Emily Globe
I'm happy with the globe. Some others I've seen produce the "map" with individual geometric pieces glued side by side together, which can often times have mismatched seams, causing a break in a lat/long line, or a country border. This globe appears to be more like a one piece "shrink wrap" around the acrylic ball, making it seamless. Note however, that it is a smooth surface, not having raised mountain "bumps" like some, for those who might care for that type of feature.
In choosing a floor globe, I was torn between stand stylings, but the Emily model isn't too "old furniture leg," or too "metal modern" for my tastes. I also like the smaller floor footprint it provides. Additionally, it strikes me as a bit more stable than some other slender stand models, ie. against potential bumps from pets, children, etc..
I was also torn between globe styling, ie. multicolored "puzzle piece" country depictions, or the "as seen from space" physical map depiction. I went with the blue ocean style as it offers both with the lighting feature at night. It's like having two globes in one. I would echo other reviews I've seen that recommend swapping out the incandescent bulb for an LED. Better illumination, and less frequent bulb replacements. The only negative would be the visible cord. Honestly, it was my only hesitation in going with an illuminated globe. But I suppose if offered, a cordless battery powered option would bring the inconvenience of battery replacements-and possible loss of brightness. That all said, the illumination in the evenings is very cool.
Lastly, shout out to Sean at Ultimate Globes for a quick and painless replacement of a broken and damaged light socket and bulb, along with some resultant minor damage to the globe itself, which occurred during shipping. My recommendation to the manufacturer to avoid this apparently common issue would be to package those items separately from the globe, vice loosely installed within the globe.
