Balloons
Latex, foil, garland kits, arches
What the balloon range covers
The balloon range covers eight groups: latex balloons; foil balloons: numbers, letters and shapes; balloon garland kits; balloon arches and frames; balloon pumps and inflators; glue dots and ribbons; helium balloons; and printed and custom balloons. Balloons are the highest-frequency item in the party category. They sell in every month rather than against one shelf date, which is why this range is built on stock that can be reordered in weeks instead of a single dated programme. The buying logic differs from decorations as well. On a wreath or a garland the decision is material and size; on a balloon the decision is gram weight, and the same nominal 12 inch balloon can be bought at 2.2 g, 2.8 g or 3.2 g with three different results on the shelf, in the air and on the helium invoice. The range is built for importers, party and novelty wholesalers, discount and variety retail, event and wedding suppliers and online sellers, and it works on FOB, CIF or DDP terms. Most first enquiries ask about colour. The useful conversation starts with weight, inflation method and carton count.
The eight groups in the balloon range
Latex balloons
Natural rubber latex balloons at 5 inch, 9 inch, 12 inch, 18 inch and 36 inch, plus 260 modelling balloons, with matte, pearl, metallic, macaron and clear sequin finishes and mixed colour sets.
- Mini latex balloon, 5 inch, assorted colours, 100 pcs/bag
- Standard matte latex balloon, 9 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Thickened latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Pearlised latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Metallic latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Macaron latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Fluorescent latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Clear latex balloon with sequins, 12 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Printed pattern latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Large latex balloon, 18 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Heart shaped latex balloon, 12 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Modelling latex balloon, 260 type, 100 pcs/bag
- Vintage morandi latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Mixed colour latex balloon set, 5, 9 and 12 inch, 100 pieces/set
- Themed party latex balloon set, 50 pieces/set, 20 sets/bag
Foil balloons: numbers, letters and shapes
Aluminium foil balloons from 5 inch to 40 inch: 16 inch letters, 32 inch and 40 inch numbers, round, heart and star shapes, plus bottle, glass and character shaped pieces with self-sealing valves.
- Foil letter balloon, 16 inch, A to Z, 50 pcs/bag
- Foil number balloon, 32 inch, 0 to 9, 20 pcs/bag
- Large foil number balloon, 40 inch, 10 pcs/bag
- Round foil balloon, 10 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Heart shaped foil balloon, 18 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Star shaped foil balloon, 18 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Shaped foil balloon, champagne bottle and wine glass style, 15 to 30 cm, 50 pcs/bag
- Character shaped foil balloon, 15 to 30 cm, 50 pcs/bag
- Happy Birthday foil letter set, 16 inch, 1 set/bag
- Foil number set, 16 inch, 0 to 9, 10 pcs/set
- Mini foil balloon, 5 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Round foil balloon, 18 inch, self-sealing valve, 50 pcs/bag
- Foil balloon with hanging eyelet, 18 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Themed foil balloon set, mixed, 12 pieces/set, 20 sets/bag
- Custom print foil balloon, 16 inch, 50 pcs/bag
Balloon garland kits
Garland kits in 1 m, 3 m, 5 m and 10 m lengths with 50, 100 or 200 balloons, in macaron, metallic, vintage and double-layer palettes, supplied with glue dots, hooks and ribbon or as DIY packs.
- Balloon garland kit, 3 m with 50 pcs 12 inch balloons, 1 kit/bag
- Balloon garland kit, 5 m with 100 pcs mixed size balloons, 1 kit/bag
- Thickened balloon garland kit, 10 m, 1 kit/bag
- Macaron balloon garland kit, 5 m, 1 kit/bag
- Metallic balloon garland kit, 5 m, 1 kit/bag
- Vintage balloon garland kit, 3 m, 1 kit/bag
- Themed party balloon garland kit with accessories, 5 m, 1 kit/bag
- Double layer balloon garland kit, 5 m, 1 kit/bag
- Sequin balloon garland kit, 3 m, 1 kit/bag
- Desktop mini balloon garland kit, 1 m with 20 pcs 5 inch balloons, 1 kit/bag
- Arch balloon garland kit, 5 m, 1 kit/bag
- Balloon garland tool kit with glue dots, hooks and ribbon, 1 kit/box
- Matte plain balloon garland kit, 3 m, 1 kit/bag
- Mixed balloon garland mega kit, 10 m with 200 balloons, 1 kit/bag
- Balloon garland DIY material pack, 5 m, 1 pack/bag
Balloon arches and frames
Foldable arch frames from 6 ft to 15 ft, round, heart and square formats, water-fill bases, 30 cm desktop arches, 1.2 m and 1.5 m column stands and complete arch-and-balloon sets.
