BenQ ScreenBar Pro monitor task light (review)

The BenQ ScreenBar Pro is a clip-on monitor task light with auto on/off presence sense, adjustable brightness and colour temperature.

Now, if there is one thing that BenQ (Bringing Enjoyment N Quality to life) excels at, it is monitors and their relation to the workspace. I have used them for at least the past 30 years, as they were always ahead of the pack. Their monitor light bars are based on the deep science of task lighting.

I also have a $189 BenQ Screenbar that is as good as the day I bought it, well over a decade ago. It has a flicker-free, constant 500 Lux on my desk with dual colour LEDs that can adjust from 2700° Kelvin to 6500K. It is just missing auto-presence sense.

I also have the enormously expensive and over-engineered $799 Dyson Lightcycle smart desk lamp, which has been my workspace light for the past few years. It has circadian rhythm lighting on a cantilevered base. It is probably the best task lighting you can get if you are so inclined, but one of the worst monitor lights, as it reflects quite badly when near a monitor.

And recently we reviewed the Quntis curved monitor and standard monitor lightbars, and they bring up the value end nicely.

 What is or should be monitor and workspace lighting?

Task lighting helps perform a specific task better. If you were a jeweller, dentist or doctor, you would have an articulated magnifying glass/lamp for close work. Most ‘repairers’ need increased light levels over the typical 400 lux overhead office light.

Well, as a journalist who sits all day, every day (and night) in front of dual monitors and a laptop, I need task lighting. The aim is to enable me to see my desk and monitors in a glare-free environment bathed in a warm, flicker-free light. And to help preserve my sight and ensure I am not exposed to blue light that can severely disrupt my sleep (circadian rhythm).

So, any monitor bar needs to shine down from the top of the monitor, not onto it or it causes glare, and out into my workspace. Let’s see how it handles this.

Australian review: BenQ ScreenBar Pro (as at 4/8/25)

Website	Lighting Range page (there is some interesting stuff there, including reading lamps, piano light, and laptop lights. Monitor light page Product page Manual
Price	$239 but seen for less – shop around
Colours	Black or White
From	BenQ online, Officeworks, and BenQ monitor retailers
Warranty	12 months ACL return to base here
BenQ	BenQ Corporation is a Taiwan-based multinational company that sells and markets technology products, consumer electronics, computing, and communications devices under the BenQ brand name.
More	CyberShack task light news and reviews

Ratings

We use the following ratings for many of the items below. CyberShack regards a score between 70 and 80/100 as a fit-for-purpose pass mark. You can click on most images to enlarge them.

• Fail (below expectations), and we will let you know if this affects its use.
• Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be.
• Pass (meets expectations).
• Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good, but does not quite make it to Exceed
• Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader).

First Impression – exceeds expectations

Having recently reviewed the Quntis curved and straight monitor lights, this felt more substantial, heavier made from aluminium alloy, and technologically advanced. That is good for tech-savvy people with $238, but it is over twice the Quntis price, and these more than do the job and are better than the plethora of cheap Chinese light bars on eBay or Amazon.

But then it’s the same rationale as to why we have luxury cars and cheapie ones. After all, they all have four wheels and get you from A to B. So, in part, this review needs to justify spending more for a premium product. More later.

This is a black 500mm long cylinder with a substantial and flexible monitor clamp that can fit most straight or curved monitors. It also has a Webcam attachment to fit the same, whereas the Quntis are 450mm, don’t fit a central webcam, are not as substantial, but still do the job very well.

Controls – Pass+

Capacitive touch controls on the bar include

• ToF Ultrasonic presence detection: Turns on the light as you move into range (60cm) and turns it off five minutes after you leave.
• Brightness Adjustment – this is for lumens
• Colour Temperature adjustment: From Kelvin 2700° warm to 6500° cold with 8 presets
• Brightness and temperature +/- 16 levels
• Favourite key: Saves your most used setting
• Auto-Dimming ensures light output matches the ambient light to keep your workspace at a constant 500 lumens.
• Power: On/Off if not using presence detection.

The LEDs – Exceed

A full-spectrum Rf (fidelity) 96 chip controls the colour accuracy of the LEDs. This is the ‘human-centric’ highest standard and is specified for education, health, medical, museum and camera lighting. Lower cost lights use RF 90. It can achieve Rg (gamut) 100 colour saturation.

The flicker-free LEDs can last at least 17 power-on years.

Power – Exceed

It includes a 5V/3A/15W USB-C plug pack but can operate as low as 5V/1.7A/8.5W, so it’s safe to plug into any USB-C 3.X port. The light has a long 180cm cable.

Light dispersion (from 50cm) – Excellent

These figures are ‘up to’ maximums.

First thing is to tilt the light bar angle to cover your workspace. Once done, it can provide up to 1000 lumens at out to 50cm.

We tested at 100% brightness in the main workspace

• Warm 2700°: 478 lumens
• Cold 6700° 896 lumens

Now 700 mm away (where you would place a mouse)

• Warm: 190 lumens
• Cold: 257 lumens

Frankly, 100% brightness and 6700° is unpleasant – sunglass territory. We found it far more pleasant a 33% brightness and around 4500° warm.

We also found that it provided better lighting for video calls.

BenQ don’t specify a maximum monitor size (I have dual 32”) or workspace, but 1200 x 600 is well-lit.

Do we like it? Exceed

My wife and I work in separate spaces and tend to stop when it’s dark outside. I am always surprised when I walk into her area after dark and see the focused workspace light of BenQ ScreenBar when the rest of the space is pitch black.

CyberShack’s view: BenQ ScreenBar Pro monitor task light is pretty close to perfect

I like that the light does not shine on the monitor surface, as that would change colours and contrast.

It is pure task lighting and can go from as low as <100 to >900 lumens in three desktop zones.

I was very happy with the Quntis, and if $100 is all you have, then that is a good choice. So to answer our original question, if you can afford $238, you get so much more, including energy-saving presence detect.

Ratings

Features: 95. It has every feature you need, plus presence sensing and favourites.

Value: 90. As you can get good monitor lightbars for about half the price, it does not rate well in price. But as Warren Buffett (one of the world’s wealthiest men) says, “Price is what you pay, value is what you get,” so we rate this on value, not price.

Performance: 95. It meets or exceeds the ANSI standard for task lighting and colour accuracy. It’s way too bright at 100%!

Ease of Use: 95. Plug and play. Plug pack and 1.8m cable make it very easy.

Design: 90. Subtle, well-made, strong aluminium and a quality monitor clip.

Pro

Get the correct brightness and light temperature for your workspace

Glare-free and flicker-free for no eye fatigue

Ambient light sensor is responsive

Auto presence sensor is energy-saving

USB-C power

Con

Brightness and colour temperature adjustment is a little slow – press and wait.

A tad expensive.

BenQ ScreenBar Pro, BenQ ScreenBar Pro, BenQ ScreenBar Pro, BenQ ScreenBar Pro, BenQ ScreenBar Pro