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Leading up to age four, my son was very much into outer space. He wanted to be an astronaut (sorry, a ‘parent’ astronaut) when he grew up, so naturally, we went with a space theme for his birthday party that year. As planning evolved, “Space Academy” emerged as the official theme, and I had the idea to create different training stations for the cadets (him and his friends). That’s when the algorithm got me, and I saw an ad for an inflatable balloon dome…
It was perfect. I saw it and immediately imagined a “zero-gravity station” in the yard. Was it excessive for a children’s birthday party? Maybe. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how awesome it would be. So I hopped over to Amazon … and was greeted with a hefty price tag.
In this review, I walk through how we ultimately decided to invest in a balloon dome. Not just whether the balloon dome is a cool party feature (spoiler: it is), but whether it makes sense for your event, and how to determine if you should buy or rent. The one we purchased is no longer available, but you can find a similar option here.
The Decision to Buy vs Rent
When I saw the price tag for the balloon dome online I was crushed. With our budget, there’s no way we were spending that kind of money on one birthday party.
Determined to find a solution, I looked into rentals. But, as it turned out, renting a balloon dome would set us back a couple hundred bucks for an afternoon. And while it would make for an awesome activity at the party, it probably wouldn’t be hundreds of dollars worth of one-time fun.
I searched online awhile, hoping to find an obscure budget store that sold this thing, but to no avail, and I eventually resigned myself to the fact that there would be no zero-gravity dome at the party.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And if there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that when my mind is set on something, I will find a way. That’s when I remembered I had a bunch of Amazon gift cards I’d earned, waiting to be used for something “nice, but not necessary”. And while the subsidized price was still outside of our party budget, we did have room for it in our household budget.
After mulling it over with my husband we decided to pull the trigger, for the following reasons:
We considered future use. This wouldn’t be a one-time party prop. Our son was young enough that we figured we would use it for several more birthday parties before he aged out of it. We also decided we could set it up for random weekend activities with friends. And, if we were up for it, we knew we could rent it out to offset the cost.
In other words, we knew we would get our use out of it.
We did the math. The break-even point on the balloon dome was low enough for us. We would only have to use it 4 times to make buying cheaper than renting.
For you, specifically: The decision to buy vs. rent truly depends on your situation. Buying only works if you’re willing and able to think long-term, have moderate storage space, and aren’t in a tight spot financially. I do want to stress – This is not something to put on a credit card or break your budget over. If you’re set on an inflatable balloon dome for your event but aren’t sure you’ll use it enough to pay off, you might want to rent instead.
So, What Is This Thing?
An inflatable balloon dome is exactly as it sounds: a large, inflatable dome designed to circulate balloons in the inflated area. It creates an enclosed space where kids (or adults) can play, jump around, and laugh at being beaned in the face with balloons.
The basics:
- Dimensions vary by model. Ours is spacious enough that adults can stand comfortably inside (I’m 5’9″ and had no issues standing up and moving around)
- It comes with blowers to keep it inflated
- The dome typically needs to be staked to keep it anchored to the ground (unless you’re using it indoors)
- Balloons are not typically included; you fill it with your own
What came in our box:
- The deflated balloon dome
- A large drawstring storage bag
- Electric blowers
- Thick plastic stakes for anchoring
- Repair patches
- Instructions
Storage: When deflated and packed away in the storage bag, the dome is about 2 feet in diameter and 4 feet long. We store the blowers and stakes separately in a 102-liter tote and keep it all in our garage. It’s not tiny, but it’s manageable for most households with garage or basement space.
Setup and Performance
Before you start:
- Check your location for rocks or sharp debris that could puncture the bottom
- Make sure you have a power source nearby for the blowers
- Check that you have enough space for the footprint plus room for people to enter and exit safely
The setup:
Inflate the airlock frame first, followed by the dome itself. The blowers run continuously while the dome is in use to keep it inflated and dome-like. The whole setup took us less than 10 minutes once everything was laid out. One person could set it up alone, but having two people definitely makes it easier.
