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Head-to-head · Best Task Desk Lamps

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 vs BenQ ScreenBar Pro

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.7 vs 4.5). The gap is mostly about Monitor-based knowledge workers who want glare-free desk lighting that adds no desk clutter and reduces eye strain during long screen sessions. — read the strengths below before deciding.

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2
Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Task Desk Lamps
BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2
$199as of Jun 7

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is the best task light for monitor-based work, clipping onto the screen to flood the desk with over 1,000 lux of glare-free, CRI-95+ light while a tri-zone backlight eases eye strain. Tom's Guide has named the ScreenBar line the best desk light for computer setups two years running, and reviewers from XDA to AppleInsider call it a real quality-of-life upgrade. It is pricey and most useful in dim rooms, but for desk work it leads the category.

Strengths
  • — Asymmetric front light delivers over 1,000 lux with no glare or reflections on the screen
  • — Tri-zone rear backlight reduces eye strain by balancing the bright screen against the wall behind it
  • — Wireless puck controller adjusts brightness and color temperature without reaching behind the monitor
Watch-outs
  • — Premium price is high for a light bar versus a basic desk lamp
  • — Backlight benefit is mostly noticeable in darker rooms
  • — USB-powered, so it needs a free port or the included adapter
$199 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
BenQ ScreenBar Pro
Ranked #4 in Best Task Desk Lamps
BenQ ScreenBar Pro
$139as of Jun 7

The BenQ ScreenBar Pro is the motion-sensor light bar that XDA calls the one most people should buy, sitting between the entry ScreenBar and the Halo. It is BenQ's brightest at over 1,000 lux, with an ultrasonic sensor that lights up the moment you sit down and an asymmetric beam that avoids screen glare. It skips the Halo 2's rear backlight and is still pricey, but as a slightly cheaper, motion-smart light bar it is an excellent pick.

Strengths
  • — Brightest ScreenBar yet at over 1,000 lux of central illuminance
  • — Ultrasonic motion sensor turns the light on as you sit and off after you leave
  • — Asymmetric optical design lights the desk without screen glare or reflections
Watch-outs
  • — Lacks the Halo 2's tri-zone rear backlight for behind-the-screen glow
  • — Still a premium price versus a traditional desk lamp
  • — USB-C powered, requiring a free port
$139 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

How they stack up

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2

The best pick for monitor work, where the BenQ ScreenBar Pro is its motion-sensor sibling and the only other light bar here. Unlike the traditional articulating BenQ eReading LED Desk Lamp, Dyson Solarcycle Morph and TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp (TT-DL13), it occupies zero desk space by clipping to the screen, but it lights only the area in front of the monitor.

BenQ ScreenBar Pro

The motion-sensor sibling of the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, slightly cheaper but without the Halo 2's tri-zone rear backlight. Like the Halo 2 it clips to the monitor and saves desk space, unlike the freestanding BenQ eReading LED Desk Lamp, Dyson Solarcycle Morph and TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp (TT-DL13).

Specs side-by-side

SpecBenQ ScreenBar Halo 2BenQ ScreenBar Pro
TypeMonitor light barMonitor light bar
Lux>1,000 lux center>1,000 lux center
Color Temp2700K-6500KAdjustable
CRI>95 (full-spectrum)—
BacklightTri-zone rear, 500 lx—
ControlWireless puck + motion—
PowerUSBUSB-C
FitFlat and curved monitors—
Coverage—500 lx over 85x50 cm
Sensor—Ultrasonic motion (60 cm)
Light—Asymmetric, flicker-free
Width—50 cm
← See the full ranking of best task desk lamps