11-14" Round Balloons

Qualatex 14"

Overall Rating: Despite my sneaking suspicion that in the old days, 12" balloons used to be this size, I have to throw in a wholehearted recommendation for the 14" Qualatex, the 11's bigger brother. Flawless color, nearly nonexistent defects, and just the right size for everything, you can't possibly go wrong with these balloons if you can find them.

Size and Shape: Face it, Qualatex, your 11" is just too small. I'm always a little disappointed at the lack of impact that 11"s make. 14", on the other hand, is a terrific size: not as much of a space-hog as 16" and much more dramatic than smallish 11s. The teardrop shape is spot-on, too: the neck is gradual enough to make a full-to-over-inflated balloon look natural. My only beef is that some colors seem to inflate smaller than others. More on that below.

Latex Quality: Qualatex are top of the heap in color consistency, so you'll never find any uneven bubbly places or thin spots. Small bubbles happen very rarely. The price of this color consistency, however, is a hard balloon: Qualatexes, and especially 14" in my opinion, get very tight as they reach full inflation, and you know when you're blowing too far because the skin will ring like a bell! I did notice that the orange 14"s that I got inflated smaller than the other colors, but that may only be a fluke.

Reliability: Pre-stretch the neck a little if you plan to take it out all the way on first inflation, since otherwise the super-tightness at overinflation might give way before the neck is full. Other than that, Qualatexes are some of the toughest, most reliable balloons on the market today. 

Tuf-Tex 14"

Overall Rating: Great intermediate size, wonderful tapered shape, long neck, and top-notch latex. Who could ask for more? If these balloons stand the test of time, I may upgrade them to five stars or more!

Size and Shape: Great raindrop shape. The neck is quite long (Tuf-Tex advertises them as "Easy-Tie") and the transition from body to neck is more gradual than it looks at first. The balloons are dipped on a flat mold, but no flute lines or flattened shape shows through in the inflated balloon. Personally I adore the 14" size... 11-12" balloons seem too small after a while, and 16" is sometimes too big. These loons are a wonderful in-between. My only wish would be that the body were a little rounder, but that might be achieved by re-inflation.

Latex Quality: Nice, even colors and consistent quality. Very, very few defects -- and you have to look pretty hard to find the few that do exist. The latex is a little thicker than average, making a full balloon excitingly tight and tough, as their name implies. Hysteresis is marked after only one inflation, and I can't wait to see how big they really go.

Reliability: So far, so good! The lack of defects and the thick, resilient latex of these balloons make them trustworthy. Tuf-tex are tough balloons!

Qualatex 11"

Overall Rating: A balloon renowned by decorators for its all-around quality and color perfection.

Size and Shape: A little on the small side on the first inflation, unfortunately, but after a few good stretches it can get a remarkable amount bigger. But talk about a perfect shape-- they don't get any more teardrop-shaped. Don't expect any neck on the first inflation though-- this is dangerous territory.

Latex Quality: They don't call 'em "Qualatex" for nothing. The latex is very supple when uninflated, and is just the right thickness that a full  inflation brings out just the right stiffness and color shine. The colors are stellar-- there are so many to choose from, and all of them are perfectly even across the entire balloon. Best of all, they smell like balloons-- leave some tight Qualatexes around the room for a while, and soon you'll have a noseful of that great latex smell.

Reliability: The latex quality has a lot to do with the good reliability of these balloons. Just don't try to inflate down the neck on the first try-- this can only be done carefully after a couple good stretching pre-inflations. Church windows and bubble defects are nearly non-existent.

Unique 12"

Overall Rating: These started it all for me when I first became interested in balloons. Fun balloons that are good for decoration, great for play. The latex is good quality but thin, making these balloons lighter and floatier than other brands. Another plus: these balloons are widely available in supermarkets, drug stores, etc.

Size and Shape: This is exactly what I wish all 12" balloons were. A perfect pear shape, and the size is great - bigger than Qualatex or Tilco on first inflation, and neck possibilities (as you can see on the inflation page) are great on first inflation, but you'll have to settle for a bigger bulb and short neck on repeat inflations. Great hysteretic properties - they can get much bigger with repeated inflation; however, they become weaker and softer as a result.

Latex Quality: It's a little on the thin side, but not as much so as Tilly, so these balloons are pretty strong. The color can be uneven, but it seems to be a dye irregularity most times rather than irregular thickness. These balloons stay relatively soft compared to Qualatex, and remain pliable nearly up to the bursting point.

Reliability: Not the non-popper's best friend. Frequent small bubbles in the midsection; also, mysterious granules and thickening, and church windows especially near the drip point. The latex is soft and thin compared to decorator brands, so these balloons probably can't take very rough handling. But their track record is pretty good, especially if you're not pushing the limits of re-inflation.

Overall Rating: Good size, great teardrop shape and nice thick latex. Lots of bubbles and defects in and on the rubber, though, so they probably aren't very reliable. Standard colors are vivid and very shiny.

Size and Shape: Larger than Qualatex and more elongated than Unique or Tilco. The necks are medium-length and of smaller diameter than Unique. The shape is a perfect, streamlined teardrop at full inflation.

Latex Quality: Nice and thick, making for a tight, hard balloon when fully inflated. Virgin balloons are shiny, both inflated and uninflated. The latex is sort of stiff out of the bag, and is quite plastic: one or two stretches, and already it doesn't return to its original shape. They feel and smell slightly synthetic. Odds on hysteresis are good.

Reliability: Watch for bubbles - you won't have to look very hard. Some colors seem to be better than others, but most of the balloons have bubble defects, often occurring in a line of 5 to 10 in the top-middle of the bulb. Occasionally there seems to be some extra latex on top of the skin as well, especially near the drip point. These balloons pop with a fierce, metallic bang.

Tilco 12"

Overall Rating: Great size and shape, but watch for defects.

Size and Shape: I don't know what more you could want from a balloon-- slightly rounder and bigger than the 11" Qualatex, and due to the more gradual transition from body to neck, easier to inflate down its neck.

Latex Quality: Color variations were spotty and church windows and bubble defects were fairly widespread. Has a great stiffness when tight, though, and the jewel-tone colors are very pretty.

Reliability: I wouldn't trust them to hold up to rough handling, especially those with defects, but the defectless ones have proven themselves worthy of repeated inflation up to their necks. Some decorators use them though - look for their jangled nerves and rapid pulses. The failure rate per bag is higher than average.