BSA vs Tuftex

[Guest]

For those who have tried both, what's your favorite? My favorite brand for a long time was Tuftex because of how much bigger they get than rated size. That, and they can take quite a bit of abuse without danger of popping - they're my gold standard. BSA is produced by Pioneer, who also makes Qualatex balloons, so the quality is second to none, but ever since they stopped production on the Q24, the Q16 just isn't big enough for my taste. My only complaint with Tuftex is their shelf life is pretty bad, usually no more than a year or two before they develop weak spots. Take the long shelf life and reliability of Qualatex and put it into a 17" fluted balloon, and it should in theory be even better than a Tuftex 17" right?

[softsquishyballoon]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

Since Qualatex balloons are not known for being soft, I assume the same is also true of BSA balloons?

[BYGavia]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

Since Qualatex balloons are not known for being soft, I assume the same is also true of BSA balloons?

Correct. BSA are rather firm. They neck nicely, but they’re also rounder when compared with Tuf-Tex.

[LoonerJeff]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

Since Qualatex balloons are not known for being soft, I assume the same is also true of BSA balloons?

They are pretty firm. You don't see them too often, but I like them quite a bit more than Q16's

[softsquishyballoon]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

Is BSA less expensive than Qualatex? I found out the Walmart brand is created by Pioneer. I'm guessing the Walmart brand uses the BSA formula, rather than the Qualatex one.

[LoonerJeff]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

In general, yes. I just bought a 2x 72-packs of 17" balloons for around $40 on amazon. Both Qualatex and recently Tuftex have been selling their 16" and 17" balloons at around $20 for a 50-pack. In the packs I got, there are maybe 10 or so with some defects, some worse than others, but even still, that's better value. They get great necks too; can't decide if I like Tuftex or BSA 17's more, both have their pros and cons. I had some 17" CTI balloons a few years ago that were pretty great, but it's been so long I can't remember how I rank them in comparison

[LoonerJeff]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

On top of that all, it's hard not to love the Tuftex 17" after watching Kirbycutie neck those things the way she does - it's absolutely mesmerizing

[LoonerPlanet]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

BSA's also neck, although not to Kirbycutie standards. (Can we make "Kirbycutie" a measurement of neck length? LOL) They get huge with repeated inflations. Plus I find them to be tougher than Tuftex (translation: more additives in BSA balloons). So, they have a longer shelf life. I like both Tuftex and BSA. However, I like the "feel" and "play" of Tuftex more than BSA. Right now, I have only 1 BSA in my collection, but nearly 200 Tuftex.

[Angstypopper]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

Well, BSA is a outdoor balloon brand if I remember correctly. The latex is thicker and the balloon tougher. I like Tuftex better since overinflating them feels more "rewarding" (shape, size)

In case of storage time BSA wins. I have a pack of BSA since... very long and they are still as good as new, plus you can roll up the lip of the balloon and achieve a very long neck

[softsquishyballoon]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

Hey, another question: Do BSA balloons generally have pronounced drip point? I've been told that Qualatex doesn't. The Walmart brand, also produced by pioneer, sometimes have drip points on them - but they aren't consistent about it. So far, I've not found another balloon brand with drip points.

[LoonerJeff]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

They do, not on all of them, but definitely more than most big brands

[softsquishyballoon]

Re: BSA vs Tuftex

Thanks! <3