Monitor light bars, also known as monitor backlights, are a great addition to any workstation as they provide a subtle yet effective source of ambient lighting.
Light bars are great for improving the aesthetic of your setup, but they have functional uses too. They can significantly reduce eye strain and fatigue, especially in dimly lit working environments.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best monitor light bars on the market and what features to look for when purchasing one.
So, what are our favourite options?
Best Options At A Glance
Product Summaries
Hapfish LED Desk Lamp
- Brand - Hapfish
- Dimensions - 44.3 x 21.8 x 8 cm
- Weight - 1.32 kg
- Bulb Type - LED
- Special Feature - Dual Head LEDs
Firstly we have the Hapfish LED Desk Lamp, which is a step-up from the lights that we’ve covered so far. It’s currently selling for £39/$53 on Amazon.
The Hapfish LED lamp features an ultra wide double head design (78cm wide). This tall desk lamp illuminates the entire desk, making it ideal for a multi-monitor workstation or large office space.
This bar lamp can be powered by a computer, phone charger or even a power bank. Hapfish’s exclusive patent fixing clip allows the lamp to be mounted on top of a computer monitor, making the light more stable and helping you save valuable desk space.
Equipped with 45° angled away LEDs and side lighting design, it illuminates only your desk and keyboard. With no flickers, glares during the usage, it can perfectly protect your eyes while your are reading or working.
This Hapfish lamp is perfect if you’re looking for something that’s a little bit larger, especially for a dual-monitor setup.
Buy the Hapfish LED Desk Lamp from Amazon for only £39/$53:
Quntis Computer Monitor Lamp Auto-Dimming
- Brand - Quntis
- Dimensions - 40 x 2 x 2 cm
- Weight - 1.1 kg
- Bulb Type - LED
- Special Feature - Memory Function
The built-in ambient light sensor allows this light bar to intelligently adjust the brightness to a comfortable level according to the surrounding light throughout the day. The high quality light source emits soft light without any flicker, which can effectively relieve eye fatigue and protect eyes.
Additionally, it can be manually adjusted to change the brightness and colour temperature. 3000K-6500K step-less colour temperature adjustment allows you to switch between cold light and warm light for a comfortable work environment all day. The impressive memory function automatically remembers your last setting, no need to reset.
This Quntis light is a good option for users who want a light that’s slightly higher quality than entry level options, but also won’t break the bank.
Buy the Quntis Computer Monitor Lamp from Amazon for £45/$61:
Xiaomi MI-BHR4838GL Motion Monitor Light bar
- Brand - Xiaomi
- Dimensions - 2.6 x 2.6 x 1.69 cm
- Weight - 100 g
- Bulb Type - LED
- Special Feature - Colour Control
The Xiaomi MI-BHR4838GL Motion Monitor Light Bar is another impressive option if you want something a bit more premium. It’s currently selling for a respectable £62/$84 on Amazon.
One of the most interesting features of the Xiaomi light bar is the remote control. The convenient control uses a 2.4-GHz wireless connection, and lets you adjust the colour temperature and brightness according to your preference.
This light bar utilises a wide angle pivot mount which allows for use on a variety of monitors. The 40° adjustable axis makes it suitable for curved screens with a thickness of 1–32 mm, with or without a bezel.
The detailed colour rendering is also really impressive. The Xiaomi light bar’s high Ra95 colour rendering index shows objects in full, natural colour. This can be a great help for design or colour adjustment.
This Xiaomi monitor light bar is great if you want a light that’s towards the premium end of the market, but don’t want to spend over £100/$120.
Buy the Xiaomi MI-BHR4838GL Motion Monitor Light Bar from Amazon for £62/$84:
Honeywell LED Monitor Lamp
- Brand - Honeywell
- Dimensions - 35.1 x 71.4 x 80 cm
- Weight - 1.7 kg
- Bulb Type - LED
- Special Feature - Visual Touch Control
The lamp produces up to 1200 lumens of natural-looking light that feels easy on the eyes, helping to reduce strain during long hours at your desk. It has four colour modes, ranging from warm light for a relaxed atmosphere to cool daylight for focus. You can also dim the brightness smoothly to suit any task.
