Top 5 compared
The best star projectors
Slow-moving colour and stars across the ceiling, something calm to watch in a dark room while you drift off to sleep.
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The top 5 at a glance
A star projector is a small lamp that throws stars and drifting colour across a ceiling or wall. Most mix a moving aurora or nebula, in colours you choose, with a scatter of stars. Disc projectors work differently: they show detailed pictures of planets and galaxies, one disc at a time, brought into focus with a knob.
They look best on a plain, pale ceiling with the lights off. Most can slow the moving colour and dim it, which is calmer at bedtime. Many come with a remote for the colour, speed and timer, and a few are controlled from a phone app or with your voice through a smart speaker instead.
What matters
- A sleep timer, so it switches off once you’re asleep.
- Built-in sleep sounds, or a speaker for your own music.
- Wall adapter included, or a spare phone charger to run it.
#1CIMELR Northern Lights Aurora Projector with Bluetooth Speaker
$30–$50
A moving aurora and stars that run together or apart, 14 effects in all, with eight sleep sounds and a Bluetooth speaker for music. Space fans are better served by the higher-rated Yoyorule below, a disc planetarium; drifting colour on the ceiling to fall asleep under is this projector’s job, and why it comes first.
What owners say: Owners find it soothing as they fall asleep and like the colours and the mood it gives a room. Opinions split on the sound and the remote.
A closer look: It runs from the USB-C cable in the box and needs a 5V 2A wall adapter, which isn’t included, so a phone charger of that rating does the job. Pair a phone over Bluetooth and turn on sound activation, and the light pulses with the music.
- Aurora and stars run separately
- Light pulses with the music
- Runs from a phone charger
Best for: Falling asleep to light and sound
- Projects
- 14 aurora effects + stars
- Sleep sounds and speaker
- 8 sounds + Bluetooth speaker
- Control
- Remote
- Sleep timer
- 1 or 2 hrs (auto-off at 4 hrs)
- Wall adapter in the box
- No
#2Yoyorule 13-in-1 Planetarium Projector with Bluetooth Speaker
$50–$75
Thirteen discs of space pictures, from the Moon, Earth and Saturn to the Milky Way, the Pillars of Creation and a black hole, turned slowly through 360° on the ceiling. It scores highest of the five but is really one for space fans, and it doubles as a colour night light with 15 sleep sounds.
What owners say: Owners are delighted with it on the whole, though reports differ on how well it works.
A closer look: For the sharpest picture, set it about 3 m (10 ft) from the ceiling or wall, 5 m (16 ft) at most, and turn the knob on top to focus. One disc comes fitted and the other twelve in the box, each with notes on what it shows.
- Focus knob sharpens the picture
- Picture turns slowly through 360°
- Each disc comes with notes
Best for: Space fans
- Projects
- 13 space discs + colour night light
- Sleep sounds and speaker
- 15 sounds + Bluetooth speaker
- Control
- Remote
- Sleep timer
- 1 or 2 hrs (auto-off at 4 hrs)
- Wall adapter in the box
- No
#3CAIYUE 3-in-1 Galaxy Projector with Bluetooth Speaker
$20–$30
Aurora light in white, red, green and blue with five planet patterns and green stars, thrown in every direction from a round head. Bluetooth plays music from a phone, and eight sleep sounds are built in.
What owners say: Owners call it a beautiful night light. Reliability is the recurring complaint, with some finding it faulty or switching itself off unasked.
A closer look: It’s small enough for a crowded nightstand. The remote changes the colours, brightness and speed and sets the sleep timer, and the built-in sounds run from a storm and flowing water to birdsong and insects.
- Aurora in four colours
- Projects in every direction
- Fits a crowded nightstand
Best for: Filling a whole room with light
- Projects
- Aurora, 5 planets + green stars
- Sleep sounds and speaker
- 8 sounds + Bluetooth speaker
- Control
- Remote
- Sleep timer
- 30, 60 or 90 min
- Wall adapter in the box
- –
#4Govee Star Projector Lights with Matter (H6095)
$100–$150
Seven zones of stars and nebula, each with its own colour, set from Govee’s app or by voice through Alexa, Google Assistant or a Matter home, so the stars can go off from under the covers. Wide lenses spread it across a living room ceiling.
What owners say: Owners call the effect stunning and relaxing and like the controls; brightness and the colour choices divide them.
A closer look: To use a Matter hub and the Govee app together, connect Matter first with the guide in the box, as Govee advises. More than 50 ready-made scenes and 18 sleep sounds are there to start from, and each zone’s brightness, speed and motion can be set in the app as well as its colour.
- A different colour per zone
- 50+ ready-made scenes
- Fills a living room ceiling
Best for: Alexa, Google or Matter homes
- Projects
- 7-zone nebula + stars
- Sleep sounds and speaker
- 18 sounds, Bluetooth stereo (Govee’s words)
- Control
- App, Alexa, Google, Matter
- Sleep timer
- Yes (lengths not stated)
- Wall adapter in the box
- Yes
#5Mooyran Astronaut Galaxy Star Projector
$30–$50
A little astronaut whose helmet throws a moving nebula and green stars across the ceiling. Its head sits on a magnet and tilts to aim the light, and with a movable arm and a moon base that comes off, it stands on a shelf like a toy, which is much of its appeal in a child’s room.
What owners say: Children love it, and owners like the nebula it casts; the complaints are about reliability, with some units stopping or no longer turning, and a remote that often fails. Brightness, the green stars and the value draw mixed views.
Heads up: The remote needs two AAA batteries, which aren’t in the box.
A closer look: Turned right down with the 45-minute timer set, it makes a gentle night light for a child who doesn’t like the dark. The button on its back works without the remote: a press switches it on and changes between nebula and stars, and a long press turns it off.
- Magnetic head tilts to aim
- Posable arm, removable moon base
- Makes a gentle night light
Best for: Children’s bedrooms
- Projects
- 8 nebula effects + green stars
- Sleep sounds and speaker
- None
- Control
- Remote
- Sleep timer
- 45 or 90 min
- Wall adapter in the box
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1CIMELR aurora projector | #2Yoyorule 13-in-1 | #3CAIYUE 3-in-1 | #4Govee H6095 | #5Mooyran Astronaut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best planetarium | Best budget | Best for smart homes | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.6 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $50–$75 | $20–$30 | $100–$150 | $30–$50 |
| Projects | 14 aurora effects + stars | 13 space discs + colour night light | Aurora, 5 planets + green stars | 7-zone nebula + stars | 8 nebula effects + green stars |
| Sleep sounds and speaker | 8 sounds + Bluetooth speaker | 15 sounds + Bluetooth speaker | 8 sounds + Bluetooth speaker | 18 sounds, Bluetooth stereo (Govee’s words) | None |
| Control | Remote | Remote | Remote | App, Alexa, Google, Matter | Remote |
| Sleep timer | 1 or 2 hrs (auto-off at 4 hrs) | 1 or 2 hrs (auto-off at 4 hrs) | 30, 60 or 90 min | Yes (lengths not stated) | 45 or 90 min |
| Wall adapter in the box | No | No | – | Yes | No |
| Best for | Falling asleep to light and sound | Space fans | Filling a whole room with light | Alexa, Google or Matter homes | Children’s bedrooms |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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