The Best Home Planetariums

BlissLights Sky Lite Laster Projector

Relaxing Night Sky

Change the aura of your home with the flick of a button.

Best Overall

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From BlissLights comes this lovely star projector. Clusters of blue stars pop against the backdrop of a slowly morphing nebulous cloud. You will feel like you’re in a movie with the relaxing aurora effects and cosmic ambiance.

Pros:

• Wonderful as a gift
• Beautiful, realistic interstellar scenes
• Affordable
• Slowly rotating motion

Cons:

• Cannot change the color hue

LBell Night Light 3 in 1 Galaxy Star Projector

Awe-Inspiring Galaxy

Bring the night sky inside your home using Bluetooth technology.

Best with Bluetooth

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Throwing the party of the century? Stressed about planning a romantic dinner with your lover? Pulling out your hair because your preteen can’t go to sleep at night? These dilemmas might seem unrelated, but they share one common attribute: the home planetarium is the answer to everyone. With this beautiful, affordable, and easy-to-use device by LBell, you’ll never again have to worry about bringing your party, dinner date, or child’s bedtime to the next level.

Pros:

• Functions as a nightlight
• Bluetooth enabled for relaxing music or party tunes
• Adjustable lighting

Cons:

• Does not have voice activation

ATOPDREAM Star Projector Light for Kids

Dazzle Them To Sleep

This comforting projector light helps deliver youngsters to a restful night's sleep.

Best for Kids

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This projector from ATOPDREAM is an instant-comfort for kids of all ages. The gently rotating spectrum of stars and planets can serve as a nightlight for youngsters that are still getting used to sleeping alone. Better yet, it sports two different modes so you can switch between starry skies and the brighter nightlight mode. And when nap time is over and playtime begins, you can switch the colors from warm white light to a multi-colored mode for an exciting, magical vibe.

Pros:

• Available in a variety of colors, this simple light can dazzle youngsters
• Can be powered by both the power cord and batteries
• The programmable buttons let you change modes, light color, and rotation

Cons:

• The plastic body isn’t the most durable, so be careful not to drop it or knock it off the nightstand

Eicaus Star Projector with Built-In Speaker

Turn Up The Vibes

Another Bluetooth-compatible projector, this one has a slew of convenient features, including an auto-off timer and multiple light modes.

Best with Timer

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When the weather is not cooperating, you’ll be glad you invested in this home planetarium by Eicaus. The projector uses LED lights to display a starry landscape. Better yet, the settings can all be controlled via the included remote control, so you can keep the magic going without having to get up and tinker with the onboard buttons. Another great feature is the auto-off timer, which can be customized to make sure the lights don’t keep going after everyone’s drifted off to sleep. Best of all, this pick features excellent Bluetooth connectivity so you can play music and give voice commands through your smart device.

Pros:

• Sports a vast range of adjustable settings
• High value for the price
• The speaker sounds great
• Includes starry night and ocean wave scenes

Cons:

• The lights are more for ambiance than they are for practicing star-gazing

Frequently Asked Questions

I like to go to sleep with the stars on my ceiling. Is it a good idea to leave the projector on overnight?

You’re definitely not alone in that feeling — sleeping under the stars is relaxing for many. Lots of home planetarium projectors actually come with an automatic switch-off setting. Check the box or manual to see if you can adjust how long it takes to turn off. If your projector doesn’t have that setting, you should just be aware that it will use electricity overnight.

How do home planetariums work?

Most home planetarium projectors use LED lights to project images of the starry night sky onto a wall or ceiling. Often, these devices are in the shape of a dome. This allows them to project stars in all directions, giving you that awesome surround-feel.

What’s the best ceiling height for a home planetarium?

The optimal projection distance varies from model to model. Check with the seller before you purchase a device to make sure it will work well in your room. Many products need to be around 6-8 feet away from the ceiling for the image quality to be at its best. You can also place the projector on a table or a nightstand if it is not close enough to your ceiling.