Garlands are some of the most dramatic and stylish balloon decorations, and although it is possible to fill them with helium it is not the best choice.
Cloud and banner garlands can benefit from the use of helium if they are only needed for a short time, but in general, balloon garlands do not need helium. They have no need to float, and since helium balloons deflate faster and cost more, they aren’t a practical choice.
There are many differences between air and helium-filled balloons, making them useful for different styles of balloon structure and events.
What is the difference between helium and air-filled balloons?
The main difference between helium and air is that helium is lighter. This means that helium-filled balloons float, while air-filled balloons rest on the ground.
This makes helium perfect for some decorations, such as numbered balloons for a birthday party or table centerpieces.
The main drawback of helium is that it is significantly more expensive than using air to fill balloons.
Not only is it more expensive than air, but helium is also now almost five times as expensive as it was 15 years ago, now costing $3.30 per standard latex balloon.
Helium-filled balloons also deflate faster; helium molecules are smaller than those found in the air and they escape balloons faster, reducing the lifespan of any decoration filled in this way.
Untreated latex balloons filled with helium will last for 8-10 hours; they can be treated with a substance called Hi-Float.
This treatment makes it harder for the helium to escape and increases the lifespan of the balloons by up to 25 times.
Air-filled latex balloons don’t float, but they last for a few days with no treatment needed.
A helium filling is more worthwhile when purchasing foil balloons, as a helium-filled foil balloon will stay elevated for up to four days.
Some varieties of foil balloon can be refilled to extend their life even further.
Do balloon garlands need helium?
Some balloon structures benefit from helium; a ‘string of pearls’ decoration is assembled with helium-filled balloons as the gas’ floating effect is what gives it its signature look, and a balloon arch filled with helium can be entirely freestanding as the gas supports the structure, eliminating the need for a frame.
Helium based balloon decorations do need to be weighted at the bottom to prevent them from floating away but are more stable overall.
Unlike arches and columns, balloon garlands are not freestanding, nor do they need to float as they are hung in place and often rest on surfaces.
Balloon garlands are also typically constructed with latex balloons, which deflate much faster when filled with helium than air.
Given the time it takes to construct a balloon garland, especially a large one, this is less than ideal because some of the balloons may already be deflating by the time the decoration is finished.
Secondly, given the number of balloons that it takes to construct a balloon garland – about 10 per six inches – filling them all with helium would be very expensive.
That said, cloud or banner garlands (neither of which rest on a surface, but are hung over doorways or windows) can benefit from the use of helium.
Used in this type of garland, it can prevent them from sinking in the middle and putting strain on their supports.
However, because helium deflates so quickly than air, this should only be done with decorations that are needed for less than one day.
Do balloon garlands need helium?
Helium filled balloons are the staples of weddings, landmark birthdays, and fairgrounds, and some balloon structures like string of pearl arches benefit from being filled with this gas.
Balloon arches and floating centerpieces need helium to provide structural integrity and achieve the desired aesthetic effect.
Although many balloon structures do benefit from being helium-filled either aesthetically or structurally, helium is not necessary to fill balloon garlands.
It can be beneficial to use helium in cloud or banner garlands which cannot rest on a surface, but it should not generally be used to fill balloon garlands.
In general, balloon garlands are neither floating nor freestanding structures, rendering the use of helium an unnecessary expense.
Furthermore, garlands are mostly constructed out of latex balloons which deflate much faster when filled with helium than air, meaning that filling garlands with helium reduces their lifespan.