Are you looking for a lighting accessory to spice up your home or office décor? You should try the lava lamps.
These vintage liquid motion lamps are unique, stylish, and blend well with different interior decoration styles.
Better still, you could gift it to a friend or family member for Christmas, birthday, or any other special event.
They’re also ideal for kids with autism, special needs, or ADHD. And, they help the elderly to feel less lonely. Their soothing ambiance makes lava lamps invaluable.
That said, we have reviewed several lamps to help you settle for the best.
Top 5 coolest lava lamps in 2022
These are the top 5 coolest lava lamps available on the market.
- Jellyfish Lava Lamp
- Schylling Original Colormax
- Glow in the dark LED 3D Jellyfish lamp
- iO giant lava lamp
- Telstar rocket lava lamp
Here’s a detailed review of each of these lamps.
1. Jellyfish Lava Lamp
The Jellyfish Lava Lamp is a remarkable lighting accessory that will change your room’s appearance significantly. It features 18 LED lights, 16 color options, 4 color modes (smooth, strobe, fade, flash), brightness adjustment, and an On/Off button.
You can set the lamp’s color to one solid color or automatically switch between the 16 different colors using the high sensitivity remote control. There are 3 light-up silicone jellyfish that need distilled water to function. Also, it’s recommended to add three drops of dish soap.
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Once connected, the lava lamp looks like a real aquarium. You can remove the top lid to allow the light to project on the ceiling and create a serene, marine life environment in the room.
This leads to a soothing and relaxing influence that boosts your mood when going through a rough day.
Unfortunately, the jellyfish might sink to the bottom and get stuck, forcing you to open the lamp to free the jellyfish. The other shortcoming is that the lamp comes with a short USB cord. So, you’ll have to set the lamp near the power source or get a longer cord.
Pros
- A wide range of colors and color-changing modes.
- Easy to set up.
- Helps to boost your mood.
Cons
- Jellyfish sticks to the bottom.
- Short USB cord.
2. Schylling Original Colormax
With this lava lamp, you can change the tone, ambiance, and appearance of your room every time you turn it On.
Its multi-colored Colormax globe allows the white lava to pass through and absorb its unique set of colors (there’s no blue or green light to disrupt your sleep).
At the bottom, you have the hot volcano graphics completing the image of a small volcano in your room.
When you connect the lamp and turn it On, give it at least two hours to warm and get the wax flowing. This is challenging when it’s recommended to turn Off the lamp after 8 hours of usage. Also, you must make sure the little metal coil sits on the bottom of the lamp.
But, if the lava doesn’t flow after several hours of warming up, consider replacing the 25W bulbs with the 40W ones.
This lamp would be a great gift to both adults and children. It works perfectly when you install it correctly (follow the instructions to the latter) and can last a long time.
Pros
- It has a beautiful and unique set of colors.
- It’s ideal for the bedroom.
- Boosts the aesthetic of a room.
- Sets the tone of a room.
Cons
- Takes a long time to warm up.
3. Glow in the dark LED 3D Jellyfish lamp
Next on the list of cool lava lamps is this giant-Jellyfish lamp that glows brightly in dark spaces. The jellyfish glow in different colors because of the solid LED base that features three main colors (Red, Green, and Blue).
It dims in and out of the colors, giving the jellyfish a color-changing effect. So, the lamp lights up the space and complements your interior décor theme too.
To power up this lamp, you need 3 AAA batteries (Not included). This makes it possible to use the lamp remotely.
Even though it’s quite compact, its impact in any space is huge. You could buy it as a present for both kids and adults.
Pros
- Produces a unique color-changing effect
- You can use it in remote areas
Cons
- It’s too small
4. iO Giant Lava Lamp
If you need a large lava lamp to set up in your domestic or commercial space, this is the lamp to get. It stands at 78 cm (2.5ft) tall, weighs 9.9 kg, has a complex design that looks great and holds the lamp in place, and comes in four lava colorways.
