When choosing a home planetarium, it’s hard to go past the devices from Sega Toys. Two of these planetariums are the Homestar Matataki and the Homestar Flux. Both look virtually identical at first glance. The price is also almost the same. So what are the differences between the home planetariums? And which one should you buy?
I would like to answer these questions here. I have tested both the Flux and the Matataki myself. Accordingly, I can report from my own experience.
Homestar Matataki | Homestar Flux | |
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Stars per Disc | 10,000 / 60,000 | 60,000 |
Projection Surface | 8.8 ft. | 8.9 ft. |
Shooting Star |  | |
Rotation | | |
Sleep-Timer | | |
Focus Adjustment | | |
Speaker | |  |
Lighting | 3-Watt LED | 5-Watt LED |
Scope of Delivery |
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Size | 6.34 in x 6.26 in x 5.94 in | 6.34 in x 6.26 in x 5.94 in |
Weight | 17.6 ounces | 21.9 ounces |
My Rating | ||
Read the review | Read the review | |
Start-up
Let’s start with what comes first – the start-up. Here there are still no major differences between the home planetarium. Both are first connected to electricity. Then you have to insert the desired star disc. Here you can use one of the included discs or buy additional motifs.
After removing the protective cap and switching it on, the projection must be aligned and focused. The Homestar Matataki and Homestar Flux are thus ready for use within a few minutes.
Functionality
The functionality also appears to be on par when you first look at the data. Both the Flux and the Matataki have a shooting star function and can rotate the projection in two directions. Likewise, both home planetariums have an adjustable timer, after which the device turns itself off.
However, there are clear differences in the projection. The Homestar Flux, on the one hand, is the brand’s top model. This is reflected in the projection. This is bright and can be seen very clearly.
On the other hand, the Matataki uses a weaker LED. You can also see that in the less good projection, which is similar to that of the Homestar Original.
Instead, it has two other functions:
- The Homestar Matataki comes with two additional discs. If you combine them and turn on the rotation, you can see a twinkle in the starry sky. This is unique among the Sega Toys Home Planetariums!
- The Matataki has built-in speakers and can play nature sounds.
It can thus be summarized: The Homestar Flux is the better home planetarium, especially if your goal is to use it to observe and learn about the night sky. The Matataki, on the other hand, is more designed to create a relaxing atmosphere and is thus very suitable as a kind of sleep light.
Quality
Both home planetariums are from the same manufacturer, so there can’t be any difference in quality, right? In principle, that’s true. The Matataki and the Flux both impress with the highest quality. Although they are mostly made of plastic, they appear to be very high quality and well manufactured.
Nevertheless, I see the Homestar Flux slightly ahead here. There are two reasons for this:
First of all, the packaging of the Flux looks much more valuable. The Matataki looks more like a cheap toy.
Furthermore, the base of the Homestar Flux is made of metal. It is made of plastic in the Homestar Matataki and looks much cheaper to me.
Service/Warranty
Since the Homestar Matataki and the Homestar Flux come from the same brand, Sega Toys, it also has the same support or warranty service.
The good news is that it is easy for users to reach customer support if they have questions or encounter any problems with their units. There is a phone number that you can call and an e-mail address just in case you can’t reach them through their phone number. And the best part of it is that you get a fast response from the support team. I’ve had first-hand experience with this, and the issue was resolved right away.
Price Performance
At the time of this comparison (April 19, 2024), there was just a $10 price difference between the two home planetariums directly from Sega Toys. If that’s the case, I would go for the Flux any day due to the better projection.
However, the Matataki was available at Amazon at the same time with a big discount, so that it would have cost only $157.93 instead of $219. At such a discounted price, purchasing this home planetarium is worth considering!
Conclosure – Sega Toys Homestar Matataki vs. Flux
On the datasheet, both home planetariums look almost identical. They also do not differ much in price. Nevertheless, the two devices have completely different fields of application.
The Homestar Flux is and remains the best home planetarium I have used so far. It has by far the best projection and overall seems a bit more valuable to me than the Homestar Matataki.
The Matataki, on the other hand, is very good as a sleep light or if you want to have the starry sky for a special atmosphere. It can create a sparkling starry sky thanks to a special disc, which no other home planetarium can do like this. It also plays relaxing nature sounds when needed.
In the end, it’s up to you to decide what you want to use the home planetarium for and buy the appropriate model. I myself still prefer the Homestar Flux.
