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I have been in the balloon industry for a long time, one question that I get asked a lot when I mention balloons is, how many balloons to lift a person? At first, I wasn’t sure how to answer so I decided to do some math and figure it out. Let’s take a look at how many helium balloons it takes to lift the average person. According to Livescience.com, the average body mass, globally, is 136 pounds (62 kilograms.)
It takes about 6,400 balloons to lift an adult. You will need 6,400 standard 11″ balloons to lift the average person of 136 pounds or 62 kilograms. If you are using 12″ balloons, you will need 5,181 balloons to lift the average person of 136 pounds or 62 kilograms.
Check out the chart below for information on how many balloons to lift other weights assuming each balloon lifts the amount each individual balloon can lift.
This post is for informational purposes only. Fun With Balloons does not recommend, suggest or endorse the use of balloons to lift a person or the act of releasing balloons. PLEASE DO NOT RELEASE BALLOONS.
Check out my post Smart Balloon Practices here to learn more.
How Many Helium Filled Balloons To Lift A Person
The Average Lift Of A Balloon
Balloons come in many different sizes and shapes. A standard size balloon is an 11″ balloon and some balloon brands use a 12″ balloon as their standard size. Let us take a look at how much volume a standard balloon has and how much a standard balloon can lift.
A standard 11″ balloon can hold about 0.5 cu. ft. of helium and can lift about 0.34 ounces or 9.67 grams. A standard 12″ balloon can hold about 0.6 cu. ft. of helium and can lift about 0.42 ounces or 11.9 grams.
In the chart below, I will show both 11″ and 12″ size balloons for various weights of a person, in case you are like me and not so average.
| Weight (lbs) | Weight (kg) | 11″ Balloons | 12″ Balloons |
| 90 | 41 | 4,320 | 3,510 |
| 100 | 45 | 4,800 | 3,900 |
| 110 | 50 | 5,280 | 4,290 |
| 120 | 54 | 5,760 | 4,680 |
| 130 | 59 | 6,240 | 5,070 |
| 140 | 64 | 6,720 | 5,460 |
| 150 | 68 | 7,200 | 5,850 |
| 160 | 73 | 7,680 | 6,240 |
| 170 | 77 | 8,160 | 6,630 |
| 180 | 82 | 8,640 | 7,020 |
| 190 | 86 | 9,120 | 7,410 |
| 200 | 91 | 9,600 | 7,800 |
| 210 | 95 | 10,080 | 8,190 |
| 220 | 100 | 10,560 | 8,580 |
| 230 | 104 | 11,040 | 8,970 |
These numbers are based on math and the lift of each individual balloon listed above. These numbers have not actually been tested or verified in a real life situation.
What About Other Size Balloons
As mentioned above, balloons come in many different sizes and shapes. From the smallest of round balloons at 5″ to as big at 5′, with specialized balloons being even bigger than 5′. For more information about the different types of balloons, check out my post Balloon Types here.
So what if we used bigger than the standard 11″ or 12″ balloon size to lift the average person? How many balloons would we need to lift a person with large balloons?
It would take 1,814 16″ balloons, 1,209 18″ balloons, 544 24″ balloons, or 182 36″ balloons to lift the average person of 136 pounds (62 kilograms).
Check out the chart below which includes various weights to figure out how many balloons you would need to lift a person of different weights.
| Weight (lbs) | Weight (kg) | 16″ Balloons | 18″ Balloons | 24″ Balloons | 36″ Balloons |
| 90 | 41 | 1,260 | 810 | 360 | 180 |
| 100 | 45 | 1,400 | 900 | 400 | 200 |
| 110 | 50 | 1,540 | 990 | 440 | 220 |
| 120 | 54 | 1,680 | 1,080 | 480 | 240 |
| 130 | 59 | 1,820 | 1,170 | 520 | 260 |
| 140 | 64 | 1,960 | 1,260 | 560 | 280 |
| 150 | 68 | 2,100 | 1,350 | 600 | 300 |
| 160 | 73 | 2,240 | 1,440 | 640 | 320 |
| 170 | 77 | 2,380 | 1,530 | 680 | 340 |
| 180 | 82 | 2,520 | 1,620 | 720 | 360 |
| 190 | 86 | 2,660 | 1,710 | 760 | 380 |
| 200 | 91 | 2,800 | 1,800 | 800 | 400 |
| 210 | 95 | 2,940 | 1,890 | 840 | 420 |
| 220 | 100 | 3,080 | 1,980 | 880 | 440 |
| 230 | 104 | 3,220 | 2,070 | 920 | 460 |
How Much Helium To Lift One Pound
Let’s say you wanted to lift something significantly lighter than the average person. Let’s say you wanted to lift one pound. How much helium would you need to lift one pound?
You need 24 cu. ft. of helium to lift 1 pound or 0.45 kilograms.
How many standard-sized balloons would you need to lift one pound?
You will need 48 standard 11″ balloons to lift 1 pound or 0.45 kilograms. You will need 39 standard 12″ balloons to lift 1 pound or 0.45 kilograms.
How Much Helium To Lift The Average Person
Ok so now that we know how many balloons it would take to lift the average person, how much helium would you need to lift the average person?
You will need 3,264 cubic feet of helium to lift the average person of 136 pounds or 62 kilograms.
Check out the chart below which includes various weights to figure out how much helium you would need to lift a person of different weights.
| Weight (lbs) | Weight (kg) | Helium (cu. ft.) |
| 90 | 41 | 2,160 |
| 100 | 45 | 2,400 |
| 110 | 50 | 2,640 |
| 120 | 54 | 2,880 |
| 130 | 59 | 3,120 |
| 140 | 64 | 3,360 |
| 150 | 68 | 3,600 |
| 160 | 73 | 3,840 |
| 170 | 77 | 4,080 |
| 180 | 82 | 4,320 |
| 190 | 86 | 4,560 |
| 200 | 91 | 4,800 |
| 210 | 95 | 5,040 |
| 220 | 100 | 5,280 |
| 230 | 104 | 5,520 |
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