6 Best Monitor Light Bars of 2023

A light bar’s benefits may seem obvious: it lights up your desk while decluttering your work area. But the benefits don’t stop there. Using one instead of a traditional desk lamp improves the feeling, comfort, and functionality of your workspace, all of which are essential traits of a home office setup.

How can a tiny light bar offer such big benefits? And which light bars are best?

I’m a home office designer and a fellow remote worker. Here, I dive into the advantages of light bars over traditional desk lamps and provide the best models so that you make the right choice.

Summary

• Best Overall Light Bar Design: BenQ Screenbar Halo
• Best Minimalist Black Design: Xiaomi Mi Computer Monitor Light Bar
• Best Budget Monitor Light: Baseus Monitor Light Bar
• Best Dual-Light Design With Blue Light Prevention: Quntis Light Bar with RGB Backlight
• Best Light Bar Brightness and Color Settings: Vivo Light Bar
• Best Light Bar for Curved Monitors: Melifo Curved Monitor Light Bar

Unique Benefits of Monitor Light Bars

Wondering why light bars have become so popular? Here are the reasons why they are better than traditional lamps for home office lighting.

The Blend of Direct and Ambient Lighting

Some light bars provide direct light and ambient light. This means you get the light you need on your desk surface for real work while reducing the contrast between the monitor and the darker surroundings, such as the wall behind it. Illuminating the space around the monitor and the fact that light bars reduce glare from the screen leads to less fatigue for your eyes.

The blend of reduced eye strain, mood-enhancing warm light, and highly functional lighting reduces the risk of headaches or migraines from dimly lit areas, allowing for more comfortable and longer work times. Some even offer protection from blue light, a factor in viewing comfort and eye safety.

Even Lighting Across Your Work Surface

A standard light often sits to one side, which can cast shadows in ways that intrude on your work performance. A light bar casts light from the center of the monitor, blanketing the area on the left, center, and right of your keyboard so you can read or write in a notebook without shadows interfering. This is true whether you are left or right-handed.

Improved Screen Viewing

For creative professionals, adequate lighting is crucial for the most accurate color representation on the screen, especially in graphic design, video editing, and photo editing. Ambient light from a light bar helps maintain consistently perceived screen contrast, ensuring you see images and videos as intended without excessive brightness skewing perception.

Color Temperature Control

Some light bars allow you to adjust the brightness and color temperature, which can improve your alertness and cognitive function.

Energy Efficiency

A light bar is an affordable lighting solution, but you also save more with them in the long run. Most monitor light bars use LEDs, which are more energy-efficient compared to traditional bulbs, contributing to lower electricity bills and lower costs in replacing the bulbs. They also help the environment through their longer lifespan. 

A Cleaner, Less Unobstructed Work Space

This list of benefits wouldn’t be complete without discussing the clutter-free aspects of light bars. Since the light is mounted on your monitor, it allows for more workspace for other materials and a minimalist desk setup. This is particularly useful for desks that feature dual monitors that take up needed space for a desk lamp. Even though it adds a heavier look across the top of the monitor, it is the cleanest direct desk lighting option and the most functional.

This video shows the benefits of a light bar in action. I cover the lamp covered in this video as well as more options below.

6 Best Monitor Light Bars of 2023

1. BenQ Screenbar Halo

Best Overall Light Bar Design

About This Lamp

The BenQ Screenbar Halo has backlighting capability to light the wall or room behind the monitor for a more comfortable viewing of your monitor screen. It casts light from the front bottom of the monitor to the front of your desk, and you can freely adjust the light angle. 

The BenQ is one of the few lights that doesn’t cast light directly on the screen, avoiding any chance of glare. It also comes with three lighting modes – front, back, and both – and a built-in ambient light sensor that responds to surrounding light in the room. All lighting settings can be achieved through a smart wireless controller, allowing you to place the controller anywhere on your desk and set your favorite color and brightness option.

The light can be mounted to thin or thick monitors with ease. Once there, the clean design is unobtrusive while creating a beautiful minimalist look. The cord plugs directly into the back of your monitor, removing the look of the ugly cords along your desk.

The dark grey look blends beautifully with computer accessories, though a dark black version would be even better.

What I Think

I’m a minimalist junkie, which sounds a bit like a contradiction in terms, but nonetheless it’s true. The BenQ monitor light comes in an ultra-streamlined lighting design that I love, and having a second light along the back of the monitor significantly improves eye comfort while viewing the screen. 

Though I like being able to control the lighting, the response on the remote controller is delayed, which ends up being rather annoying day in and day out. I usually keep the lighting setting the same, so I don’t see the need for a separate controller that only seems to clutter the desk. The light also can be too bright for some users, even at its lowest setting. Still, this is a true quality light in every other way. I find that it provides absolutely no glare on the screen.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent quality
• Dual lighting: Rear and Front
• Clean, minimalist design
• Ample lighting features in terms of brightness and color-changing
• No glare on the screen
• USB plug

Cons

• The remote has a delayed response
• The lowest setting may be too bright for you
• It is a higher-priced light on this list
• Doesn’t come in flat black

2. Xiaomi Mi Computer Monitor Light Bar

Best Minimalist Black Design

About This Lamp

The Xiaomi Mi light bar is another clean light bar design but in a flat black color that matches monitors better. The entire light also sits comfortably on the monitor frame. The adjustable bar lets you position the lighting closer or away from your keyboard as needed. The wireless controller allows for easy brightness and color adjustments without fiddle with the bar itself.

