Menu
 

BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details

Best Glow-in-the-Dark Footballs

Updated August 2023
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
GlowCity Glow in the Dark Football - Light Up, Youth Size Football
GlowCity
Glow in the Dark Football - Light Up, Youth Size Football
Check Price
LED-lit
Bottom Line

This football features battery-powered, impact-activated LED lights, so it glows from the inside.

Pros

Lights up instantly with smart LED bulbs inside. Glow is impact-activated. Shuts off when not in use. Great for night games. Durable; water-resistant. A good size for kids' hands. Made of easy-to-grip material. Easy to replace batteries when necessary.

Cons

Battery compartment affects the weight, so it does not throw like a standard football. May arrive deflated, so have a pump on hand.

Best Bang for the Buck
Tangle NightBall Football
Tangle
NightBall Football
Check Price
Best for Kids
Bottom Line

Kids will appreciate it for the easy-to-grip design and bright green light.

Pros

Affordable price point. Bright green LED light. Especially rugged design. LED light turns on when thrown, dropped, or punted. Optimized for small hands. Grippy shape. Easy to find in the dark.

Cons

Lacks an off switch.

Alkomi Glow in The Dark Football
Alkomi
Glow in The Dark Football
Check Price
Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

It gives off an extreme green light, making it perfect for playing outside long after sunset.

Pros

Easy for small hands to catch. Up to 4 hours of glowing after being exposed to a light. Intensely bright green glow. Waterproof. Durable design. Includes air pump.

Cons

Its slick, rubbery texture is not for everyone.

McNick & Company LED Glow-in-the-Dark Youth Football
McNick & Company
LED Glow-in-the-Dark Youth Football
Check Price
Long-lasting Illumination
Bottom Line

Water-resistant football that uses battery technology to light up in the dark. Football’s batteries can last for 100 hours.

Pros

Football ships with an air pump. Good for use at the beach, as it’s water-resistant and floats, but you also can play in the backyard or at the park. Battery only runs when the ball is in motion.

Cons

Price is a little high. It’s not a regulation size football, so it may not fit all hands.

Nightmatch Light-Up Football
Nightmatch
Light-Up Football
Check Price
Customer Favorite
Bottom Line

This regulation-sized ball is a tough, rubberized model that will impress onlookers and players with its bold orange LED lights.

Pros

Large. Especially bright orange glow. Includes pump and 3 batteries. Lights up upon impact. Water-resistant. Durable. Bouncy. Available in orange, black, and gray-streaked “signature.”

Cons

The ball stays illuminated for only 40 seconds at a time.

Why trust BestReviews?
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

35
Models
Considered
79
Consumers
Consulted
8
Hours
Researched
Category cover

Buying guide for Best glow-in-the-dark footballs

Although the first night football game was played in 1892, night games were rare in the early decades of football. These days, night football games are commonplace at all levels of play.

Perhaps your kids want to emulate the stars they watch during Friday Night Lights high school games or Sunday and Monday Night Football NFL games. However, rather than tackling the expense of installing large floodlights in your backyard, you can get a glow-in-the-dark football, giving the kids an easy way to play night football.

A glow-in-the-dark football uses either an LED embedded inside the football or a phosphorescent chemical compound in the ball. This glow allows players to spot the ball during nighttime games. As with other footballs, they vary in size and weight, so you should choose a football that will be comfortable for your kids to catch and throw.

These footballs are designed more as toys, rather than as high-quality regulation footballs, so don’t expect to see a glow-in-the-dark football at your favorite NFL game any time soon. Still, they are fun to use and stand up to abuse better than you may think.

Content Image
Glow-in-the-dark footballs will look similar to traditional footballs when used in the daytime, so they work at day or at night.

Glow-in-the-dark style

As you begin looking for glow-in-the-dark footballs, you’ll find two types of designs used to create the signature glow.

LED

Footballs that seem to glow from within the ball will consist of an LED light in the middle of the ball that is powered by batteries.

An LED glow-in-the-dark football does not need to be placed in natural light to “charge” like a phosphor ball. Instead, it’s powered by one or more batteries.

The LEDs are often red or orange in color, making them easy to spot, though other colors like blue and green are available as well.

Motion sensor

This type of glow-in-the-dark football will often have a motion sensor inside it. When the ball is in motion, the sensor activates the light for 20 to 30 seconds. If the ball is not moving, the light turns off, which preserves battery power.

Batteries

The batteries required by LED glow-in-the-dark footballs are often button cell batteries. Occasionally, you’ll find models that require AAA batteries, but a smaller battery is generally better since it reduces the overall weight of the football.

