What Is The Best Star Projector in 2021? – Top 10 Reviews
Star projectors can be an enchanting way of setting up a beautiful image for you and your family to appreciate. You probably don’t buy a star projector every day, though. Is there a special pattern which will be better to look at? Are there any brands to avoid?
How can you tell a good projector from a weak one?
In this article, we’ll answer these questions and review a handful of great star projectors so that you can find the one that is the perfect addition to your family event or your living room.
Contents
- 10 Best Star Projectors 2021
- Our #1 Choice – Star Night Sky Night Light
- Our #2 Choice – Star Light Rotating Projector
- Our #3 Choice – Lizber Baby Night Light Moon Star Projector
- Our #4 Choice – Lisnec Cosmos Star Decorative Projector Lamp
- Our #5 Choice – Laser Stars Hologram Projector
- Our #6 Choice – SOAIY Sleep Soother Aurora
- Our #7 Choice – LIWUYOU Ocean Night Light Projector
- Our #8 Choice – Discovery Kids Planetarium Projector
- Our #9 Choice – LBell 2-in-1 Ocean Wave and Star Projector
- Our #10 Choice – Sega Toys Homestar Classic Flux Home Planetarium Star Projector
- FAQ
- Are Star Projectors Good For Young Children?
- Are Star Projectors Good For Adults?
- What Should I Avoid With Star Projectors?
- What Color Is The Best For Sleeping?
- How Should I Position My Star Projector?
10 Best Star Projectors 2021
Our #1 Choice – Star Night Sky Night Light
With four different lighting options, this night light has all of the core features that you would want in a star projector without any of the frills which you might not need.
Pros
- Easy automatic deactivation
- USB power capable
- Four basic color choices
- AAA batteries
Cons
- Loud engine
- Few patterns to choose from
The Star Sky Night Light projects stylized images of celestial bodies onto the ceiling of your room, gently rotating all the while.
There are four lights, meaning you can pick between warm light, blue light, teal light, or red light. If you’re feeling creative, you can mix and match the colors.
Powering this light is a snap thanks to its USB port. If you’d like to take the lamp with you on the go, you can also plop in a few AAA batteries and it’ll work for a few hours.
Once you’re done with the lamp, it’s easy to turn off. You can also activate the auto deactivation feature, which turns the lamp off after a set amount of time to conserve the AAA batteries.
This means that the lamp is perfect for setting up in a child’s room and moving on for the night with the knowledge that it won’t be wasting power from the AAA batteries overnight.
The only drawback to this projector is that the engine is somewhat loud. The volume of the engine probably won’t be enough to keep an adult awake, but it might bother very sensitive young children who are in a room on their own for the first time.
You can easily get around the volume issue with this projector by putting a towel around the base of the unit.
Our #2 Choice – Star Light Rotating Projector
This uniquely egg-shaped rotating projector emphasizes noiselessness and awe-inspiring visuals.
Pros
- Noise-free design
- Wide variety of brightness settings
- Many shape choices
- Multifunctional design
Cons
- Projected images are blurry
The first thing that you will notice about this projector is that its motor is nearly silent. This makes it perfect for leaving on overnight without fear of keeping your children awake. Likewise, the intensity of the light is easy to change, meaning that you can see a dim background of stars or a bright series of suns depending on what you want.
Unlike other star projectors, this star projector looks good even when it is turned off. The egg-shaped exterior is also glossy, which makes for an attractive piece on your nightstand.
The red and orange hues of this star projector are particularly beautiful. They’re also a bit blurry, which means that directly viewing the projector is less bright and less bothersome.
The downside is that the blurry shapes are less defined when they are projected, too. While the lack of clarity won’t bother most people, the projector won’t be making shapes that are identifiable as stars on rooms which have high ceilings.
Thus, this is a multifunctional projector. In small rooms, it can create defined star shapes. In larger rooms, it can cast entire walls full of unique colors and patterns with blurry edges.
You can also easily make new patterns on the projector using a simple piece of paper. This is a nice touch which other projectors don’t get correct in the way that this rotating projector does.
Our #3 Choice – Lizber Baby Night Light Moon Star Projector
This Libzer Moon Star Projector is ready for cribside action.
Pros
- Great for the youngest children
- Quiet motor
- Several color options
Cons
- Not intended for anyone older than an infant
- Only one speed option
Most star projectors are targeted at a broader audience than this one. The cheerful blue exterior and oversized stars on the globe of this projector make it perfect for the youngest of would-be stargazers, however.
This star projector has most of the features that you would expect, including automatic shut off, several color options, a quiet motor, and multiple power options.
The main difference is that the decals on the projector are oversized, which will help your young child to recognize them as consistent patterns. The rotation of the projector is nice and slow, which young children will likely find to be more peaceful than faster-paced projectors.
Unfortunately, you can’t make this projector any faster. This means that it is largely limited to cribside use, as the other applications won’t work as well as with others.
As a bonus, the projector is ready to be given as a gift right out of the box thanks to its artful presentation.