Understanding airlocks:
If you’re reading this thinking, “What on earth is an airlock?? That sounds too technical for me”, let me assure you it’s actually quite simple:
An airlock is essentially a small, sealed room you pass through before entering a larger space. In the case of the balloon dome, the airlock has two zippered openings: one to enter the airlock from outside, and one to enter the dome from the airlock. The point is to keep air “locked” inside the dome.
If both zippers are open at the same time, the air escapes and the dome deflates. Because of this, you need to close one zipper before opening the other. So if you’re considering a balloon dome for a kids party, you need someone to monitor this during the party, or make sure kids know the rule.
Other tips:
- Shoes off. Removing shoes before entering the dome helps keep the inside clean and reduces the chance of tearing the base. When we use the dome, we leave a spare pair of shoes inside the airlock as a visual cue to our guests.
- Skip confetti balloons. Balloons do occasionally pop inside the dome. If you use confetti-filled balloons, you’ll be picking up confetti all evening (ask me how I know…).
- Have a few backup stakes. Our dome came with yellow plastic stakes. They’re thick and look sturdy, but a few broke when we were pounding them into the ground. We were using a rubber mallet and the ground wasn’t overly hard, so I’m not entirely sure why they broke… Our dome came with spares, so it was a non-issue, but you could also use a couple metal tent stakes if you have some.
The aesthetic:
It inflated well, without excessive wrinkling from being packaged (the dome anyway… The entrance was still a little wrinkly). Even so, it was exactly what I had hoped for and worked perfectly for our Space Academy theme. I also like that it’s versatile; you can change the aesthetic by simply swapping out the balloons you use.
The kids’ reaction:
All said and done, this is what I cared most about. The balloon dome was definitely a hit and was rarely empty throughout the party. Even the adults jumped in for some fun! To date, it’s been the most popular activity at our son’s birthday parties.
Durability and Storage
We’ve used our inflatable balloon dome for two birthday parties now, storing it in the garage for the year in between. So while I can’t speak to longevity, I can tell you that it’s survived a year in an insulated, unheated garage, with outdoor winter temperatures lingering around -25°C (-13°F) and summers reaching 30°C (86°F).
We haven’t had any issues with material degradation or blower failure with it being kept in the garage. Overall, it’s actually pretty easy to store as long as you have a bit of space to spare. The trickiest part is folding the balloon dome back up once it’s deflated and jamming it into the storage bag – if you get frustrated folding a fitted sheet, brace yourself for putting this thing away.
Pricing
Prices for balloon domes shift a lot depending on size, seller, season, and availability. If you’re considering buying, my recommendation would be to shop different seasons (if time allows), and definitely check reviews. Our exact dome is no longer listed, but there are many similar options on Amazon, like this one.
Is an Inflatable Balloon Dome Right for You?
Some events it could fit:
- Kids’ birthday parties (kind of a given)
- Adult parties if you want an interactive activity
- Weddings (with the right styling, it could be a fun photo opportunity or activity space)
- Family reunions or community events where you want to keep people entertained
- Larger/company Christmas parties (with white balloons to create a snow-globe effect)
- Any event where you want a statement feature that doubles as an activity
Buy if:
- You have somewhere to store it (garage, basement, shed)
- It fits your budget without creating financial strain
- You see yourself using it multiple times (enough to offset the price tag)
Rent if:
- It’s for a one-time event and you don’t want to deal with storing or reselling it
- Your budget is tight and you’d rather spend the money on a single use rental
- You don’t have adequate storage space
- You’re not confident you’ll use it again
Don’t bother if:
- You have nowhere to store it
- Your party budget is very tight
- You have nowhere to plug the blowers in at your venue
- You’re looking for something that doesn’t require any setup
So, Would I Buy It Again?
Absolutely.
Even though it came with a hefty price tag, our son and guests have gotten so much enjoyment out of it. The trickiest part going forward will be figuring out how to tie it into each year’s theme, but so far it’s worked for Space Academy and Transformers, and I’m confident I’ll be able to tie it into future themes.
Is it an investment? Sure. But if you have the space, the budget, and plans to use it multiple times, it’s a statement piece that will give your party that extra special touch.
Decided to buy? Find a similar dome here!