- Foldable balloon arch frame, 8 ft, 1 set/box
- Round balloon arch kit with frame and 100 balloons, 10 ft, 1 set/box
- Heart shaped balloon arch frame, 10 ft, 1 set/box
- Square balloon arch frame, 8 ft, 1 set/box
- Water fill base balloon arch frame, 12 ft, 1 set/box
- Portable folding arch kit with storage bag, 10 ft, 1 set/bag
- Small indoor balloon arch frame, 6 ft, 1 set/box
- Large outdoor balloon arch frame, 15 ft, 1 set/box
- Balloon arch accessory pack, clips, fixing rope and bases, 1 pack/bag
- Double layer balloon arch kit, 12 ft, 1 set/box
- Themed balloon arch kit with frame and balloons, 10 ft, 1 set/box
- Detachable PVC balloon arch frame, 8 ft, 1 set/box
- Desktop mini balloon arch, 30 cm, 12 sets/box
- Balloon column stand, 1.2 m and 1.5 m, 12 sets/box
- Arch and column combo kit, 12 ft, 1 set/box
Balloon pumps and inflators
Hand, push and foot pumps from 15 cm to 25 cm and 300 cc to 500 cc, plus electric dual and high-output pumps from 150 W to 1000 W and helium regulators, with nozzle and spares kits.
- Two-way hand balloon pump, 20 cm, 100 pcs/box
- Push type large balloon pump, 25 cm, 60 pcs/box
- Foot pump for balloons, 300 cc, 40 pcs/box
- Electric dual nozzle balloon pump, 300 W, 24 pcs/box
- Commercial electric fast inflator, 600 W, 12 pcs/box
- Mini hand pump for modelling balloons, 15 cm, 100 pcs/box
- Hand pump with pressure gauge, 25 cm, 60 pcs/box
- Helium pressure reducing valve pump, 24 pcs/box
- Modelling balloon pump for 260 type balloons, 100 pcs/box
- Portable USB electric balloon pump, 60 pcs/box
- Household small inflator, 150 W, 24 pcs/box
- Commercial high power inflator, 1000 W, 6 pcs/box
- Pump nozzle accessory set, 5 pieces/set, 200 sets/bag
- Hand and electric pump combo set, 2 pieces/set, 20 sets/box
- Balloon pump multipack, 10 pieces/pack, 20 packs/box
Glue dots and ribbons
Removable glue dots at 10 mm in 100, 200 and 500 dot rolls, balloon ribbon in 5 mm, 2 cm and 2.5 cm widths, tying line, rainbow and lace ribbon, mixed colour packs and applicator tools.
- Seamless balloon glue dots, 10 mm, 100 dots/roll, 50 rolls/bag
- Double sided clear glue dots, 10 mm, 200 dots/roll, 50 rolls/bag
- Removable wall glue dots, 100 dots/pack, 100 packs/bag
- Balloon ribbon, 5 mm x 10 m/roll, 100 rolls/bag
- Gold satin ribbon, 2.5 cm x 25 yd/roll, 40 rolls/bag
- Silver satin ribbon, 2.5 cm x 25 yd/roll, 40 rolls/bag
- Mixed colour balloon ribbon set, 10 colours/set, 20 sets/bag
- Balloon tying line, 0.2 mm x 100 m/roll, 50 rolls/bag
- Laser rainbow ribbon, 5 mm x 10 m/roll, 100 rolls/bag
- Lace balloon ribbon, 2 cm x 5 m/roll, 100 rolls/bag
- Glue dot and ribbon combo set, 5 pieces/set, 30 sets/bag
- Glue dot applicator scraper, 1 pc/pack, 200 pcs/box
- Large glue dot roll, 10 mm, 500 dots/roll, 40 rolls/bag
- Mini ribbon roll set, 5 m/roll, 10 colours/set, 20 sets/bag
- Multi-size ribbon set, 3 rolls/set, 30 sets/bag
Helium balloons
Helium grade latex at 5 inch and 12 inch, foil helium balloons from 18 inch to 40 inch including number and shaped pieces, with long float treatment, 6, 12 and 24 piece sets and column kits.
