Looners are people who integrate balloons in one way or another during sex. We asked Tom what turns him on.
What do you think of when you see a balloon? Perhaps a party where someone was too good with the decorations. Or games from your childhood where you had to balance a balloon with a friend. But some people see more than that in a balloon. For them, balloons are part of their sex life: so-called looners.
Looners are people who like balloons and integrate them during sex. How they do this is completely individual. Some like the smell, others like popping the balloons and others simply like rubbing themselves against the hollow bodies filled with air. And then there are also people who like inflatables, i.e. inflatable boats or tubes. So the fetish is pretty diverse.
The making of a looner: Tom's love of balloons
Tom describes himself as a looner, is around 30, lives in Berlin - and actually has a different name. Even as a child, he was fascinated by balloons. "I remember exactly how traumatising it was for me when someone popped a balloon at a party," he says. He saw balloons as playmates. "For me, it was a bit like someone cutting off the head of a cuddly toy."
At the age of 11, Tom took several balloons under his duvet for the first time and started rubbing himself against them. That's how he had his first orgasm. "Back then, I had no idea what it actually meant," he explains. He started masturbating at the age of 12 and deliberately used balloons. "I liked the material, the smell and the elasticity of the balloons," says Tom.
Being a looner: when a fetish becomes a challenge
As he got older, he liked it when other boys broke balloons at parties or just played with them. He imagined himself having sex with them in a room full of balloons. "It turned me on and it became a fantasy," he says. This fantasy became more and more present over time. When he was 22 years old, Tom plucked up his courage and spoke to his boyfriend at the time about it. He responded favourably and the two of them tested out the fantasy together. However, it didn't go the way Tom would have liked. He himself didn't know exactly what he liked and his boyfriend was also awkward. Not particularly sexy, Tom remembers.
Living out their sexual preference is not always easy for Looner. Apart from the fact that the fetish is not very widespread, says Tom, there are also other obstacles. Neighbours, for example, who are disturbed by balloons popping at night.
Looner fetish in dating: be honest or keep quiet?
Tom doesn't tell many people about his preference. Even in Berlin there is no looner scene, which is why it is not easy to meet people with the same preference. The only exchange takes place online via dating sites. And Tom is sometimes ghosted there when he talks about his fetish. And telling people he meets on dating sites about his fetish is also strange. "I never know how they'll react." If someone shows interest anyway, he feels his way slowly. He has no desire to be made fun of or reduced to that. "After all, I also enjoy sex when there are no balloons involved."
Looner preferences: When latex, scent and bursting are arousing
The material and smell are particularly important to Tom. “They can't be cheap balloons, but high-quality ones made of good latex,” he says. Such balloons are available in online shops such as Balloons-United, which specialise in selling high-quality balloons for looners. They also smell best when they have been lying around for a day or two. During sex, Tom likes to blow up balloons or simply press them against himself. “But I also like to blow up balloons until they burst – or watch others do it,” he says.
Tom finds it sexy when someone plays with balloons or pops them during foreplay. Since he also has a foot fetish, he enjoys watching someone stomp on balloons. “I find it more exciting when others do something with the balloons and I watch.” But most importantly, people who are open to the balloon fetish strike Tom as carefree and playful. They seem like they don't take everything too seriously. “I find that incredibly attractive.”
FAQ about the looner fetish
The looner fetish describes a sexual preference for balloons. Those affected – known as „looners“ – experience pleasure through contact with balloons, for example through their material, smell, rubbing them or popping them.
No, the looner fetish is rather rare. Many affected individuals report that they did not dare to speak openly about it for a long time – partly out of fear of incomprehension or rejection.
That's very individual. Some like the feel of the latex material, others like the smell, the sound when it bursts, or playing with the pressure. Some looners also feel pleasure when others interact with the balloons.
Yes, many looners – like Tom in the article – enjoy sex without balloons. The fetish is part of their sexuality, but not necessarily the only part.
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