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What Is The Best Way To Transport Balloons?
The best way to transport inflated balloons is in a bag. You can find bags made specifically for the purpose of transporting balloons. You can repurpose bags to be used as balloon transporting bags or you can make your own.
Why Do I Need A Bag To Transport Balloons
So you’ve got all these beautiful balloons blown up ready to be put on display but how do you get them to the job site? You could just put them in your car or van and drive them there but without proper care, the balloons could become tangled, dirty, or even worse pop.
Whether you have air-fill balloons or helium-filled balloons, the benefits of a balloon transporting bags far out weight the added cost. Using a balloon transporting bag will help keep your balloons protected from unfavorable conditions, keep them clean from dirt and hair (balloons collect a lot of hair due to the static electricity), and a balloon transporting bag will help keep your balloons from getting tangled. No one wants to show up to a balloon gig and have to untangle balloons before you can start your setup.
Plastic Balloon Transporting Bag
The Hi-Float company makes a roll of bags specifically designed to transport inflated balloons. Hi-Floats’s balloon transport bag (found on Amazon here) comes on a roll of 550 total feet and you can cut them to make whatever size bag you need for your specific balloon job. This roll (found on Amazon here) of plastic bags has convenient holes so you don’t trap a bunch of air while filling your bags.
This can be a super convenient way to cut as you go making balloon transport bags big, small, or somewhere in between. This can also be helpful if you are inflating balloons for your customer to pick up. No need to retrieve it, your customer can just throw them away. You can get Hi-Float’s roll of bags here from Amazon.
Mattress Bag
Some people in the balloon business use plastic mattress bags (found on Amazon here) for transporting inflated balloons. These can be a big help when you need to transport large amounts of inflated balloons. The ease and convenience of these bags are what make them so popular in the balloon decorating business. No need to carry in a bunch of small bags, these bags can hold a lot of balloons all at once. You can get plastic mattress bags here from Amazon. Using plastic mattress bags is what inspired me to come up with an even better way to transport inflated balloons.
A Better Way To Transport Inflated Balloons
What if there was a better way to transport your inflated balloons? Well, you are in luck because there is. With these step-by-step instructions, I will show you how to make your very own balloon transporting bag. They are easy to make, a better for the environment option, reusable, and washable if they get dirty. You can even use a dryer sheet when drying, reducing static electricity. These things are awesome! Follow these steps to create your own balloon transporting bag.
| Method | Price | Time To Make | Pros | Cons |
| Plastic Balloon Roll | $65 | 0 mins | Holes to let air escape. Comes on a roll. Make your own size as needed. Disposable, no need to retrieve if the customer picks up. | The most expensive option. Not necessarily reusable. Made of non-recyclable plastic. |
| Mattress Bag | $15 | 0 mins | Readily available. Different sizes to choose from. | No holes to let trapped air escape. Not necessarily reusable. Made of non-recyclable plastic. |
| DIY Balloon Transport Bag | $10 | 10 mins | Least expensive option. Make any size. Reusable. Washable. Saving items from the landfill. Less static electricity. They look pretty. | You have to take the time to make them. |
Steps To Make A Balloon Transporting Bag
- Gather All Your Ingredients
- Open And Line Up
- Sew Or Glue Long Sides
- Sew Or Glue Short Side
- Flip Flat Sheets Right Side Out
- Fill With Balloons
- Enjoy!
1. Gather All Your Ingredients
- Flat sheets (I like to use old ones from a thrift store)
- Sewing machine or fabric glue (get some here on Amazon)
2. Open And Line Up
Start out by spreading out the top sheets, you are going to need a good-sized workspace, about the size of a dining room table. Line your two tablecloths up together. If you want one particular side to be on the outside of your finished balloon transport bag make sure your line the finished outside facing sides together.
3. Sew Or Glue Long Sides
Next, we are going to sew or glue the two long sides of the top sheets together.
4. Sew Or Glue Short Side
Next, we are going to sew or glue the bottom short side of the top sheets together. Make sure you leave the entire top side of the top sheets completely open.
5. Flip Flat Sheets Right Side Out
Flip the top sheets right side out so the side you actually want to see is facing out.
6. Fill With Balloons
Fill your balloon transporting bag with balloons. To secure the balloon transporting bag so the balloons don’t fall out, use a rubber band to wrap around the end. Check out my posts on How To Tie A Balloon or Tie A Balloon Easy With A Balloon Tie Tool.
7. Enjoy!
When I had my own balloon decorating business I had several different sizes of these bags. Some were made from a single twin-sized flat sheet and others were made from two queen-sized top sheets. I never made any with king-sized top sheets but you could if you wanted.
The best part about these is they are reusable. When they get dirty you can just throw them in the washing machine.
Transport Inflated Balloons Video (Coming Soon)
Tips And Tricks For Transporting Balloons
Transporting Arches
If you have the room, which is rarely the case in my experience, you can transport an arch fully assembles. However, I usually inflate all my balloons and stuff them in my balloon transport bag. Then I transport the balloons, stands, and everything I need to assemble the arch to the setup location. Then I assemble the arch in place.
Sometimes if I am running low on time for setting up and I have the space (ex: a cargo van), I have been known to assemble the column parts of the arch ahead of time and transport them fully assembled. Then when I arrive at my location I only have to assemble the top part of the arch.
Transporting Columns
Transporting columns is a lot like transporting arches, you can transport them assembled (if you have the room) or the most likely situation is inflating them and transporting them in a balloon transporting bag.
Columns can then be assembled on site at their final location.
How Much Space Do You Need To Transport Inflated Balloons?
In general, you will need 25 cu. ft. of space to transport 50 11″ balloons. The more balloons you have the more cu. ft. of cargo space you will need and the fewer balloons you have the less cu. ft. of cargo space you will need.
How Many Balloons Can I Fit In My Vehicle?
| Vehicle | Estimated Cargo Volume (cu. ft.) | Estimated 11″ Balloons |
| Sadan | 12 | 24 |
| Hatchback | 45 | 90 |
| Mini Van | 140 | 280 |
| 9′ Cargo Van | 230 | 460 |
Some other posts you might enjoy are Balloon Inflator Pump: The Ultimate Guide, The Best Helium Tanks: Everything You Need To Know, How To DIY A Large Balloon Arch No Stand No Helium, and How Much Helium Do I Need: Job Estimator And Tank Calculator.
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