That is a question that we are frequently asked and the answer is surprising. To help clear it up, here is a list of just some of the things our customers use their glowsticks for…
Emergency Light Sources – glowsticks are ideal sources of light in emergencies! They have a long shelf life and don’t require batteries. They also don’t emit heat or sparks making them exceptionally safe.
Partying – glowsticks really get a party buzzing! We even sell glowing straws that are ideal for cocktail parties!
Decorations – glowsticks are waterproof and virtually indestructible. Why not chuck them in your flower vases or throw them in ice buckets?
Photography & Art – You can produce some magical photos with glowsticks and long exposure camera set-ups. Try it!
Outdoor Activities – Glowsticks are great fun when camping! We also have a number of customers that use our products when scuba diving.
Identification Purposes – Going to a concert and want to be able to find a friend? Try using glowsticks. Our mega glowsticks are perfect for this!
Fashion Accessories – Just looking to have a bit of fun? Try glowsticks! They are safe to use making them perfect for children. Take a look at our earrings and bracelets!
Sport & Games – Have you ever tried playing sports in the dark? Glow in the dark football is a great game! Use glowsticks to mark out the pitch, goals and identify players.
Are you a glowstick fanatic? We’d love to hear from you and find out what you use our products for!
The Glowtopia team love pets and we are sure that many of you have a furry companion that means the world to you.With the nights drawing in it is important that you keep your pets safe whilst you are out and about.
For that reason we are pleased to announce that we are now stocking light up LED dog collars. These are ideal for evening walks, whether you want to be able to see your dog off the lead in a dark area or if you want your dog to be seen by others.
Our collars come in three sizes and are powered by batteries which can easily be replaced. Unlike many dog collars they have also been developed with your dog’s comfort in mind.
For more information about our collars (including sizing information) please see our product page by following the link in the text above. If you have any questions please dont hesitate to get in touch with us.
It is with great sadness that we wave a wintery goodbye to Halloween and Bonfire Night for another year! However, the Glowtopia team are a happy bunch so we thought we would share with you some exciting news… the festive season is right around the corner!
Christmas is a time of hats & scarves, wintery walks, frosty mornings, pretty decorations, family fun and presents!! Christmas shopping can be a tough task but stay tuned as Glowtopia will be announcing their festive product range over the coming week. In the meantime we will be sharing a number of creative ideas that will provide hours of fun for the whole family this Christmas.
FROSTY GLOW JARS: This is a truly brilliant way of making some fun Christmas decorations. Simply collect a jam jar, spray it with decorative frost and then fill it with glowsticks. We would recommend using our smaller and more flexible 8” glow bracelets for this.
New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup and Halloween was a great success! We hope you had a great time that was filled with fun, friends and most importantly … glowsticks!
So, what’s next?
Bonfire night!! The ideal time to have some great outdoor fun with family and friends!
Have you considered adding some fun to your bonfire party with glowsticks?
Here are some fun games that all of the family can enjoy:
Glowstick Frisbee – a cool way of playing the game in the dark.
Glowstick Scavenger Hunts- glowsticks add a fun twist to the art of scavenging.
Glowstick Ring Toss – light up your game with glowsticks.
Glowstick Bowling –simply fill plastic bottles with glowsticks to create pins and use a glow ball to knock em down.
Its not too late to order glowsticks for your bonfire night events! Order before 4pm for same day dispatch!
Planning a hen party? Need a little help making it extra special? We can help!
At Glowtopia we have a strong belief in making every party special! That’s why we have become one of the UK’s leading novelty party gift suppliers. We have spent a long time sourcing the ultimate hen party accessories! Check them out below…
Glow Straws – A colourful way to enjoy a drink! They also make great cocktail companions!
Glow Earrings- Get noticed! These are available in a wide range of colours!
Glow Bunny Ears- A true hen party favourite! We also have pink LED bunny ears available.
Glow Bracelets & Necklaces – You’d be lost without them!
We’ve all cracked a glow stick and waved it around at a party or a gig, but did you know that glow sticks weren’t originally invented for fun? Here are a few interesting nuggets about the history of glow sticks.
Who invented glow sticks?
Although glow sticks didn’t really hit mainstream culture until the 1980s, scientists first began investigating glow stick chemistry (or chemiluminescence) back in the 1960s.
Scientists were fascinated by bioluminescent light produced within nature by fireflies and other organisms. Research found that this natural ability to produce light without heat was made possible with a chemical compound called luciferin. Understanding the chemical components of luciferin enabled scientists to recreate this naturally occurring luminescence.
Edwin A. Chandross, a Brooklyn-born specialist in organic chemistry, is widely heralded as the original founding glow father. He happened across the chemical compound required to make glow sticks almost by accident when experimenting with luminol.
Whilst investigating luminol’s unusual quality of producing light rather than heat in chemical reactions, he discovered that peroxalate esters were vital to creating chemiluminescence. Over the course of just one day he carried-out experiments to establish exactly which compounds of chemicals would produce light most effectively. The winning combination was Hydrogen Peroxide coupled with oxalyl chloride and dye. This emitted a visible light, which glowed at just 0.1% of the strength of today’s glow sticks.
