Plasma Ball Table Lamp

A plasma ball is a piece of Victorian physics that never stopped being fascinating. Threads of coloured light reach out from the core towards the inside of the glass, drifting and reshaping continuously, and they follow a fingertip pressed against the sphere. It is a light that people cannot help touching, which is precisely the point of putting one on a desk or a shelf.

The globe is glass on a moulded base, and the filaments show best in a dimly lit room — this is a mood piece rather than a working light. It draws very little power and gives out almost no heat, so it can be left running through an evening. On a desk it makes a good companion to a proper task lamp; on a shelf among books and objects it reads as a curiosity rather than a gadget.

It runs from USB or from AA batteries, so it can be placed away from a socket if the cable would be in the way. Use a UK-approved USB mains adapter, which is not supplied. The globe is glass and will break if dropped, so stand it on a stable level surface away from edges. It is a decorative object and not a toy: keep it out of reach of young children, and keep batteries out of reach and recycle them properly.

• Glass plasma ball lamp with drifting coloured filaments
• Filaments follow a fingertip touched to the glass
• USB or AA battery powered - use a UK-approved USB mains adapter (not supplied)
• Low power draw and negligible heat output
• Shows best in a dimly lit room; a mood light rather than a task light
• Glass globe - stand on a stable level surface away from edges
• Decorative object, not a toy - keep out of reach of young children
• Keep batteries out of reach of children and recycle them responsibly