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 squads with night games, lights-out intros or dark gyms on the calendar: our light-up pom poms make their own light, so your team colours show where metallic poms go dark, and the whole squad changes colour together by remote. Team pricing is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
Where do metallic poms stop working?
Light-up poms earn their price wherever a metallic pom stops working. A metallic pom is strips of mirror: it sparkles only where light hits it, so it is at its best on a floodlit field and loses its effect wherever the light drops.
| Venue or moment | Metallic poms | Light-up poms |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime game | Strong | Fine; the light barely shows |
| Floodlit night field | Strong sparkle | A strongly coloured pom; the glow is subtle |
| Dusk and late innings | Fades as the light goes | Carries the colour |
| Dark gym with the lights down | Disappears | The only thing visible |
| Arena lights-out intro | Disappears | Part of the show |
| Blackout or glow theme night | Disappears | Built for it |
Which moments make light-up poms worth it?
- Arena introductions. At the Chicago Bulls’ 2016–17 season opener the arena went dark except for the glowing court for the starting lineup (source: PLSN). A team in metallic poms is invisible in that moment.
- Projection halftimes. The Philadelphia 76ers permanently adopted projection mapping for introductions and halftime, turning the court into a projection canvas (source: Full Sail University), which needs the house lights down.
- Lights-down halftime features in gyms and arenas.
- Theme nights: blackout, glow, pink out and lavender nights, where one set covers every colour.
- The late innings and late quarters of games that start in daylight and finish in the dark.
For staging, see lights-out intro ideas and halftime show ideas for arenas.
When are metallic poms enough?
We would rather tell a coach this plainly than sell light-up poms for the wrong schedule. Metallic is the right call when:
- Your games are in daylight, or on fully floodlit fields with no lights-down moment.
- Your season is mostly judged competition, with no game-day or lights-down moments.
- You need practice poms that take a beating every afternoon.
- None of your events go dark.
Retailers list plastic, metallic and holographic styles as the core range for that kind of season (source: Omni Cheer). Buy them in your team colours and you are done. For the reflective options side by side, see iridescent vs LED pom poms.
How do you count the dark moments in your season?
| On your calendar | Count it if |
|---|---|
| Home night games | The stadium runs a light show or dims for a feature |
| Basketball home games | The gym or arena drops the lights for introductions or halftime |
| Theme nights | Blackout, glow, pink out or another cause colour |
| Pep rallies | The gym goes dark for an entrance or a reveal |
| Showcases and banquets | The room dims for the team’s routine |
| Parades | The route runs after dusk |
If the count is zero, buy metallic. If dark moments are a regular part of the season, a light-up set does the work on every one of those nights, and on the bright nights it still performs as a metallic pom.
Do light-up poms still work under floodlights?
Yes, with a different job. Unlit, they look like regular performance poms: the streamers are metallic, so they sparkle under floodlights the way any metallic pom does. Lit under full floodlights, they read as strongly coloured poms in your team colour rather than plain silver, but the glow isn’t dramatic, because the floodlights overwhelm it. That is why squads who first test light-up poms at a floodlit football game sometimes think they are weak. Take the same poms into a dark gym and the comparison flips: the metallic set disappears and the lit set is the only thing in the room.
What does a lights-down moment need besides the poms?
- A cue from game operations: which moment goes dark, and for how long.
- One person on the remote, within about 65 to 80 feet of the squad with a clear line of sight.
- A charge before every game; a charge lasts about two to four hours depending on colour and light mode, so switch on for the moment, not the whole night.
- A rehearsal in the dark, because spacing reads differently when the only reference points are lit.
What does a light-up set 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 18 | 20 | $2,400 |
| Cheer and dance together, 30 | 33 | $3,960 |
Pair counts include spares. Compare it with what the season would otherwise need: a metallic set in team colours, a pink set for the pink out, and whatever the blackout night calls for. One light-up set changes colour by remote for all of them.
Who should see them before the squad decides?
The people who sign off: the coach, the athletic director and the booster club treasurer. Ask us for video of the poms performing and share it before the vote, so nobody is judging them from a product photo. Then decide with your calendar in front of you. Competition rules vary by event, so check with your event producer before using anything lit in a judged routine.
How do you request a quote?
Email or DM us with your squad size, team colours and the first game or event that goes dark. 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
Are light-up pom poms worth it for football?
For daytime games, no; metallic poms are enough. For night games with light shows, lights-down features or theme nights, yes.
Do light-up poms work under stadium lights?
They read as strongly coloured poms in your team colour, but the glow is subtle under full floodlights. They are at their best in the dark.
Why do metallic poms look dull in a dark gym?
They only reflect light. When the gym dims, there is nothing for them to reflect.
What do light-up poms look like when they are off?
Like regular performance poms with metallic streamers.
When should a squad buy metallic poms instead?
When the season is daytime and fully floodlit games, judged competition or practice, with no lights-down moments.
How much does a light-up set cost?
$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: iridescent vs LED pom poms, glow in the dark vs blacklight vs LED, student section themes for night games and how to choose cheer pom poms.
Sources: PLSN, Full Sail University, Omni Cheer.
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
