Best Lava Lamps currently for sale?

[Fernando Nicotera]

Hello everyone, i'm new to the forum!

I wanted to ask what is the general consensus on the best lamps still for sale inside shops (Mathmos? Lava Lite? Which models?)

What are the most sought after colours? What are YOUR favourite colours/models still for sale nowadays?

[Fernando Nicotera]

Anyone?

[Christian]

My favorite is Mathmos and I like all combis with green or orange Wax. 

[Tim Bartlett]

I’m new too :)

My favourite lamp is our Lava Lite Grande (compared to our other various old and new Mathmos and cheaper Chinese lamps). Crystal clear with very bright red lava. 

2nd favourite probably our Mathmos Jets, but they are no longer available.

[MattMJB0188]

Can't really speak much no Mathmos, as I've only had a few.  Lava Lite is still crap after all these years.  I'd look for any Midnight Models on eBay.  These lamps were usually made in the 1990s or early 2000s and work pretty well.   The best ones are to get are the early '90s lamps, Midnight 32oz, Aristocrat, Century models.

[Fernando Nicotera]

Question, is it true that mathmos are no longer good after 2k hours or is it something they say to make you buy more bottles?

[Johnny]

Mathmos / crestworth are the best end off, the bottles have approx 2000 hour life span provided you stick to the running times and dont over heat misuse the bottle could last longer, No lava lamp will last forever or not cloud so if you want one that has best flow and clarity and rich colours the Mathmos

[Fernando Nicotera]

How do you know if a lamp is overheating?

Johnny said:

Mathmos / crestworth are the best end off, the bottles have approx 2000 hour life span provided you stick to the running times and dont over heat misuse the bottle could last longer, No lava lamp will last forever or not cloud so if you want one that has best flow and clarity and rich colours the Mathmos

[Johnny]

over heating tends to be lots of smallish bubbles staying near the top of the bottle or one big ball floating above the coiled spring not attached, but not mathmos lamps flow different to the Chinese imports 

[Tim Bartlett]

I always thought that Mathmos were generally the best too, and after lurking on here for a while, this seems to back it up.

But...

We bought a replacement Astro bottle recently and I was quite shocked at the glass quality. It has so many air bubbles that it looks like an image of a constellation or something. Hands down by far the worst glass quality of the 10 or so lamps we have, including old Astro bottles, Mathmos Jets, our Grande and even our cheap Chinese lamps. Real shame. I don’t know whether we just have a bad batch or something, but have seen similar comments on some Amazon reviews.

Was thinking of an IO maybe one day but hmmm, sort of puts me off a bit must admit. Will maybe try another Astro sometime first.

[Fernando Nicotera]

Well, I don't think they sell replacements for IO, and 2000 hours are not THAT much if you plan to use the lamp often (and if you are going to buy a IO, I think that you're gonna use it often)...

I still don't know how bad it is after 2000 hours so I don't know if the clouding is negligible....

I Think that when i'll have the money I'll buy a good telstar

Tim Bartlett said:

I always thought that Mathmos were generally the best too, and after lurking on here for a while, this seems to back it up.

But...

We bought a replacement Astro bottle recently and I was quite shocked at the glass quality. It has so many air bubbles that it looks like an image of a constellation or something. Hands down by far the worst glass quality of the 10 or so lamps we have, including old Astro bottles, Mathmos Jets, our Grande and even our cheap Chinese lamps. Real shame. I don’t know whether we just have a bad batch or something, but have seen similar comments on some Amazon reviews.

Was thinking of an IO maybe one day but hmmm, sort of puts me off a bit must admit. Will maybe try another Astro sometime first.

[Tim Bartlett]

Well, this is the thing, they do sell bottles for the IO...the same bottles as for the Lunar, and they are only £70 / $85 at the moment, which I think is quite reasonable. The hour limit doesn’t bother me so much...i guess it might if I found bottles expiring often, but I don’t have experience of this either...yet!

IOs are so much money though I don’t know if I will ever be able to justify it :)

[Fernando Nicotera]

Well Idk,  as I said i'm new to this hobby and i don't have cloudy lavas nor i know if this clouding thing is something that bad if you don't shake the lamp itself. The thing is, if you need to buy a good lamp (something that retains its value) for your house, you WILL spend that amount of money... May be it a centerpiece in a bedroom or something in your living room, so the price is fair and it's something that no one has. Lava lamps are something that no one I know has got in their house(I live in italy, idk if they are that popular in other countries). Even a common astro or baby astro catches the eye in whatever room you place it.

Edit: I've checked and on mathmos website the bottles are 130 euros

Tim Bartlett said:

Well, this is the thing, they do sell bottles for the IO...the same bottles as for the Lunar, and they are only £70 / $85 at the moment, which I think is quite reasonable. The hour limit doesn’t bother me so much...i guess it might if I found bottles expiring often, but I don’t have experience of this either...yet!

IOs are so much money though I don’t know if I will ever be able to justify it :)