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Astro the original lava lamp: Black
£87.00 Free Fast Delivery
Silver
Mathmos Astro black lava lamp Mathmos Astro Lava Lamp - Original 1960s advert E. Craven-Walker and wife Christine Hand spun by skilled craftsmen Individually inspected and tested Mathmos Astro lava lamp - Box
Astro the original lava lamp: Black

A range of classic 1963 Astro lava lamps in matt anodised black.

Why Shop Direct

Astro the original lava lamp: Black

The original astro lava lamp designed in 1963 by Edward Craven Walker, the inventor of lava lamps and founder of Mathmos.

Handspun and anodised in Dorset and filled with Mathmos' unique lava lamp formula there is a huge choice of colour combinations available in this classic British design. Replacement parts are available from Mathmos on an ongoing basis for products bought in the 1960s right through to the present day. 

NB: this lamp will be delivered with a white cable and black feet.

Mathmos lava lamps made in Britain
 

Made in Britain

Mathmos makes the astro lava lamp in Britain; our lamps are made to the very highest quality and safety standards.

Replacement parts for Mathmos Lava lamps
 

Spare Parts

Replacement parts including bottles and bulbs are available for the astro for lamps made in the 1960s right through to the present day.

Mathmos gold star service
 

Platinum Service

Mathmos is a Platinum Award Trusted Merchant online; visit Feefo to see reviews of our products and service.

Best quality unique Mathmos lava lamp formula
 

Unique Lava Formula

Mathmos unique lava lamp formula has brighter, clearer liquids, that last longer than other lava lamps.

Highest quality lava lamp
 

Highest Quality

We use only the highest-grade aluminium and polish it to a high shine. Halogen bulbs made specifically for use with Mathmos lava lamps direct light and heat into the lava and away from the base.

Stylish Mathmos lava lamp gift packaging
 

Stylish Packaging

Uniquely designed gift packaging ensures your lamp arrives in perfect condition and is appreciated from the moment it is seen.

Designed by the inventor of the lava lamp Edward Craven Walker
 

Invented by our founder

The astro lava lamp was the first lava lamp designed by the inventor of lava lamps and the founder of Mathmos Edward Craven Walker in 1963.

Lava lamps made in Britain since 1963
 

Made in Poole since 1963

The astro lava lamp has been made in Poole, Dorset, England for over 50 years and exported around the world.

Mathmos astro lava lamp in the sixties
 

Astro in the '60s

An advert from the 1960s reads "The Perfect Gift for one's relatives, one's friends - and dash it all, oneself"

Mathmos astro lava lamp in the seventies
 

Astro in the '70s

The astro was a staple of fashionable homes of the sixties and seventies and appeared in many cult TV shows of the time.

Mathmos astro lava lamp in the nineties
 

Astro in the '90s

Mathmos astro had a huge revival in the 1990s; millions of lamps were manufactured in Poole and sold around the world.

Mathmos astro lava lamp now
 

Astro now...

Mathmos Astro today is a design classic that keeps its value; watch out for short-run collectors specials.

Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - yellow with Orange Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - Violet with Orange Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - Violet with red Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - blue with green Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - blue with blue Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - clear with black Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - blue with pink Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - violet with turquoise Lava Mathmos Astro Black Lava lamp - green with red Lava
Mathmos astro lava lamp box
Weight: 2.95 kg
Product size: Height: 43 cm (16.92 inches), Width: 14 cm (5.51 inches)
Power: Mains power
Materials: Hand spun aluminium base and cap with matt black anodised finish. Glass bottle. Mathmos lava formula.
SKU

ASTRBYOUK
£87.00
 In stock

Mathmos Lava Lamps

 
Light: 35W Halogen reflector bulb - GU10 240V
This bulb is primarily used as a heat source.
For Mathmos lava lamps only. Not for household room illumination.
 
Lifespan: 2000hrs
Colour temp: 2700K
Flood angle: 36°
Lumens: 173lm
Kw/h: 0.035
Energy ratingC
 
Mathmos astro lava lamp children advice

ATTENTION!

Lava lamps are not toys. Please position them well out of reach of children under 14 years old.

Mathmos lava lamp instructions

Position

Choose a position for your lamp on a level surface in a room with a temperature between 20 and 24°C or (69 to 75°F).

Place the lamp well away from;

  • children under 14 years to prevent breakage
  • sunlight to prevent fading
  • drafts to prevent slow operation
  • cold places to prevent freezing
  • hot places to prevent overheating
  • animals to prevent breakage
  • do not place on carpets or block the ventilation spaces beneath the lamp.

Set-Up & Warm-Up

IMPORTANT! - FITTING MATHMOS HALOGEN BULBS

  1. Handle the bulb with great care; halogen bulbs are extremely delicate.
  2. Allow the bulb to warm to room temperature.
  3. Made sure your lava lamp is in the correct position.
  4. Use a tissue to hold the bulb; deposits on our fingers can damage the bulb.

