Magnetic Levitation UFO Light - Magnetic LED Lighting Bluetooth's Stereo Charging Floating Levitating Lamp

It is a lamp. The shade is not attached to it.

The silver pedestal stands on the table like any small lamp. The saucer above it does not touch it. There is a gap of open air between the two, and the shade sits there — turning slowly, glowing from underneath, held up by nothing you can see.

That is the whole product, and it is why people stop in front of it. The light it throws and the small speaker inside the shade are both built on top of one thing that simply should not be able to hang there.

The gap is the point, so look at it properly

An electromagnet inside the platform disc holds the shade at a fixed height and corrects it continuously. You set the shade down near the middle of the platform, let go, and it settles. Nothing supports it — no post, no wire, no sheet of clear acrylic. You can see straight through the gap to the wall behind.

It also turns. Slowly, on its own, with no motor touching it — which is usually the detail that convinces the sceptic in the room.

Two lights, doing two different jobs

The underside of the floating shade glows in colour. That is the mood light, and it is what washes up the wall behind the lamp after dark. Separately, a set of small white downlights sits under the rim of the platform and drops a soft pool onto the surface below.

Worth setting expectations honestly: this is ambient light. It is enough to be the only thing on in a bedroom at night, or to give a desk a glow in the evening. It is not a reading lamp and it will not light a room.

The shade is also a small Bluetooth speaker

Lift the saucer off the base and it plays on its own. One 40 mm driver at 5 W fires up through the grille in its crown, running from a battery in the shade — around eight hours away from the lamp, around four hours to charge. Set it back on the platform and it charges while it floats.

What that means in practice: one small driver. It is right for a podcast at a desk or something low in the background while people are in the kitchen. It is not a hi-fi and it will not fill a party. If sound is the main reason you are buying, buy a speaker — this is a lamp that happens to play music.

It is smaller than photographs make it look

This is the thing buyers of levitating lamps most often get wrong, so here it is plainly.

• 13.4 in tall overall (34 cm) — about the height of a wine bottle
• 7.3 in across the foot (18.5 cm) — roughly a side plate
• The floating shade is 5.4 in wide (13.8 cm) and 1.8 in deep — about the width of a CD

It is a desk, shelf and bedside object. On a wide console it reads as a small sculpture rather than a statement lamp.

Living with it

Give it a socket. The base runs from mains power through the adapter in the box, so it needs to sit within reach of an outlet, and a thin cord leaves the back of the foot. Pick your plug type at checkout.

Give it a steady surface. The shade is held in a magnetic field, not clamped. A solid knock to the table can drop it. A shelf or a bedside table it will not get bumped on is the right home; the edge of a busy desk is not.

The first float takes a moment. You are finding the centre of the field by hand. Once you have it, it goes straight back up every time after that.

What you get

In the box: the lamp — pedestal base and saucer shade — and one mains power adapter in the plug type you choose. There is no remote.

Frequently asked questions

Does it really float, or is there a clear support?

It really floats. The platform holds the shade in a magnetic field and there is nothing between the two pieces but air — you can see straight through the gap to whatever is behind the lamp.

How hard is it to set up?

Plug the base in, then lower the shade over the middle of the platform and let go. The first time takes a minute of finding the centre by hand. After that it lifts straight away.

How bright is it?

Bright enough to be a night light, or a glow on a desk after dark. Not bright enough to read by. The colour glow under the shade is the mood light; the white downlights under the platform rim put a soft pool on the surface below.

Will it fall if someone bumps the table?

It can. The shade is held magnetically rather than clamped, so a firm knock can drop it. Put it somewhere stable, and not somewhere small children can reach it.

Can I use the speaker away from the lamp?

Yes. Lift the shade off and it plays on its own battery for around eight hours, then charges again once you set it back on the platform.

How good is the sound, honestly?

It is a single 40 mm driver at 5 W. That is fine for background music, a podcast or a film at low volume in one room. It is not a replacement for a proper speaker.

Does it have to stay plugged in?

The base does. The shade carries its own charge, but the levitation and the platform lights both come from the base, and that runs from mains power.

Which plug should I choose?

US for the United States and Canada, EU for most of Europe, UK for the United Kingdom and Ireland, AU for Australia and New Zealand. The adapter that ships is the one you select.

What colour is it?

One finish: a silver base with a charcoal-grey shade. The colour of the glow under the shade changes from the touch control on the platform; the body colour does not.