Balloon Inflator - Double Action Air Pump

I practically had to teach my childcare kids how to perform CPR because I was passing out from blowing up balloons for them all the time. :) Parents thought I was a glutton for punishment when I started making balloon animals for them. After 1 day, I realized I needed a pump. After 30 minutes of research (yeah, I know, it sounds silly), I decided to buy this one! It's PERFECT! It pumps the balloons up quickly (so go slow), the balloons fit on it perfectly (all shapes and sizes), and it pumps effortlessly (unlike others where your hands hurt). When I ordered another bag of balloons, it came with a cheap orange pump. That one has 2 pieces and always falls apart. I am constantly reassembling it and it only pumps on the push motion. This one outshines them all and is very reasonably priced; in fact, a balloon artist came over and was so impressed by this pump that he bought one himself!

My youngest son loves balloons. I mean, loves them. He'd have me blow up balloons all day long if I could. But after a few tough balloons, the insides of my cheeks feel like I've pulled muscles not to mention all the straining leaves me breathless and with a headache.So, I bought a little cheap balloon pump with cheap balloons. Broke during the first use of the first balloon.. and both the pump and the balloons went into the trash.I immediately turned to Amazon and found this balloon pump. It's inexpensive. It pumps air into the balloon on both the pull and the push (not all pumps do this).. So you don't lose air while you are pumping.The only down side was my anxiousness to use the pump to inflate balloons.. I'd inflate too fast and pop balloons. Now, if I go too fast, my son holds his ears and heads to the other room "just in case".My husband was blowing up a balloon a couple weeks ago the old fashioned way. The balloon popped (wasn't over-filled, just must have been a weak spot in the balloon) and hit my husband in the eye. For a week afterward, his eye hurt, would water and was very tender. He'll be making use of the balloon pump more often now too.

FIRST PUMP – lasted one weekThe dual pump action stopped working within 7 days of EXTREMELY LIGHT USE. The top flange that allows up stroke inflation fell out of place then the nozzle came off. I liked the product and thought it may have been a fluke so I bought two more... in case the replacement broke.SECOND PUMP – lasted 1 balloonThese were EVEN WORSE than the first pump. The nozzle came off with the second balloon! I used some superglue and it seemed to fix the problem but then the up-stroke feature stopped working again. This causes the air to leak out when you aren't pumping, basically rendering the pump useless.THIRD PUMP – lasted 4 balloonsSame problem as the others. Top flange failed and stopped up-stroke inflation and allows air escape.CONCLUSION –I'm $21 in the hole and still not better off. Maybe there is a better pump out there... but all the guys I see on YouTube just inflate using their mouth. Either it's time to buy a compressed air tank, or man-up and get some major lung power. Blowing these up manually is VERY HARD.

Seriously, keep it and stop, while you're at it, filling all of your balloons with hot air!This thing is a Cheek, Head, and Lung Saver!I purchased this double action balloon pump because I have to set up a birthday party with the inclusion of several Latex Balloon Curtains in under 5 hours (that's over 200 balloons), oh and did I mention that the crew is going to consist of 'me, myself and I'?I was afraid I might pass out from lack of oxygen, so if a measly $7.49 is all it's going to take to save me from a headache (and possibly the hospital after 200 balloons), then I'm all for making my life easier.This pump is great, I've already tested it on about a dozen (cheapy) balloons and it filled all of them up quickly and easily; took about five minutes. I am hoping the better quality balloons will be even easier.However, as one reviewer mentioned, you shouldn't go fast because the balloons will pop from too much pressure too soon. Just use nice, gentle, even strokes and the balloon will be filled before you know it.Also I read that another reviewer complained about their fingers hurting from holding the neck of the balloon in place. I was worried about the same thing, but what I noticed is, that online there seem to be two separate balloon pumps advertised as "The Double Action Pump".One is a deep purple with a red/pink rim and a black nozzle and the other is a acid green with a pink rim and a black nozzle.The purple pump appears to have a nozzle with the tip that fits into the balloon, which then narrows out, only to widen out again towards the red/pink rim of the pump. I did not receive this one in the mail, but I believe this to be the pump with the "finger pain" issue simply because of the slimness in the neck that would not allow the balloon to grip itself.The pump I received in the mail was the acid green pump, with the pink rim and black nozzle, that nozzle has the tip with a more solid neck that doesn't narrow out at any point.If this is the pump you receive in the mail (since they seem to be sent out at random), you probably will not have the "finger issue" because of the ridges in the nozzle neck. Once you slide the balloon over the tip, the rubber ring on the neck of the balloon grips itself onto the nozzle's ridges. You still need to hold the balloon to ensure the air pump action doesn't force the balloon off, but it's more like a light pinch rather than a firm grip.I'd say the holding pressure is similar to what you would apply when holding an empty paper plate in your hand.

I bought two of these and the handle came off on both only after using the pump for a day. After gluing the handles on both one of them then wouldn't work properly, one rubber valve kept sticking and it seemed the top cover was getting a small crack in it.When they did work they worked well enough. After they broke and I glued them it is always sketchy using them as you fear it will come apart again.This is not for young kids, my mistake. I have two kids, 7 and 4, this is not for them as they weren't strong enough to pull or push. The 7 yr old could get it started but then wasn't fast enough to keep it going as the balloon deflates if you don't keep pumping it.