Lightstar AIRLITE Balloon LED Lights Introduced

by Jeff LochJune 14^th, 2022

The Lightstar AIRLITE lineup of bi-color and RGBWW balloon LED lights is an exciting take on inflatable lighting products. All AIRLITE fixtures feature an integrated air pump that inflates and deflates the balloon light in around 60 seconds. Also, the lights can be battery-powered for easy use on location without needing a generator.

Lightstar is a Chinese lighting manufacturer that has been in the industry for over a decade. Balloon lights were invented in 1994 by the French company Airstar. This kind of ample inflatable light is helpful when you need to illuminate a night scene. You probably saw the result of this kind of fixture in feature films such as Titanic, Rush Hour, Harry Potter, Hulk, and much more.

Lightstar is now entering the inflatable LED light market with its AIRLITE lineup of bi-color and RGBWW LED lights.

Lightstar AIRLITE features

The Lightstar AIRLITE lineup of balloon LED lights consists of three products: the AIRLITE 500/1000W domes and the TUBE 1000W. Each product is available in two versions: bi-color, which goes from 2800 to 6500K, and P versions, which are RGBWW.

Each Lightstar AIRLITE balloon LED light is fast to set up thanks to the built-in air pump, which can inflate/deflate the balloon in less than 60 seconds. In addition, during filming, the pump can be adjusted to silent at 10% power to keep the balloon inflated over long shooting times.

This kind of balloon lighting is handy to create an incredibly soft and diffused light. You’ll usually use it to light night exterior scenes, but they also get the job done in large football fields, warehouses, and so on. The AIRLIGHT light head and ballast are IP20-rated “only,” so do not use them outside if it rains.

Ballast and powering options

Each Lightstar AIRLITE fixture has a ballast to adjust the light output, CCT/RGBWW parameters, and wireless connectivity settings. Indeed, the RGBWW versions come standard with LumenRadio capabilities, whereas this is an option on bi-color versions. Also, there is a DMX input port on the ballast, so you still have wired-control capabilities.

With a minimum power draw of 500W, the Lightstar AIRLITE lineup is a power-hungry product. However, you can still power the 500W versions via four 14.8V V-Mount/Gold Mount batteries with a portable power adapter like the FXLION Sky Three. For 1000W AIRLITE fixtures, you’ll need four 28V batteries.

Price and availability

The AIRLIGHT 500W dome balloon starts at $3.800, and the 1000W tubular balloon begins at $6.800. All products should start shipping later this year. Due to the particular use-cases for these LED fixtures, they are mainly aimed at rental houses worldwide.

For more information, please visit Lightstar’s website here.

What do you think about these new AIRLIGHT inflatable LED lights? Did you already shoot with balloon fixtures? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!