We have all seen many 3D printed moon lamps, right? They sit on a wooden stand and emit cool white and warm white light. But they were still missing the realism of the moon. Thanks to modern technology, we now have lamps that look like a levitating moon and can imitate the moon even better.
The floating moon lamp is a patented design lamp made by the Original MoonLamp. Their take on the 3D moon lamp stunned the world. Who would have thought that a levitating moon lamp would have been possible?
But how does the lamp work? What features make it special and how do you operate the floating moon lamp?
More importantly, are the free floating moon lamps safe for children? All will be answered in this question. So without further adieu, let us begin our discussion on the majestic moon levitating lamp.
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How Do Floating Moon Lamps Work?
The floating moon lamps are certainly different from the standard non-floating 3D moon lamps we have seen over the past years.
Rather than having a wooden stand to sit on, the levitating moon lamp levitates on a wooden base. Rather than having a wire/ cord going into the lamp, the levitating moon lamp has no direct-wired connection.
The levitating moon lamp has no physical contact with the wooden base and it can float and spin on the base freely. The lamp can do these feats because of two clever technologies. Magnetic Levitation Technique, and Wireless Technology. Let’s take a look at these technologies in more detail.
Magnetic Levitation Technique
We all know how magnets work, right? They use invisible force to attract ferromagnetic metals.
Magnets have two poles. North and south. Two magnets will attract/ pull each other if they are facing each other with the opposite magnetic pole. If both the magnets are facing each other with the same magnetic pole, then they will deflect/ push each other. The levitating lamp uses this simple technique to levitate.
The magnet on the wooden base and the magnet located at the base of the floating lamp are facing each other with the same magnetic pole. That is why the base is pushing the 3D moon lamp off the ground.
Now if you have played with magnets before, you may wonder how the lamp stays balanced in the center of the wooden base? That is where the circular design of the magnet comes in.
The circular magnet in the base has a circular cutout in its center, making the center blank. But because of this circular cutout, the magnetic force-field disperses into a pattern. The same pole of the smaller circular magnet in the lamp interacts with this magnetic force of the base and pushes itself away.
The magnetic force of the base magnet pushed the magnet from all directions except the top. Thus when placed correctly, the lamp levitates without tipping over at any side. However, if you push the lamp sideways after setting it up, it will lose balance and fall. We do not recommend you to do that because that can cause significant damage to the base and the moon. Because the magnet used in these levitating moon lamps is very strong.
To assist you in finding the correct orientation and placement, there are feedback LEDs on the wooden base.
These feedback LEDs tell you which way to move the lamp for making the moon lamp floating on the base. Those LEDs play both roles of functional light and decorative light.
Wireless Technology
We have discussed one part of the equation, making the moon lamp floating on the base. Now the next part is how the moon lamp gets power.
It does seem like one of the biggest mysteries of the moon lamp. The main lamp has no wired connection. But we do have to connect a wire/ cord with the base of the lamp. So the lamp is consuming electricity to run. The question is how does the electricity go in the floating moon?
The lamp uses wireless technology to transfer electricity from the base to the levitating moon. There are coils in the base. The coils are placed at the center circular-cutout of the magnet. The electricity comes in the base through the cord goes through some circuit board and finally gets in the coils. The coils send electricity to the lamp.
If you notice the downside/ bottom of the moon lamp, you can see that it has a different colored (white) base. Inside the base are the magnet and another set of coils that receives the electricity from the base.
This received electricity is then taken through another set of circuits inside the lamp and finally emits the LED in the moon.
There is a touch button in the base. This touch-sensitive button works as the power button and the setting button for the lamp.
When you press the button once after connecting power, it will send electricity through the coils in the air. The moon lamp will receive that electricity and switch on. It will glow cool white. Touch the button again and the lamp will switch off.
When you long-press the button again, it will send a different signal. The chipset in the lamp will register that signal and change the color of the lamp to warm white.
