Can balloons handle heat and cold? From -20 to +60 °C

Harry Viet, founder of PilaMania

Published · 4 min read

Heat makes the air or helium in a balloon expand, cold makes it shrink. That is why latex and foil are at their best indoors, at a steady temperature. Our PVC balls can stand outdoors from -20 to +60 °C. Inflate them at about the temperature they will stand in.

Balloon column in white and turquoise on a sunny terrace with white walls, an olive tree and parasols
In full sun it stays standing, all day long.

What do heat and cold do to a balloon?

Heat makes the gas in a balloon expand, cold makes it shrink. That applies to every balloon, filled with air or with helium. If the volume stays the same, the pressure rises with the temperature.1Wikipedia, Gay-Lussac's law An example calculation: if a ball goes from 20 to 60 °C, the pressure rises by about 14 percent. If it goes from 20 to -20 °C, the pressure drops by about 14 percent.

In practice you notice this straight away. A balloon you inflate tightly indoors becomes even tighter outside in the sun. In frost, the same balloon feels softer. And the sun counts too: a ball in full sun gets warmer than the air around it, especially in a dark colour.

  • -20 to +60°C guideline for soft PVC, also for our balls
  • 14% more pressure in a ball going from 20 to 60 °C (approx.)
  • 69°C car dashboard after an hour in the sun (average)
Source: Gay-Lussac (calculation), Vanos et al. 2018, Tubes International1Wikipedia, Gay-Lussac's law4Temperature, Evaluating the impact of solar radiation on pediatric heat balance within enclosed, hot vehicles, 20186Tubes International, PVC and PA (nylon) hose characteristics

How do latex and foil cope with sun and frost?

They are at their best indoors, at a steady temperature. Outdoors they have a hard time. Latex is natural rubber, and natural rubber is sensitive to ozone. Ozone forms outdoors under the influence of sunlight, and attacks the rubber.2Wikipedia, Ozone cracking On top of that, helium expands in the heat: a tightly filled balloon can then burst. In the cold it shrinks and sags.

Foil does not stretch.3Wikipedia, Balloon When it gets warmer, the gas has nowhere to go and a seam can tear open. In the cold, the balloon loses its shape. For a party indoors none of this is a problem: there the temperature is stable, and there latex and foil are strong.

How do you set up PVC balls outdoors, in summer and winter?

You can simply set them up, from -20 to +60 °C. Watch the pressure, and spots that get hotter than the air. Our balls are made of phthalate-free, soft PVC and sit on a frame, so no helium is needed. For soft PVC, -20 to +60 °C is a common guideline: manufacturers of soft PVC hoses recommend the same range.6Tubes International, PVC and PA (nylon) hose characteristics We follow that guideline too. Above about 60 °C, PVC starts to soften and deform.5Wikipedia, Polyvinyl chloride That is why the upper limit is there, and not higher.

In warm countries in particular, that makes the difference. Much happens outdoors there: terraces, beach clubs, garden weddings, festivals. Latex balloons burst in the sun or lose their shape, and whatever bursts is left behind as waste. PVC balls stay standing and keep their shape. This makes balloon decoration possible where the sun shines in full. Even the European heat record, 48.8 °C in Sicily in 2021, is still below the 60 °C limit.7World Meteorological Organization (WMO), WMO confirms verification of new continental European temperature record, 30 January 2024 A ball in full sun does get warmer than the air. So choose light colours there if you can.

You will not easily reach that limit outdoors, but in a car you will. On a hot summer day, the dashboard of a car in the sun reached almost 70 °C on average within an hour.4Temperature, Evaluating the impact of solar radiation on pediatric heat balance within enclosed, hot vehicles, 2018 So do not leave balls in the car.

How to set up your balls outdoors, in summer and winter

This way a column stands just as well at the entrance in December as in July. You will find more ideas for outdoors in winter in our Christmas decoration.

Remember this

  1. Warm expands, cold shrinks: count on it with every balloon.
  2. Latex and foil? Preferably indoors, at a steady temperature.
  3. PVC? Outdoors from -20 to +60 °C, from frost to full sun.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes, down to -20 °C. The cold lowers the pressure, so the balls feel a little softer. When it gets warmer again, they firm up again by themselves.

Yes, up to +60 °C. Inflate them at about the outdoor temperature, so that they do not become too tight in the sun.

Better not. On a hot day, the dashboard can reach almost 70 °C within an hour. That is more than PVC can handle well.

The temperatures in this article are guideline values for normal use. Sun, wind and the spot where the decoration stands can make the difference.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, Gay-Lussac's law. View the source
  2. Wikipedia, Ozone cracking. View the source
  3. Wikipedia, Balloon (section foil balloons). View the source
  4. Vanos J.K., Middel A., Poletti M.N., Selover N.J., Evaluating the impact of solar radiation on pediatric heat balance within enclosed, hot vehicles, Temperature, . View the source
  5. Wikipedia, Polyvinyl chloride. View the source
  6. Tubes International, PVC and PA (nylon) hose characteristics. View the source
  7. World Meteorological Organization (WMO), WMO confirms verification of new continental European temperature record, . View the source

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