The Hommkiety Galaxy Projector is proof that you shouldn’t judge a product by its box. Open it up and you’ll find a well-built projector that ships with no fewer than 10 interchangeable discs, all offering beautiful HD images of the galaxy. It’s a fantastic buy for adults and kids alike.

Pros

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Comes with 10 discs

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Crisp, sharp projections

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Easy to use

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Great build quality

Cons

No remote control

No speaker

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If you’re looking for an excellent star projector that offers crisp, sharp HD projections, interchangeable discs with a range of images and a reasonable price tag, look no further than the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector. Costing less than $40, this star projector can boast image quality rivaling products that cost twice as much, and we simply cannot sing its praises enough.

One of the best star projectors you can buy, the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector ships with 10 interchangeable discs, all offering different views of the night sky. You’ll find the solar system, the moon, a spiral galaxy, a wormhole and more, and even some more "fun" projections, like a sea filled with jellyfish.

It might not be as realistic as the likes of Sega Toys’ range of projectors (including the excellent Homestar Classic), which provide an incredibly detailed recreation of the Northern Hemisphere’s night sky. But the majority of images here are scientific in their nature, providing gorgeous close-up views of planets, superclusters and more that we wouldn’t be able to see with the naked eye.

There’s one thing to keep in mind, however. Like the much-loved Astronaut Starry Sky projector, there are other projectors listed on Amazon from different manufacturers that look identical and promise similar performance to the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector. We cannot speak of other brands; they may be as good as this one, or they may not. If you want to be sure you’re getting the projector we’ve reviewed, choose the Hommkiety model.

Hommkiety Galaxy Projector review: Design

The Hommkiety Galaxy Projector offers 180-degree rotation. It’s pictured in its storage position. (Image credit: Future)

• Excellent build quality
• Design mimics a scientific instrument
• Easy to operate

The worst thing you could do is dismiss the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector simply because it comes from a no-name brand. Take it out of the box and you’ll find a very well constructed projector with a fun but relevant design — it looks more like a scientific instrument than a toy.

The projector itself is connected to a base via a hinge that can be adjusted up to 180 degrees. It’s easy to adjust and feels sturdy regardless of the angle you opt for, which means you can project onto a wall or a ceiling, and change between them, with ease.

It’s worth noting that the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector doesn’t come with a remote control, so you’ll need to operate the projector with the buttons on the unit itself. You can power it on and off, set a sleep timer, and turn a night light on and off. Buttons are clearly labeled and easy to use.

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Hommkiety Galaxy Projector review: Performance

The controls on the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector. (Image credit: Future)

• Beautiful HD projections
• Bright and colorful
• Easy to focus

Make no bones about it: the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector is simply stunning in operation. Regardless of which disc you put in, you’ll be greeted by bright, vivid colors and sharp imagery. You won’t even need a fully dark room to appreciate it — but with blackout curtains and the lights fully out, you’ll get to appreciate a true spectacle.

The projector comes with a disc of the moon and stars pre-installed, which is nothing short of stunning. It’s a relaxing, mesmerizing experience, but so are the other projections you can switch out. The galaxies, the solar system and the Virgo supercluster discs in particular are beautifully colorful; it’s hard to observe them without thinking "wow."

The Spiral Galaxy disc of the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector. (Image credit: Future)

Before you can fully enjoy the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector, you’ll need to focus it by using the focus ring found on the outer of the projector light. It’s very easy to find the focal point, and we only had to turn it a few times before our image was perfectly sharp.

Your own focus point will of course depend on how far away the projector is from the wall or ceiling you’re projecting onto — the manufacturer recommends a distance from 6.5 to 9.8 feet (2 to 3 meters) for an optimal image.

Hommkiety Galaxy Projector review: Functionality

One of the 10 discs included with the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector. (Image credit: Future)

• 10 interchangeable discs
• Built-in sleep timer and night light
• No speaker functionality

One of the biggest selling points of the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector is that it comes with 10 interchangeable projection discs. This is a huge boon, particularly compared to the (much more expensive) Sega Toys Homestar Classic, which only comes with two.

The downside, though, is that while extra discs for the Homestar can easily be obtained, we can’t find any that are clearly compatible with the Hommkiety. It’s likely that other no-name brands share the same discs, but we cannot confirm that for sure.

But even without purchasing any additional discs, the 10 included in the box offer enough variety to keep you and the whole family entertained. Chances are, you’ll have your favorites and want to see the same images time and time again anyway.

There’s a built-in sleep timer on the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector, which means you can put it on to fall asleep to without worrying it will be running all night. There’s also a night light which can be operated via the main unit, but that’s it in terms of extra bells and whistles. There’s no built-in speaker here, for example, so if you’re looking for a projector to use for relaxation along with built-in sounds, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

In terms of power, the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector requires a USB-C connection. A cable is included in the box, but we found our phone charger powered it just fine, which is handy. It doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, so it’ll need to remain connected whenever it’s in use.

Should I buy the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector?

This is a great-looking projector. (Image credit: Future)

This is a very easy question to answer: Yes, you absolutely should buy the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector. It’s one of the best galaxy projectors you can currently buy, thanks to its budget price, its gorgeous projection quality and its 10 included discs. Whether you want something pretty to relax with, or a more scientific image to inspire kids and adults alike, it’s a great choice.

After using the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector for a while, it really feels like it’s worth more than its $39.99 asking price. It’s an impressive bit of technology, and unless you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful light show filled with laser stars, you aren’t going to be disappointed with this.

If the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector isn’t for you

The Earth disc of the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector. (Image credit: Future)

The only thing the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector can’t do is speckle your ceiling with thousands of stars. That’s something the Starry Sky Astronaut Projector can do for less than $20, or if you want a more realistic recreation of the night sky, there’s the Sega Toys Homestar Flux.

If you’d like a projector that has a built-in speaker, you could consider the Dinosaur Egg Galaxy Star Projector. It’s a fun projector that’s great for relaxing with, but you won’t get realistic or scientific images with it.

Contributing writer

Kim is a UK-based freelancewriter who focuses on Lego, toys and video game-related content. She’s the co-creator of GameSpew.com and ThatBrickSite.com, where you’ll find most of her work. If she’s not building with plastic bricks, playing a video game, or writing about doing either of those things, you should probably check she’s still breathing. You can find her on Twitter at @ichangedmyname.

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