The best star projectors
The whole ceiling turned into a night sky. Choose a simple night light, one with sounds, or a proper planetarium.
Star projectors have become a bedroom favourite for children and teenagers alike: switched on at bedtime, they turn the ceiling into a slow-moving galaxy and make going to sleep feel like an event.
They range from colourful nebula lights to real home planetariums with glass lenses. For a young child, a timer and gentle brightness matter most; a space-mad teenager will love discs of real galaxies.
What matters
- An auto-off timer, so it isn't on all night.
- Control from bed: a remote or an app.
- Sound: some add white noise or a speaker.
- Coloured nebula effects, or realistic stars.
#1 of 5
Best overall
MAZ-TEK Astronaut Galaxy Star Projector
£10–£20 Price range
A little astronaut whose helmet throws nebulae and green stars across the ceiling. The head turns all the way round and lifts off on a magnet, so it can point at the ceiling or a wall.
What owners say: Owners call it the best night light they've had, giving just enough light without disturbing sleep, and say it looks lovely in a child's room.
A closer look: It comes with a USB cable but no plug, so use a spare phone charger by the bed. Turned right down, it makes a gentle night light for children who don't like the dark.
- 8 nebula effects plus green stars
- Head turns 360°
- Remote control
- Adjustable colour and brightness
- USB powered
Best for: Children's bedrooms
- Shows
- 8 nebula effects + green stars
- Control
- Remote and buttons
- Auto-off timer
- Yes, on the remote
- Sound
- No
#2 of 5
Best with sound
PIKOY Galaxy Projector with White Noise and Bluetooth
£20–£30 Price range
A star projector, white noise machine and Bluetooth speaker in one: rain sounds and a slow-moving galaxy at bedtime, or their own playlist for a bedroom disco.
What owners say: Owners love the dramatic starry display that fills the ceiling and the soothing sounds, and find it good value.
A closer look: Set one of the auto-off timers so it doesn't play all night. It lights up around 250 sq ft of ceiling, so a big bedroom is no problem.
- 15 colours plus green stars
- 15 white noise and lullaby sounds
- Bluetooth speaker
- Remote with 4 auto-off timers
- 7 brightness levels
Best for: Falling asleep to sounds
- Shows
- 15 colours + green stars
- Control
- Remote
- Auto-off timer
- 4 auto-off settings
- Sound
- 15 sounds + Bluetooth speaker
#3 of 5
Best smart
SUPPOU Wi-Fi Galaxy Projector
£20–£30 Price range
Works from the Smart Life app or a voice assistant, so "turn off the stars" works from under the duvet. The nebula can be any colour, and four scene modes set the mood.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use and relaxing, and like how it looks in the room.
A closer look: The base has four flat sides, so it can sit at different angles to aim at the ceiling, a wall or the floor. Control can be shared with the rest of the family in the app.
- App and voice control (Alexa, Google Assistant)
- Nebula in any colour
- 4 scene modes
- Timer to switch on and off
- Tilts to 4 angles
Best for: Smart homes
- Shows
- Nebula in any colour + stars
- Control
- App, Alexa, Google Assistant
- Auto-off timer
- Yes, in the app
- Sound
- No
#4 of 5
Best for space fans
Lysumurl 13-in-1 Planetarium Projector
£20–£30 Price range
Swap between 13 discs, from the Moon and Earth to the Andromeda Galaxy and the Orion Nebula, each with a short introduction to what's on show. A focus knob keeps the picture sharp.
What owners say: Owners find the images lovely and clear on ceilings and walls, easy to use, and a great present for young children.
A closer look: It projects best about 3m from the wall or ceiling, and up to 5m away. Keep the spare discs in their sleeves: a scratched disc shows up on the ceiling.
- 13 discs of real space scenes
- 360° rotation
- Focus knob
- Auto-off after 1, 2 or 4 hours
- USB-C powered
Best for: Curious minds
- Shows
- 13 discs: planets, nebulae, galaxies
- Control
- On the projector
- Auto-off timer
- 1, 2 or 4 hrs
- Sound
- No
#5 of 5
Best premium
SEGA Toys Homestar Flux Home Planetarium
£150–£200 Price range
The real thing: a home planetarium with glass lenses that puts 60,000 crisp stars on the ceiling. Its discs were developed with the planetarium specialist Takayuki Ohira.
What owners say: Owners rate it among the best projectors around, with a stunning display that covers the whole ceiling.
Heads up: It shows white stars rather than coloured nebulae and looks its best in a properly dark room.
A closer look: It comes with two discs of the northern sky, one with the constellations drawn in. More discs (the Moon, Earth, galaxies) are sold separately, which makes birthday presents easy for years. It runs from USB, so a power bank works on a camping trip.
- 60,000 stars
- Glass lenses
- 2 night-sky discs, 30+ more available
- Timer: 15, 30 or 60 minutes
- Shooting star mode
Best for: Stargazers and grown-ups
- Shows
- 60,000 stars, 2 discs (more available)
- Control
- Buttons
- Auto-off timer
- 15, 30 or 60 min
- Sound
- No
How they compare
| Feature | #1MAZ-TEK Astronaut | #2PIKOY | #3SUPPOU | #4Lysumurl planetarium | #5Homestar Flux |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best with sound | Best smart | Best for space fans | Best premium | |
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.3 |
| Price | £10–£20 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £150–£200 Price range |
| Shows | 8 nebula effects + green stars | 15 colours + green stars | Nebula in any colour + stars | 13 discs: planets, nebulae, galaxies | 60,000 stars, 2 discs (more available) |
| Control | Remote and buttons | Remote | App, Alexa, Google Assistant | On the projector | Buttons |
| Auto-off timer | Yes, on the remote | 4 auto-off settings | Yes, in the app | 1, 2 or 4 hrs | 15, 30 or 60 min |
| Sound | No | 15 sounds + Bluetooth speaker | No | No | No |
| Best for | Children's bedrooms | Falling asleep to sounds | Smart homes | Curious minds | Stargazers and grown-ups |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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