- Helium grade latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Round foil helium balloon, 18 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Number foil helium balloon, 32 inch, 20 pcs/bag
- Large foil helium balloon, 40 inch, 10 pcs/bag
- Heart shaped helium balloon, 18 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Star shaped helium balloon, 18 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Clear sequin helium balloon, 12 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Metallic latex helium balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Mini helium balloon, 5 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Helium balloon set, 12 inch, 12 pieces/set, 20 sets/bag
- Long float helium balloon with treatment fluid, 12 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Helium balloon column kit, 1.2 m, 12 sets/box
- Table float helium balloon set, 6 pieces/set, 20 sets/bag
- Helium balloon theme pack, 24 pieces mixed/set, 10 sets/bag
- Extra large float helium balloon, 36 inch latex, 30 pcs/bag
Printed and custom balloons
Screen and multi-colour pad printing on 12 inch latex and 16 inch or 32 inch foil, covering up to 70 percent of the balloon surface, with printed hang tags and custom shape tooling.
- Custom single colour screen printed latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Custom text foil balloon, 16 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Custom multi colour printed balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Full wrap printed latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Gold foil stamped custom foil balloon, 32 inch, 20 pcs/bag
- Corporate custom balloon set with printing and packaging, 12 inch, 100 pieces/set
- Event theme custom balloon set, 12 inch, 50 pieces/set
- QR code printed latex balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Portrait printed foil balloon, 16 inch, 50 pcs/bag
- Small batch custom balloon, 12 inch, 50 pieces/set
- Rush order printed balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Custom balloon with printed hang tag, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Custom separately packed balloon, 12 inch, 100 pcs/bag
- Custom balloon and accessory set with glue dots and ribbon, 50 sets/bag
- Custom shaped balloon, 15 to 30 cm, 50 pcs/bag
Materials, and where the price difference comes from
Two materials carry this category. Latex balloons are dipped from natural rubber latex. Foil balloons are a laminated film, normally PET with an aluminium layer and, on better specifications, a nylon layer, commonly quoted at roughly 35 to 60 micron across two or three plies. Gram weight is the price driver on latex and the single most useful number a buyer can specify. A nominal 12 inch balloon is commonly dipped at 2.2 g, 2.8 g or 3.2 g, and weight maps directly to wall thickness, the diameter it reaches under pressure, resistance to pin holes and how long it holds helium. Lighter balloons cost less per piece and are fine for air-filled garlands; heavier balloons take a fuller round shape, survive handling at an event and hold helium longer. Pearlised, metallic, chrome, pastel and crystal finishes are surface treatments on the same latex, not a different material, so they carry a small premium rather than different performance. Foil balloons are air-tight and hold gas far longer than latex, but they are single-use floats: once the valve or heat seal fails the balloon cannot be reliably refilled, and a crease in the film is permanent and visible once inflated. Clear bubble balloons are TPU or nylon film and do not take a pad print.
Sizes you can specify against your existing planogram
The size ladder is the one the trade already buys. Latex runs at 5 inch, 9 inch, 12 inch, 18 inch, 24 inch and 36 inch round, plus 260 and 360 modelling balloons. A balloon is sold flat by its nominal inflated diameter, so a 12 inch balloon arrives roughly 12 to 13 cm long uninflated, and that number matters for carton cube rather than for the display. Foil runs at 18 inch and 22 inch round, hearts and stars at 18 inch and 24 inch, and 14 inch mini shapes for air-filled counter displays. Number and letter foils run 16 inch air-filled and 32 inch or 40 inch helium, and the 40 inch is the size that carries across a room. Bubble and clear film balloons run 18 inch, 24 inch and 36 inch, where 36 inch is the balloon-in-balloon outer. Garland kits are specified by the span they cover, commonly 5 m for a doorway or cake table and 10 m for a full arch, and a kit that is meant to read uniformly is built from 5 inch, 9 inch and 12 inch balloons sized in a sizing box to about 9 inch. Helium volume scales with diameter, so specify the finished size you need rather than the largest size available.
