BenQ ScreenBar vs Halo 2 vs Plus vs Pro (2026): Which to Buy

Quick picks: Best value: BenQ ScreenBar | Desk dial: ScreenBar Plus | Dark rooms: ScreenBar Halo 2 | Auto on/off: ScreenBar Pro | Budget: Baseus i-Wok

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Quick Verdict

The BenQ ScreenBar at $109 list is the one to buy if you want the best monitor light for the money. The ScreenBar Halo 2 at around $179 to $199 is the one to buy if you work in a dark room and want a backlight behind the monitor. The ScreenBar Plus at around $129 adds a wired dial on the desk. The ScreenBar Pro at around $149 adds a presence sensor that turns the light on and off for you. All four use the same asymmetric optical design and solve the same problem; the extra money buys controls and features, not a better core light.

What a monitor light bar actually fixes

A desk lamp lights your keyboard, but it also lights your screen. The reflection shows up as a bright smear on the panel and your eyes spend the day adjusting between the glare and the content behind it. Overhead room lights do the same from a different angle.

A monitor light bar sits on the top bezel and points down and forward at an angle. BenQ calls its version an asymmetric optical design: the LEDs and lens are shaped so the beam lands on the desk in front of the monitor and does not spill backward onto the panel. The result is even light on your keyboard, notes, and hands, no reflection on the screen, and less contrast between the bright display and a dim desk.

That contrast is the part that causes eye strain. Our eye strain desk setup guide covers the rest of the picture, but the light bar is the single accessory that fixes the most for the least.

BenQ ScreenBar lineup compared

Model	Launched	Controls	Rear backlight	Auto on/off	Approx. price	Best for
ScreenBar	Original	Touch buttons on the bar	No	No (auto-dim only)	$109 list	Value, most desks
ScreenBar Plus	After original	Wired desktop dial	No	No	Around $129	Dial without reaching up
ScreenBar Halo	2021	Wireless dial	Yes	No	Discontinued/clearance	Replaced by Halo 2
ScreenBar Halo 2	2025 refresh	Wireless dial, improved	Yes	No	Around $179 to $199	Dark rooms, bias lighting
ScreenBar Pro	2024	On-bar controls, presence sensor	No	Yes	Around $149	Set-and-forget use

Prices shift with sales, and BenQ runs frequent promotions, so check the current price on each listing before deciding. The original ScreenBar is the only one with a firm list price we can cite.

BenQ ScreenBar (original): best value

The BenQ ScreenBar is the model that made the category. It clips onto the top of the monitor with a weighted clamp, plugs into a USB port for power, and has touch controls on the bar for brightness, color temperature, and an auto-dimming mode driven by an ambient light sensor. At $109 list, it is the cheapest way to get BenQ’s optics. Our BenQ ScreenBar review has the full breakdown.

The compromise is the controls. You reach up to the top of the monitor to change anything, which is fine if you set it once and leave it on auto, and mildly annoying if you adjust it through the day. There is also no backlight, so the wall behind the monitor stays dark. For most people at a desk with some ambient light, neither is a problem.

BenQ ScreenBar Plus: for a desk dial

The BenQ ScreenBar Plus is the same bar with the controls moved into a wired puck that sits on the desk. Turn the dial for brightness, press to toggle color temperature, and the auto-dim button is right there. It costs around $129, so the dial is roughly a $20 add-on over the base model.

Whether that is worth it depends on how often you adjust the light. If you work across daylight and evening in one sitting, you will touch the dial a few times a day and appreciate it. If you leave it on auto, the base model does the same thing for less. The wired controller also adds one more cable to the desk, which matters if you are chasing a clean setup.

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2: for dark rooms and bias light

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is the flagship. It keeps the front light and adds a rear-facing backlight that glows onto the wall behind the monitor. That is bias lighting: a soft halo that reduces the contrast between a bright screen and a dark room, which is the setting where eye strain is worst. The controller is a wireless dial, so there is no extra cable on the desk. The Halo 2 is the 2025 refresh of the original Halo, with an improved clamp and a redesigned controller, at around $179 to $199. Read our ScreenBar Halo review for more on the backlight.

The original BenQ ScreenBar Halo still turns up at clearance prices. It is the same idea with the older clamp, which drew complaints on thin bezels and curved panels. If you find one well under the Halo 2 price and have a flat monitor with a normal bezel, it is a reasonable buy. Otherwise pay for the Halo 2.