Our #4 Choice – Lisnec Cosmos Star Decorative Projector Lamp
The Lisnec Cosmos lamp has a unique shape which might be better suited for a private study room than next to a child’s crib.
Pros
- Brings classiness to an adult’s office
- Artistic design
- Realistic star depiction
- Bright and well-defined projections
Cons
- Very bright
- Large
Most star projectors are spherical or egg-shaped. This star projector, however, is a hexahedron, bringing geometric blockiness to a spheroid shape and making for an even more interesting star projection experience than usual.
The design of this star projection is overtly classy. Children will probably appreciate it for the cool factor more than they will for the star projections.
Notably, this projector opts for more realistic projection of stars. This means that the oversized and stylized images of stars which you may have seen with other projectors will be nowhere to be found.
Instead, you’ll be able to see realistic constellations provided that your room is dark enough. On that note, you should expect to need a darker room when using this projector than you might with other projectors because the stars as much subtler.
Our #5 Choice – Laser Stars Hologram Projector
For a star projector that uses a different approach to projection, check out the stars produced by lasers.
Pros
- Creates fascinating holograms
- Massive number of options to project
- Ceiling-based projection design
Cons
- Too intense for young children
- Only ceiling projection
Most star projectors work by having a bright light constantly emitting within an enclosed chamber. The light then makes it out of the chamber via star-shaped cutouts to be projected onto the ceiling above.
This projector takes a different approach, however. Instead of one single light, the projector creates a hologram which sends light through two glass lenses. The entire universe will soon be visible as a result.
This isn’t an item to purchase to put next to the crib. This is a fully powered experience which adults and children will enjoy equally. The projector has all of the features that would come with one of the models intended for children, but it also has serious hardware which lets it project magnificent images.
Our #6 Choice – SOAIY Sleep Soother Aurora
With a form factor akin to a beautiful geode, this projector is ready for the job in the classiest of rooms.
Pros
- Mixable color selection
- Great for creating ambiance
- Selection of geometric shapes to project
Cons
- Not good at generating stars
- Not good at producing discrete images
The gorgeous purple facets of this projector make for a splendid image projected on the ceiling of your room or the room of your children.
The main perk that this projector has over other similar projectors is that it can make entire fields of color rather than mere points.
This means that you can use the RGB color dial to mix and match the colors of your choice to make a beautiful glow appear in geometric shapes that can be as large as a bookcase or as small as a mouse. Your options are far less limited with this light projector.
Nonetheless, the main drawback of this light projector is that getting it to produce simple images of stars and planets can be very difficult. The focus of this light projector is creating multifactorial ambiance rather than helping your child have something interesting to help them fall asleep.
Our #7 Choice – LIWUYOU Ocean Night Light Projector
What if you wanted to project an entire aurora or nebula rather than a mere smattering of stars? This projector solves that problem.
Pros
- Easy generation of beautiful backgrounds
- Textures are easy to create
- Can play music
Cons
- Difficult to select colors
- Can be time consuming to set up
Stars get a bit boring. Other patterns can be nearly impossible to produce using most projectors. With this star projector, however, you’ll get the ability to make nebulae with minimal effort.
You can fill entire rooms with a gaseous texture in any of the rainbow’s colors with the tap of a button. There’s more than one cool feature, however — you can also use this projector to play music from an aux cable.
It’s clear that this device is ambiance at a touch. The only question is what kind of ambiance you prefer to make. The default options include blues, reds, greens, and mixtures. The mixtures don’t mix exactly like paint might, however. If you select a red and a blue, you’ll see purple light.
But, if you select red, blue, and green, you’ll get the three lights superimposed onto each other with a slight offset, making a 3D-glasses style projection. This functionality is cool, but it does make crafting the color of your choice more of a guessing game than you might suspect at first.
Our #8 Choice – Discovery Kids Planetarium Projector
With the Discovery Kids Planetarium Projector, you and your children can view planets, stars, galaxies, and spaceships!
Pros
- Great for children
- Neat space station design
Cons
- Battery operated
- Limited image display
- No booklet for learning
The Discovery Kids Planetarium Projector has both moving and stationary projector modes. The movable side has two rotating translucent domes with a motorized 360-degree rotation. This projector comes with four discs with eight slides each.
The projector is modeled after an actual space station design. Its stand is adjustable for the best viewing angle, and it requires three double-A batteries. Unfortunately, it does not come with a booklet to help children understand what they are viewing in the projections.
Our #9 Choice – LBell 2-in-1 Ocean Wave and Star Projector
The LBell 2-in-1 Ocean Wave and Star Projector will delight everyone with its incredible light show.
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Pros
- Sound activated flicker mode
- Remote controlled
Cons
- Goes through color options quickly
The LBell 2-in-1 Ocean Wave and Star Projector shows drifting stars in a nebula cloud. It rotates through ten different colors and in a 360-degree projection. The remote control allows you to turn it on or off, change the lighting mode, adjust brightness, cycle through the light effects, adjust the volume, and start or start the motion.
