
The more you use a motion lamp, the shorter the warm-up time will be, so it’s a good idea to turn it on daily when you first buy it.ĭon’t run your lamp for more than 10 hours at a time. The first time that you use a liquid motion lamp, allow it to run for several hours to ensure that the wax is fully warmed and not simply flowing in straight, pillar-like shapes. You may find some lamps that stand close to two feet tall in this price range. Many of them have fun base/cap designs or other eye-pleasing features, such as glitter.įor a large motion lamp with several extra features, you’ll usually pay between $60 and $100. These lamps tend to be 14 inches tall or less. Many of these lamps are under 12 inches tall and may have a rather plain base/cap combination finish.įor a medium-size lamp with a few extra features, you’ll usually pay between $20 and $60.

Liquid motion lamps vary in price based on how large they are and what features they include, but you can typically expect to spend between $10 and $100 on one.įor a small motion lamp with no extra features, you’ll usually pay between $10 and $20. Regardless of your reason for wanting a motion lamp, however, there are a few things to consider before you buy one. It can also serve as a unique decoration or conversation piece. So why would you want one?Ī liquid motion lamp can help create a calming atmosphere in a room. Motion lamps don’t provide much in the way of illumination, so they aren’t suitable as task lighting. They do contain a light bulb, but it’s used mainly to heat the liquid and wax components inside the lamp to create the distinctive motion. The bulbs in most motion lamps are usually 15 to 40 watts, so it can take up to an hour for the wax to heat enough to generate the trademark motion that makes motion lamps so interesting.ĭespite the name, liquid motion lamps aren’t really intended for use as a light source. The wax then floats in the mixture, moving around the vessel to create an interesting display. This causes the wax to expand more than the liquid. When the light is turned on, the liquid and wax are heated.


Colored “blobs” made from a wax mixture are dropped into the liquid, and the vessel is placed on top of a base that holds an incandescent or halogen bulb. This liquid usually consists of water and mineral oil. Anatomy of a Lava LampĪ liquid motion lamp features a clear glass vessel containing translucent liquid. To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy Notice.The liquid lamp was invented in 1963 by Edward Craven-Walker, a British engineer. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. Click ‘Customise Cookies’ to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. Third parties use cookies for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalised ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.

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