Packing, carton sizes and the freight consequence
Packing is quoted as two layers: an inner bag, then the export carton. Balloons are a low-cube, high-count product and the carton maths is unusually clean. Latex is packed 100 pieces per poly bag, commonly 10 bags or 20 bags to an export carton, so 1,000 to 2,000 pieces per carton. A carton of 1,000 twelve-inch balloons at 2.8 g weighs under 4 kg including packing, so this is a carton that cubes out, not one that weighs out. Bulk bags of 5,000 to 10,000 pieces are normal for stock latex in high-turnover sizes. Foil balloons ship flat and need an inner card: creased film shows a permanent seam once inflated, so a 500 to 1,000 piece carton with a card per balloon is the correct format rather than a loose bag. Kit packs are individually boxed or bagged with a header card, commonly 20 to 50 kits per carton. The freight consequence is that a container of latex and foil alone fills long before it reaches weight capacity, so balloons load best alongside heavier accessory lines such as weights, pumps and framing. Helium is a Class 2.2 compressed gas with its own transport documentation, so cylinders are normally sourced in the destination market rather than shipped with general cargo. Tell us the mix at enquiry stage and we will propose a loading plan.
How to order: MOQ, colour mixes and mixed loading
Minimum order depends on the group. Small accessories such as ribbon, weights, glue dots and hand pumps start around 100 to 500 pieces per design. Stock latex balloons are ordered by size and colour in full carton multiples, so a first order is usually expressed as several thousand pieces per size rather than a few hundred. Foil balloons start around 500 to 2,000 pieces per design. Number, letter and shaped foils start around 300 to 1,000 pieces per design or per character mix. Garland and arch kits start around 100 to 500 sets, and boxed kits with a header card sit at the lower end of that band in unit count and higher in value. Printed and private-label balloons sit above stock minimums and are quoted against artwork rather than in a standard price list. Colour mixes inside one design are normally allowed, and latex is the one category where a mixed colour bag is a standard retail unit rather than a compromise, so a carton can be split across the palette instead of being committed colour by colour. A balloon order is usually built backwards from the container: fix the sizes and weights you sell, then allocate cartons across the eight groups. Accessories reorder with the balloons, which is why ribbon, weights and pumps are quoted against the same shipping documents as the balloons themselves.
Customisation: print, colour and packaging
Custom work on balloons covers three levels. The lightest is a pad or screen print on stock latex: one or two colours, one print position, and the practical limit is that the print area shrinks as the balloon inflates, so a 12 inch balloon carries a logo of roughly 6 cm across rather than a full-wrap design. Artwork has to be prepared in the inflated state, because a straight line on a flat balloon becomes a curve at 12 inch. The middle level is full-wrap offset printing, which reaches four colours on latex and is the route for retail programmes, at minimums well above stock. Foil balloons are printed by digital or rotogravure methods in four to six colours including white and metallic, and single-colour foil print is the lowest-cost custom option per piece. The deepest level is packaging: your own poly bag with header card, colour box, barcode and hang tag, which is what turns a loose balloon into a retail SKU. Specify Pantone references rather than screen colours, and approve on a printed balloon rather than on paper, because latex surface, foil film and ink all shift the final result. Send artwork at enquiry stage and we will confirm what is achievable, at what minimum and on which substrate.
Lead time and the balloon ordering calendar
Stock designs usually ship in 15 to 25 days. Custom printed or private-label balloons run 30 to 45 days from sample approval, and full-wrap printed retail programmes can extend to around 45 days. Counted from enquiry rather than from approval, add two to three weeks for sampling and revision. The calendar pressure on balloons differs from a seasonal decoration range: balloons sell all year, so the risk is not one fixed shelf date but a peaking demand month. Graduation and wedding season, back-to-school, Halloween in October, Christmas and New Year, and the general Q1 party season all sit on top of normal replenishment. Chinese New Year sits in the middle of the supply calendar, with factories quiet for one to three weeks and capacity booked out in the weeks either side, so a spring programme should be placed before that window rather than through it. Sea transit from Asia to Europe or North America is 30 to 40 days, plus about two weeks for port and inland movement. Balloons cannot be shipped inflated, and inflated product is not a shipping option at all. For a dated programme, plan backwards: 45 days production, 40 days transit, two weeks inland, three weeks sampling.
Compliance, and why a balloon is not a decoration
Balloons carry more document families than their price suggests, and the families are not interchangeable. Uninflated balloons are treated as toy items for children under eight in most major markets, which brings EN 71-1 for mechanical safety and the mandatory choking hazard warning, EN 71-2, and EN 71-3 for migration of elements from both the latex and the ink. The United States equivalent is CPSIA with ASTM F963. Rubber balloons carry an additional chemistry requirement that buyers frequently miss: nitrosamine and nitrosatable substance limits under REACH and EN 71-12, where a printed balloon can fail on the ink rather than on the rubber. Soft plastic and printed film items fall under phthalate restrictions such as DEHP, DBP and BBP. Plates and cups are food contact items and belong to a different report family entirely. LED balloons and any battery-powered balloon are electrical toys with their own standard and, where button cells are used, battery transport documents before they can fly. Helium is a Class 2.2 compressed gas with separate transport rules. Foil balloons are a PET and aluminium laminate and are not recyclable in normal kerbside streams, so no recyclability claim should be made on the pack. Tell us the destination market and which items you intend to test, and ask for the current report for the specific item rather than relying on a category description.
