The composite of hollow glass microspheres coated by CoFe2O4 nanoparticles has been successfully prepared using urea as precipitator via coprecipitation method. The resultant composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope and vibrating sample magnetometer. The results showed that the slow decomposition of urea could be beneficial to form uniform and entire cobalt ferrite coating layer on the surface of hollow glass microspheres. The smoothest morphology was obtained for the sample prepared from 0.7 M urea, while the sample prepared from 1.0 M urea had the thickest shell. This indicated that there was a competition between the morphology and thickness of the coated microspheres. A possible formation mechanism of hollow glass microspheres coated with cobalt ferrite was proposed. The magnetic properties of the samples were also investigated. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.