Star Shower Ultra 9 is an updated version of the Star Shower Motion which was a wildly successful Christmas laser light back in 2016. I picked up the new version to compare it to the original, and today I offer my review.
Where to Purchase
Star Shower Ultra 9 can be found at the official website, in some stores, and on Amazon. You can expect to pay $30-$40, depending on the vendor. I bought mine at a local As Seen on TV store here in Nevada.
Claims & Features
- 9 different patterns
- Decorate your home in seconds
- Covers homes up to 3200 square feet
- No ladders or burned-out bulbs
- Weather-resistant
Star Shower Ultra 9 Review
When I first saw the commercial for Star Shower Ultra 9, I thought it was merely a re-branding of the popular Star Shower Motion that I reviewed back in 2016. After viewing the 30-minute informercial on CNBC, however, I realized this is being pitched as an update to the original.
Before I get to the review, a “Star Shower” history lesson may be in order.
In 2015, the original Star Shower Laser Light was released to massive success. That original is mostly forgotten now, but it did not feature motion at all. It was merely a static beam of red and green lights that could be projected onto a house. A year later, the motion feature was added to Star Shower Motion, and the product’s popularity only increased from there. Star Shower Motion allowed for red+green or green only, but strangely there was no red-only option. You could also pause the motion to essentially mimic the original Star Shower Laser Light.
In 2017, the Star Shower brand (owned by Bulbhead) marketed three new versions at consumers: Star Shower Laser Magic, Star Shower Slideshow, and Star Shower Window Wonderland. I tested all of those out alongside the 2016 Star Shower Motion, if you are interested in viewing that (link). Of the 2017 class, only the Star Shower Window Wonderland survived, but its popularity was tempered by the fact that the reality of the product didn’t quite live up to what was shown in the advertising.
Now 5 years later we have our first new Star Shower with the Ultra 9 model, and the makers have gone back to their roots by offering what appears to be a modest update to the 2016 Star Shower Motion. So what’s new in 2022?
We finally have a red-only mode, along with a new blinking mode that doesn’t excite me very much. And that’s it.
2016 Modes
- Red+Green Motion
- Red+Green No Motion
- Green Only Motion
- Green Only No Motion
2022 Ultra 9 Modes
- Red+Green Motion
- Red+Green No Motion
- Red+Green Blinking
- Green Only Motion
- Green Only No Motion
- Green Only Blinking
- Red Only Motion
- Red Only No Motion
- Red Only Blinking
On paper you’ve gone from 4 to 9 modes, but I doubt it will feel like much of an upgrade to the majority of people who will just use the red+green motion effect. Another change from the original is that there is now only a single button which resides on the back of the unit. This allows you to toggle through all 9 modes and to turn the unit off with the 10th press of the button.
Functionally, Star Shower Ultra 9 is an attractive display that is accurately represented in the advertising. Most people will probably use the red+green motion setting, which means they won’t exactly be breaking new ground with their holiday light display. That isn’t important to most of us, but there are those who insist on being the first on the block to show off this year’s latest gadgets.
When compared side by side with the 2016 Star Shower Motion, it is difficult to tell which is which, although the Ultra 9 did seem a smidge brighter (that could be due to the fact that it was being compared to its 6-year-old predecessor).
Both the original Star Shower Motion and the Ultra 9 models include a light sensor, so they will only work in the dark. This is a handy feature because they will run at night and automatically shut off in the morning. I tested this out and it does work well.
The only major con I found with the Ultra 9 is that it did not come with an indoor base, which was included in the older Star Shower products. Most people will probably use this outdoors, so I suppose I understand the omission, but I found the base useful for indoor or outdoor use. If you plan to use it indoors, or cannot use a lawn stake, you may want to pick up the original Star Shower Motion – which is still being sold at its official website starshowermotion.com. Otherwise, I think the Ultra 9 is probably the way to go, even though it is barely an improvement over the original.
Have you used any of the Star Shower products? Tell me what you think in the comments below.
Video Review
Below you can find my video review of Star Shower Ultra 9.
I can’t believe I’ve been watching you/your channel for six years!! You always seemed to have a review of an as-seen-on-TV product I was looking into, so I kept (keep!) watching — even tuning into items I’m not particularly interested in because I like your reviews. As for the Star Shower… I appreciate you showing the real-life application on your house. While I love that it’s only red and green, I don’t like the spread of the light pattern — at least outside. I know it’s limited by its size, but I don’t like that the pattern is thicker in… Read more »
I do appreciate you watching my channel for so long!
You’re right about the lights being heavier in the center. This can be slightly alleviated by positioning, but that would also be easier to do with a base rather than a stake. Those living in a “concrete jungle” are out of luck without the base.
Thank you again for your insightful comment!
Amazon link is no longer active
Thanks. I’ve updated it with a newer listing.
I went to Walmart website / it cones up bukbhead had it in 4 days – I love ❤️ mine – simple and easy just plug in to outdoor extension select colors and you are glowing
I ordered 2 Ultra 9’s with remote. They worked fine for 3 weeks then 1 of them stopped working.
just brought home 3 new ones today to go with my 3 older ones, the new ones are no where near as bright as the old ones, there going back tomarrow
Interesting. I wonder if there was some change in the production between previous and newer models.