Star projectors Christmas gift guide 2024: Bring space home

Encalife Ambience Galaxy and Star Projector: $19.97 on Amazon

The Encalife Ambience Galaxy and Star Projector is not only a great beginner star projector, it's also a bargain at less than $20. It doesn't offer realistic views of the night sky, but it does offer enchanting star patterns across your ceiling, making it a great tool for relaxation - or even partying.

It comes with a remote control and while it doesn't have as many settings as other, more expensive star projectors, there are multiple light and color modes. There's also a built-in Bluetooth speaker, which we praised in our Encalife Ambience review — it's surprisingly good quality.

Astronaut Starry Sky Star Projector: $27.99 at Amazon

One of our favorite beginner star projectors is this adorable Astronaut Starry Sky projector. In our review of the Astronaut Starry Sky projector, we praised its surprisingly good build quality, and found its light output to be impressive. It's inexpensive, and its novelty shape will appeal to children – but we can attest adults love it too.

Shaped like an astronaut, its visor doubles as the lens, projecting an image of the night sky onto the ceiling. There are multiple settings and colors to choose from, and it comes with a handy remote to allow you to control it in bed or from the couch.

4M Create a Night Sky Projection Kit: was $10.95, now $7.99 at Amazon

A great kit you get to build and also enjoy as a star projector. Ideal for STEAM learning with kids and all the family. In our Create a Night Sky review, we praised the science/craft mash-up that this product provides, and at this price point, it's an absolute bargain — even if it doesn't offer the most clear or most accurate projections.

Encalife Aurora Borealis Northern Lights star projector : was $109.97, now $87.97 at Amazon

This is one of the most feature-rich star projectors on the market. Rather than being scientifically accurate, it's great for users who want to create a lively, fun atmosphere or for get-togethers. We've previously named it the best star projector for space-themed parties, in fact.

In our Encalife Aurora Borealis projector review we praised its realistic-looking auroras, which are simply beautiful to look at. It can also project an image of the moon along with numerous starscapes, which is a nice touch.

Brainstorm Toys Deep Space Home Planetarium:$32.33 at Home Depot

Yes, this intermediate-level star projector is indeed one that's aimed at children. But this home planetarium is much more than just a pretty light show: it's a powerful educational tool that's designed to introduce children to the wonder of space. 

It comes with multiple image disks, all with color images taken by NASA and the Hubble telescope. In our Brainstorm Toys Home Planetarium review we praised its price point and called it a great STEM toy.

National Geographic Astro Planetarium star projector: $103.99 at TradeInn

Despite looking very much like a toy, the National Geographic Astro Planetarium is a powerful space education tool that can provide beautiful, clear images of a realistic night sky. We love that you can program in a specific date and time to see an accurate depiction of the sky at that moment — and like some of the more advanced star projectors on this list, images can be customized with changeable disks.

In our Astro Planetarium review we noted its button inputs are intuitive and found its projection to be bright and very sharp. It's battery-powered, though, unless you buy the optional AC adapter — so we recommend picking up three extra AAs before gifting this one.

Orzorz Home Planetarium star projector: was $89.99, now $79.99 on Amazon

The Orzorz Home Planetarium is the cheapest advanced star projector that offers scientifically accurate views of the night sky. It boasts bright and clear visuals that are projected onto your walls and ceiling, allowing mesmerizing views from the comfort of your own home.

Like the other projectors in this advanced section of our star projector gift guide, the Orzorz Home Planetarium can be loaded with different disks, all providing views of different areas of the solar system. There's a Black Hole, for example, and a view of Jupiter. But at $10 each, it can end up being pretty pricey to build up a good selection.

Pococo Galaxy star projector: was $149.99, now $109.99 at Amazon

Despite not being marketed as a home planetarium, the Pococo Galaxy is more than a basic star projector thanks to its scientific accuracy. Like the Sega Toys Homestar Flux, which you'll find further down this list, it comes with multiple disks, all displaying different imagery.

Our Pococo Galaxy review praised the image quality provided by the star projector: it's bright and high resolution, offering some of the best views of the sky without looking through a telescope.

Sega Toys Homestar Flux star projector: was $259, now $239 at Amazon

This rarely-discounted star projectors is one of the best on the market, and comes highly recommended for advanced users and those with a very keen interest in the night sky. 

This certainly isn't a toy: different discs can be inserted into the machine, all offering realistic views of the night sky. So realistic, in fact, they're based on NASA imagery. However, these discs are sold separately, like the City Lights of North America, or the Helix Nebula. And at $22.99 each, this already-expensive star projector becomes even more costly. But it's by far the best on the market, offering unrivaled quality and great educational potential.