Its wide dual head design covers large desks or dual monitor setups with ease, while the weighted base keeps it stable. A built-in timer and memory function make it convenient to use every day, always restoring your last setting.
The adjustable arm and head give you the flexibility to direct light exactly where you need it, whether you’re reading, working, or studying.
If you’re looking for a desk lamp that combines comfort, flexibility, and wide coverage, the Honeywell HJ1BK is a strong choice.
Buy the Honeywell LED Monitor Lamp from Amazon for £93/$125:
BenQ ScreenBar Pro LED Monitor Light
- Brand - BenQ
- Dimensions - 13.5 x 50 x 9.2 cm
- Weight - 620 g
- Bulb Type - LED
- Special Feature - Motion Sensor
Finally we have the BenQ ScreenBar Pro LED Monitor Light. It’s currently selling on Amazon for £119/$161.
The light clips directly onto the top of your monitor, providing wide, even coverage across both your screen and desk. Its asymmetrical design prevents glare and reflections on the screen, helping to reduce eye strain during longer sessions.
Brightness and colour temperature are fully adjustable, and the auto-dimming feature adapts to ambient light so your desk always stays at a comfortable level.
It also includes a built-in motion sensor that switches the lamp on when you return to your desk and off when you step away, saving energy automatically.
The clamp fits most flat or curved monitors without blocking your webcam, and the USB-C connection makes powering it simple.
Sleek and space-saving, it’s a great choice if you want effective lighting that blends into your setup.
Buy the BenQ ScreenBar Pro LED Monitor Light from Amazon for £119/$161:
💡 Monitor & Desk Lamp Comparison Table
We’ve compared some of the most popular monitor and desk lamps, ranging from budget-friendly picks to premium options, to help you choose the best fit for your setup.
How do you choose the best monitor light bar?
There’s a couple of key things to look at for when shopping for a light bar.
One of the most important factors is light colour. Correlated colour temperature (CCT) is measured in degrees Kelvin from 1,000 to 10,000. Warmer ratings (e.g 4,000K and below) are less intense and considered to be easier on the eyes, whereas cooler ratings (e.g 5,000K and above) are more intense and harsher on the eyes. Ideally you’ll want to look for a light bar with an adjustable colour temperature, but the light colour is definitely an important factor to consider.
Another important factor is adjustable brightness. A monitor light with adjustable lighting is almost always better than one without, as it allows you to change the intensity of your light bar depending on the time of day or lighting conditions of the room. This is ideal for ensuring you always have the desired level of illumination.
Brand is also a key consideration. As with any tech purchase, it’s always preferable to go with a reputable product from a brand. This is important both for quality during use and the overall lifespan of the product.
FAQs
The BenQ ScreenBar Plus Monitor Light is one of the best monitor light bars on the market. BenQ are a market leader in the consumer electronics industry and they have loads of experience with releasing quality products, so it’s no surprise that this light bar is so impressive. It’s got an average of 4.7 stars on Amazon and it’s packed full of useful features.
The B.FRIENDIT Computer Monitor LED Light is a great light bar if you’re looking for something affordable. It can fit on almost any monitor (8 to 60mm thick) and it’s highly adjustable in terms of colour temperature and brightness. It’s difficult to find a better offering at this price point.
In short, yes, there’s quite a few benefits of using a monitor light bar.
Monitor light bars can help to illuminate your desk or working environment without creating glare on your monitor. One of the biggest benefits of this is reduced eye strain, as using bright monitors in dim environments can strain your eyes, and this is especially true during extended use.
If you’re looking for a light bar for a dual monitor setup, the Hapfish LED Desk Lamp is a great choice. It’s also more affordable than the vast majority of it’s closest competitors.
Thanks for reading our article. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or queries that you’d like us to take a look at – we’d be happy to help.
Are you looking for a portable monitor for your Macbook Pro? Check our article covering the Best Portable Monitor For The Macbook Pro
