This Old House Reviews team

Lava lamps add decoration to tables, desks, and other surfaces around the home. While buying a lava lamp may not require much thought, you should still consider color, shape, size, and other factors. To help you choose the right lamp, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best lava lamps on Amazon. Here are our favorite options.

 

Buying Guide

While lava lamps aren’t a big investment, there are still a few factors to consider before making a purchase.

• Size: Most lava lamps are small enough to place on a table or desk, ranging in height from about 11 inches to 27 inches.
• Color: There are three elements to a lava lamp that have color—the base, the liquid, and the wax. Look for color combinations that match your existing room decor.
• Shape: Traditional lava lamps are cone-shaped, but you can also find variations of lava lamps that are cylindrical, globular, and rectangular.
• Extra Features: Some lava lamps have a built-in Bluetooth speaker or other unique features. If these sorts of additions interest you, be prepared to pay a little more for your lava lamp.

 

Decoration Ideas for Children’s Bedrooms

While many adults use lava lamps, they’re an ever bigger hit with kids. If you’re looking for cool ways to decorate your child’s room and bring out their personality, read our list of ideas below.

• Repaint the walls, or add wallpaper.
• Change the sheets and comforter.
• Add unique sources of light, such as string lights or project lights.
• Add a rug.
• Hang pictures of friends or family members on the wall.
• Get posters of their favorite animals, bands, TV shows, or movies.
• Add fake plants.

 

 

FAQs

• How does a lava lamp work?

A lava lamp is filled with blobs of wax sitting in a translucent liquid that’s usually a mix of water and mineral oil. At the base of the vessel is a light bulb. When that bulb is turned on, it heats up the liquid and wax, causing the wax to expand and float around in the liquid.

• Are lava lamps safe?

Yes. However, the outside of a lava lamp can get hot when the light bulb is on, so we recommend keeping objects away from it and not touching it to prevent burns.

• Do lava lamps produce a lot of light?

No. Lava lamps use a small light bulb, which doesn’t produce enough light to brighten an entire room. We recommend an overhead light, table lamp, or floor lamp if you’re looking for more light.

• What type of light bulbs do lava lamps use?

This depends on the specific lava lamp, but most lava lamps use a bulb that’s between 15 and 40 watts.

 

 

The This Old House Reviews Team provides overviews of select products that are top-selling on Amazon and/or popular in consumer searches. Our team evaluates the products based on industry research, consumer reviews, pricing data, hands-on testing in select cases, and other objective criteria unique to a given product line. Unless otherwise noted, these product reviews are intended to help inform buying decisions for DIY or other non-pro users only. Editor’s picks are made by members of the This Old House Reviews Team.