Best Volcano Lamp?

Hi, Mat. Enjoying your content! The wave and volcano lamps aren't to my taste, but fun to watch. Forgive me if I've missed a video you've already made, but what about ferrofluid devices that react to music? These seem right up your alley.

Yeah, I was hoping for a sort of hybrid between the good old lava lamp and a vulcano. But clearly not 😂

I recently bought something on the recommendation of a popular YouTuber and it was junk. Saying something is rubbish is far more valuable but a lot less lucrative! A proper lava lamp looks nicer. Who remembers the Tom Scott video about using a wall of them to generate random numbers?

I literally just got one from ali express

Excellent, really enjoyed that. Next week: which 70s Sea Diver Cartesian toy should you buy?

Happy New Year, Matt! Quick question: #3 seems to flicker as it changes color. You didn't mention it, so I'm guessing that's an artifact of the camera refresh rate vs the LED flash rate? I believe many LED's dim by changing either their on/off frequency or duty cycle... So as one color dims and another fades in, maybe that is causing beats with the video refresh rate. Or maybe it just actually flickers. Minus one point if so.

Im going out on a limb here, i havent watched the Lava lamp special yet still dealing with ptsd after seeing the puppets make a welcome if not brief appearance. I personally am guessing it has to be the origional Matmoss lamp. Please feel free to shower me with abuse if i have guessed incorrectly. Happy new year everyone!!😅😅

Pah. I was hoping for a Paxman style showdown where the CEO of some overseas tatco gets grilled repeatedly about why these things take so long to warm up. Instead this will become the turning point, where Techmoan fell under the shade of Big Lamp.

Thanks for the advise what not to buy! Wish you a happy new year!

Thanks to the Patreon subscription, I'm happy to know I don't need those lamps a few days before the rest of the world! I prefer the wave.

Back in the 1980s, I dreamed of having a remote control on my hifi. Now random Chinese plastic tat comes with one. We live in strange times. Also, why don't they design the base to have a sleeve section to cover the holes at the bottom where the beads enter the volcano? I suppose the answer is that they can't be bothered, as people will buy them anyway. It's a shame though, as just by extending the base upwards to cover the bottom 1 cm of the tank would make for a more pleasing effect.

All water exposed to air has algae spores in it. They will cause an algae bloom in any water. A drop of bleach might save you for a while.

These all look like Austin Powers’s penis pumps 🤣

I do love the shiny stuff, Mat, and (depending on how drunk I am) have made some purchases that I subsequently regretted. Thanks for sobering me up regarding these things.

That really lived down to the expectations you wisely set at the start.

Have you seen the jellyfish humidifier? I bought one for my Mum for Christmas and I'm considering one myself. Excellent desktop nonsense.

Repurpose number two, and send the rest back 🙂

I don't care for any of them. But I don't like lava lamps, anyway.

We can always count on you to speak truth to power (230V, 50Hz) no matter what the consequence (exploding capacitors).

I like these videos where you try a bunch of stuff and find nothing that rises above, it makes the ones where you find the diamond in rough more exciting and authentic.

thanks for all the great videos this year and happy new years! a bit early, i know, but i assume this to be the last video of the year.

I'll save my money for the one with a nuclear mushroom cloud. At least those would not bore to death.

#1. Hmm, requiring assemblage and liquid. Strange. #2. The shape 🤣 #3. Nice membrane remote? Replace the water frequently to avoid fungi & bacteria growth. #4. It 'erupts' appropriately in bursts. #5. No light changing options. 😛 • The Dancing Fountain audio player cannot be topped on your tacky/tatty top 10 video list. https://youtu.be/VhDOie6PtEA • I am probably wrong, but did you have one of those slightly awkward 70's Rain Lamps that drips mineral oil down plastic filaments? I may be thinking of a Storage Wars video. https://tinyurl.com/4nwakrhx • Tacky and/or Tatty items can be fun. Like 'The sound card.' That video never fails to make me laugh. https://youtu.be/-9-DxT_lf7M Take care. 🤍

Your assertion was correct I was indeed most whelmed

As a person that also likes tacky things, especially ones that light up, I had been eying these every so often... whelp, now I know they're not worth the price nor the effort. Any plans on a new video for music visualizers in 2026? Thanks for the video... hope you had an awesome Christmas and have a great new year, Mat!

Here they are, they are all crap, don't waste your money. Actually usefull information and a good honest conclusion. Love it.

I know where the manufacturer can stick the dodgy looking one.

I don't like any of them. They're all too quick and look like cheap rubbish.

Okay, I watched this video all the way to the bitter, disappointing end. Well, at least it was some good consumer advice and we got some trademark Techmoan humor. But for you all I can see is a waste of time, money and effort. You found none of these lamps to be "shelf-worthy" and now you've got to bin them all. Hopefully you do have a sieve in the kitchen to retrieve the beads. Oh well, such is the life of a gadget reviewer.🤷‍♂️

Have you seen the new Commodore 64 reboot? Not sure if that could be a video idea? Though a lot of people are doing reviews atm. But its an interesting retro gaming option.

There something really noce about lamps like this, once seen as a, must have, then an insult to have in the 90s? is now something of a cult now lol. Especially the lava lamps styles of the 70s etc