This is the question we get asked more than any other, usually by somebody standing at the counter holding a bouquet, trying to work out whether they should have ordered it today or tomorrow.

The honest answer is that it depends entirely on what the balloon is made of. Latex and mylar behave completely differently, and once you know the difference you can time an order properly instead of guessing.

Latex Balloons: Twelve Hours to a Few Days

Latex is porous. Helium molecules are small enough to escape straight through the wall of the balloon, which is why a latex balloon starts to soften and sink well before anyone expects it to.

An untreated 11 inch latex balloon floats for roughly twelve to twenty hours. That is it. If your party is tomorrow evening and you inflate latex this morning, you will be watching them droop by the time the cake comes out.

We treat our latex with a sealant that coats the inside and slows the leak. Treated properly, the same balloon holds two to three days, sometimes longer. Every latex balloon that leaves our shop is treated, which is a large part of why a balloon from a florist outlasts one from a supermarket.

Bigger latex lasts longer, because the volume of helium is larger relative to the surface it escapes through. Our 2 foot latex balloons hold up for several days on their own.

Mylar Balloons: Three Days to Two Weeks

Mylar, which is the shiny foil balloon, is not porous the way latex is. The helium leaks out through the seams and the valve rather than through the material itself, and it does so much more slowly.

A standard 18 inch mylar floats for three to five days reliably, and often a full week. The big supersize shapes hold even longer, because again there is more helium inside relative to the seams it can escape through. Two weeks is not unusual.

This is why almost every bouquet we build mixes the two. The mylars carry the message and hold the shape long after the latex has softened. Browse the year round mylar collection and you will see the range.

The Balloons That Do Not Use Helium At All

Here is the part most people do not know about, and it solves the timing problem entirely.

Airloonz are air filled. No helium, no floating, no countdown. They stand on the floor on their own, they are enormous, and they hold for weeks rather than days. The 55 inch Airloon Unicorn and the 49 inch Airloonz Teddy Bear are the two we send most.

Airwalkers work the same way but are weighted to bob along the floor as if they are walking. The 68 inch T-Rex is genuinely startling the first time you see it move.

If you are decorating a room for a week, or sending something to an office, or you simply do not want to think about timing, this is the category to look at.

What Actually Shortens the Life of a Balloon

Heat is the enemy. A balloon left in a hot car, or floating against a ceiling in direct sun, will fail faster than the numbers above suggest. Helium expands when it warms, which stresses the seams and can pop a mylar outright.

Cold does the opposite. Take a bouquet out into a Long Island winter and the balloons will visibly shrink and appear deflated. They usually recover once they are back inside and warm up again, so do not panic.

Wind and rough handling matter too. Latex outdoors on a windy day will not last the afternoon.

And use weights. A bouquet without a balloon weight ends up on the ceiling within a minute, out of reach and out of the photos. They cost very little and they are the difference between a bouquet and a mistake.

So When Should You Order?

If the balloons are for an event, order for delivery the day before or the morning of. Not three days ahead. We are open every day and we do same day delivery across Nassau and Suffolk from our shop in Bethpage, so there is no reason to order early and hope.

If you are sending a bouquet as a gift, the same rule applies. A bouquet delivered to somebody on their birthday will still look right for several days after.

If you need the decor to hold for a week or more, ask us about Airloonz and air filled decor instead. It is a different product and it is the right answer for a long run.

A Few That Last the Longest

	Airloon Unicorn 55 Inch Air filled, floor standing, and it holds for weeks. Nearly five feet tall and it needs no helium at all. Shop this balloon
	Airloonz Teddy Bear 49 Inch The one we send when the balloons need to still be standing next week. Stands on its own, no weight required. Shop this balloon
	T-Rex Dinosaur 68 Inch Airwalker Weighted so it bobs along the floor like it is walking. Air filled, so it lasts, and it stops a room dead. Shop this balloon

Order Balloons in Bethpage

Browse our balloon bouquets, or call Balloons N' More at 516-501-0135 and tell us the date. We will tell you honestly when to have them delivered. We have been doing this on Long Island since 1996, and we use Qualatex, which is the reason our latex outlasts most.