Buy the Halo 2 if you work at night, have a wall behind the monitor to light, or want the wireless dial. Skip it if your desk faces a window or your monitor is on an arm in the middle of a room; the backlight has nothing to reflect off and you are paying for a feature you cannot use.

BenQ ScreenBar Pro: for auto on and off

The BenQ ScreenBar Pro launched in 2024 with one headline feature: a presence sensor. Sit down and the light comes on. Walk away and it turns off after a delay. Combined with the auto-dimming sensor, it becomes a light you never touch. It costs around $149, between the Plus and the Halo 2.

This is the pick for a shared desk, a desk you leave and return to all day, or anyone who forgets to switch lights off. It has no backlight. If you want both the sensor and bias lighting, BenQ does not currently sell that combination, so you have to choose. For most buyers the backlight is the more noticeable upgrade.

Does the ScreenBar fit curved and ultrawide monitors?

Width is not the issue. Every ScreenBar is a fixed length that sits centered on the top bezel, and an ultrawide simply has more bezel on either side. A 34-inch or 49-inch ultrawide takes the bar without trouble; the light covers the keyboard area, not the full width of the monitor, which is what you want.

Curvature is the issue. The clamp assumes a flat top edge. On a gentle curve, the bar sits fine. On a 1000R or tighter curve, the clamp can grip at an angle, leaving a gap on one side or tilting the beam. BenQ has sold a curved-monitor version of the ScreenBar, and the Halo 2’s redesigned clamp is meant to handle a wider range of bezels and curves. If your monitor is deeply curved, check the model listing for a curved-compatible note before ordering, or plan to add a small foam shim behind the clamp.

Bezel thickness matters too. Very thin panels and monitors with a bulky rear housing near the top edge can both cause fit problems. Our monitor light bar guide has more on fit across brands.

ScreenBar and webcam: how to mount both

The bar takes the center of the top bezel, which is exactly where a webcam wants to live. You have three options.

1. Offset the webcam. Clip it to the bezel a few inches to the side of the bar. The angle is slightly off-center, but on a 27-inch or larger monitor it is barely noticeable on a call.
2. Use a bracket. BenQ sells a webcam accessory that mounts to some ScreenBar models and holds the camera above the bar. Third-party brackets exist for the same purpose. Check compatibility with your exact bar.
3. Move the webcam off the monitor. A small tripod behind the keyboard or a clamp on a monitor arm keeps the camera at eye level and out of the light path.

Whichever you choose, keep the camera behind the plane of the bar’s LEDs so the light hits your face from above rather than shining into the lens. Our best webcam for desk setups guide lists cameras with flexible mounts that work well alongside a light bar.

Cheaper alternatives: Baseus, Quntis, and Xiaomi

BenQ’s prices are high for what is, physically, a strip of LEDs and a lens. The budget brands have closed some of the gap.

The Baseus i-Wok at around $40 is the most common recommendation. It has an asymmetric-style lens, adjustable color temperature, touch controls on the bar, and a clamp that fits most flat monitors. The light is less even at the edges than BenQ’s and the build is plastic throughout, but for a secondary desk or a first try at the category, it does the job.

The Quntis monitor light bar sells for around $30 to $50 depending on the version; some include a wireless remote, which is a Halo-style feature at a fraction of the price. The Xiaomi Mi Monitor Light Bar at around $50 comes with a wireless dial and a clean design that suits minimal desks; availability varies by region.

What you give up with the budget bars is optical precision, the auto-dimming sensor, and consistency between units. If glare-free lighting is the entire reason you are buying, BenQ’s optics are the safer spend. If you mainly want a warm light on the keyboard and a tidy desk, the budget options are fine. Our best desk accessories guide covers other upgrades in the same price bracket.

Bottom line

• BenQ ScreenBar, $109: the value pick and the default answer.
• ScreenBar Plus, around $129: the base bar with a wired desk dial.
• ScreenBar Halo 2, around $179 to $199: the pick for dark rooms, with a rear backlight and wireless dial.
• ScreenBar Pro, around $149: the pick if you want presence-sensor auto on/off.
• Baseus i-Wok, around $40: the budget alternative.

If you are unsure, buy the original ScreenBar. It is the cheapest model with the full optics, and the upgrades above are all about controls and ambience rather than the quality of light on your desk.