    GU10 bulbs: Carefully push the two prongs of the bulb down into the socket and turn it a quarter-turn clockwise until it stops rotating.

    SES bulbs: Carefully screw the bulb in and rotate clockwise for three turns or until it meets resistance.

  5. Place the bottle on the base delicately.
  6. Turn the lamp on using the inline switch.

Important

  1. Never touch the bulb or the lamp when it is on.
  2. Allow the light to cool for one hour before touching the bulb or lamp.
  3. Do not run your lava lamp for more than 6 hours at any one time.
  4. Always leave the bottle sitting on the base when you turn it on.

Put the bottle on the base with the screw cap at the top. If it is not sitting straight please rotate a little. Then plug it in and turn it on. NB. It is normal for the glass to have small air bubbles and moulding scars.

Warm-up takes between 1 and 3 hours depending on the size of the model and the surrounding temperature. Stalagmite shapes may form during the warm-up process, these will then melt and the lava will begin to flow.

Operation

Your Mathmos lava lamp will operate best after it has been used four or five times. For the first few times, you may see small air bubbles in the lava. Please do not leave your lava lamp on for more than six hours a day; this will prolong the life of your lamp.

Overheating will shorten the light of the life of the lamp. Overheating is occurring if there is either one large bubble or many smaller ones. Never move or shake the lamp when it is in use or still warm as this causes irreparable clouding. It is normal for the base to become very hot.

Replacements

When your lava lamp has ended its life it will begin to go cloudy, the colours may fade and it will not move as well as it once did. This will happen after approximately 2000 hours of operation. You can then buy a new bottle at www.mathmos.com in the current colours available. Please note we do not refill bottles and please on no account open the bottle or add liquids.

If the bulb blows please replace it with one of the same type and wattage. Only fit the correct bulb, as stated on the label in the base. Again bulbs can be bought at www.mathmos.com as can many replacement parts.

Safety

This lamp has passed the relevant safety standards and carries the statutory guarantee of the country of purchase. The liquid in the lamps are not dangerous and can be disposed of normally. Never use a lamp if the bottle has been dropped as this will create weakness in the glass, obtain a replacement bottle and dispose of the old one. Do not leave the lamp unattended with small children. If the liquid is swallowed by mistake drink plenty of water. If it is spilt onto the skin or had contact with the eyes pour on cold water. If any symptoms appear please visit a doctor.

Please retain these instructions should be retained for future use. If you have further questions about your lava lamp please visit http://www.mathmos.com/lava_lamp_FAQ.html

 

GENERAL LAVA LAMP FAQs

  1. Q. Can I buy replacement parts for my lava lamp?
    A. Yes Mathmos lava lamps are designed to last please buy replacement parts here.
  2. Q. My lava lamp is faulty what can I do?
    A. Firstly read through these FAQs to see if your question has been answered. If not we offer a one year warranty on all our products and two years if bought direct from our websites. If your lamp is within the warranty period, please contact our customer service team who will be happy to assist. Please read our Faulty Product Returns Advice.
  3. Q. Why is my lava lamp cloudy?
    A. Lava lamps become cloudy for two reasons; either they have been shaken or moved whilst hot or they have reached the end of their life (2000 hours). You can purchase a replacement bottle for your lava lamp here.
  4. Q. Why does my lava lamp have specs and bubbles in the glass?
    A. Mathmos lava lamp bottles are manufactured in one of the highest quality automated bottling factories in Britain. Small bubbles are a normal part of this manufacturing process, it is not a fault.
  5. Q. What are the differences in quality between a Mathmos lava lamp and others?
    A. A different lava formulation giving better lava flow, longer life, clearer liquids and more vivid colours. The metal parts are of a thicker, higher grade metal allowing us to hand polish them to a high shine. Our bulbs are directional taking the heat away from the base and directing the light into the lava. We have a higher standard of safety and build quality audited by a number of different bodies. We provide a comprehensive range of spare parts unlike other throw away products. We have 56 years of British manufacturing excellence to draw on.
  6. Q. How long should it take for my lava lamp to warm up?
    A. Lava lamps should start working within an hour to an hour and a half of turning them on. First they will form stalagmite shapes, then they will start to form lava lamp shapes. Please note, new bottles will take longer to heat up (up to three hours), but the heating time will decrease after several uses.
  7. Q. My lava lamp just has one large bubble sitting at the top of the bottle that does not move?
    A. The lava lamp is overheated. It could have been on too long (more than 8 hours), so please turn it off and allow it too cool. Or it is positioned in a room that is too hot (more than 24 degrees) or next to a heater. Please reposition your lamp.