Some variants of the levitating moon lamp include a remote. This allows you to wirelessly control various features like the color, brightness of the levitating lamp.
So basically that is how the moon lamp works. It uses magnets to levitate. There are four LED lights to guide you to the right orientation. The base uses coils to send electricity and control signals to the levitating lamp.
Floating Moon Lamp Features
We hope that you have understood how the levitating moon lamp works. Now let’s talk about all the distinctive features the floating lamp will provide.
NASA Satellite Photographs
To make the lamp glow like the real moon at night, NASA satellite photographs are used to model the entire lamp. You can see the resemblance by yourself. Just look at the night sky. Do you see the dark spots on the moon? You can see them also present in the moon lamp.
Using these NASA images was the best reference material any company could use to make the floating moon lamps. It is hard to identify any fault in the imitation of the moon in these floating moon lamps. Even the glow is somewhat similar to the moon at night.
Free Spinning
The old non-levitating moon lamps could not spin. But your new levitating moon lamp spins. The circular magnetic design allows the lamp to spin while staying in orbit.
The spinning does not disrupt the flow of electricity. Because the electricity is sent through the air. A set of wire coils are used to do this.
The free-spinning brings more functionality to the lamp at night. There are some galaxy lamps available, which are levitating moon lamps with a different print on them. The spinning will appear more diverse and attractive on those levitating lamps.
Safe For Children
The levitating moon lamp uses coils to send electricity into the air and the lamp receives that electricity from the air. Now the question is, is it safe for you and your children?
It certainly is. Though transferring electricity through the air may sound dangerous, we can assure you that the technology used in these levitating lamps is safe. You can even put your hand under the lamp while it is turned on. You won’t feel any tingling from the electricity.
You may wonder if the light gets hot and hurts you. No. The lamp has low heat LEDs. This allows the unit to operate for longer periods without getting hot. This makes sense because these lamps are made for touching and playing.
The brightness of the LEDs is also controllable. They are not hurting to the eye, which also makes it safe for your child.
3D-Printed Design
The levitating moon lamp is not just a round ball to present the night sky with NASA satellite photographs printed on its surface. No, they are 3D printed. Meaning there are depth and 3D structures in the surface song side the NASA satellite photographs prints.
One of these units takes about 26 hours to print and complete. A 3D printer is used to make the whole moon lamp. The lamp is one solid piece. That is why you cannot find any traces of molds on the surface(Except for the bottom).
This 3D printed design has brought more realism into the moon lamp and it has also made it very satisfying to touch and play with.
Premium Base
The base of the moon lamp is not only a key part of its functionality but also a very distinctive part of its key visuals. The base of the levitating moon lamp can be made in different styles. There is a standard wooden magnetic base design. Then we have rock, marvel, metal, and other variants.
All the base designs feature touch sensors which function as the only way of communicating with the moon lamp.
So naturally, you can understand that the design of the base matters a lot. Do you prefer touching wood over marvel, or the other way around? This can play a key role in your base material choice.
Two-color Modes
The levitating moon lamps have two color modes usually. Cool white and warm white. The cool white shines brighter than the warm white. The cool color is perfect for illuminating more space.
But the warm mode is a little dimmer. The brightness of this made is lower. But this mimics the moon best. The warm mode is relaxing to the eye and it is the best mode for children and bedrooms.
Besides these two modes, some can illuminate in different colors like red, blue, green, purple, etc. But the standard is the cool and warm-colored white.
Battery Mode
One of the great and most useful features of the levitating moon lamp is the inclusion of a rechargeable battery in the base. Usually, these lamps come with a 500mah lithium battery built-in.
This built-in battery allows you to use the levitating lamp without the power cord for some time. In the battery mode, you can take the base and the lamp anywhere and light them up.
Keep in mind that the battery is in the base, not in the moon lamp. So the lamp will not illuminate without the base. Also, you cannot operate the lamp without the base because the base has all the controls.
Top Floating Moon Lamps from Amazon
Here are some of the best night levitating moon lamps from the Amazon.
