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: Light that moves to music
- Projects
- 14 aurora effects + stars
- Sleep sounds
- 8
- Plays music from a phone
- Yes
- 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 pictures
- Projects
- 13 space discs + colour night light
- Sleep sounds
- 15
- Plays music from a phone
- Yes
- 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 out on all sides 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
- Storm, water and birdsong sounds
- Fits a crowded nightstand
Best for: Light in every direction
- Projects
- Aurora, 5 planets + green stars
- Sleep sounds
- 8
- Plays music from a phone
- Yes
- 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, by voice through Alexa or Google Assistant, or from SmartThings or another Matter hub, 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: Voice control
- Projects
- 7-zone nebula + stars
- Sleep sounds
- 18
- Plays music from a phone
- –
- Control
- Govee app, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings or another Matter hub
- 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: Aiming the light
- Projects
- 8 nebula effects + green stars
- Sleep sounds
- None
- Plays music from a phone
- No
- 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 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 18 | None |
| Plays music from a phone | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | No |
| Control | Remote | Remote | Remote | Govee app, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings or another Matter hub | 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 | Light that moves to music | Space pictures | Light in every direction | Voice control | Aiming the light |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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