    lava stuck at the top

    .
  8. Q. How should I recycle my lava lamp bottle when it reaches the end of its life?
    A. Please make a hole in the metal cap with a sharp point, then pour away the liquid. The bottle may then be recycled through your local recycling centre.

    bottle throw away - dispose bottle

  9. Q. Can I buy new liquids for my lava lamp?
    A. Lava lamp bottles are a sealed unit and should not be tampered with. We do not sell the liquids separately, but you can buy a new bottle and contents for Mathmos lava lamps here.

    lava lamp liquid - new liquid lava lamp - refill - buy new liquids - buy new wax - buy new lava

  10. Q. Can I buy a new cap for my lava lamp bottle?
    A. Lava lamp bottles are a sealed unit and so we do not sell the cap separately, but you can buy a new bottle and contents here.

    lava lamp cap - cap lava lamp - buy cap

  11. Q. Why is my bottle not sitting straight in the base?
    A.

    Bottles are now supplied with a lip which runs around the lower part of the bottle, to ensure it will sit straight in the base. When the bottle is placed on the base, it should sit securely, although it will still be possible to move the bottle from side to side and a shadow gap may be visible.

    There are minute variations in bottle and base size over time so it may be that occasionally for some much older products a new bottle does not fit in the base. If your bottle isn't sitting in the base, please contact our customer service team.

    wonky lava lamp - wonky bottle - bottle wonky

  12. Q. How long do lava lamp bottles last?
    A. Mathmos Lava lamp bottles last for approximately 2000 hours of use. After this you can buy a replacement bottle here.

    lava lamp lifespan - lifespan lava lamp - lava lamp last

  13. Q. Where can I buy replacement bulbs for my Mathmos lava lamp?
    A. Mathmos have large stocks of replacement bulbs for our lava lamps available here.

    which bulb - buy bulb - which bulb do I need - broken bulb - faulty bulb

  14. Q. What is Mathmos doing about halogen bulb phase out?
    A. Don't worry whilst some halogen bulbs are being phased out for lighting purposes Mathmos uses halogen bulbs primarily to heat its lava lamps rather than to light them; so the use of halogen bulbs in our lava lamps is part of a special purpose exemption under current regulations. We have large stocks of these special purpose bulbs and we also have an ongoing supply. We also have alternative ways of powering our iconic lamps should there be further changes to the regulations in the future.

    bulb - halogen

  15. Q. Why don't you do replacement bottles in the colour I want?
    A. Mathmos have made a huge number of colourways over our long history, it is not possible to keep all the colours in stock. Please choose from the current range and sign up to our social media channels to be notified of limited releases of other colours.

    bespoke refills - bespoke colours - custom colours - custom refills - bottle colours - custom lava colours - bespoke lava colours - bespoke bottle colours - special colours

  16. Q. Do you offer custom refills?
    A. We are not able to offer this service on an ongoing basis however if you sign up to our social media channels we may issue selected annual dates for collectors to have bottles refilled.

    bespoke refills - bespoke colours - custom colours - custom refills - bottle colours - custom lava colours - bespoke lava colours - bespoke bottle colours - special colours

  17. Q. Why has my lava lamp made strange stalagmite shapes?
    A. This is a normal part of the warming up process. Please leave it on longer and then it will start to form moving lava shapes.

    strange lava - lava sticks

  18. Q. My lava lamp is not lighting up?
    A. Please check that your bulb is working. You may buy a new bulb here. Alternatively, please check the integrity of the fuse in the plug.

    lava lamp broken - lava lamp doesn't work - broken bulb - faulty bulb

  19. Q. Can I buy Mathmos lava lamps for delivery to the USA and Canada?
    A. Not at the moment but please sign up to our USA mailing list to be notified when you can buy from us here.

    usa lava lamps - canada lava lamps - lava lamps usa - lava lamps canada - america lava lamps - lava lamps america - lava lamp usa

  20. Q. Why can I see bubbles in the lava?
    A. Small bubbles in the lava are normal particularly when you first receive the lamp. As you use this over time the bubbles will reduce.
  21. Q. Why has the liquid in my bottle gone clear?
    A. Over time the dye in the lava liquid will fade, particularly if it is positioned in direct sunlight. If you lamp was bought within warranty and the instructions were followed please contact our customer service team. If your lamp is out of warranty you can buy a new bottle here.

    liquid clear - clear liquid

  22. Q. The liquid level of my lamp is too low. Can I top it up?
    A. No Mathmos lava lamp bottles are sealed units. Do not attempt to take off the cap and on no account top up the liquid. The heat from a lava lamp causes the liquid to expand and topping it up could cause the lamp to be overfilled and put pressure on the glass as the liquids expand. If you are not happy with your bottle buy a new one here.

