Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light review

Despite its name, we probably wouldn’t categorize the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light as a star/galaxy projector. It does project lights and colors onto your walls and ceiling, sure. But the projections generated by this lamp are more abstract and simply create a relaxing ambience rather than anything close to an accurate image of space.

So if you’re looking for a scientifically accurate star projector, you should probably look elsewhere. But if a great quality lamp that creates a wonderful atmosphere is what you’re looking for, the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light is an excellent choice.

This cube-shaped lamp looks fantastic and can be used as a standard bedside light. Switch on its projections, and your ceiling and walls will be awash with a sea of colors. Mostly abstract waves of color, you could just about describe the projections as galaxy-like if you opt for the purple/blue color option. But regardless of the color you set the lamp to, you’re guaranteed to create a relaxing environment — ideal for unwinding before bedtime.

While we’re not sure the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light offers enough actual galaxy-projecting functionality to earn a place on our list of best star projectors, it is an excellent budget star projector, costing less than $20. Its build quality is surprisingly good, it looks very stylish, and its usefulness as an actual bedside lamp should not be understated.

Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light review: Design

• Attractive design
• Great build quality
• No buttons on the unit itself

An understated cube-shaped light, the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light isn’t going to look out of place on any bedside cabinet. It’s made up of a translucent acrylic cover that resembles frosted glass, attached to a light wooden base. It’s understated and fashionable, and it’s probably that aesthetic that appeals most to us, looking unlike any other galaxy projector on the market.

Its build quality is surprisingly good, too, particularly given its sub-$20 price point. The acrylic cover, which hides the bulb and projection unit, feels substantial and high quality, and the wooden base adds a touch of class. Size-wise, the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light measures roughly 5.5-inches (14 centimeters) on each side, so it’s substantial enough to make a statement without requiring too much space.

You won’t find any buttons on the lamp itself: all functions are controlled via an included remote control. It keeps the lamp looking unstated and stylish, but not having a simple on/off switch can be frustrating, particularly if you end up misplacing the very small remote.

Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light review: Performance

• Bright light, useful for a bedside lamp
• Lots of color effects
• No laser stars

As we’ve already stated, the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light isn’t a star projector. There’s no functionality here to display stars on your wall or ceiling, not even those annoying green laser stars that other cheap star projectors often have. It could be called a "galaxy projector" at a push, given its ever-so-slightly aurora-like projections. But really, unless you absolutely need a scientifically accurate projector, that doesn’t matter.

In fact, the lack of laser stars isn’t a bad thing at all, as they rarely look good. The projections themselves might not look much like the night sky — their ripples and waves more often resemble the movement of water — but they are relaxing and attractive, and a joy to look at.

What we particularly like is that the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light can be used as a normal lamp. There are 16 RGB colours to choose from, but if you opt for white, it provides a pleasant natural light, which we’ve found bright enough to read under without straining our eyes. And of course, you get the added benefit of having pretty ripples of light cast across your ceiling.

It’s a rather wide-reaching projector, too. We’ve been testing it in an average-sized bedroom, big enough to house a double bed, bedside cabinets, wardrobes and a bookshelf. With the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light tucked away in a corner, the projections cover most of the ceiling and walls.

Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light review: Functionality

• Requires a remote control
• Powered by USB
• No sleep timer or speaker

There are no advanced functions included with the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light. There’s no Bluetooth speaker, and there’s no built-in sleep timer. The former isn’t too much of a problem: those built-in speakers are never the best quality anyway. But it would have been nice to set a timer and have the lamp power itself off after a set amount of time.

As we’ve already mentioned, every function of the light needs to be controlled via the remote control. From here, you can choose one of 16 colors or set a gentle cycle that automatically changes between each color. There’s also a Flash mode, which quickly switches between colors — perhaps ideal if you want to use it to mimic a disco light.

To use the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light, you’ll need to connect it to a USB power source. It’s ideal if you already have USB power outlets in your home; if not, you might need to buy an adapter. The light ships with a USB-C to USB-A cable, but no plug is included — as is pretty standard practice.

Should you buy the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light?

We love the Jiawen Galaxy Projector Light. We’ve been won over by its outstanding build quality, and the fact that it looks so stylish on our bedside cabinet. It’s also surprisingly cheap, costing around $20 (or sometimes less). But if you’re looking for something that offers scientifically accurate projectors, or you want laser stars, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

We’d recommend checking out one of Sega Toys’ projectors for realistic galaxy projections, such as the Homestar Flux. This offers up absolutely stunning starscapes of the Northern Hemisphere — although you can expect to pay significantly more.

For something a little more budget-friendly, take a look at the Orzorz Galaxy Lite.