People watching fireworks (Photo by Arthur Chauvineau on Unsplash)
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When it comes to fireworks, we all become wide-eyed kids again, staring at the sky and waiting for that perfect boom, crackle, and pop to light up our night. Whether you're a casual sparkler enthusiast or a full-on pyrotechnics aficionado, choosing the best fireworks can be as overwhelming as picking the right toppings for your pizza. So, grab your lawn chair, put on your safety goggles, and let's dive into the dazzling world of fireworks that will make your Fourth of July bash the talk of the neighborhood (and maybe get you a friendly call from the local fire department). Comment below to let us know which type of firework you think is the ultimate blast!
Table of contents
The List
1. Rockets
Of course, when you think of fireworks, you think of aerial pyrotechnics. Metro says: “Probably the most common firework you’ll see shooting into the sky this bonfire night is the rocket. Rockets can fire up really rather high – even up to 60 meters depending on the type. Naturally once fired, they explode with a huge bang and a shower of sparks.” And, of course, you can find an endless variety for the showering sparks.
Though bottle rockets are one of the most well-known types of fireworks, you may want to up your budget. According to KSR, “Bottle rockets are a staple at any party, but let’s face it: they’re pretty boring. Sure, they’re cheap and easy, but this is a July 4th party, not a Saturday night at Minardi Hall. Shell out a few extra bucks for the mortars.”
Trek Baron writes: “The concept is simple: the bottle rocket is designed to look like a conventional rocket, except it has an elongated stick at the back. You just have to light that stick on fire, and the bottle rocket will take to the skies. It’s going to go up to a certain height before exploding. While some bottle rockets just explode when they reach a specific height, there are various versions that also cause major explosions, which leads to beautiful fireworks display high up in the skies.”
2. Roman Candles
You’ve seen these and probably even lit a fuse or two. Fireworks FX describes what exactly a Roman Candle is: “Single cardboard tubes that eject effects such as colored stars, crackling stars, comets and floral bursts one at a time with heights up to 35m (a 11-story building).”
Though these are pretty much staples at any backyard fireworks display, they can be dangerous, warns Thrillist. “Whomever dreamed up the Roman Candle—those Slim Jim-sized sticks that eject a single whooshing fireball every few seconds—likely intended ‘em to eject from the ground. Nice try. That person presumably never met a gaggle of teens just looking to blow each other’s hands and faces off, as America’s youth recognized these things for what they truly are: Firework Handguns. Lovely, but dangerous. Proceed with caution.”
And to drive home the point, The Art of Manliness: “Roman candles are long tubes that when lighted at one end shoot off colorful balls. Some of the shots crackle, flash, or explode. You can actually hold these in your hand while they fire off (it’s not recommended, but many people do it). Because of this ability, many young nincompoops use Roman Candles to engage in a mini firearms battle. Don’t do this.”
3. Sparklers
No, these aren’t the most exciting type of firework, but they are one of the more popular, as KSR explains: “I can hear you now, ‘Sparklers in the top three?!’, but hear me out. Sparklers are always a hit and give those who aren’t in charge of the big stuff something to play with. Also, it’s almost impossible to resist spelling your name out with one.”
Fireworks FX writes, “There is no simpler firework than the sparkler but it’s a classic, what memories are made of… Sparklers are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames, sparks, and other effects. They are great for birthday cakes or even stuck in the ground for a light show. Available in durations from over 30 sec to almost 3 minutes!”
Think of these as something for the kids. “Sparklers are another great firework for kids to play with. Sparklers are sticks that give off colored sparks when lit. You can wave them around and create a light show. Kids get a hoot out of writing their name with them. There are two types of sparklers. The first are ones made from metal. The second are made of paper and are often called Morning Glories. Morning Glories are a bit safer because they don’t leave a red hot metal stick when done burning,” writes The Art of Manliness.
4. Cakes
These range in number of shots produced (what they project into the air), from just a few to a few hundred. Thrillist lays it all out: “The key here is longevity. These guys pierce the evening sky with loud, screaming missile shots that litter every backyard in your neighborhood and send every dog scurrying to the baseball for at least a few minutes. (That part about the dogs sucks—keep 'em indoors.) But if you’re in an open space away from animals, light this bad boy, sit back, and just enjoy the high-pitched screeches.”
Mash up a bunch of fireworks into one explosive device, and you have a cake, according to Metro. “Yup, that’s the beauty of a cake firework. Light it and it will bang, sparkle and do cool stuff in a kind of customized mini display for quite a while. Most of it unexpected too. Generally, a cake firework (basically the same thing as a barrage) will use an internal fuse system to ignite the fireworks inside automatically either all at the same time or in a set order. That’s often how all the professional displays do it too – with some grand finale cakes having a batch of shells that can weigh more than one hundred pounds.”
Looking for the perfect way to close out your backyard display? Men’s Journal recommends cakes: “Now, say you still want a grand finale. Cakes are the quintessential show-stoppers, and the biggest ones you can buy come packed with 500 grams of gunpowder. That’s what most people want. But that 500-gram behemoth might cost you $90; so, instead, go with a 200- or 300-gram cake. It won’t shoot quite as high, and the explosions won’t be as big. But it’ll probably cost you a mere $15 to $25. Overall, it’s a better value.”
5. Fountains
These are a good option if you’re looking for the visual effect of fireworks without so much of the noise. Fireworks FX writes, “For a quieter display you should consider firework fountains. These firework options are popular as they provide lots of light and color but none of the loud noise of aerial fireworks.”
And even if you’re on a budget, you can still have plenty of fun, according to Men’s Journal: “Ballin' on a budget? That doesn’t mean you can’t have a full night of pyrotechnic fun. You just have to swap out the stratosphere-piercing projectiles for things that allocate their gunpowder more responsibly, with ground-level shows. Nothing exemplifies this better than fountains, the fireworks that spray sparks straight from the top of their cone- and tube-shaped bodies. Fountains are dirt cheap, and they maximize your display time. ‘The average cake’—big boxes that blast multiple shots into the sky—'lasts for 25-30 seconds,’ Rickey says. ‘But the average fountain goes off for a couple minutes.’”
Trek Baron also considers fountains to be budget friendly. “If you are looking for fireworks that are relatively safe to use and don’t cost a lot of money, then the fountain is a good choice. Most of the fountains that are available through local stores are basically cone-shaped devices. They sit on the ground and when fired they start releasing a lot of sparks all around the device. Some fountains even release colorful sparks, which adds a bit of style. Don’t think that the sparks are going to fly as high as the ceiling because they probably won’t. Fountains are designed to be relatively safe and compared to other options in this article, they are obviously not as thrilling.”
Sources used to create this consensus list
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