Lava vs Mathmos, what's the real differences?

[OOltzee]

Hi everybody,
in Europe Mathmos lamps are more popular then Lava ones 'cause theu came from Uk. Do you know if there are any differences in the wax used? I mean, it seems to me that the Mathmos bubbles are more "liquid" then Lavas...

[M L L]

I concur, I love your green lampespecially!

[LAVAMAN-UK]

I believe it is somthing to do with the patents. Crestworth (now Mathmos) sold the rights to produce the lava lamp to Lava Lite in the USA during the 1960's. Stupidly, Crestworth gave them exclusivity for the USA market!! Until Lava Brand goes under (soon I hope), Mathmos will not be allowed to export lava lamps to the USA.

[LAVAMAN-UK]

LOL!! I wish they would!! Stop flooding the USA market with cheap rubbish!! I really can not believe the badly designed rubbish Lava Brand are releasing these days!! Bob Marley lamps, fish lamps and those really naff resin things!! Such bad taste!!

Go away and let Mathmos provide the Americans with Classic, Stylish, Well Made lamps!!

I supose the design and quality difference is very similar the the Chinese V's British car industry!! Which one would you choose??? See Below!!

[Kongar]

After going through numerous crappy chinas that simply didn't work - I've simply resorted to buying mathos lamps from electric planet. Expensive yes - but they make me happy. Lavas make me sad. My third mathmos globe is coming in the mail this week.

:)

[Kristen]

Oh, great! I was going to post to ask about those. I want to try the green "rocket" one as my second lamp. Of the four styles they offer, that one took my fancy. :)

I haven't been able to find hardly any info at all about them on the web, so I was afraid to risk the money. All I found was a pic of a box for the "bomb" one that said "Trident" on it and a video somewhere on youtube with disappointing lava flow. As far as I can tell, that company is the only one in the US selling these models?

BTW, I was jazzed recently to get interested in these again and see a couple of the current Lava Lites that I'd like to try. Well, mostly the purple/yellow one. But now I'm sad to read how crappy their lamps have become. I'm, uh, opposite of rich, and I don't have interest in rehabbing a brand-new product, so I'm just not going to buy one unless it's used, and I know it's clear and flows well. Jeez, I'd pay more for a good one used/pre-tested than take a chance on getting a new one that turns out to be crappy. Not good with disappointment...

(hi, I'm new)

Kristen

[Lär]

I'm assuming you have to hook a power transformer to the UK Mathmos lamps to make them work in the US? What about the light bulbs?

[Mr MaGoo]

Let me get this straight.  So I can't plug straight into my 110volt wall outlet with just the "adapter" like this..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I need a "step up/ step down voltage converter" as well?  So basically I would need something like this coming out of my wall..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I could plug either my lamp into it or I could plug a UK wired power strip like the one above this picture?

 

Thanks all..trying to learn here..  :/  Wohoo..that would give me 5 more outlets for 5 more Mathmos Lamps...lol.

What would you guys recommend as a good starting converter..how many watts..200, 500, 1000 watts..?  Don't want to get a dinky 100 watt unit and then a UK power strip and burn it up trying to run 4 or 5 mathmos lamps..understand it would depend on amount of lamps on circuit.  Lets say..max of 5 lamps.  Thanks again.

 

[Da9L]

I know this is an old thread but i wanted to share my opinion too ..

I have 4 mathmos Jets.. All bought used, and i dont know how old these lamps are but i believe they are from before 2000 .. All those 4 lamps have no problems AT ALL.. Perfect flow and crystal clear..

The two only lamps i have bought from new is my two LavaLite Grande's which is by far the most shitty lamps i have.. I bought the first of them a year ago which i recieved so cloudy i couldnt see the wax .. After running it a few times i could finally glimpse the lava, but flow was shit too.. LavaLite was so kind to send me another one free of charge.. Allmost just as cloudy.. Since the beginning of this summer i have been trying to fix them by filtering and flow optimizing them both.. The one of them is good now (not perfect) but as good as i can get it.. Allmost crystal clear but has the perfect flow.. The other am i still trying to sort out.

 

 

[wazzer]

Hi all, I have around 150 Crestworth and Mathmos lamps.
Even if they don't work they're easily sorted out.
But the big difference is QUALITY.