Don’t let their benign nature fool you. Balloons are an aphrodisiac with the power to make women writhe with pleasure and men scream with ecstatic anticipation. Fans of this fetish have congregated on the Net since its earliest days, creating mail lists and chat forums, trading stories, pictures and movies, all in the name of these air-filled fixations. Where there’s a fetish, there are people who devote their lives to producing content to feed the fires of fans. Many pay sites have popped up promising satisfaction and delivering weekly updates full of pleasure. Balloon lovers, or “looners” as they’re sometimes known¹, are often considered a subset of the latex-family of fetishes but they can also be grouped in with other areas such as airplay, body inflation and BDSM. But don’t be fooled; Balloon fetishists are a group in their own right and they have staked out their territory on the Net.

Although there are many interests when it comes to the balloon fetish, there seems to be heavy division between two particular categories: poppers and non-poppers. Poppers are all about the excitement of explosion and aren’t satisfied until it happens. There seems to be a correlation for some between being scared and sexual stimulation. Popping comes in many forms including blow2pops, blowing up a balloon until it bursts, sitpop, sitting on a balloon until it explodes, nailpop, gouging a balloon, ride2pop, which is similar to the sitpop but usually involves a bouncing or riding motion, or a number of other methods such as pins or cigarettes². The non-poppers are all about keeping latex in its original form. They rub, touch and play with balloons in many ways.

“Some non poppers enjoy the anticipation aspects (such as when) the neck of a tightly inflated balloon bulges,” said Emmanuelle, who runs Balloon Directory. “Some non poppers enjoy the anticipation aspects (such as when) the neck of a tightly inflated balloon bulges. The pop is anticlimactic, and ruins the mood, but the build up to the pop is highly arousing for them.”

Poppers and non-pops aside, balloon lovers can fixate on various other areas. Some people are attracted to the strong smell of latex, which is a form of liquid rubber. Balloons are made by taking small moulds that are shaped like deflated balloons and dipping them into latex. Since they are dipped upside down, the excess latex runs off and can leave a slightly thicker area that is visible at the top of balloons³. Balloon fetishists can be well schooled in the whole process of balloon creation and connoisseurs can even tell one balloon from another by using their nose.

“Some balloon fans can identify the brand of a balloon by its scent,” said Emmanuelle. “Some people also enjoy the scent of oxidized balloons, as the scent will increase as it decomposes. Ever leave an inflated balloon in your car overnight in the summer? Your car will smell like a condom for days.”

Other people like balloons because of the way they feel. This can involve touching with the hands or rubbing it against various parts of the body. However, balloons are more than a straight latex fetish. The passion involves another dynamic that regular rubber does not. That additional feature is inflation.

Once inflated, the balloons hold other charms. Their malleable shapes allow for give and take, much like human flesh. Rolling a clown balloon into a doughnut and using it as an orifice might be all one needs to reach the height of sexual ecstasy. This can’t be achieved with regular latex products. Only a balloon can give the pure satisfaction that latex-lovers of this fetish crave.

Where a balloon fetish is born is anyone’s guess. It could be seen, for some, as a connection with a mother’s breast. However, it could also be something as benign as a chance encounter during puberty with a person who was near balloons, blowing them up, popping them or simply playing with them. It would be impossible to ascertain the origin of every balloon lover’s fetish. The possibilities are just too numerous to count. What is certain is that this fetish can be as powerful as any other we look at on Fetish Fish.

Lovers of latex can be as vocal about their interests as any other. In some cities, fans of the fetish congregate in clubs to celebrate their shared passions⁴. There are also discussion sites set up such as Balloon Buddies, which caters both to straight and gay fans of the fetish and Champagne and Balloons. Web celeb Buster Steve even runs a company called Big Boys Balloons to cater to the demand for specialized rubbers. The balloon fetish is alive and well on the net and all you have to do is look to the adult sites that have popped up to prove it.

Fetish Fish has reviewed a number of balloon fetish sites so that fans of this latex-based erotic interest can quickly find the best source of material. Check out our ratings and you’ll soon see that just being a balloon lover doesn’t mean you’re alone!

References
1. “Balloon Fetish” Deviant Desires, DeviantDesires.com/, Nov 14. 2005.
2. “Balloon Fetishism” Wikipedia, Wikipedia.com, Nov 14, 2005.
3. “Questions About Balloons” KCB Associates, Kcbassociates.com, Nov 14, 2005.
4. “I Did It For Science: Balloon Fetish” Nerve, Nerve.com, Nov 14, 2005.