He didn’t realise it at the time, but Chandross had made a monumental discovery for chemical science. Any future experiments, patents and inventions around chemiluminescence were all based on Chandross’ initial discoveries.
When was the first glow stick made?
Although Chandross was the brains behind the whole operation, he did not patent the first glow stick.
Michael M. Rauhut of American Cyanamid, an industrial chemical manufacturer, developed Chandross’ findings to create chemical light products. His team at Stamford improved upon Chandross’ work to devise a new type of oxalate ester (Phenyl Oxalate) with increased glow power. They gave it the trademark, Cyalume.
Cyanamid eventually went on to sell this technology on to Omniglow, specialists in chemiluminescent products. Omniglow continued the research, using different combinations of dye to create chemiluminescence in various colours.
Various glow stick type devices were awarded US patents in the 1960s and 1970s, including:
– Chemiluminescent Signal Device invented by Vincent J. Esposito, Steven M. Little and John H. Lyons in January 1976. This is the first glow stick device to resemble glow sticks as we know them today. It had a glass ampoule inside a plastic tube filled with a second substance. When bent the glass ampoule released its contents and the tube was shaken to mix the two substances, initiating the chemical reaction that produces luminescence.
All of these glow stick type devices used the same initial principle first discovered by Edwin Chandross. That is, they all mix two chemical compounds to produce light.
Glowsticks are essentially just a chemical reaction in a tube. Inside the plastic casing of a glow stick is a floating glass tube containing hydrogen peroxide. This glass tube is then surrounded by fluorescent dye. When you snap a glowstick you break the internal glass tube which allows the chemicals to mix. It is this mixing which causes the glow through the process of chemiluminescence
The images below show the components that make-up a modern glow stick: a plastic tube containing peroxide mixture and a glass ampoule containing flurophore. When the peroxide and flurophore are mixed together they produce a glow.
What were glow sticks used for originally?
Interestingly, one of the first patents for a glow-stick-type device was awarded to the US Navy in 1973. They quickly became an essential piece of military equipment with a vast array of uses, including emergency lights, target markers, landing zone markers and parachute markers.
Glow sticks don’t require batteries, they’re cheap to make and easy to dispose-of. They have a long shelf life, tolerate high pressures, are waterproof and weatherproof, and are visible from a mile off in the right conditions. Glow sticks are also non-flammable and non-sparking which makes them the only source of light that is safe for use immediately after a catastrophic event.
So whilst glow sticks have gained universal-renown for lighting-up festivals and parties around the world, they still retain an important function within the military and emergency services today.
The story goes that glow sticks first emerged on the gig-scene back in 1971, introduced by the son of a factory worker whose company was hired by American Cyanamid to assemble glow sticks. He and his friends hauled backpacks filled with glow sticks to a Grateful Dead concert at the Yale Ball in New Haven, Connecticut.
A few songs in, they started cracking open the glow sticks and handing them out to people in the crowd. Chaos ensued as amazed fans started throwing these never-before-seen glowing sticks around in the dark. It brought the whole gig to a standstill!
And the rest, as they say, is history. With the arrival of acid house and the rave scene in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, glow sticks took off. So that’s the history of glow sticks, and now we’re using them at clubs, parties and festivals all over the world!
The Glowtopia team have spent a long time developing our range of premium UV products. As a result they have become extremely popular with regular customers.
This range of products really can improve a party! Here are some cool things to do with our UV product range…
-Host a white tee party!
Ask everyone to wear a white tee and then spend time decorating each other using our premium quality fabric paints. Decorated white tees also serve as a great souvenir from a brilliant night!
-Host a bag painting party!
Our UV fabric paints provide a high quality finish on a vast array of materials! Kids will have a fantastic time at a bag painting birthday party!
-UV cosmetic fun!
We sell premium quality UV lipsticks, hair gels and hair streaks! These are fun addition to any party. They are easy to apply and last for hours!
We are now well on the way to GLOWTOPIA’s favourite time of year… HALLOWEEN!
This is the ideal time to plan a celebration with friends and family to escape the end of the Summer blues before we the buzz of Christmas really kicks in!
Do you know the best way to make this Halloween awesome? Glowsticks are a fun way of brightening up any Halloween party, kids and grown-ups are sure to love them so be sure to check out the wide range of products we have on offer! Our products are excellently priced, of premium quality and are safe for children!
Further convincing required? Check out these cool ways to use glowsticks this Halloween…
–Glowing pumpkins
(Glowsticks are a cheaper and safer alternative to tea-lights that will glow brighter for longer)
– Outdoor décor
(Glowsticks are perfect the perfect spooky garden decoration! Hang them from trees, line paths, place them in windows… the possibilities are endless)
–Glowstick Fancy Dress
Do you really want to stand out?! We have a wide range of glowing bracelets, necklaces, caps, bunny ears and glasses! These will be the perfect addition to any Halloween attire!
–Glowstick Trick or Treat
Not a fan of handing out candy on Halloween? Do not fear…. Glowsticks are a great alternative! Or maybe you could set up a glowstick scavenger hunt in your garden?!
