BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 Review: A Real-World Test for Creatives
Honestly, my desk lighting setup has always been a bit of an afterthought. For years, I've just relied on the natural light from the window in my room which is usually fine, but on days where it is really cloudy or where I want to edit some photos at night it doesn’t really give me the amount of light that I need.
I’d seen monitor light bars pop up in a heap of YouTube videos and on Instagram in those super clean desk setup posts, and always thought they looked pretty nice. But I wasn't sure if they were just an aesthetic gimmick or if they actually made a difference. Curiosity got the better of me, and with perfect timing BenQ happened to reach out to see if I would give their new BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 a try.
First Impressions
The unboxing experience feels pretty premium, which you'd hope for given the price point. Everything is well-packaged and protected. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the light bar itself was the build quality – it has a nice weight to it and the metal finish feels really solid and well-made.
But the real star of the unboxing was the wireless controller puck. It's so well designed! It has a satisfying weight, a smooth rotating bezel to adjust settings, and touch-sensitive buttons on top. Setting the whole thing up was ridiculously easy. You literally just rest the light bar on top of your monitor – the weighted clip holds it in place perfectly without any clamps or adhesives – and plug the USB cable into a power source. That’s it.
How it Performs in the Real World
So, the big question – is it just a fancy desk accessory? Not at all. I genuinely feel the difference on my eyes when using this light.
The main benefit is BenQ’s asymmetrical lighting design. It sounds technical, but it just means the light is cleverly directed to illuminate your desk area without spilling onto the screen at all.
Here are a few other things I’ve really come to love:
The Wireless Controller: Having this little puck on my desk is so convenient. I can quickly adjust the brightness or tweak the colour temperature (from a cool, focus-inducing light to a warm, relaxing light) without having to reach up to the bar itself.
Auto-Dimming: The light has a built-in sensor that detects the ambient light in your room and adjusts the brightness automatically. I thought I wouldn't use this, but I've just left it on and it works perfectly.
The Back 'Halo' Light: This was a feature I wasn't sure about, but it makes a huge difference. It casts a soft, diffused light onto the wall behind your monitor, which really helps to reduce eye strain caused by the harsh contrast between a bright screen and a dark background. It also just makes the whole setup look amazing.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, I am so impressed with the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2. It's one of those pieces of kit that you don't really think you need, but once you have it, you can't imagine your setup without it. It has reduced my eye strain during long editing sessions, and made my entire desk setup look and feel so much cleaner and more professional.
If you spend a lot of time at your desk, whether you're a content creator, programmer, student, or working from home, I can't recommend it enough. It’s definitely an investment, but for the improvement in comfort and ergonomics, I feel it's well worth the money.