Have your bulb for the lava lamp gone out of order or reached its expiry date? And now you are looking for a replacement bulb for lava lamp? This question might appear in your mind do LED bulbs work in lava lamps? Or do you have to select from incandescent and halogen bulbs?
So let’s break the ice! Led lights for lava lamps do not work in lava lamps. The reason is these LED lava lamp bulbs are not good at producing enough heat that is essential for melting the wax. Ultimately the motion lava lamp will not work properly.
There are a lot of other options available for replacing the lava lamp bulbs that I am going to mention in this blog. Furthermore, a comprehensive discussion on why not Do LED bulbs work in lava lamps is included in the guide.
Before moving towards these aspects, let’s have a look at what is lava lamp and its crucial parts bong lava lamp.
What Are Lava Lamps And How Does It Work?
A lava lamp is a type of lamp. The main difference between lava lamps and the simple lamp is the type of light that they produce. The difference in the light is due to different types and lava lamp sizes bulbs inside it.

Generally, the simple lamp produces sharp and bright light that helps to see things clearly. The main purpose of such a lamp is to produce light. On the other hand, lava lamps produce soft light.
The main purpose of bong shaped lava lamp is to produce soothing and attractive visuals to create a peaceful environment. Lava lamps are not supposed to produce light. It is not wrong to say it is just a decorative gadget that a person can add to their space.
Mostly simple lamps use LED bulbs inside them and incandescent bulbs are part of lava lamps.
Now let’s have a look at how an incandescent bulb help in the proper function of a lava lamp.
When the lava lamp is connected to the electricity, the filament inside the incandescent bulb starts producing heat. The heat produced by the filament melts the wax of the liquid. After the melting of the wax, the liquid of the lamp comes into lava form and it starts flowing.
After melting the wax, it expands and comes over the top of the liquid and forms different shapes. The combination of different shapes and colors of light provides the most beautiful sight. After reaching the top, the wax dissipates all its heat and becomes dense, and came back to the bottom.
Here it gets heated again and expands and reaches the top. This is how a lava lamp work to give soothing vibes.
Do LED Bulbs Work In Lava Lamps- Why Not To Use LED Bulbs In Philips Glitter Lamp Post
There are a few major reasons that will make LED Bulbs not fit for lava lamps. Let’s have a look at them one by one so that the query of why not do LED bulbs work in lava lamps.

LED Bulbs Do Not Produce Enough Heat
The first and most important reason that makes silver bottom light bulbs LED are not designed to produce much heat that is specifically required for melting the wax. Here the question might pop up how long does lava lamp take to heat up? Or how long for lava lamp to heat up?
A lava lamp that comes with an incandescent bulb heats up for only one hour to one and a half hours. On the other hand, a brand-new lava lamp that is plugged on for the first time takes almost two to three hours in heating.
In case the incandescent bulb of the lamp is replaced with LED lava lamp bulbs, then the wax will not melt properly and the heating time will be more than five to six hours. It is highly chance after six to seven hours the wax still not melt properly.
The wax remains stick to the globe of lava lamps and make the lava lamp globe cloudy. In this situation the lava lamp replacement globe situation reached. So this is the first reason for not using LED bulbs in lava lamps.
LED Bulbs Produce Bright Light
The second reason for not using LED bulbs in the lava lamp is that LED lights use approximately all the energy in producing bright light and only a few percent of light in producing heat.
We clearly know the purpose of using lava lamps. We use lava lamps only to create a soothing and peaceful environment that helps the relaxation of its user.
Frequently Asked Question
Question No 1: Can lava lamps overheat?
Answer: Yes lava becomes overheated when it stays on for a longer duration. The maximum time for using a lava lamp is six to seven hours consecutively.
Question No 2: What type of light bulb for lava lamp?
Answer: Generally the incandescent light bulb is the best option for the lava lamp. Sometimes most lava lamps also use halogen bulbs and LED bulbs as the heating source inside it.
Question No 3: What size bulb for lava lamp?
Answer: The size of every lava lamp is different. Similarly, variations in the size of the lamp also require different sizes of bulbs in it.
- 27 inches lava lamp require 100 watt lava lamp bulb
- 17 inches lamps need lava lamp bulb 40 watt
- 14.5 inches lava lamp should have 25 watt lava lamp bulb
- 11.5 inches lava lamps come with 15 watts lava lamp bulb
Question No 4: Why does my basking light keep blowing?
Answer: The reason behind the basking of light is a voltage spike, loose connection, electric arching, and wrong wattage.
Question No 5: What are the disadvantages of using LED bulbs in lava lamps?
Answer: While LED bulbs are energy-efficient and long-lasting, they are not well-suited for use in lava lamps. LED bulbs do not generate enough heat to properly heat the liquid inside the lamp, which can result in slow or nonexistent lava flow.
Additionally, LED bulbs are not designed to produce the same color temperature as incandescent bulbs, which can affect the overall appearance of the lamp. Overall, it’s best to use incandescent bulbs with a small base, such as the E17 intermediate or E12 candelabra base, to ensure optimal performance of your lava lamp.
Final Words
Let’s sum up the whole discussion of do LED bulbs work in lava lamps in one word. That is No! LED bulbs are not a good option for lava lamps. So if you want to replace the lava lamp bulb also choose from the incandescent bulb or halogen bulb.