The lamp features an 80W R7s 78mm Linear Halogen Capsule Bulb that’s ideal for both lighting and heat. Its body comprises cast metal with a matt silver finish. The best part is that you don’t need any help to assemble this lamp.
Simply put the bottle on the base and fit the cap on the sidebars using the Allen key. You can use the fixing points on the base to affix the lamp firmly on the surface.
This accessory is built to the highest quality and safety standards. So, it can withstand harsh elements and rough handling for a long time—while offering peak performance.
The lamp takes 1-3 hours to warm up. This depends on the temperature of the surroundings and the number of times you’ve used the lamp. In warm temperatures, the lamp takes less time to warm up.
Also, the more you use the lamp the faster it’ll start to warm up.
Pros
- Solid lamp
- Easy to assemble
- Built to last
- Soothing to watch
Cons
- It is heavy
- Warms up slowly at first
5. Telstar rocket lava lamp
As far as the style and elegance of the coolest lava lamps go, the Telstar Rocket Lava Lamp is second to none. From its spacecraft-like build to the bright and clear lava lamp liquid, this lighting accessory was manufactured to deliver exceptional results. Even the packaging gives the impression that whatever is inside is invaluable.
This lamp has 8 different vibrant colorways to pick from depending on your preference and the interior décor theme of the space. The lava flows smoothly and gives one a relaxing feeling just from staring at it.
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Weighing 2kg and measuring 50 cm (19.68 inches) high and 19 cm (7.48 inches) wide, this item strikes a good balance between a giant lava lamp and a compact one.
You can position it perfectly on an office desk or lampstand at home. This must be away from sunlight, carpets, hot and cold places, and pets.
Like most of the other lava lamps, it takes between 1-3 hours to warm up. When maintained properly, the lamp can last up to 2000 hrs of active use.
Pros
- Unique and iconic design
- Vibrant colorways
- Good packaging
- 2000 hrs lifespan
Cons
- The lamp takes a long time to warm up
That does it for unique lava lamps to buy. Hopefully one of the products interests you enough to purchase it. Be it for your personal use or to gift somebody else.
Whatever the case, you must consider the following factors when making your choice.
What makes a lava lamp cool?
These are some of the features that make a lava lamp cool:
Shape
From the basic cone shape to the complex bullet-shaped liquid motion lamps, you have a variety of choices to pick from.
Even though it’s mainly a matter of preference, you need to think about how the shape blends with the space where it’ll be placed.
Size
The size range of the coolest lava lamps is between 11.5 to 27 inches. The small sizes are good for placing on tables at home or in the office.
But, if you want something that’ll be the focal point of a room then you must go for the large sizes.
The build material
The main body of most lava lamps is made using actual glass. This offers better viewing and clear light transmission. It’s even better if the glass build is larger.
Some lamps have a transparent plastic build. The base material mainly features different types of metals.
Colors
The colors inside the lava lamp are the ultimate deal breakers. They influence the ambiance, mood, and aesthetic of a room.
Fortunately, most lamps have a wide range of colorways. There’re even those with multiple liquid colors that create a rainbow effect.
The glitter and sparkles
For those who love sparkles, there are lava lamps that come with glitter in the liquid or wax. Now, when you turn On the lamp, the light reflects off the glitter.
Bluetooth speaker
Some lamps have additional features like Bluetooth speakers.
These turn the lamp into a multipurpose device that lets you enjoy its cool and soft lighting and also plays music from your smartphone, tablet, or any other device with Bluetooth connectivity.
Conclusion
Apart from their aesthetic value in commercial and residential spaces, the coolest lava lamps also provide a therapeutic effect. They’ll help you relax after a long tiring day.
From our list, the Jellyfish Lava Lamp stands out as the overall best. It’s unique, stylish, and the fact that it can project light to the ceiling and turn a room into some sort of marine environment makes it even more interesting. It’ll give you value for your money.