Schylling "Cotton Candy" 16 Inch Lamp - Initial Impressions

So, I am still rather new to lava lamps, and unfortunately all that I currently have are Chinese lamps from both Lifespan and Schylling. But I wanted to add a large lamp to my collection, and the 16.3 inch seemed like the perfect size for what I was looking for. Unfortunately all I could find at first was the common (and in my opinion boring) green/blue and purple/yellow lamps for sale in this size. After a bit of digging though, I saw that Spencer's was selling this lamp.

https://www.spencersonline.com/product/pink-and-blue-ombre-lava-lam...

Now, I was immediately in love with the red/blue coloration of the base and cap, as well as the way the wax inside seemed to go from blue to pink depending on how close it was to the globe. So for $34.23 shipped (coupon codes are awesome) I decided to purchase it, even with knowing that any newer lava lamp was definitely a gamble. I had just had a rough experience with two neon blue/clear lamps that ended up getting returned, so I immediately prepared for the worst upon arrival.

It was around 95 degrees when Fedex finally brought the extremely large box that the lamp was contained within. The heat and transportation worried me, but Spencer's had thankfully padded the actual lamp box with quite a bit of sealed air pouches. Upon opening the package I was greeted with something which initially seemed to be extremely different from what I actually purchased.

Despite being described as a "pink and blue" lamp, what arrived was definitely more pink than what was pictured on the website. At first I thought it was a completely different lamp, but upon inspection it seems that the colors of the image on Spencer's site are just completely jacked up. All of the product numbers and everything match up, so this was exactly the lamp that I ordered. I wasn't disappointed, it just was completely different from what I expected. Unfortunately there was no time for me to plug it in and properly test it out before work though, but throughout the work day I came to the conclusion that I actually think I prefer the cotton candy aesthetic. It even states on the box that it's exactly what it's supposed to remind you of.

Initial impressions upon actually seeing the globe out of the box were good, though I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of it off and not running. The liquid looked reasonably clear, and the wax was solidly at the bottom of the lamp, thankfully the summer Nebraska heat hadn't gotten to it. When I got home from work though, it was finally time to test it out and see how things went.

Immediately I noticed that it has it's fair share of smudging and other little imperfections such as the little reflective bubbles in the glass. I have learned with the cheaper newer lamps to expect this sort of thing though, so while I was initially bummed upon seeing them I just had to remember to be thankful that the liquid inside wasn't cloudy. Things can always be worse when these things are considered. I also am not sure if Spencer's will be restocking this particular lamp as I believe I saw somewhere that it had been discontinued. Even if I did want to play the lamp roulette, chances are that I wouldn't be able to get another one or it would be even worse.

It took a few hours to get going, which was expected. As it's a larger lamp than my other two, I knew I just had to wait and be patient. Thankfully though, it ended up being worth the wait.

The flow is really nice and fast, definitely more enjoyable and entertaining than my other two lamps. Plus, the way it goes from hot pink at the bottom to a more bluish color at the top really makes it interesting visually. I know this is just the first run, but I'm excited to see what else this lamp has to offer. Of course, the lasting quality of any of these newer lamps is definitely suspect, but from what I've seen so far I hope it will offer me many years of enjoyment. If cotton candy was what they were going for, they really seemed to nail it.

Thanks for taking the time to read this little initial impression post about a strange, cotton candy themed lamp.

▶ Reply to This