What are sensory lights?
Sensory lights are lamps, projectors and glowing toys made to be looked at and played with, not just to light a room. They move slowly, change colour or respond to a touch or a switch, and they're at their best with the big light off.
Which sensory light should I choose?
Sensory bubble lamps and light tubes. The Mini Bubbler is a tabletop bubble tube lamp: a water-filled tube of rising, colour-changing bubbles, switch adapted so the bubbles can be turned on and off. The Tabletop Hurricane gives the same effect without water, with air carrying small beads up and down the tube. For something bigger, see our full-size sensory bubble tubes.
Sensory light projectors. The Kaleidoscope Lamp runs on three AA batteries and sends slow ripples of colour around a dark room. The Aura Projector is a silent LED projector, and the Slimline Projector takes interchangeable effect wheels. The Star Projector – Adapted fills a ceiling with stars and works from a switch. See the full range in Projectors.
Mood lights you can hold. The Mood Sphere and Sensory Mood Egg glow and slowly change colour. They're rechargeable and safe to hold, so they can be carried, rolled or rested in a lap.
Sensory fish lamp. The Aquari-round is a switch-adapted fish light.
Fibre optics. The Fibre Optic Plume is a handheld spray of glowing strands. For larger fibre optic sensory lights, see Fibre Optics.
Glow in the dark. Glow Stars soak up light and glow softly when the lights go out.
Sensory lights for a bedroom
The Star Projector – Adapted and Aura Projector run from the mains and are a good way to wind down before bed. Switch them on as part of the bedtime routine and off before sleep, as they aren't designed to be left on all night. The rechargeable Mood Sphere and Sensory Mood Egg are easy to bring to bed for a story.
Switch-adapted sensory lights
The Mini Bubbler, Tabletop Hurricane, Star Projector – Adapted and Aquari-round can all be worked with an accessibility switch. You'll find more switch-adapted toys in Switch Rewards.
Sensory lights for autism
Families, schools and carers often look for sensory lights for autistic children and adults. Light is very personal: some people prefer a single slow glow, like a Mood Sphere changing colour in their hands, while others like more going on, such as stars across the ceiling or ripples of colour from the Kaleidoscope Lamp. We describe exactly what each light does, so you can choose what suits the person you're buying for. You can also browse our whole range by need in Shop by Disability.
Time with sensory lights
Turn the big light off and the room becomes somewhere else. Stars drift across the ceiling, colours move through the bubbles, and nobody has to do anything at all.
Are sensory lights safe?
Our mood lights are rechargeable and made to be held, and our mains projectors aren't designed to be left on all night, so switch them off before sleep. Most of our toys are tested to EN 71, the European toy safety standard; if you need the standard for a particular light, just ask us. Use under adult supervision.
Sensory room lights for schools and settings
We accept purchase orders, and our funding and grants guide covers what's available for schools and young people. Soft, out-of-reach light is the starting point of a calming or de-escalation room, and projection that fills every wall is what makes an immersive sensory room. If you're planning a whole room, start with our guide to sensory rooms, then see our sensory bubble tubes, Projectors, Fibre Optics and our free sensory room design service.
Written by John Tidmarsh, TFH UK.
