The Best Glow in the Dark Basketballs for Night Time Play [2023 Buying Guide]

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Basketball is such an exciting game that sometimes players can’t even wait until the break of dawn to get onto the court!

If you’ve been involved with the sport for a while, then you’re likely to have shot a few hoops after the sun has set.

Spotting the ball during night time play used to be a big issue, owing to the fact that most basketballs that were manufactured years ago were of dark brown color, which sort of made them inconspicuous.

However, visibility became a thing of the past as technological advancements paved the way for basketballs that glow brightly in the dark.

These days consumers really are spoilt for choice, and in this very article we’re going to cover the best glow in the dark basketballs that you – as a prospective buyer – can get your hands on.

Without further ado, let’s start off by highlighting the top picks in this product category:

The GlowCity Basketball comes out on top as the manufacturer has years of accumulated experience in making and supplying illuminated accessories. Unlike some of the other brands, GlowCity’s main focus points is to make products that glow in the dark, so you can bet that they’re well placed here in terms of what they have created.

1. GlowCity Glow in the Dark Basketball

It’s easy to name the GlowCity Glow in the Dark Basketball as the top choice.

For starters, the company itself specializes in the production of illuminating accessories and supplies.

GlowCity was established in the summer of 2009 and they began with the innovation of light up stick figure costumes that beamed brightly in the dark.

People at the local firework festival were really fascinated by the invention and one of GlowCity’s corporate goals since then has been to elicit the same sort of reaction in consumers whenever the company releases a new product.

Anyway, that’s enough information about their history!

Because GlowCity have glow in the dark products as their core business focus, you can rest assured that the solutions they come up with have been thoroughly researched and tested.

In fact, you should be much more confident with the item they have on offer here because it’s one of their flagship products that make up their core offering.

Now, let’s take a closer look at what there is to like with this particular glow in the dark basketball.

Impact activated lighting

One of the best things about this glow in the dark basketball is how the light turns on automatically and shuts itself off when not in use.

As a player all you need to do is give the basketball a single bounce and it’ll begin to glow brightly.

And once you’ve finished playing basketball at night, the ball does the job of switching its LED lights off for you after 40 seconds of inactivity.

This is great because humans tend to have a peculiar habit of leaving lights or other electronic devices switched on even when they’re not in use.

So, you don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn off the LEDs and subsequently drain the pre-installed batteries.

Long lasting LEDs

Sometimes basketball games can drag on for longer than intended.

The good thing is that with this glow in the dark basketball, such a situation isn’t a cause for concern.

And that’s because this ball is fitted with not one but two LED lights that glow for up to 30 hours.

Ultimately, that guarantees uninterrupted evening play as the lights can function for the handful of hours that it takes for pickup games to start and eventually finish.

Sturdy rubber exterior

Any basketball with lights fitted into them has to be robust enough to withstand heavy bounces and all sorts of in-game impacts.

GlowCity have taken this into account by making sure that this ball features a sturdy rubber exterior, which helps keep the glowing lights secured within the ball’s inner compartments.

Video review

Before you get out your wallet, you’ll definitely want to see how this ball functions in real time.

Take a look at the footage below, as it shows how the ball comes packaged as well as how bright the LEDs are in pitch black darkness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCbcXZoX1sk

Other specifications

• Ball size – official regulation size 7 (29.5”)
• Ball material – rubber
• Package weight – 0.64 kilograms

2. OMOTIYA LED Light Up Basketball

Here we have a glow in the dark basketball that was launched quite recently.

In March 2022, OMOTIYA Toys LLC put out a press release to announce the unveiling of two new products.

One of these is their LED Light Up Basketball, which you can see in the picture above.

This is another company whose core focus involves manufacturing premium toys for young children, so you know that a lot of care has been taken to ensure that quality and safety standards are met.

Anyway, that’s enough background information!

Let’s now look at the main features.

Impact-activated LED

Glow in the dark basketball manufacturers clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to getting the lights to operate in the most effective way.

This ball also has impact-activated LED lighting, which means that as soon as it’s bounced, the twin set of lights resting inside it turn on and provide the necessary glow.

One other thing to note about the glow is that it’s of a fiery red color, which is great because such a shade contrasts quite well with the darkness and allows for players to easily spot the ball on the court.

Additionally, the lights turn off automatically if the ball remains motionless for a period of 60 seconds.

This makes it a fantastic solution for those young kids who are sometimes forgetful.

Multi-layered materials

This LED basketball consists of four layers of high-quality materials, as emphasis has been placed on making sure that it’s as durable, waterproof and as air-retention friendly as possible.

On the outermost layer, we have a normal rubber surface and then underneath that, there’s a grey colored yarn that secures the bladder and furthers the structural integrity of the ball.

And then the innermost layer is a rubber bladder – referred to as a rubber tank – that functions by keeping air pressure stable by ensuring that no air escapes.

