Features to Take Note Of When Buying a Globe

When buying a world globe, it’s important to remember that not all globes are the same. When most people think of globes, they just think of the typical blue ocean globe (globe with oceans colored in blue) with countries coming in different colors to highlight state borders. These globes however, are just one type of globe in a world that encompasses many more varieties than you can imagine.

As such, the sheer variety of world globes on the market can make choosing one a tough challenge. With so many choices to choose from, which one should you get?

Concentrate on Features

One of the simplest ways to narrow down your choices is to look at a globe’s features. Below you will find some of the many different types of globes on the market categorized by the kind of features they have.

Illuminated Globes – These globes have an internal light bulb that illuminates the globe from within. When plugged in, bulb inside the globe glows, illuminating the world from the inside out. Just imagine a lampshade, but put a globe in its place instead.

Some illuminated globes even have a “touch on” feature, which means that touching the globe’s base or meridian ring illuminates the sphere. Other types even have a feature that shows the globe’s physical borders when unlit, and then the political borders when switched on.

Raised Relief Globes – Raised relief globes provide a rich learning experience, enhancing your ability to understand the world’s topography by allowing you to actually see and feel elevation changes on the globe. Raised relief globes have textured contours that represent the world’s ridges, hills, mountains, and mountain ranges. These globes are fairly accurate in representing the world’s nook and crannies, however, it should be pointed out that due to their features and manufacturing processes, raised relief globes are only available in spheres measuring between 9 to 16 inches.

Interactive Educational Globes – Interactive educational globes are all about making learning fun and interactive for children of all ages. These types of globes often have a “talking” feature that teaches children about different countries around the world through games and features. Interactive globes allow kids to have a hands-on learning experience about the world that’s fun and exciting. As such, these globes are valuable teaching and learning tools both at home and in the classroom.

Floating Globes – Floating globes aren't levitating because of some magic of some sort, instead using magnets to suspend the orb in mid-air. These magnets are in turn powered by a 110V/60HZ outlet. Floating or levitating globes come in a wide variety of sizes and colors, making them a unique gift to loved ones, friends, and office colleagues.

Celestial Globes – Celestial globes are perhaps the most unique bunch on this list. These globes allow you to explore outer space, representing stars, the moon and other planets in relation to our Earth.

As you can see, globes are far more interesting than you may have first thought. The key is deciding what you need from a globe—this will make your search faster and easier.