There are times in photoshoots when you want to use balloons outside, even in winter, right....???

It would be really disappointing if the balloons looked lifeless for an important shoot, wouldn’t it....??

When asking at the shop, you might need to clearly communicate the purpose!

Balloon shops typically fill helium gas in a way that ensures the balloons look good indoors.

Therefore, if you want to use balloons outdoors, you need to say, "I'm using them outdoors, so please fill them to be plump even in the cold," or else the air may deflate and they won’t look vibrant.

This might seem like a small detail, but don’t you think it's super important!?

When requesting balloons for places like wedding venues or studios, I'm sure they consider these factors (like if they'll be moved...) and fill them with the best amount of helium gas. However, at local balloon shops, unless asked, they usually fill them for indoor parties.

So, when using balloons outdoors, it’s reassuring to say, "Since I want to use them outside, please adjust the amount of helium gas accordingly!"

I think I will do that from now on.