What I Think

The black design matches computer monitors better than the Benq Screenbar Halo, and in some ways, it is cleaner in look, too. The knob doesn’t have a monitor on it, so you’ll need to learn what movement or pressing motion does what. The design also prevents the light from reflecting off the monitor screen.

The main drawback, however, is the fact there is not a second light that shines behind the monitor. A second lighting strip would be needed for that.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Clean black matches most monitors
• Easy to install
• The remote controller allows for easy brightness and color changes
• USB plug

Cons

• You will need to learn the movements of the knob
• No rear lighting behind the monitor

3. Baseus Monitor Light Bar

Best Budget Monitor Light

Image and Sale Info: Baseus

About This Lamp

This light bar has a clean, black look and allows for easy installation, but it comes at a lower price point than others on the list. You still get a no-glare design as well as three-level color temperature and stepless dimming. It requires a USB power supply to connect directly to your monitor for a clean setup.

The light doesn’t come with a remote controller, but you can operate it effectively on the light bar monitor.

What I Think

If you are just starting out with using a light bar, you may want to buy this one as a test run. Other designs are a bit sleeker, but you enjoy all the front-facing light benefits that light bars are known for. You also don’t have to bother with the remote controller, which adds clutter to your desk.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Clean, black design
• Ultra-low price
• Easy install
• three-level color temperature
• Stepless dimming

Cons

• Doesn’t provide rear lighting for behind your monitor.
• A heavier look than other designs.
• USB plug

4. Quntis Light Bar with RGB Backlight

Best Dual-Light Design With Blue Light Prevention

About This Lamp

This Quntis monitor lamp has many of the same benefits as the other lamps but includes a few bonuses. It helps prevent blue light for more comfortable reading and better eye health. It also has an auto-dimming feature that monitors surrounding light and adjusts the light accordingly to ensure optimal brightness. The lighting meets the United States National Office Lighting Standard of 700 Lux, ensuring you have enough light to do your job.

The light bar fits on thin and thick monitors with ease.

What I Think

The Quntis computer monitor lamp’s dual-light feature and a strong focus on blue light prevention are the strongest benefits of this product. Still, you enjoy features like an attractive design and sufficient brightness and color control. It is one of the few on the list that dims down dark enough to be truly comfortable.

It is also very well priced, but not all is rosy with this light. You won’t get a remote control, and there are limitations on monitors it can attach to. Adjusting the lighting can also be awkward on the bar itself. Still, this light bar is an excellent choice for the money.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Ultra-low lighting feature
• Blue light prevention
• Rotating light feature
• Adequate brightness
• Fits all size monitors
• Attractive overall design
• USB plug

Cons

• A heavy design than others on the list
• Getting the exact backlight color can be tricky
• Other lights provide greater lighting variances/options
• Only works with square-edged displays

5. Vivo Light Bar

Best Light Bar Brightness and Color Settings

About This Lamp

Though all of the light bars are quality options, this one has an added treat of five color and brightness levels, offering you ample lighting capabilities with the right tone you need for your work. It also features a sleek, clean design. Though seeing the buttons front and center reduces some of the clean look, you will have no trouble operating this light.

What I Think

The main benefit of this lamp is the five brightness and color features. This lamp is another well-priced option, and the streamlined design is a good look with monitors. Overall, it looks good and functions well. The light doesn’t fit firmly on all monitors (you may benefit from a square monitor edge). This means it may move when you touch it. But all said, it’s a quality build and solid choice for the price.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• 5 brightness and color features
• Clean design
• Quality construction

Cons

• Doesn’t fit snugly to monitors when operating the buttons
• Buttons can be hard to read

6. Melifo Curved Monitor Light Bar

Best Light Bar for Curved Monitors

About This Lamp

Curved monitors are becoming more popular, and this curved light bar is designed to meet that demand. It matches the angle of most curved monitors on the market. It also features 40 RGB lamp beads for clean light disbursement. It can even recognize the sound of games to create a more immersive experience while playing. You also get a remote controller with six modes. This light can be operated with a USB plug, adapter, or data cable – a unique find in this light bar list.

What I Think

This is the light bar you need if you have a curved screen. You still enjoy ample color and brightness benefits, a remote controller, and the added benefit of three plug options. If you have a flat monitor, select a different option. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Curved design that mimics most curved monitors in the market
• It can be operated with a USB plug, adapter, or data cable
• 40 RGB lamp beads for smooth distribution of light
• Sound recognition for immersive gaming

Cons

Best suited for curved monitors

These Lights Set the Bar for Quality Desk Lighting

The above list of lights and the overall benefits of light bars show just how useful this compact lighting solution is for today’s workspaces. Since each light also brings unique benefits, you can easily find the best option for you. Just be sure you have the right monitor for your type of light to ensure it fits snugly.