The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 clips to the top of a monitor and throws an asymmetric beam forward onto the desk, so it lights the work surface without bouncing glare off the screen. AppleInsider scored it 5 out of 5 and XDA praised the coverage and the easy adjustments; HowToGeek was more measured at 7 out of 10 on value. It is expensive, and the rear backlight matters most in a dim room.
Full review
Asymmetric beam that keeps reflections off the screen
Most desk lamps create the problem the Halo 2 solves. By clipping to the top of the monitor and casting light forward onto the desk rather than straight down, it illuminates the work surface without reflecting off the display.
BenQ rates the front output above 1,000 lux of centre illuminance from a 50cm height, with a full-spectrum LED and a colour-rendering index above 95. AppleInsider, scoring it 5 out of 5, called it a large quality-of-life upgrade for anyone who lives at a desk.
Tri-zone backlight for the wall behind the monitor
The rear backlight is the design feature that separates the Halo 2 from a plain light bar. Casting a soft glow on the wall behind the screen cuts the contrast between a bright display and a dark room, which is a real source of eye strain over a long session.
BenQ widened that rear zone over the original Halo, and the front light now dims lower than the previous generation, which makes it usable in a genuinely dark room rather than only a dim one.
A wireless puck and a motion sensor
Control comes from a wireless puck that sits on the desk and adjusts brightness and colour temperature anywhere from 2700K to 6500K, so you never reach behind the monitor. A motion sensor turns the bar on when you sit down and off when you leave.
XDA praised the coverage, the limited display reflections and the easy adjustments, summarising it as the best way to add light to a desk setup. It clips to flat or curved screens on a counterweighted mount and takes no desk space at all.
HowToGeek scored it 7 out of 10 on value
Price is the main objection. HowToGeek, rating it 3.5 out of 5, flagged that less expensive options may be the better fit for a buyer on a budget, while conceding that for a dark workspace with no overhead lighting the Halo 2 is on another level.
The rear backlight also earns its keep mainly in darker rooms, so a bright, well-lit office gets less from it. And because it draws power over USB, it needs a spare port or the included adapter.
Lights the desk in front of the screen, nothing wider
This is a focused tool rather than a general light. It covers the desk directly in front of the monitor, not a wide work surface, so it does not replace an articulating lamp over a drawing board or a craft area off to one side.
Within this group the Halo 2 is the flagship light bar, with the ScreenBar Pro differing mainly in mounting and raw brightness. For work that happens almost entirely at a screen, the space saving and the absence of glare make it the smarter pick.
Strengths
- +Asymmetric front beam rated above 1,000 lux with no reflections on the screen
- +Tri-zone rear backlight balances a bright screen against a dark wall
- +Wireless puck controller handles brightness and colour temperature from the desk
- +Full-spectrum LED with CRI above 95 for accurate colour
- +Clips to flat or curved monitors and takes up zero desk space
Watch-outs
- −Premium price for a light bar next to a capable basic desk lamp
- −The backlight benefit is mostly noticeable in darker rooms
- −USB-powered, so it needs a free port or the included adapter
- −Lights only the desk in front of the monitor, not a wider work area
How it compares
The pick for monitor work, with the BenQ ScreenBar Pro as its close sibling and the only other light bar here. Unlike the articulating BenQ eReading LED Desk Lamp, Dyson Solarcycle Morph and TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp (TT-DL13), it takes up no desk space at all, but it only lights the area in front of the screen.
Rating sources
“If you live at your desk, and I'm willing to bet most of you do, this is honestly a huge quality of life upgrade.”
“This premium monitor light is fantastic for dim workspaces; the ScreenBar Halo 2 is on a whole other level for my darkest workspace.”
“It's the best way to add some extra light to your desk setup, with great coverage, limited display reflections, and easy adjustments.”
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
