Rating of the best lava lamps for 2022

Surely, many of us on the Internet or in specialized stores have come across an attractive luminous design in the form of a cone-shaped flask with bubbles floating inside. This is nothing more than a lava lamp, the best models of which will be discussed below.

Another name for the lamp is a glycerin, lava or paraffin lamp.

History of appearance

The inventor of the lava lamp is the English engineer E. Walker. The idea came to him while visiting one of the English pubs. There, he came across a liquid timer with a drop of wax inside, made in the shape of a cocktail shaker. This design was used to control the cooking time of the eggs.

The process looked like this: A raw egg and a shaker were placed in a pot of water. The water heated up and boiled. Under the influence of water temperature, a drop of wax inside the timer also melted. As soon as the wax drop floated to the surface, the egg was considered cooked to the right consistency and was ready to eat.

The idea impressed the inventor so much that he later decided to repeat it himself. Using a glass flask, he mixed oil and paraffin inside, heated this mixture and illuminated it all from below. The resulting visual effect impressed the engineer, the illusion of the whole universe was created, and all this in a small glass container.

The invention was called the Astra lamp. By the way, even today products with this name are produced, it is made by one single brand - Mathmos.

The lamp received its modern name later, in the USA, after the patent for the creation of the device was outbid.

Such a night light was especially popular during its creation, in the 60s, the second wave of demand came in the 90s of the last century. And, interestingly, more lava nightlights were sold during this period than in all previous decades since its inception.

Paraffin lamps were also in the Soviet Union, they were imported from business trips abroad or they were made independently.In the latter case, the product could hardly boast of elegant forms, because wine bottles were more often used as flasks.

Lava lamp in action:

Design

The lamp is a glass flask with a lid mounted on a base.

The base of the light bulb is mounted at the base, where the latter is screwed. The original product is mains operated. However, more and more you can find products powered by batteries. There are options where the base, as such, is absent, but there is simply a stand where a candle is placed, which further heats the suspended flask.

The glass flask is filled with an oily composition, glycerin (the original composition was not disclosed by the manufacturer) and wax inclusions.

The cover has a decorative function. It cannot be opened.

What are lava lamps, selection criteria

The shape of the product can be in the form of a cone, tube, volcano (capacity expanding towards the top)

By power source - products powered by mains, batteries, candle flame.

The size of the bulb and, as a result, the power of the lamp used, the products also differ.

In the latter case, the rule applies, the larger the bulb, the more powerful the bulb should be. It is imperative to study the manufacturer's recommendations in order to prevent overheating of the product or vice versa, failure to obtain the desired visual effect.

By the way! When choosing which bulb for a lava lamp is better to buy, it is worth giving preference to the option with a reflector-reflector, so all the heat created will go up, heating the bottom of the bulb more efficiently and quickly.

What else to look for when choosing such a night light?

Inside each flask there is a spring at the bottom, which is located at the bottom of the container in the form of a ring.Here it is important that it be evenly stretched along the ring, otherwise the heating will take a long time and be characterized by locally heated areas.

Color. A yellow glow is suitable for a children's room, which does not have an aggressive effect on the psyche. For the bedroom, you should choose a relaxing shade, green is great. For a bar or other entertainment venue, shades of red are suitable.

Operating principle

The effect is based on differences in the density of the substances contained in the flask. So wax, which in a cooled state is heavier than liquid, is at the bottom. As the lamp heats up, the wax also heats up, forming a kind of bubbles that have a lower density, due to which they rise up through the liquid. At the top, the ball gradually cools and sinks down, falling to the bottom, it comes into contact with a heated spring and returns to the cycle again.

What you should know

1. Heating does not occur quickly, even the smallest lamp will take an hour and a half for the user to see the desired lava effect. In large products, the heating time can even reach 4.5 hours.
2. The product must not be allowed to overheat. How to determine it ... Visually, the wax will no longer create the effect of lava or large bubbles, but will begin to disintegrate into small lumps. This is the first sign that the liquid inside has overheated. In this case, it is necessary to turn off the lamp, taking a break from use for at least 40 minutes.

It should be remembered that the maximum operating time of the lamp, even without the effect of overheating, is within 8 hours.It is also necessary to turn off the lamp, if you notice that instead of several bubbles one larger bubble has appeared, and it is localized at the bottom of the flask, such a product should be turned on urgently, otherwise there is a risk of the product exploding.

Usage Tips

1. Ideally, if the temperature of the room where the lamp is used is within 20-25 degrees.
2. You can store the lamp only in relatively warm rooms, you can not leave the device where the temperature drops below +5 degrees Celsius.
3. The best place for storage is a shelf in a closet with an opaque door.
4. The product must not be exposed to direct sunlight, both during use and during storage.
5. If you want to speed up the heating time, then you can wrap the flask with foil, but you can’t leave it unattended at this time, otherwise there is a high risk of overheating.
6. You should not touch the flask during the operation of the night light, because, even without overheating, its temperature is up to 60 degrees, which gives the user a risk of significantly getting burned.
7. It may take up to three cycles for the lamp to start up for the first time (or resuscitate after overheating) to get the bubbles to the right size and color.

Can a lava lamp explode?

Maybe. And the main reason for this is overheating and incorrect operation.

