Iridescent vs. Laser: What's the Difference?
Your Complete Guide to Poms that Sparkle
Both Add Incredible Shine
When teams start designing Custom Poms, two materials instantly catch their eye: Iridescent and Laser.
Iridescent and Laser are fan favorites for a reason—both add incredible sparkle, lift the overall shine of any pom, and pair just as beautifully with solid white poms as they do with mixed colors.
But while customers focus on the visual difference, there are key differences they need to know:
Iridescent and Laser behave similarly in a pom… but they are completely different materials and do not cost the same.
This guide will help you understand how each material works, the cost difference, and how Pom Express helps teams maximize sparkle while staying within your budget.
Why Teams Love Iridescent & Laser
Both Iridescent and Laser are:
★ Transparent - adding light and shine vs. adding color
★ Highly reflective - catching stage lights, arena lights, and sunshine
★ Incredibly mix-friendly - blending with Plastics, Wet Looks, other Metallics, and any of our Specialty Materials.
★ Shine boosters - creating instant dimension in any pom
They’re perfect for teams wanting more sparkle—But choosing between them often comes down to budget.
Iridescent:
The Affordable, Light-Enhancing Metallic
Iridescent is technically a color of Metallic material, which means:
- It costs the same as any other Metallic color. You'll find it in the lineup of our Metallic Color charts and it's included in our Metallic color swatches (order here)
- It is one of the most budget-friendly ways to add sparkle in any mix-ratio to a pom.
SOLID IRIDESCENT POM
How It Looks
Iridescent reflects mostly:
Pinks
Light greens
Occasional blues, golds, or purples depending on lighting
Why Choose Iridescent
Beautiful, subtle shine, soft & airy glow
With it's shimmering quality, Iridescent can soften the intensity of the color it's mixed with.
Can be an less expensive to Laser depending on the Pom design.
What Mixes with Iridescent
Iridescent can be mixed with any material (including Laser!), but color is key. Because of its reflective quality, it may give off different hues.
Solid Laser Pom
Laser:
The Dazzling Premium Material
Laser is a Specialty, premium pom material. It’s known for its dynamic, diamond-like, rainbow reflection. It picks up light in unexpected, beautiful ways next to any other color or material. You'll find Laser in the lineup of our Specialty Color charts and it's included in our Specialty color swatches (order here)
How It Looks
Laser reflects a vibrant rainbow spectrum of colors, often showing:
Oranges, Yellows & Golds
Pinks & Purples
Blues & greens
It responds dramatically to both light and the colors around it.
Why Choose Laser
Maximum sparkle and drama
Distinctive rainbow shifts
Stunning impact even in small amounts
Because of the cost, we enjoy helping teams use Laser strategically so they get the effect without overspending.
What Mixes with Laser
Laser can be mixed with all of our Materials, but reflects differently with different colors.
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TIP! You don’t need a full Laser pom to get the Laser effect - there are creative options for every budget. (keep reading)
Cost Comparison
To put things in perspective, a solid Laser pom costs about 2/3 more than solid Iridescent. That's a sigificant difference. But with informed design choices for incorporating Laser into your Poms, you can still enjoy the beauty of Laser without paying solid-Laser prices.
* Prices are 2025 - please note they are subject to change in the future*
Solid Iridescent Show Pom
$23.50
Choose Iridescent in our Pom Design Tool when you Customize a Solid, 1-Color Metallic Pom. In addition to Show Poms, Solid Iridescent is available in Competition POWER POMS, Junior & Lite Poms, Pom Balls and Narrow Streamer Poms.
Solid Laser Show Pom
$39.50
Laser is it's own category of Specialty! Design yours Here. The pricing is the same independent on other options you choose such as strand length and handle type in the Pom Design Tool to customize. Solid Laser is also available in Competition POWER POMS, Junior & Lite Poms, Pom Balls, and Narrow Streamer Poms
HOW TO MAXIMIZE SPARKLE WITHOUT MAXING OUT YOUR BUDGET
Because Laser is a premium and more expensive material, we guide teams toward designs that deliver major shine at a friendly price. Pom Express offers Laser as both a Flash or a Glitter add-in to any pom. We uniquely offer Laser at the same charge as any other material or color choice, adding in Laser as a Flash or Glitter option costs the same as adding in Iridescent Metallic.
ADD AS GLITTER
Glitter strands, which are always 3/16" in width, are added into your Poms and increase the strand count by 5-10%. You can add "single" glitter or "double" glitter (twice as much as single). Adding Glitter is a perfect low-cost option to add sparkle!
Style shown is a Solid Neon Yellow Plastic Pom with Single Laser Glitter.
ADD AS FLASH
Flash strands are the same width as your Pom strands. They are substituted for 20% of your Poms total strand count. Adding Flash is less expensive than using Iridescent or Laser in a 3-Color Mix Pom - you'll get slightly less Laser but a VERY similar look.
Style shown is Solid White Metallic PX-Pro with Laser Flash - available on E-Z Order.
ADD BOTH
Both Glitter (single or double) and Flash can be added to the Pom. This choice really increases sparkle. With Laser, this may still be less expensive than using it as a Color in a Mix-Style Pom (see next option).
Style shown is Solid Specialty-Gold Crystal Pom with Laser Glitter & Flash.
USE IN MIX STYLES
Use Iridescent or Flash a 2-Color or 3-Color Mix. In a 2-Color mix it will be 1/2 of the strands. In a 3-color mix, each color is 1/3 of the strands.
Style shown is 3-Color Mix Metallic Pom with 2/3 Iridescent and 1/3 Specialty Crystal Pink
Side by Side
Below is an example of how Iridescent and Laser appears as Glitter in a Solid Bright Blue Wet Look Pom. Blue colors will pick up more of the Greens in the Iridescent. While Laser will reflect more opposite colors like pinks and golds
Bright Blue with Iridescent
Bright Blue with Laser
Laser Side by Side
Watch how the look of Laser changes with different colors in the Examples below. Depending on the materials and colors you use in your Pom, Laser will create entirely unique looks.
Laser with Black Metallic Glitter
Laser with Purple Metallic Glitter
Laser with Red & Bright Gold Metallic Glitter
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Our Commitment
Helping You Design High-Performance, Sparkly Poms at the Best Possible Price
Every team deserves a pom that shines—without breaking their budget.
At Pom Express, we can help you:
★ Figure out how much Iridescent or Laser you actually need
★ Recommend strategic mixes that reduce cost
★ Suggest Laser or Iridescent alternatives that offer similar effects★ Avoid unnecessary upcharges (Bonus - Flash and Glitter are price-neutral between Iridescent and Laser)
★ Help you design something unique, balanced, and beautiful
We recommend playing with our Pom Design Tool for Iridescent and Laser Concepts - just click the blue "Customize" button on any Custom Pom Style in our store (learn more).
Our illustrations in the Tool simply can't do Iridescent and Laser justice compared to the way they shine and reflect light real life. So, feel free to call us any time for a free consultation at 1-800-600-5076 - we have over 30 years of experience designing custom poms!
Whether you choose Iridescent, Laser, or a combination of both, our goal is the same:
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