How to use the 'Balloonbed'

The pack we supply consists of the following:

• Enough modeling balloons for 3 outings plus a few spares

• A mini-pump to blow up the balloons

• The mattress fabric with sewn in sleeves for the balloons

• A stuff-sack for events

• Instructions telling you how to assemble the bed

All you need to do is blow up the balloons and insert them into the sleeves in the fabric. That's it! It takes about 10 minutes.

Inflating and knotting the Balloons

This is the important bit! You may think, "What can be so hard about blowing up balloons?" But it is crucial that you follow some simple advice to ensure that your bed doesn't let you down. 

• Practice at home first! Some fanatics even sleep on it in the garden or kitchen floor to be sure it'll work.
• Follow the instructions for inflating the balloons carefully! I know.... real men don't do that but.... if you don't, you might find that you burst the balloons, have a miserable night and waste the money you have so wisely invested in your  'balloonbed'.

How do I pack it away?

When you've used the bed the balloons need to be popped (safety pin provided - you'll have problems bursting them any other way). The fabric can be folded away and the burst balloons later disposed of sensibly. Some users say they can unpick the knots and re-use the balloons (this is only an option for the very patient!)

Won't the balloons burst?

They won't as long as you treat them with a little respect. We have found that bursts mainly occur during inflation and knotting (this is good as it weeds out any weaker balloons). Balloon beginners who burst balloons during inflation do so generally because they haven't read the instructions. 

The basic principle of the 'balloonbed' is that when you step or sit on the balloons -  the air compressed in that part simply moves to the rest of the balloon which stretches to accommodate it. If you've ever seen a magician give them excessive abuse as they twist them into bizarre shapes then you'll know how strong they can be. See the pictures link for a video of 'balloonbed' abuse!

How many times can I use 'balloonbed'?

The fabric we use for the outer sheath was designed for sails and parachutes. It's very light, durable and strong and depending on how much you use it should see you through years of service. We supply you with enough balloons for 3 outings - after that you are going to need to get some more. If you've bought the 'original' balloonbed that uses 260Q balloons then you can get balloons from any newsagents / toy /novelty shop. If you've bought the Mark2 with 350Q balloons then you'll have to buy more from us - see the buy page for details of costs. Very roughly though, it will cost you about £1.25 in balloons for each night's sleep.

Step by Step balloon inflating advice: (Click on any of the pictures to get a larger view)

1. Push the balloon over 1st ridge on the nozzle (some may prefer to go over both ridges)
2. Use finger and thumb and gently squeeze the balloon next to where it attaches to the pump - apply gentle pressure to stop the balloon inflating here whilst allowing air to pass through. Your aim is to produce a 2-3 cm length of un-inflated latex with which to tie a knot.
3. Start inflating -  allow air to pass through the balloon between your finger and thumb so that the balloon inflates on the other side. This is the most important bit!
4. Continue pumping  - some prefer to push the pump up and down with their hand onto the ground
5. Keep your eye on the diminishing tail at the end. When it disappears completely, pump twice more only. Push the balloon off the pump with your thumb or finger
6. If you've been paying attention you'll have a huge amount of latex you can stretch to make a knot. If you haven't  you'll probably burst the balloon trying to knot it! It may be best to start again with another balloon because once the area near the end has been inflated you simply can't deflate it at that point and create a long enough neck. 
7. Wrap the latex around two fingers
8. Then pass the end over the balloon neck and up between your fingers.
9. A simple overhand knot.
10. That's it!