    liquid low - liquid refill - top up liquid

  23. Q. Why is there wax sticking to the side of the bottle?
    A. If you use the lamp a few times this wax should join the rest of the lava. If this does not happen and your lamp was bought less than a year ago please contact us here. If you lamp is over a year old please buy a replacement bottle here.
  24. Q. Do you offer any colours in addition to what is shown on your website?
    A. No, however we do constantly add new colours so sign up to our mailing list to be notified of new colours as they are released. We do occasionally release short runs of special colours, please sign up to our social channels to be notified.

    bespoke bottles - special bottles - custom bottles - custom colour

  25. Q. Why can I see a metal spring coil floating in my lava lamp bottle?
    A. The metal spring is an essential component of a lava lamp bottle. However it should be sitting at the bottom of the bottle. Run the lamp for several hours and hopefully the spring will settle in its right place.

    metal coil in bottle - metal spring in bottle

  26. Q. Why can I see a foreign object in my new lava lamp bottle?
    A. There should not be anything other than lava and liquid in the bottle. Sometimes you can see darker specs in the lava as it is flowing. Each batch is individually made and these are dye particles that are sometimes present. These often fade over time. If you see anything else in your bottle, please contact customer services here.

    hair in lava lamp - hair in bottle - dirt in bottle - dirt in lava lamp

  27. Q. How old is my Lava Lamp?
    A. There have been many small changes in the manufacture of Mathmos lava lamps over our long period of production. Dating lava lamps is not something we can do for you. You might want to visit one of the specialist sites such as www.flowoflava.com to begin this process.
  28. Q. How can I clean my lava lamp?
    A. The bottle should be cleaned with glass cleaner and a cloth. The base and cap is aluminium so please use recomended products. If in doubt just use a soft cloth.

    clean lava lamp - polish lava lamp

  29. Q. My lava lamp broke on the floor. How do I clean it?
    A. Dispose of as much liquid and lava as you can remove from the floor. Then use recommended cleaning methods for removing coloured water and wax for whatever floor you have.

    bottle smashed - smashed bottle

  30. Q. Can I buy Bayonet fitting bulbs for my 1960s lamp?
    A. Yes you can, we had these specially made to ensure our 60s lamps can still be enjoyed, see here.

    bayonet bulb

  31. Q. The replacement bottle I ordered doesn't fit my lamp. Can I change it?
    A. Please contact customer services here.

    replace - change bottle - ordered wrong bottle

  32. Q. Can I buy new liquid and wax?
    A. No please buy a complete new bottle here.

    refill - liquid refill - refill liquid - refill bottle - bottle refill - buy liquid refill - buy bottle refill - buy new liquids - buy new wax - buy new lava

  33. Q. What is the lifespan of a bottle or bulb?
    A. Mathmos lava lamp bottles last 2000 hours. The life of the bulbs vary depending on usage but replacement bulbs are available to buy from here here.

    how long bottle - how long bulb - broken bulb - faulty bulb

  34. Q. Where is the Mathmos brand on my lava lamp?
    A. The Mathmos brand is on the plastic base and either printed on the product itself, on a brand label on the lead or etched on the glass.

    brand - logo - where

  35. Q. Why is there is a small gap between the base and the bottle?
    A. Some lamps have a shadow gap between the base and the bottle; this is normal.

    gap - base - bottle - rim

  36. Q. How do I recycle my lava lamp base?
    A. Why not buy a new bottle and bulb and reuse it? If you must recycle it, please take it to your nearest household recycling centre which has facilities available for recycling electrical waste.

    recycle - dispose

  37. Q. Why does my lava lamp colour look different to the picture?
    A. Mathmos lava lamp bottles are made by hand so there will be small variations in colour. Also bear in mind that colours look very different in the dark and in the light, our photographs are taken in the light.
  38. Q. Do you supply lamp holders for my base?
    A. Due to electrical safety regulations we are unable to supply lamp holders I’m afraid.
  39. Q. Has the formulation of Mathmos lava lamps changed?
    A. The formulation has improved since the 1960s making our lamps less likely to cloud in the heat or freeze in the cold. However we have not changed the formula in many years.
  40. Q. Why does my lava not flow / make lava shapes?
    A.
    Check your bulb is working
    Check you have positioned the lamp away from drafts, air conditioning or a window. Try the lamp in a new position in the room.
    Make sure the room is at least 20 degrees centigrade.
    The lamp will take longer to warm up the first few times; run the lamp for 4-6 hours each time.
    If you have an older base check the correct light source is fitted: see bulb section for the possible bulbs here.
    Check there is a coil at the bottom of the bottle.
  41. Q. What should I do if my lava lamp has been moved while being on and is now cloudy?
    A. Clouding in a bottle which has been moved when it is in use or still warm is irreparable. You can try and run the bottle for a few times to see if this will improve it. If this does not help, you can buy a new bottle here.
  42. Q. How do I fit my halogen bulb?
    A. See instructions here

The Mathmos Story

Product usage and care

Bulb care & handling

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