Best 36-inch balloon?

[BlueYoshi]

I’ve had Qualatex, Belbal, Cattex longneck, and a Chinese brand. I like the durability of Qualatex but not so much the round shape. B350s are great, but expensive.

I’ve been most curious about Unique and Tuf-Tex. Tuf-Tex 36” look like they could be fun, but I’m wondering if they have the lovely shape that TT17” and 24” have.

My current favorite might be Qualatex just because of their availability and durability.

What do you guys think?

[BlowAndInhale]

The only 36-inch balloons I’ve ever had have been whatever Walmart sells, but they’ve been fun to blow up.

[Seidenki]

I think "best" is highly subjective. I have some Chinese ones that great because of how soft they are - but they can be fragile and they're noticeably not spherical. More like a cross between pear-shaped and ellipsoid. I had some Unique 36"s a number of years ago. They were good - perhaps better even than Qualatex 36"s. Same shape, but were a little softer.

[lyckr]

I think you'll find that most 36" balloons have a similar shape to Qualatex. Over the years I've tried Qualatex, Tuf-Tex, Cattex and Sempertex.

Tuf-Tex are in many ways my favorite. They're round, but can be necked a little. They're also strong and get really soft after the first inflation. Downside is that they degrade quicker than other brands.

Cattex have a lot of different balloons in that size range. The 32" round balloons are very round and feels very firm. Their 36" "paddle"-shape is on the other hand a lot softer. It's the only 36" I've had pop on me, although it might have been because it rubbed against the wooden panel wall and hit something sharp, rather than because of a defect.
Worth mentioning their 32" longnecks as well. They're amazing! They're nice and soft, and feels very durable.

Sempertex is probably one of the less common brands I've tried (Nordiclooners sells them). They're not as round as the other brands. They get quite firm, at least the first few times, but feels reasonably durable.

Hope that helps

[SuTeKh]

Ive only really ever had the walmart 36 inch and i love them have no complaints. Wish they had more then 3 in a pack but i believe they are tuftex they are the first and only loons i have ever confidently ridden without worry of popping

[LoonerPlanet]

My favorites are Tuftex, Cattex and Belbal. With repeated inflations, they get huge.

For those of us in North America, Tuftex are the cheapest and easiest to purchase. Good color selection, good shape, and I like the feel. But you do need to get them from a source that has lots of turnover to avoid old balloons.

Cattex has lots of good imprints; the Happy Birthday print is especially large on the balloon. Cattex may even inflate bigger than the tuftex. And, as pointed out, are softer than the others with a paddle shape. They also smell really nice. Some crystal colors in the long neck line. (And a nice looking marble balloon, which is usually out of stock at balloons-united. Sigh.) I still struggle to get a neck on the long neck variety, but I love the big designs on the imprints.

Belbal is like a 36 inch on steroids. Thick latex and very reusable. Lots of great colors, including ones like crystal teal. Their birthday imprint is a beautiful metallic balloon and one of my favorites, plus it will get huge with repeated inflation as well. Definitely worth the extra money, IMHO.

I used to get Unique 36's when they were sold at Party City, but the store dropped them and I really don't miss them.

Qtex disappoints me these days. Their balloons are well made with good colors; but expensive and no necks. I also am not a big fan of round balloons. One exception is the new superagate, which is quite beautiful. However, it is 30" and still no neck. Not cheap either. Probably won't buy another one until they start making the 24" again (which is probably never).

The only 36" inch that have popped on me are one Tuftex and one Cattex long neck. I pushed my luck with both of those. LOL.

[Seidenki]

Qtex disappoints me these days. Their balloons are well made with good colors; but expensive and no necks. I also am not a big fan of round balloons. One exception is the new superagate, which is quite beautiful. However, it is 30" and still no neck. Not cheap either. Probably won't buy another one until they start making the 24" again (which is probably never).

Other than the 24", Qualatex ballons 16" or bigger have a reputation for being difficult to neck. Their 30" balloons are known for not necking.

[BalloonBoyUK]

I've only ever used Qualatex 36"/3ft balloons, simply because when you're inflating a balloon that big, you want some control over the quality of the manufacturing of it, and some assurance that if you fill it with helium, and fill-it to the right size, it won't pop.

Other than that, I'm afraid I have no other experience.

One final point, if I may: there are some balloon manufacturers who seem to sell 3ft balloons, which are actually only 30-inches in size. Be really careful, as if you overfill these (with air or helium), and they aren't strong, they'll pop!

[Yen_D_Heart]

I love 36' balloons.
My favorite by far is the TufTex 36. I am too afraid to neck them, but they get really big after a few inflations. So far none of my two Tuftex popped, but I think I am pushing my luck at this point.

The Belbal B350 is also great. If you like it firm and stable, this is the one. I used to like them more because of how durable they are, but they are just TOO firm for my taste. I still like them, especially for sitting on them. I am more confident around them than other balloons.

Cattex 36 is very affordable (where I live at least) and they hold up great. The material is soft and feels very nice, but their shape is a bit awkward in my opinion. Otherwise a good "starting point" for 36 balloons.

The Unique 36 is by far my biggest disappointment from all 36 inch balloons. They get barely to their size before I feel like they are popping and mine popped very early in two halves. On the other hand, it was fun playing with them when I under-inflated them, but for their price I think you can get better ones.

My experiences with the Qualatex 36 was good so far. They are the most round shape of all my 36 inch balloons, but have this weird, long neck that you can't inflate. The big upside is, that they have a variety of prints available. My favorite print is the Disney Princess one in pink and rose. They are also more expensive, sadly.

The SA 36 (from Tuky?) is amazing, IF you can get one of them at all. Great neck and soft material, nice shape in general. I only ever had one and sadly it got a small hole in the top, so I can't inflate it anymore. I live in Europe, so getting these (and the 24 version) seems impossible, sadly

I bought 3 Susy Card 36 balloons as well. They are "decent". They feel somewhat similar to the Qualatex balloons, are rather firm when inflated. They are the least interesting one I feel. I got them for 2€ per balloon, so I don't mind.

I want to get my hands on Sempertex balloons as well, but didn't find them with the colours that I want.

If you live in Europe, "big_balloons" on eBay also sell big balloons (shocking, I know). I recently ordered WXY 36 balloons and BWS/Rifco (32~) round balloons from them. Their prices are good and I got an immediate response from the owner about my order. I post an update if I have tried them.