Quick verdict: Buy the BenQ ScreenBar if you work mostly in daylight or a lit room and simply want glare-free light on your desk — it delivers the core benefit of a monitor light bar for less. Buy the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 if you regularly work late in a dim room, have a light-colored wall behind your monitor, and want a desk-side controller instead of reaching up to the bar. Both light your desk without washing out your screen; the Halo's extras only pay off in the right conditions.
- Type
- Monitor light bar
- —
- Mount
- Clamp
- —
- Control
- Auto-dim sensor
- Wireless dial with display
- CRI
- >95
- —
- Power
- USB
- —
- Front Light
- —
- ASYM-Light, 18° anti-glare angle
- Color Temperature
- —
- 2700K–6500K
- Backlight
- —
- Adjustable ambient backlight
- Sensor
- —
- Motion sensor
- Lights the desk, not the screen — zero glare
- Auto-dimming ambient light sensor
- CRI>95 accurate color, reclaims desk space
- No backlight (see Halo 2)
- USB-powered brightness ceiling
- Adjustable rear backlight reduces contrast between a bright screen and a dark wall
- Wireless dial with a display for brightness, color temperature, and modes
- Motion sensor plus clamp that fits flat and curved monitors
- Significantly more expensive than the standard ScreenBar
- Rear glow is only effective on lighter walls — dark walls absorb most of the ambient effect
What They Share: Asymmetric, Glare-Free Desk Light#
Both lights clamp onto the top of your monitor and aim light down at your desk rather than at the screen. The ScreenBar uses BenQ's ASYM optics to throw light forward onto your workspace while keeping it off the display, so you get an evenly lit desk with no reflections on the panel. Both include an auto-dimming ambient light sensor designed to adjust brightness as the light in the room changes, and both free up the desk space a lamp would occupy. The original ScreenBar is also listed with a color rendering index above 95, so paper, notes, and materials look true to life.
If that front light is all you need, the original ScreenBar already does the job most people buy a monitor light for.
The Rear Glow: When It Helps and When It Doesn't#
The Halo's defining feature is a second light source facing backwards, onto the wall behind your monitor. The idea is to reduce the contrast between a bright screen and a dark room, which is a common cause of eye fatigue during evening sessions. BenQ lists the rear glow with 16 color options, so it can also act as subtle ambient room lighting.
The catch is that the rear glow depends on your wall. It is most effective on lighter walls; dark walls absorb most of the ambient effect, and a monitor placed in the middle of a room with nothing behind it gets little benefit at all. If you mostly work during the day in a well-lit room, the rear glow will rarely matter. If you work late with the overhead light off and a pale wall behind your desk, it is the reason to buy the Halo.
Controls: Touch Bar vs Wireless Controller#
The original ScreenBar is controlled from buttons on the bar itself, which means reaching up to the top of your monitor to change brightness or color temperature. It works, but it is less convenient on a large or high-mounted display.
The Halo moves its controls to a wireless desktop controller, so you adjust brightness, color temperature, and the rear glow from your desk without touching the monitor. Its front light is rated up to 1000 lux, with color temperature adjustable from 2700K to 6500K, letting you shift from warm evening light to cool daytime light. If you change settings often through the day, the controller is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade; if you set it once and leave it on auto-dim, it matters much less.
Power and Setup#
Both are powered over USB, so they can run from your monitor's USB port or a nearby adapter with no separate power brick. The original ScreenBar uses a standard USB connection, which is convenient but sets a ceiling on how bright it can get. The Halo uses USB-C. Both mount with a clamp that sits on the monitor bezel, adding nothing to your desk footprint.
Who Should Buy Which#
Choose the BenQ ScreenBar if you:
- Work mostly in daylight or a well-lit room
- Want glare-free desk light at a lower cost
- Set your lighting once and rely on auto-dimming
Choose the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 if you:
- Regularly work late in a dim or dark room
- Have a light-colored wall behind your monitor for the rear glow
- Want a wireless desktop controller and wider color temperature control
Frequently Asked Questions#
Is the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 worth it over the original ScreenBar?#
It is worth it if you work in a dim room in the evenings and have a light wall behind your monitor, because the Halo's rear glow reduces the contrast between your bright screen and the dark background. If you work mostly in daylight, the original ScreenBar provides the same glare-free desk lighting and costs less.
Does the ScreenBar Halo 2's rear light work on dark walls?#
Not well. The rear glow relies on light bouncing off the wall behind your monitor, so dark walls absorb most of the effect. It works best on white or light-colored walls.
Do the BenQ ScreenBar and ScreenBar Halo 2 cause glare on the monitor?#
No. Both use asymmetric optics designed to direct light down onto the desk and away from the screen, so they light your workspace without creating reflections on the display.
Does the original BenQ ScreenBar have a remote control?#
No. The original ScreenBar is controlled from buttons on the bar itself. The ScreenBar Halo 2 adds a wireless desktop controller for adjusting brightness, color temperature, and the rear glow.
The Verdict#
The original BenQ ScreenBar is the smarter buy for most desks: it delivers the glare-free, auto-dimming desk light that makes a monitor light bar worthwhile, and it costs less. The ScreenBar Halo 2 earns its premium only for evening workers with a light wall behind their monitor, where its rear glow and wireless controller make long sessions in a dim room noticeably more comfortable. Be honest about when and where you work, and see our full desk lighting reviews for more options.
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