In an effort to understand the impact of discharge conditions on dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure in air, a magnetically confined DBD is proposed and conducted on a self-made atmospheric pressure discharge experimental equipment using iron and water electrodes. Discharge properties are analyzed by measuring input power, voltage, current, discharge voltage, discharge current and Lissajous figures. The results show that with input voltage increasing, input power increases, and the input power of one permanent magnet is more than those of other three cases. Input current also increases with input voltage and the current of one magnet is bigger than other three cases. The discharge peak voltage in DBD under a magnetic field is higher than that without a magnetic field and that of one magnet is the maximum. As for discharge peak current, that of magnetically confined DBD are less than that without magnet. Thus, magnetically confined DBD can obtain more homogeneous discharge than that without magnet. There exists an optimal magnet field value for magnetically confined DBD.