Other specifications

• Ball material – premium rubber
• Ball size – official size 7 (29.5” circumference)
• Diameter – 9.5 inches
• Ball weight – 720 grams

3. Nightmatch Light Up LED Basketball

Next up we have the Nightmatch Light Up LED Basketball.

This one isn’t much different to the previously reviewed options, so there isn’t as much to touch on when it comes to product features as it works in essentially the same way.

Stable LED glow

Once the ball itself is bounced on the ground, the LED lights are activated and it glows brightly as expected.

The visibility that the two installed LED lights provided is stable, in the sense that the brightness won’t dim unexpectedly during play.

More so, the glow is able to shine constantly for up to 24 hours.

Which is certainly enough time for adult players to have a comprehensive pickup game or two!

Another thing to note is that the glow can be seen clearly from a distance, and that’s quite reassuring especially for older players who may not have the best eyesight.

Product unboxing

You should check out the video footage below to get a complete feel for how this ball looks and functions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi7CYDmlnXc

As you can see from the clip, the ball comes well packaged and complete with an instruction manual that details how you should get it set up.

And when the glow is activated, you can easily see how bright this ball shines.

Overall this is a great purchase for adult basketball players.

Other specifications

• Ball weight – 618 grams
• Ball size – official size 7

4. Cipton Illuminite LED Light Up Basketball

Last but not least, we have the Cipton LED Light Glow in the Dark Basketball.

To begin with, there’s a lot to like when it comes to the brand itself.

Cipton has been making a wide variety of different sports goods, from smash ball sets to soccer balls, baseballs and even golf balls!

They also have a particular focus on LED light activation within their products, so as a buyer you can be confident that their extensive experience with building such sophisticated products carries over to the quality of the one that we’re reviewing here.

Let’s now take a closer look at the feature set of this basketball.

Microfiber leather material

Durability for a basketball is imperative.

One of the last things you’d want to experience as a player is your basketball losing air, because there’s a risk that it could be punctured.

If that’s the case, re-inflation would not be a permanent fix for the issue.

Cipton have gone for durability in their ball by favoring leather material over cheaper and less robust rubber that tends to wear out quicker by comparison.

The ball itself has four layers to give it the best possible protection from tears:

• Composite leather outer surface;
• Rubber mid-tier that adds extra toughness;
• Layers of thread winding for ball shape protection; and
• A rubber bladder for air pressure stability and retention

Weather resistant

Come rain or shine, this light up basketball works as intended.

So, you don’t have to worry about moisture coming into contact with the ball and breaking the light activation functionality.

The LED lights and batteries are stored safely within the ball, which means no incoming water can damage the internal parts.

Product unboxing

Here’s a short clip which shows how this product works right out of the box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFHOzRb4Czk

Other specifications

• Ball material – microfiber leather
• Ball size – official size 7 (29.5”)

Other glow in the dark basketballs worth taking a look at

The basketballs that have been covered work with LEDs and impact activation.

But those aren’t the only glow in the dark options that consumers have to choose from.

Here are some light up basketballs that arguably work just as well without battery technology:

Things to consider before buying a basketball that glows in the dark

In this final section, the article will cover a few extra areas that you need to take into account before settling on a product of choice.

Illumination type – LED/reflective/holographic

As you’ve seen from the basketballs we’ve reviewed, most of them function through LED lighting.

This is ideal for people who are technologically literate and can handle swapping out batteries from time to time.

On the other hand, there are reflective balls that produce a holographic effect.

The downside with these is that they typically require a pair of dedicated holographic glasses that enable you to see the visual effects first hand.

Some require the flash of a phone camera to produce a shine, which isn’t great because you end up relying on an external piece of equipment for the glow in the dark functionality.

Ultimately, what this means is that you’re probably better off going with the simplicity of the battery-powered basketballs, as all you need to do is charge the batteries when they run low.

Longevity of brightness

Take a long hard look at the product descriptions, as you’ll want to get yourself a basketball that guarantees glow for long periods of time.

It defeats the purpose having a basketball that can only maintain a glow for an hour, as some games stretch past four or five hours at a go!

Weather resistance

Finally, you may want some sort of weather resistance capability in the light up ball that you select.

This adds to durability as moisture doesn’t have an impact on the rate of wear and tear that the ball experiences.

Do glow in the dark basketballs work?

Clearly this article has shown that glow in the dark basketballs work tremendously well!

The brightness they provide allows players to enjoy basketball long into the night, and when supplemented with flood lights and street lighting, you could even shoot hoops all the way until morning.

Which glow in the dark basketball is best?

It’s difficult to settle on a single winner because all the reviewed options perform fantastically well when it comes to offering the ball visibility that players require at night.

However, the GlowCity Basketball is one that we would recommend ahead of the rest because of the fact that the manufacturer has been solely specializing in the production of illuminating accessories for quite some time.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, check out similar pieces of content on our blog like:

• The guide to playing basketball at night;
• The finest Baden basketballs to purchase;
• The greatest basketball nets in 2023;
• The Finest AND1 Basketballs; and
• The Greatest Spalding Basketballs