A sound motion sensor can be tuned to change the color according to a musical beat or hand clapping. It also has an auto-off timer. There are a USB slot and mini-Bluetooth 5.2 music speaker to add to the overall effect with your favorite tunes.
The LBell 2-in-1 Ocean Wave and Star Projector can be used as a night light, disco ball, ocean wave ambiance light, or home theater accent. It’s easy to use and a good value for the money. Some consumers were not happy with how quickly it cycled through the colors or would have preferred only white lights.
Our #10 Choice – Sega Toys Homestar Classic Flux Home Planetarium Star Projector
Enjoy the view of 60,000 stars with the Sega Toys Homestar Classic Flux Home Planetarium Star Projector.
Pros
- 60,000 stars
- White LED lights
- Attractive black satin moon design
- Shooting star option
Cons
- Focusing can be tricky
The Sega Toys Homestar Classic Flux Home Planetarium Star Projector uses 5-watt warm white LED lights and multi-level glass lenses for high definition star projection. It includes two-star discs. One is of the northern hemisphere with constellations while the other one has no constellations. Disc rotation is silent.
It includes a USB cable for either wall plug power or power bank operation. Homestar Classic Flux Home Planetarium Star Projector boosts a black satin finish with a lunar crater. Its projection focus and angle are adjustable. There’s even an advanced shooting star option. It is packaged ready for gifting and comes with a night sky map of both the southern and northern hemispheres.
It can be used with an automatic timer, and the focus dial is smooth, although some consumers have reported that focusing can be a bit tricky. The night sky can be projected on walls or ceilings ranging in height from 4 feet seven inches to eight feet 10 inches.
FAQ
Are Star Projectors Good For Young Children?
Yes, star projectors can be good for some young children. You can’t use star projectors without being attentive when you have young children, however.
The best star projectors give your young children something that they can look at while they are drifting off to sleep. This can help them to stay quiet and help them to feel more comfortable. It might even build a love of stargazing.
Under ideal conditions, the motor of the star projector doesn’t keep your child awake. Likewise, the gentle lights could turn off after a point, or be dim enough to let them keep sleeping.
Not all children will appreciate the stars equally, unfortunately. Many aspiring young stargazers would rather look at the stars than try to drift off to sleep.
Furthermore, the first few nights that a young child is sleeping in a room with a star projector will probably require a little bit more effort falling asleep than in subsequent nights.
It is probably a good idea to check on your young child early on when you suspect that they might be the type to stay up all night looking at the stars.
You can also opt to have the star projector’s automatic shutoff feature activate at a set point in time and make your child go to bed earlier.
Are Star Projectors Good For Adults?
Yes, star projectors can be good tools for adults to fall to sleep or add some ambiance to a room. The difference is that adults will enjoy a different type of star projector than children will.
The star projectors intended for children feature larger stars which are stylized. Cartoony stars and planets might be the up the alley of some adults, but most will prefer a more realistic star pattern which. Likewise, most adults will prefer a unique color wash pattern than stars themselves.
This means that you could ostensibly purchase two star projectors for your home and utilize one for your child’s room and one for your room. The situation in which you use your star projector might be a bit different, also.
The best star projectors make for a great companion to a late night movie or even a meditation session. Using a child’s star projector will take the air right out of the room for these same purposes, however.
What Should I Avoid With Star Projectors?
The only star projectors that you should avoid are the ones which have loud motors. The volume of the motor is important because it can massively detract from the experience of using the projector.
Loud motors will keep you and anyone else in the room awake and they will also keep you from deeply engaging in the wonder of the stars.
Furthermore, loud motors are not any more durable or effective than weak and quiet motors. In fact, they make break more easily than quiet motors do because they cause more vibrations and thus can contribute to wear and tear.
What Color Is The Best For Sleeping?
The best color to project from your star projector for sleeping is undoubtedly a deep red hue. Blue lights keep people awake because they are higher energy and the body responds to them differently.
In contrast, red lights do not have this property, but they still offer enough illumination to enjoy the projected image. Some people may find the connotations of red lights unpalatable, however.
If you are looking for an alternative to red light to project for sleeping, remember that warmer colors will be better for sleeping than cooler colors. Warmer colors are more reminiscent of the sun, but they also diffuse less and trigger less of a wakefulness response than cooler colors.
White light is also acceptable, though an orange or yellow is preferable.
How Should I Position My Star Projector?
You should position your star projector such that you do not have a direct line of sight with the projector itself. The point of the projector is to cast an image onto the walls and ceiling of the room that you are in to help you go to sleep or create a good ambiance.
There is nothing more disturbing to a nice ambiance or falling asleep than having a bright projector flashing into your eye with every rotation of the device.
While using warmer colors will make the flashing of the projectors less severely irritating, the best approach is to keep the projector far enough away.
A good way to accomplish this is to put the projector on the floor or below whatever surface you intend to be spending your time on. This will ensure that it is easier to break line of sight with the projector.