Purse your lips, take a deep breath, begin to blow and then feel it slowly grow within your hands. It’s kind of soft at first, but the more you blow, the more firm it gets. Firmer and firmer, until it feels like it may explode! Just one more blow. Bang! There it goes! All over your face. Shredded rubber in all directions. That sharp, ear-ringing pop that sends a tingle down to the very tips of your toes. What are you? You’re a “looner” of the “popper” variety. There are other varieties, “non-pop” being the most notable, but all share a common theme — the sexual attraction to all things inflatable.
Blowing things up! That’s right, blowing things up, i.e inflating them, (not destroying them with dynamite) is a very popular fetish, one that’s growing all the time and one with its own intricacies. Balloons, from whence the term “looners” derives, are probably the most popular inflatables to toy and fondle with, but that takes nothing away from all the other inflatables that have their own fanatics. Pool toys, rubber rings, beach balls, air mats and lilos all qualify as possible objects of an inflataphile’s desire.
Poppers like to inflate the balloons until they pop, gleaning satisfaction from the anticipation of the pop as the balloon fills with more and more air until it explodes.
In fact anything inflatable is fair game, and why not, who knows what might float your boat? So back to the looners. They have a fascination with balloons, specifically. Poppers like to inflate the balloons until they pop, gleaning satisfaction from the anticipation of the pop as the balloon fills with more and more air until it explodes. The loud bang brings the moment to a climax that translates to a sexual climax for some. The sound itself is a key factor for sexual arousal.
Toying, playing and squishing it all mean something different to a looner! Non-poppers are basically the polar opposite. They seek no satisfaction whatsoever from their balloon or inflatable exploding. No. That would be a disaster. They enjoy the process of inflation and they enjoy even more the toying, playing and squishing of their blow-up toy, or watching their partner or somebody they find attractive do the same. Some go as far as full-blown (no pun) sexual interaction with their inflatable.
This obviously begs the question as to why? There have been various studies on the subject that have revealed no real hard and fast answers. Some participants report the feel of shiny vinyl of, say, a beach ball, as “heaven” against their skin. Others liken the changing shape of their inflatable as it’s squished to movement, as if it’s alive in some way, making it animate, almost bringing it to life. Some enjoy the feeling of expansion as the inflatable is filled with air — maybe some kind of aroused phallic symbolism perhaps? Others enjoy deflating their toys, the sound and the feel of the air coming from the valve excites them sexually, as does the feeling of the toy slowly deflating.
Companion Dolls and Dakimakura
Then there is the elephant in the room of course, the oft-ridiculed inflatable sex toy — the blow-up sex doll. Manufactured from vinyl, inflatable sex dolls have been around for about half a century. Their origins stretch back much further, to the 17th century in fact, when Dutch sailors would form old clothes and material into masturbation dolls, to keep them “company” on long voyages. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century, and the advent of vinyl, latex and silicone, when the same basic concept of these companion dolls was seen as something that could be commercialized and marketed to the public — in the form of an inflatable.
No doubt the prospect of owning an inflatable of human form, to some inflataphiles, was an exciting prospect. However, the science behind the construction of such masturbation/companion dolls moved extremely quickly. Today they are made from materials that make them appear and feel incredibly lifelike and the inflatable variety, while they still exist, are at the cheap and most unrealistic looking end of the scale. The Japanese however, who have expressed a long interest in companion dolls, created their own kind of inflatable sex toy, called “Dakimakura.” Translated into English, Dakimakura means “hug pillow,” but the Japanese have been known to do more than just hug these things. A common practice is to portray a life-size image of an anime or porn star, often in a suggestive pose, on the pillow. Hence making it more enjoyable to “cuddle.”
Bouncing Around in Inflatable Suits?
Another and perhaps more enveloping sub-genre of inflatable fetish is that of the inflatable suit. This fetish sees the participant wearing an inflatable rubber suit, which, naturally, is then inflated, providing a “Michelin Man” type appearance. This particular fetish is sometimes seen as a safer alternative to real body inflation, a somewhat risky practice where various parts of the human anatomy are inflated with air or water to make them swell and inflate. However, many inflatable suit wearers often cite the tightness of the suit against the body, the feeling of security it provides and simply the sheer fun of bouncing around in a balloon suit, as reasons why they enjoy this particular fetish. When you compare it to, say, ballbusting for example, it sure sounds like a whole lot more fun!
Happy Looning...
Inflatable and balloon fetish is definitely growing in popularity around the globe. There are more and more ways to connect with fellow looners and inflataphiles online, with forums, blogs, online groups and dedicated web pages popping up all the time — you can check out our tech section to see a list of places where you hook up with like-minded looners, or find basic information if you’re just dipping your toe into the looner water. Whether you pop or not, don’t stop and happy looning!
Sara E. is a writer and marketer for Clips4Sale, a platform she has been with since inception in 2004. Her background includes performing, directing and creating content, and in her spare time she enjoys both Star Wars and video games.
