The team at BuzzFeed Germany spoke to Maggy BerLoon (30) about her unique fetish. Maggy lives in the city of Solingen and has a sexual preoccupation with balloons. She sat down and explained just why that is and why we should all use balloons as sex toys.
1. I enjoy the mere sight of balloons.
"There's one thing that all balloon fetishists have in common: they love the sight of balloons. But not all of them are sexually aroused by the sight. Many people, including myself, need a little more action. Some experience pleasure, for example, when they're blowing up a balloon. Others like popping balloons and then there are others who only become aroused by physical contact with balloons and essentially use them as sex toys."
2. Feeling the way the balloon is expanding and how the pressure is building and getting more intense makes me almost ache with pleasure.
"Balloons fascinate me. If I sit on a balloon, the intense pressure and rubbing really turns me on. I'm attractive to how such a fragile and delicate object can handle so much pressure. On the one hand, balloons are smooth and soft, but then on the other, they're so firm and robust. That's awesome!
A balloon nestles against your body and the latex feels warm and soft. The pressure builds and it gets so hard, before it pops, of course. When you sit on it, you feel this enormous pressure under you. It's always something of a thrill because you can't stop worrying about it popping. I really flip if my husband holds an uninflated balloon against my vagina and then blows it up with his mouth. Feeling the way the balloon is expanding and how the pressure is building and getting more intense makes me almost ache with pleasure."
3. There are looners, poppers, non-poppers, and semi-poppers.
"'Looner' is the broadest term that balloon fetishists use to describe themselves. People who like to pop the balloons are called 'poppers'. Then there are the people who don't like popping, some of whom even have a fear of loud noises (lygrophobia), who call themselves 'non-poppers'. And finally there are the 'semi-poppers'. They're somewhere in between."
4. For me, a popping balloon is like a vibrator running out of batteries right while I'm in the middle of using it.
"The topic of popping balloons is highly controversial in the community. The poppers find it really great and can even climax from it. Some don't even need to be actively involved, just watching it and the thought of the balloon popping is enough for them. For poppers, the B2P (blow to pop) and S2P (sit to pop) balloons are especially popular. For me, a popping balloon is like a vibrator running out of batteries right while I'm in the middle of using it. Not cool!"
5. Every looner is different.
"When I met my husband almost 12 years ago, he told me about his secret kink. He was afraid that I'd laugh at him and judge him or reject him because of it. But honestly, it's just balloons! That's how he opened up a diverse and playful new world for me. I had never heard about balloon fetishists before then. Now I don't ever want to have sex without using balloons as a sex toy. Despite not even knowing it was a fetish or ever having a single sexual thought about balloons like my husband, I became a looner in my own unique way.
6. Not every looner is innately into balloons.
"Because I only discovered my predilection for balloons later, I felt about the same way about balloons as I did streamers. They were fun to have around, but nothing more. For other looners, however, there's often an event (or several) in their childhood that triggered their fetish. For example, a balloon popping at a birthday party or at a school celebration."
7. My favorite sex position is on the balloon, lying on my belly, taking it from behind.
"For me, the sexiest position is if I lie on a zeppelin balloon and my husband takes me from behind. Our movements cause the balloon to pulsate and returns every thrust with even more strength. Just imagine stretching a rubber band apart. It feels similar if you have sex on a balloon. That, combined with the building pressure and the rubbing of the balloon, is really sexy."
8. Zeppelin balloons are frightening the first time.
"My first time was funny but very exciting at the same time. To be honest, I found the situation surreal. I mean, I really had absolutely no idea what would happen next. I was only ever aware of those cheap balloons from the supermarket around the corner and didn't know there were such awesome balloons out there in the world! They come in all shapes and sizes – there are balloons which are made just for sitting on and having sex on.
When my husband brought out his balloon collection and I first witnessed his giant balloons, it was pretty overwhelming and a bit frightening too. I'll just say, it's not that easy to keep your balance on such a giant balloon when you're a beginner."
9. Speaking openly about the fetish is unfortunately still often a taboo.
"I love my parents and have a pretty good relationship with them, but they're pretty conservative and uptight when it comes to sexuality. The topic simply doesn't exist. Even though I've often wished that I could be open about it. I've often started to talk about the topic, but it's always in vain. It's just incredibly uncomfortable for them."
10. Looners don't buy their balloons in the supermarket.
"Balloons from the supermarket are generally too small and too round. They're okay as decorations, but I can't do anything else with them. Balloons need a little more stability to be used in bed, which is why I've turned my love for balloons into my job too. Now I can get balloons right from the source with our shop Balloons United and can spare myself the supermarket searches for giant balloons."
11. If you want to integrate a balloon into your sex life, first listen to the experiences of others.
"I advise anyone who's curious to use a zeppelin balloon to start with. Compared to the other figure balloons, they are really easy to blow up and you can easily (and comfortably) sit or lie on them to have sex.
One last thing, even though it seems like common sense: make sure that there's nothing sharp or pointy or hot near by the balloon. And the surface underneath needs to be as soft as possible (like a bed, or duvet, or carpet). Then just sit on it and let yourself go. Go with your gut and do whatever is enjoyable and feels good for the both of you. That's it. On our YouTube channel, we have a few videos with tips and tricks on how to blow up balloons correctly and the right types of balloon for you."
12. You've got a balloon fetish? You're totally normal.
"Just because playing with balloons turns you on doesn't mean you aren't normal. You've got a balloon fetish? You're totally normal. If you're just curious and want to try out using balloons in bed, that's absolutely fine! After all, what is 'normal'?"
You can find Maggy BerLoon's balloon shop here and her Facebook profile here.
And these are Maggy's favorite balloons:
This post was translated from German.