The lamp should not be placed near any heat sources, whether it be direct sunlight, which has already been mentioned above, heating radiators, a stove. Do not use light bulbs of large diameter and power than recommended by the manufacturer.

The best lava lamps for 2022

You can buy such a night light using large trading platforms, such as OZONE, Wildberries, YandexMarket, as well as on Chinese Aliexpress, or in offline stores.

Lava lamp 35 cm blue

Brand: HappyKo.

The product works from a network of 220-240 V, power — 30 W. The heating source is an incandescent lamp with a power of 30 watts. Brightness adjustment is provided. The height of the night lamp is 35 cm, width - 85 cm. Desktop use is supposed. Suitable for various rooms.

Cost: 1 600 rubles.

• Classic design;
• There is a dimmer.

• Plastic cover.

White 40cm

Brand: Lalava.

Pretty heavy and durable product. The plafond is made of glass, which will prevent the appearance of third-party odors during use. The classic form factor allows you to use the night light in various rooms. Its height is 40 cm, width - 6 cm. It works from 1 light bulb, the glow is pinkish-red.

Cost: from 3000 rubles.

• Glass ceiling;
• There is a dimmer;
• Works from a network.

• Not marked.

Night light/Lava/41cm

Brand: Lalava.

The product in a metal case has a height of 41 cm and resembles a rocket in shape. Heating is produced from one lamp, which is conveniently controlled by means of a dimmer. The weight of the product is 2 kg, which makes it stable.

Cost: 2500 rubles.

• Rugged housing;
• sustainability;
• The presence of a dimmer.

• Not marked.

Rocket White/Blue 41 cm

Manufacturer: HANGZHOU OPEN-CHINACOM INTERNATIONAL TRADE Co.

The lamp is made by a combination of glass and metal, reaches a height of 41 cm. It is powered by a 220-240 V network, the light source is an incandescent lamp with an E14 base.

Cost: 2800 rubles.

• Glow selection: white/blue;
• Reliable materials.

• Not marked.

HITTOY W8-LL E14

Manufacturer: HITTOY.

This lamp has a familiar rocket-like form factor.The fittings are made in black, the color of the wax bubbles can be chosen: red, blue, purple. The device works from a network with a voltage of 220-240 V. The light source is an incandescent lamp with an E14 base.

Cost: 2300 rubles.

• Nice black armature design.

• The lid is not securely fastened;
• Marriage comes up.

RISALUX Green drops 736026

Manufacturer: RISALUX.

The table night light is made in silver fittings, a combination of metal and plastic, is powered by a mains voltage of 220-240 V, to create heating, an incandescent lamp with the already familiar E14 base is needed. The glow is green.

Cost: about 2000 rubles.

• Pleasant green bubbles;
• Mains powered.

• no.

Manufacturer: Grace.

The combination of colors in this model certainly attracts attention. Golden body and yellow/orange glow. The materials from which the night light is created are metal and glass. The height of the device is 39 cm. The power supply is a network, with a voltage of 220-240 V. Heating is carried out by an incandescent element with a power of 30 watts, the base type is E14.

Cost: 4000 rubles.

• Looks luxurious on the outside;
• materials;
• Works from a network.

• Not marked.

Amperia Slim White Yellow/Transparent

Brand: Amperia.

One of the few lava nightlights on the domestic market, represented by a Russian brand. The correct cylindrical shape distinguishes this device from among similar ones. The fittings are made of metal. For illumination, halogen bulbs are used here, which are more energy intensive.For convenience of regulation of power of heating the special regulator is provided.

Cost: 3 600 rubles.

• domestic manufacturer;
• Metal fittings;
• Spare lamp included;
• There is a dimmer.

• No.

The best original Astro lamps from Mathmos

Mathmos Neo Pink/Purple Pink

This lamp is visually different from others, there is no massive base in which the base and lamp are hidden. The flask is mounted on an elegant cast metal stand. Neo is low voltage powered and uses halogen lamps for heating. Therefore, such a flask, even when fully heated, is colder than others.

Cost: 17,190 rubles.

• Attractive design;
• Flask unbreakable;
• Heats up less.

• Other than the cost, no.

Mathmos Astro Black

Table lamp, the armature of which is made of black metal. Inside the flask is realized by a combination of blue and green tones. The height of the structure is 43 cm. A halogen lamp with a GU10 base is used as a light source, color temperature indicators: 2700K, luminous flux - 1731 lm.

Astro lamp price: 17,500 rubles.

• The quality of materials and assembly;
• The flask does not beat;
• The lamp heats up less analogs.

• High price.

Conclusion

Whichever lamp is chosen, astro or lava, you should remember to strictly follow the rules for its use. The most important thing is to prevent the device from overheating and follow the recommendations for choosing a heat source.And if astro-lamps are more safe for the user, less risk of getting burned or breaking the bulb, then with cheaper models it is worth following the rule “we touch and transfer a non-working lamp, do not touch it when it is turned on”.

And one more thing - today, when searching through the Internet for lava lamps, the search engine also gives options with glitter inside. This is a glitter lamp and has nothing to do with lava nightlights, and therefore was not considered in this review.

Find your safe and relaxing efficient lava lamp!