We don’t get many visible stars on most evenings due to heavy light pollution and frequent thick cloud cover during thunderstorm season from May through October. To solve this problem, I looked at a few different star projector products for lighting up the ceiling with simulated stars and other astronomical formations. Here are my picks. Also:
The best cheap projectorsThe best 4K projectorsThe best mini projectors The best portable projectorsThe best outdoor projectorsThe best projector screens
Attractive spherical satin black industrial design only 16cm wide and 620g in weight (1.36 lbs)5W warm white LED for projecting the optical image.Smooth focus dial allowing for projection distances of as small as 120 cm to 290 cm (3'11" to 9'5")Northern or Southern Diurnal rotationSilent operation when rotating the star fieldIntegrated “shooting star” for enhancing the projected image with periodic meteoroidsRemovable disc platter for use with Homestar optical imagesIntegrated timer for 15-minute, 30-minute, and 1-hour sessions and 3-hour automatic shutoff 2 Optical discs included, a Northern Hemisphere night sky and a Northern Hemisphere night sky with constellations, with over 60,000 stars projected simultaneouslyUSB-powered for use with portable battery units
If you’re looking to represent a night sky for an authentic home planetarium experience, the Sega Toys Homestar Flux is your answer. However, it’s also the most expensive product on our list at $259. Why is this product so expensive? We can start with the build quality and components. Using a patented photographic process similar to microfiche, the Homestar Flux uses analog removable discs with very high resolution, simultaneously showing as many as a million distinct stars. The product was designed in conjunction with Japanese astronomer/engineer Takayuki Ohira (TED Talk), the inventor of the Megastar, a professional laser-based planetarium projector that can show the most stars in the world. Sega (via its Sivesco subsidiary) has been in the home planetarium business since 2006. There are also third parties that also make discs for the unit besides Sega, such as Miller Engineering. In addition to star fields, Sega also sells Homestar discs representing other astronomical formations, such as nebulas, galaxies, planets, and even jellyfish. I like using this product in the bedroom or on my covered patio because it’s most usable at night in a very dark room, and its light projector is bright enough to see the star formations but not so bright as a laser that will keep you up at night. The integrated timer is also suitable for listening to a sleep story for apps like Calm, which have 30-minute audio segments. Unfortunately, you can’t integrate the two because this product is purely mechanical, and there’s no Bluetooth or WiFi integration with Alexa, Google, or Siri. There’s also no way to control it remotely – you have it set for “on” or in 15-minute, 30-minute, or 60-minute sessions.
Attractive spherical industrial design only 12cm wide and 771g in weight (1.7 lbs)1W warm white LED for projecting the optical imageSmooth focus dialCounter-clockwise rotation30-degree tilt adjustable from base8-foot projection distance, 130 square roof projection area, 13ft image diameterSilent operation when rotating the star fieldRemovable disc platter for use with POCOCO optical images (sold in packs of 5 for $49)Integrated timer for 15-minute, 30-minute, and 1-hour sessions and auto-off at 2 hours.USB chargeable and up to 6 hours of continuous use from the battery
If you are looking for a star projector with accurate star projections, complete with removable optical discs, but don’t want something too expensive, I’d recommend the Pococo, which is effectively a more affordable knockoff of the Homestar Flux. It has some unique features, including the fact that it is Lithium Ion battery-powered and can run for up to six hours at a time on a single charge. I also feel that it is a bargain at $99 for what the device does. While I think the device is excellent for use in a bedroom (and in conjunction with apps like Calm), I don’t think it’s ideal for a larger living room or a patio because the LED projector is only a fraction as powerful as the Sega unit. Additionally, the optical discs that Pococo sells are perhaps a quarter of the size of the SEGA, so you aren’t getting as high-definition an image, but for relaxation purposes, it works great.
Galaxy light/starry sky “nebula” cloud projectorWi-Fi-enabled, voice assistant (Alexa, Google) integration, and home automation support.An app for fine-tuning the laser and nebula light intensity, color palettes, and scheduling.USB-powered, so you can use it independently of a wall socket with portable battery units.
Honestly, there are many similar products at this price point (I mention a couple later in this guide). Most of these units differ primarily in the shape of their plastic housing, and some are decorated with lights themselves. I chose this particular star projector because it was easily placed on a shelf and was unobtrusive. They’re all under $50, and they offer the following projection experiences:
Laser-simulated star projector: This uses a bright green laser diode with a diffracting mirror to split the light into thousands of smaller beams to create a rotating simulated star field. Rotating optical nebula projection with multi-colored lights: This is a static, rotating image of a nebula star formation illuminated with a range of colors that can be set to progress through pre-configured and user-definable color “scenes.” The nebula projection can be combined with the green laser star field, or each can be chosen individually.
These inexpensive star projectors are fantastic for accent or party lighting, and they are honestly a great deal at this price point. However, I find they aren’t particularly good for relaxation purposes – mostly due to the intensity of their lasers and their inability to represent an actual night sky. Some of the more expensive models, such as the LaView, include removable optical discs so you can have more than one projected scene other than the basic nebula. Still, I would say if you are going to opt for a replaceable disc unit, to look at Sega’s product or the Pococo.
