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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 buying for night games, lights-out intros and dark arenas: our LED pom poms make their own light, so they never fade like glow in the dark poms or need a blacklight, and the whole squad changes colour together by remote. Team pricing is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
Which pom poms actually glow at a night game?
For a squad that performs after dark, only one type makes its own light, and that is the one to buy. Here is how the four compare:
| Type | Where the light comes from | At a night game | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glow in the dark (phosphorescent) | Stored light from a bright lamp, given back slowly | A dim glow that fades as the game goes on | Set by the pigment |
| Blacklight / UV-reactive | UV light from the venue’s blacklights | Nothing outdoors; works only inside the blacklights’ reach | Set by the dye |
| Metallic, holographic, iridescent | Reflects the light already there | Bright under floodlights, dark when they drop | Set by the film |
| LED | Diodes built into the pom | Visible with the lights up or down | Any colour, by remote |
Why do glow in the dark pom poms fade before halftime?
Glow in the dark material is phosphorescent: it absorbs light and gives it back slowly. It has to be charged with a bright light first, and the glow then fades, sometimes within a few minutes and sometimes over a few hours, depending on the pigment (source: Phosphorescence (Wikipedia)). The common pigments are zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate, so the colour is whatever the pigment gives, not your team colours.
At a game that means three problems for a coach:
- Someone has to recharge every pom under a bright light before each lights-down moment.
- The glow is dimmest late in the night, when the routine needs it most.
- Under floodlights it does not show at all, so it only works in a full blackout.
Glow in the dark poms are a fine party favour. They are a poor squad purchase.
Do blacklight pom poms work at a football game?
No. A blacklight gives off long-wave ultraviolet (UV-A) light and very little visible light, and UV-reactive materials turn it into a visible glow (source: Blacklight (Wikipedia)). Fluorescent materials stop glowing almost immediately when the UV stops (source: Fluorescence (Wikipedia)). So the effect belongs to the venue, not to the pom. On an open field there are no blacklights, and UV poms look like ordinary poms.
Blacklight does have a place: an indoor glow pep rally or a dance in a gym where facilities can hang UV fixtures over the floor. There the student section’s neon shirts and UV paint light up too. Budget for the fixtures, and expect anything outside their reach to go flat. LED poms work in that room as well, with or without the blacklights, so the squad does not need a second set for one event.
What does LED change for a squad?
- It makes its own light, so it does not fade across a routine and does not depend on the venue’s lighting.
- Any colour, switched together. One remote runs every pair at once, from about 65 to 80 feet with a clear line of sight, so a coach or captain can cue the whole formation from the sideline.
- One set for the season: team colours for most games, pink for a pink out, white for a whiteout.
- Built for a full night: about 2 to 4 hours per charge depending on colour and mode, rechargeable by USB-C, water resistant and 7 oz per pom.
One thing to check on any light-up pom is where the light is. Many sold online put a single light in the handle, which reads as a dot from the stands. Ours have many LED diodes built into the pom itself, some reaching past the streamer tips.
Which type should you buy for each event?
| Event | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Night football game | LED | Visible from the stands under floodlights and when they dim |
| Lights-out intro or blackout game | LED | The poms are the light in the dark moment |
| Indoor blacklight pep rally | LED, or UV-reactive for one night | LED works with or without the UV fixtures |
| Crowd giveaway at a glow night | Glow sticks or glow in the dark items | Cheap and one-night; nobody needs them to last |
| Day game in the sun | Metallic in your colours | Reflective film shines in daylight |
| Theme and cause nights | LED | One set switches colour by remote |
For the crowd side of a night game, see student section themes and blackout night games.
How many pairs does a squad need, and what does it cost?
At our team rate of $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs:
| Group | Pairs | Cost at the team rate |
|---|---|---|
| Squad of 12 | 14 | $1,680 |
| Squad of 16 | 18 | $2,160 |
| Cheer and dance together, 26 | 28 | $3,360 |
Pair counts include two spares. The Purdue Golduster Dance Team, the dance line of the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band, ordered 24 pairs from us in September 2026 and performed with them on the field.
What should you check before ordering light-up poms?
- Where the light is: in the pom, or one light in the handle.
- Remote control: one remote for the whole squad, or a switch on every pom.
- Battery: a rechargeable pack, or disposable AAAs someone has to swap mid-season.
- Weight: ours are 7 oz per pom, light enough for a full routine.
- Run time against your longest night, warm-ups included.
- Weather: water resistant for an outdoor season.
- Streamers: ours come in holographic, metallic or regular streamers, so they still look like performance poms in daylight.
Ask every supplier the same seven questions and the quotes become easy to compare.
Who runs what on the day?
| Role | Job |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Picks the lights-out moments and the colour for each game |
| Athletic director | Approves the purchase and the stadium light cue |
| Booster club | Often funds the set |
| Game-day or facilities staff | Dims the stadium or gym lights on cue |
| Captain | Holds the remote and switches colours on the count |
Rehearse the light cue with the full formation before game night, from the spot where the remote holder will stand.
How do you request a team quote?
Email or DM us with the squad size, your team colours and the date of your first night game. 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
Do glow in the dark pom poms really glow?
Yes, but only after being charged under a bright light, and the glow fades, sometimes within a few minutes. They do not show under stadium floodlights.
How long do glow in the dark pom poms glow?
It depends on the pigment: the glow fades over anything from a few minutes to a few hours after charging.
Do blacklight pom poms work outside?
No. UV-reactive materials glow only while a blacklight shines on them, so they need an indoor venue with UV fixtures.
Are LED pom poms better than glow in the dark for night games?
For a squad, yes. LED poms make their own light, do not fade across a routine and change colour by remote.
How long do LED pom poms last on a charge?
Ours run about 2 to 4 hours per charge depending on colour and mode, and recharge by USB-C.
How much do light-up pom poms cost for a team?
Our team rate is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs. A squad of 16 with two spares is 18 pairs, or $2,160 at that rate.
See also: stadium floodlights vs dark arena poms, iridescent vs LED pom poms and the cheer pom poms buying guide.
Sources: Phosphorescence (Wikipedia), Blacklight (Wikipedia), Fluorescence (Wikipedia).
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
