Add to your team order
Light-Up LED Pom Poms
Metallic streamers with LEDs built into the pom, a rechargeable pack, and one remote that changes the whole team’s color at once.
$145 USD per pair
For coaches choosing poms for night games and lights-down moments: our LED pom poms have diodes built into the pom, so they stay lit when plastic, metallic and neon poms go dark, and one remote changes the whole squad’s colour together. Team pricing is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
Which pom pom types can a coach order?
| Type | What it is | Under lights | When the lights drop | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic (vinyl) | Matte vinyl streamers | The same colour in daylight and gym light | Dark | Sideline, youth and practice |
| Metallic | Vinyl streamers with a reflective, foil-style coating | Mirror-style flash | Dark | Competition and games under lights |
| Iridescent or holographic | Prismatic finish that shifts with the angle | Shimmer close up and under direct light | Dark | Dance and showcase stages |
| Neon | Fluorescent colours | Brighter than ordinary colours | Glows only under a blacklight | Daytime colour, blacklight events |
| Glow-in-the-dark | Phosphorescent material charged by light | Pale | A glow that fades | Novelty |
| DIY Christmas-light | Ordinary poms with a battery light string | Depends on the build | Lit, if every pair works | A one-off project |
| LED | Diodes built into the pom, metallic streamers | Metallic flash | Lit, in any colour by remote | Night games, lights-down moments, theme nights |
Cheer retailers sell plastic, metallic, holographic, wet-look and multi-colour poms in adult, youth and mini sizes (source: Omni Cheer). Plastic, metallic, iridescent and neon poms reflect the light around them. Glow-in-the-dark material gives back light it stored. DIY and LED poms make their own.
Plastic or metallic: which suits a daytime squad?
Both start with the same vinyl strand; metallic adds a reflective, foil-style coating. Solid vinyl keeps the same shade in daylight, gym fluorescents or overcast skies, while metallic can look washed out on a bright afternoon because the coating competes with the sun. Solid is also the lower-cost option for bulk orders, and many teams use solid poms for practice and metallic for game day (source: Varsity Shop: metallic vs solid poms).
For the full decision, see metallic pom poms vs LED pom poms.
Do iridescent and holographic poms show up at night?
No more than metallic poms do. A holographic finish is prismatic: it shifts colour with the angle and the light, and its shimmer is most visible at close range and under direct light (source: Varsity Shop: metallic vs holographic vs vinyl poms). With no light on it, there is nothing to shift. It is a lovely finish for a lit dance stage and the wrong buy for a blackout. Our guide to iridescent vs LED pom poms goes deeper, including AB iridescent streamers on LED poms.
Will neon or glow-in-the-dark poms work at a night game?
- Neon: fluorescent colours can look brighter than ordinary colours and glow under ultraviolet light, but they stop almost as soon as the UV does (source: Wikipedia: Fluorescence). A blacklight gives off UV-A and very little visible light (source: Wikipedia: Blacklight), and a stadium has floodlights, not blacklights, so neon poms are simply bright poms at a night game.
- Glow-in-the-dark: phosphorescent material has to be charged by a bright light, and once that light is gone the glow slowly fades (source: Wikipedia: Phosphorescence).
See glow in the dark vs blacklight vs LED and neon pom poms vs LED pom poms.
Are DIY Christmas-light poms worth it for a squad?
DIY light-up poms tuck a battery light string into ordinary poms. One fairy-light craft kit, for example, pairs 20 LED micro lights with two CR2032 coin batteries (source: Lume Lighting). Under Reese’s Law, the Consumer Product Safety Commission adopted a mandatory standard for products with button or coin batteries, requiring secured battery compartments and warnings (source: U.S. CPSC); tape over a battery box is not a secured compartment. Builds on AAA packs add weight to every arm.
The bigger problem is matching: twenty hand-built poms are twenty slightly different poms. Read DIY light-up pom poms vs buying them before your boosters spend a weekend on it.
Why do LED poms cost more, and what does a squad get?
- Light where it counts: many LED diodes on a harness inside the pom, some poking past the streamer tips. Not a single light in the handle.
- Metallic streamers, so under full lights the set flashes like a metallic pom.
- Remote colour-changing: the whole squad switches together, team colours all season and a cause colour on a theme night.
- Split sets: the raised pom one colour, the low pom another.
- 7 oz, on rechargeable lithium-ion packs instead of disposable batteries.
The Purdue Golduster Dance Team, the dance line of the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band, ordered 24 pairs in September 2026 and performed with them on the field.
Which type should a coach order for the season?
| Where you perform | Order |
|---|---|
| Daytime outdoor sideline and pep rallies | Plastic, or metallic if the budget allows |
| Indoor gym and competition under full lights | Metallic |
| Dance and showcase stages | Holographic or metallic |
| A blacklight pep rally | Neon, tested under the venue’s blacklights first |
| Night games, lights-down intros and theme nights | LED |
| A one-night home project | DIY |
A practical mix: a plastic set for practice and one LED set for games, since the LED set covers every colour. Competition rules vary by event, so check with your event producer before using anything lit in a judged routine.
How many pairs does a squad need?
One pair per athlete who carries poms, plus two spares ordered in the same order so they match. At our team rate of $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs:
| Group | Pairs | Cost at the team rate |
|---|---|---|
| Youth squad of 12 | 14 | $1,680 |
| High school squad of 18 | 20 | $2,400 |
| College squad of 24 | 26 | $3,120 |
| Cheer and dance together, 36 | 38 | $4,560 |
The same LED set runs in team colours all season and switches for theme nights.
How do you order poms for the squad?
Email or DM us with the squad size, team colours, any theme-night colours and your first game date. We make our light-up products ourselves and will tell you plainly what fits your date. See team orders for how a group order works.
Frequently asked questions
What are the different types of pom poms?
Plastic (vinyl), metallic, iridescent or holographic, neon, glow-in-the-dark, DIY light-up and LED. The first four reflect light; glow-in-the-dark gives back stored light; DIY and LED poms make their own.
What pom poms do cheerleaders use?
Varsity describes vinyl as a favourite for sideline cheer and youth teams and metallic as the top choice for competition cheer and night games. LED poms are used for lights-down moments and theme nights.
Which pom poms show up best at night?
Only poms that make their own light. Metallic, holographic and neon poms need light on them; LED poms stay visible when the lights drop.
Do glow-in-the-dark pom poms work?
Only briefly. Phosphorescent material must be charged by a bright light and slowly fades once that light is gone.
Are neon pom poms the same as glow pom poms?
No. Neon poms use fluorescent colours that glow under a blacklight only while it shines; glow-in-the-dark poms store light and fade; LED poms make their own light.
How much do LED pom poms cost for a team?
Our team rate is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs. A squad of 18 with two spares is 20 pairs, or $2,400 at that rate.
See also: cheer pom poms buying guide, iridescent vs LED pom poms, glow in the dark vs blacklight vs LED, DIY light-up pom poms, metallic vs LED pom poms, neon vs LED pom poms and choosing team pom colours.
Sources: Omni Cheer, Varsity Shop: metallic vs solid poms, Varsity Shop: metallic vs holographic vs vinyl poms, Wikipedia: Fluorescence, Wikipedia: Blacklight, Wikipedia: Phosphorescence, Lume Lighting, U.S. CPSC.
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