Five things buyers get wrong on balloons
Five things buyers get wrong on balloons. First, buying on colour and treating every 12 inch balloon as the same product: 2.2 g, 2.8 g and 3.2 g are three different items, and the light one looks thin at full inflation, pops earlier in handling and holds helium for less time. Second, costing helium by balloon count rather than by diameter: a 24 inch balloon takes roughly eight times the gas of a 12 inch one, so a large-balloon display consumes helium far faster than the piece count suggests, and helium is the most expensive input in the whole category. Third, selling an air-inflatable garland as if it were a helium display: untreated latex floats for roughly 8 to 20 hours depending on size and treatment, so any programme built around floating balloons needs ribbon, weights and either float treatment or foil. Fourth, expecting foil to be reusable: foil holds gas for days rather than hours, but it is a single-use float, it creases permanently, and once the valve seals it cannot be reliably refilled. Fifth, forgetting the label and the release rules: the choking warning is mandatory in the main markets, and intentional balloon release is restricted or banned in a growing number of jurisdictions, so balloons should be sold with weights and never as a release item.
Party
Holiday ranges for the calendar peaks, party supplies for everything in between.
Tell us the occasion. We design the set.
Built for hosts, planners and small shops who order by the set rather than by the piece. One box, everything matched, from ten sets up.
Design my party setSend the brief
Occasion, date, guest count, theme and budget range.
We design the set
A matched list with quantities, samples and a landed price.
Approve and ship
You sign off the sample, we produce and ship on the agreed date.
Balloon wholesale questions
What is the minimum order for balloons?
It depends on the group. Small accessories such as ribbon, weights, glue dots and pumps start around 100 to 500 pieces per design. Stock latex balloons are ordered by size and colour in full carton multiples, so a first order is normally several thousand pieces per size rather than a few hundred. Foil balloons start around 500 to 2,000 pieces per design, number and letter foils around 300 to 1,000 pieces per design or character mix, and garland kits around 100 to 500 sets. Printed and private-label balloons sit above stock minimums and are quoted against your artwork.
Can you print our logo on latex and foil balloons?
Yes, at three levels: pad or screen print in one or two colours on stock latex, full-wrap offset print up to four colours for retail programmes, and single or full-colour print on foil by digital or rotogravure. Two limits worth knowing before you design: the print area shrinks when the balloon inflates, so a 12 inch balloon carries a logo of roughly 6 cm across, and artwork must be drawn in the inflated state because a straight line becomes a curve. Custom minimums start well above stock minimums and are quoted per artwork.
How long do the balloons float with helium?
Untreated latex floats for roughly 8 to 20 hours depending on size, with smaller balloons at the short end. Float treatment fluid extends that to several days on a 12 inch balloon. Foil holds gas for days to weeks, but it is a single-use float: once the valve seals it cannot be reliably refilled, and a crease in the film is permanent. Helium volume scales with diameter rather than piece count, so a 24 inch balloon takes roughly eight times the gas of a 12 inch one. Plan ribbon and weights with the balloons, not after them.
Are latex balloons biodegradable, and are foil balloons recyclable?
Natural rubber latex is a plant-based material and degrades under the right conditions, and unprinted latex behaves differently from heavily printed latex, so treat biodegradability as a specification to be documented rather than a label to print. Foil balloons are a PET and aluminium laminate and are not recyclable in normal kerbside streams, so no recyclability claim should go on the pack. Separately, intentional balloon release is restricted or banned in a growing number of jurisdictions: sell balloons with weights and never as a release item.
Can balloons be loaded with the rest of our order in one container?
Yes, and mixed loading is what makes the freight work. Latex and foil are light and bulky and cube out long before they reach weight capacity, so loading them alongside denser accessory lines such as weights, pumps, framing and tableware brings the container to a sensible average density. We load across all eight groups against one set of shipping documents and one shipping date, on FOB, CIF or DDP terms. Helium cylinders are excluded from general mixed cargo because they are a Class 2.2 compressed gas, and are normally sourced in your market.