Mathmos Sees High Demand for British-Made Lava Lamps in 2025 Christmas Season
Mathmos, a British lava lamp maker founded in 1963 as Crestworth by Edward Craven Walker, continues to see strong demand driven by mid-century interior trends and Gen Z's interest in late 1990s and early 2000s aesthetics. The company, with its factory located in Poole, Dorset, where bottles are hand-filled and production remains UK-based, oversold in the run-up to Christmas 2025, signaling a stock shortage expected in January 2026.
Managing director Cressida Granger, who took over the business in 1989, emphasized that Mathmos lamps are authentic and made in Britain. She also noted that Mathmos invented the lava lamp. The Astro model remains the bestseller, alongside other popular designs such as the 1990s Telstar rocket shape and newer candle-lit variants.
Alan Staton is the main person outside China filling the lava inside lamps at the Poole factory, recently joined by Henry Currer, who has a background in bronze casting from Birmingham. Granger highlighted that most lava lamps are not made in China.
The company has faced design copying, for example, the silicone Bubble design was copied by Target in the US. While Granger said the company accepts copies as a sign of success, they have limited funds for legal actions.
Mathmos has collaborated with designers and artists including Rankin, Duran Duran, and Sabine Marcelis, releasing limited editions such as a red Rolling Stones lamp in a 1,000-unit run that sold out and drew queues on Carnaby Street in November.
Collectors represent a substantial customer base, with some owning multiple lamps—sometimes hundreds—and using them for mindfulness and focus. The 2025 festive season was described as huge for the company, reflecting a continuing cultural and commercial interest in these iconic British-made products.
