🎈 Helium Balloon Lift
How many balloons needed to lift an object
About this calculator
Helium balloons lift a fixed weight per volume of gas, and this calculator tells you how many balloons a job needs. Enter the weight to lift — party decorations, a payload, a camera — and it returns the helium volume required and roughly how many standard 11-inch balloons that means.
Helium lifts about 1 gram per litre (around 28 grams per cubic foot) after subtracting the balloon's own weight. A standard 11-inch latex balloon holds roughly 14 litres and lifts 10 to 14 grams net — which is why a teddy bear needs dozens, not a handful.
Tip: Helium is a finite resource with real scientific uses, so save it for special occasions — and never release balloons outdoors, where they become litter and a hazard to wildlife.