A plasma ball gift works best for a kid, teen or adult who likes science, gadgets or a desk toy that does something when you touch it. It is a glass globe with colorful lightning inside, and the lightning follows your fingertip when you touch the glass. We carry three sizes, 3, 6 and 8 inches, in our plasma ball collection.
What does a plasma ball do?
A plasma ball lights up, and it reacts when you touch it. Switch it on and colored streams of light run from the center out to the glass. Put a hand on the glass and the streams bend toward your fingers. BALIBOO, the brand behind our three globes, says the lightning also reacts to sounds around it.
Inside is a glass sphere filled with noble gases, most often neon, sometimes mixed with argon, krypton or xenon, with a high-voltage electrode in the middle. The plasma globe entry on Wikipedia traces the idea back to Nikola Tesla. The Groundstar style, created by James Falk, was marketed to collectors and science museums in the 1970s and 1980s.
Who is a plasma ball a good gift for?
A plasma ball is a good gift for anyone who will put it on a desk or shelf and come back to it. BALIBOO suggests it for kids, teens, students and teachers, and for offices and study spaces:
- Kids who like science. It shows electricity they can see and touch. BALIBOO suggests it for science fair projects and homeschool lessons on electricity and energy.
- Teens. It works as room decor for a bedroom, a dorm room or a gaming setup.
- Teachers. BALIBOO suggests it for classroom demonstrations.
- Anyone with an office or study desk. We'd put it on a desk as something to reach for between tasks.
It is glass and it needs power, so we'd keep it on a desk or a shelf, not on the floor.
Which plasma ball size should you give?
Choose by size and by power. The 3-inch mini can run on batteries. The 6-inch and 8-inch plug into the wall.
| Plasma ball | Size | What's in the box | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3" Mini Plasma Ball | 3 inches | Plasma ball and USB cable | USB cable into a USB port, or 4 AAA batteries (not included) |
| 6" Plasma Ball | 6 inches | Plasma ball and 12V power adapter | Plugs into the wall |
| 8" Plasma Ball | 8 inches | Plasma ball and 12V power adapter | Plugs into the wall |
BALIBOO suggests the same places for all three: bedrooms, dorm rooms, gaming setups, offices, classrooms and study spaces. So the choice comes down to two questions:
- Is there a wall outlet near the spot? If not, give the 3-inch. It runs on 4 AAA batteries, or from its USB cable plugged into a USB port.
- How big should it be? The 3-inch is the smallest of the three. The 8-inch is the largest. The 6-inch sits in between.
If the 3-inch is going to someone who wants it cordless, put a pack of 4 AAA batteries with the gift. They are not in the box.
What age is a plasma ball for?
Our plasma ball collection page suggests ages 8 and up. The BALIBOO product pages themselves give no minimum age, and describe it as a gift for kids, teens, students, teachers and science lovers. Before you give one to a younger child, read the safety rules below and decide whether the child can follow them. For a younger child, we'd have an adult set it up and stay nearby.
Is a plasma ball safe for kids?
Yes, with an adult nearby for younger kids and a few rules. A plasma ball is made to be touched. Touching the glass with a bare hand is the normal way to use it. The risks come from what else is near it or on it. The hazards section of the Wikipedia article covers these:
- Nothing metal on the glass. A metal object touching the outside of the ball can draw a small spark. That can damage the ball or nearby electronics and can start a fire.
- Don't let a phone or laptop sit against it. Metal or electronics close to the ball can make the glass heat up. The ball can also interfere with touchpads on laptops and phones.
- No hand sanitizer. Wikipedia reports that in July 2022, at the Questacon science museum in Canberra, a spark from a plasma globe lit the alcohol-based sanitizer on a child's hands, and the child was badly burned. ABC News reported that a Comcare investigation found the spark had ignited the sanitizer on the nine-year-old's hands.
Three house rules of our own: wash hands with soap and water instead of using sanitizer before touching it. It is glass, so set it on a flat, stable surface, away from the edge. And if the 3-inch runs from a laptop's USB port, keep the laptop itself a hand's width from the globe. Tuck a card with these rules in the gift box.
Can you use a plasma ball as a night light or leave it on overnight?
Our product pages don't give a run time or say whether it can stay on overnight. We'd use it while someone is in the room and switch it off before bed, not run it as an all-night light.
Plasma ball ideas for Christmas
The 6-inch and 8-inch work as a main gift. The 3-inch, the smallest of the three, is the stocking-sized pick, and all three are in our stocking stuffers collection. Some ways to give it:
- A science kid's desk set: the 3-inch mini with other picks from our STEM toys and science experiments collection.
- A teacher gift: the 8-inch for a classroom demonstration.
- A light-up gift for a teen's room: the 6-inch. For more light-up gifts, and which ones come with batteries, see our post on light up toys for Christmas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you touch a plasma ball?
Yes. Touching the glass is how a plasma ball is meant to be used. Never touch it with hand sanitizer on your hands, and never put metal objects on the glass.
How does a plasma ball work, in simple words?
An electrode in the center gets a high voltage, and the gas inside the glass glows as streams of light. Your body gives the electricity an easier path than the gas around it, so when you touch the glass, a stream jumps toward your hand.
Is a plasma ball actually plasma?
Yes. When the voltage is on, a plasma forms inside the globe, and the glowing streams are plasma filaments.
What are plasma balls filled with?
Plasma balls are filled with noble gases, most often neon, sometimes mixed with argon, krypton or xenon. The gas mix, the voltage and the pressure all shape the colors and the streams.
See all three sizes in our plasma ball collection.