Light modes

Some LED footballs may have different light modes including strobe or pulse modes. While these certainly don’t make keeping an eye on the ball any easier, they can be tons of fun.

Phosphor

A phosphor chemical compound in glow-in-the-dark footballs can create a soft glow without the added weight or expense of batteries. Phosphors become energized when exposed to light, including sunlight and even light from light bulbs. Then, when the external light is no longer present, you can see the glow.

This is a different mechanism than is used in items like glow sticks, which glow as a result of the mixing of chemicals inside the stick.

For toys like glow-in-the-dark footballs, a common phosphor compound is strontium aluminate. This compound provides a greater level of glow for a longer period of time compared to phosphor compounds used in the past.

The compounds can be mixed with plastic to allow the football to glow. If a phosphor compound is in use, it typically will create a light green or green-blue color.

Phosphors are safe to use in toys. They don’t require any active mixing of chemicals to use, nor do they contain any elements that give off light using radioluminescence — they’re not radioactive.

Features

Glow-in-the-dark footballs share quite a few of the same features and specifications as regulation leather footballs.

Size

Glow-in-the-dark footballs are available in many different sizes, aimed at players of varying ages.

A regulation-size ball is made for high school and adult players, measuring 21 to 22 inches in circumference.

Youth-size balls are 19 to 20 inches in circumference and are made for kids ages 12 to 14, while junior-size footballs are 17.5 to 18.5 inches in circumference for kids ages 10 to 12. For even younger children, mini football sizes are available too.

Weight

A regulation-size football weights 14 to 15 ounces, while youth footballs weigh 12 to 13 ounces and junior footballs weigh 10 to 11 ounces. Keep in mind that if the football uses LEDs and a battery to create the glow, it may throw off the weight from what you’d find with a regulation ball.

Materials

While a regulation football is made of leather or synthetic leather, a glow-in-the-dark football often will consist of rubber or a rubber-plastic mix. These materials are cover the air bladder in the middle. Some glow-in-the-dark footballs consist of a firm foam that has a little give to it but is easy to grip.

Glow-in-the-dark football prices

Glow-in-the-dark footballs usually cost less than standard footballs, largely because they don’t consist of expensive leather materials. However, they do cost a bit more than a basic child’s rubber football.

Simple glow-in-the-dark footballs that use phosphor to create the glow will cost $8 to $25. Some LED models designed for small children may be found in this range.

For a battery-powered LED glowing football, you can expect to pay from $15 to $35. Footballs on the higher end of this range may be regulation size.

Tips

You may notice that your glow-in-the-dark football doesn’t deliver the same brightness every time. Here are some tips to help you get the brightest and longest glow from your football.

  • Let the ball soak up light in the day. Leave your phosphor football exposed to natural or artificial light all day. At night, the phosphors emit light clearly when in a dark setting. The phosphors emit light during the daylight too, but you can’t see the glow. If you know you will want to use the football on a certain night, leave it exposed to light for at least a few hours during the day. In addition, don’t store your football in a dark place if you expect to use it that night.
  • Keep fresh batteries on hand. If you notice the LED light in the ball is dimmer than usual, the batteries in the ball may need to be changed. Always having fresh batteries around means you won’t have to end the game early.
  • Kick and throw the ball as normal. Footballs are made to be kicked, thrown, and bounced on the ground, and glow-in-the-dark footballs are no exception. You can use these footballs in the same way you’d use a regulation football.
Content Image
A football’s shape, called a prolate spheroid, allows it to cut through the air, increasing the distance it can be thrown compared to a round ball.

FAQ

Q. How do the laces on a glow-in-the-dark football differ from those on a regulation football?

A. Because glow-in-the-dark footballs are often made of rubber or foam, the laces on these footballs are often rubber or foam too. However, sometimes the laces on regulation footballs and glow-in-the-dark footballs are identical and are made of a durable nylon or leather.

Q. How should I care for my glow-in-the-dark football?

A. Wipe the football off after each use, removing water and mud. Do not leave the football exposed to weather or water for long periods of time.

Q. Can I replace the batteries in an LED glow-in-the-dark football?

A. With most models, the batteries are stored behind a removable panel. This means you can replace the batteries as needed. However, some LED glow-in-the-dark footballs have built-in batteries that cannot be replaced.

Q. Will a phosphor glow-in-the-dark football maintain its glow over time?

A. The glow in a phosphor football will fade within several minutes to a few hours after it is no longer exposed to light. Over time, the ball may not hold its glow as long as it did when new, but this usually doesn’t occur for a few years.

Our Top Picks