A computer monitor light bar could be the ergonomic solution you've been looking for to increase productivity and improve your viewing experience. If you've ever found yourself squinting at your computer screen, rubbing your eyes, or craning your neck to avoid glare, your workstation needs an upgrade.

Digital eye strain - and its uncomfortable symptoms such as headaches, eye fatigue and dryness, and blurred vision - has become a prevalent issue in our increasingly digital world. The National Center for Health Research reports that nearly two out of three Americans experience digital eye strain from time spent in front of screens.

Stepping away for a screen break is always a good idea, but optimising your desk setup is the best first step to improving your experience and avoiding eye strain. Blue-light-blocking glasses have grown in popularity, but ophthalmologists have been divided on their efficacy. The bigger issue is how we set up our screens and what kind of lighting we have in our room. This is where specialised computer monitor light bars come into play.

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor bar displays its asymmetrical light
BenQ

In an interview with the Texas Medical Center, retina specialist Dr. Amir Mohsenin recommended "sitting 25 inches or an arm's length away from the computer screen and tilt[ing] it downward to reduce glare" for optimal eye comfort, adding that "lighting is also important" for reducing digital eye strain.

Overhead lighting and task lamps aren't optimised for screen use and can cast unhelpful shadows when you're trying to write on or read from papers on your desk. If you're lucky enough to have natural light flowing into your space, adjusting your screen as the sun moves across the sky isn't a practical option. Monitor light bars, such as the BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar, offer dedicated, specially developed, adjustable light for your screen and worktop.

What is a monitor light bar?

Monitor light bars are mounted at the top or back of your computer screen to provide even, correctly angled light on both your screen and work surface. No matter what kind of natural or overhead lighting you have in your workspace, a monitor light bar can provide adequate and effective lighting that covers the right amount of space with the correct brightness.

A comparison of BenQ's ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar and a task lamp
BenQ

A monitor light bar's chief task is to minimise screen glare and subsequently increase your productivity while reducing eye strain. But it's not just about work - monitor light bars are equally useful for entertainment. Whether you're gaming or binge-watching your favourite series, glare and poor lighting can leave you squinting instead of relaxing.

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar works three times as hard as standard light bars with its three different adjustable light settings: a precise front light, an ambient backlight, and a full front-and-back light setting.

Why you should be using a monitor light bar

The effects of digital eye strain can interfere with your productivity and ability to focus on the task at hand. Although screen breaks are beneficial to your eye health and recommended by ophthalmologists, they don't need to adversely affect your workflow and ability to concentrate for longer periods of time.

A monitor light bar allows you to take purposeful breaks rather than stepping away from your screen due to eye fatigue, dryness, and other uncomfortable symptoms of digital eye strain. With a monitor light bar, productivity goes up while maintaining your eye health and minimising eye-strain symptoms. Just don't forget to blink!

People working on creative content that requires a sharp eye for detail - developers, photographers, digital content creators, illustrators - are the perfect candidates for a monitor light bar. For the creative crowd, a monitor light bar not only helps zero in on the colour and nuances in your work, but it also lets you see a better-lit and more accurate representation of your finished product.

If you spend any time reading, writing, or drawing while using your screen, a light bar is an essential desk accessory. With an effective monitor light bar setup, your desktop is properly illuminated along with your screen.

Using a monitor light bar means that you don't have to sacrifice your desktop lighting in order to minimise screen glare. Because if your screen is sharp and glare-free, but you're hunched over, squinting down at papers on your desk, that's still not an eye-healthy or ergonomically correct desk arrangement.

A side view of the BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar
BenQ

Digital eye strain can affect anyone using a screen, not just those who are working full-time at a computer. Activities that are strictly for enjoyment - gaming, watching videos online, reading articles - can be spoiled by poor lighting. Even if you're not concerned with maintaining extended periods of focus, your eyes can be strained by insufficient or too-bright lighting.

More than just caring for your eye health, a monitor light bar can improve your workstation setup by freeing up space and fitting into your aesthetic. The sleek BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar clamps onto your monitor for a sturdy fit that won't damage your screen and won't slide around.

The multi-levels of colour temperature and brightness let you customise your lighting to your screen needs or your aesthetic preferences. And with a USB plug-in, you don't need to fish wires down to electrical sockets, avoiding unsightly visual clutter.

Why the BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar is the best solution

Benq screenbar on top of monitor on office desk

Not all monitor light bars are created equal, and a poor light-bar design can be just as detrimental to your viewing experience as the direct glare of a desktop task lamp. The BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar offers everything you need to increase productivity, lessen eye strain, free up desktop real estate, and fit into your aesthetic.

As part of BenQ's "Don't Settle for Less" philosophy, they collaborate with professional optical teams and use findings from university studies to incorporate high-quality design, the best functionality, and streamlined aesthetics into all their products.

Benq screenbar halo dial on desk

The patented clamp design on the BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar was inspired by the hanging instinct of animals and uses a counterweight mechanism to stay firmly attached to your monitor without damaging it. The ScreenBar Halo is compatible with myriad monitor types, including flat monitors, ultra-wide curved monitors, dual monitors, and thick or thin monitors.

The light is powered by a USB cable and comes with a wireless controller to easily adjust your lighting needs. The small desktop controller pad lets you operate brightness, colour temperature, save favourite settings, switch between three light modes, and can auto-dim within a one-metre range.

Ease eye strain with superior features

The ultrawide illumination of the BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar covers 63 cm by 40 cm while creating an adequate balance between the light that falls on the monitor and the light required to illuminate your desktop.

Its unique asymmetrical optical design uses an inner reflective panel with a precise curvature to deliver optimal light to your desktop so that you can write or draw as needed while providing simultaneous glare-free light to your monitor.

A top view of the BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar's light range
BenQ

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar has three light modes depending on your needs. It comes equipped with an immersive backlight for extra eye comfort, which can be used independently for low-key screen use and more relaxing moments, or together with the precise front light for maximum illumination.

When used on its own, the front light evenly covers your desk while providing glare-free light for your screen. Applying the real-time auto-dimmer allows the built-in sensor to detect ambient light in the room and automatically supplement the light level to 500 lux, the American National Standards Institute's recommendation for office lighting.

Regardless of the light mode, the ScreenBar Halo delivers high-quality, flicker-free LED light that exceeds industry standards and conforms to blue-light standards.

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar offers further customisation with brightness levels, which can be turned up and down, and adjustable colour temperatures. Depending on the time of day and the type of screen use that you're engaged in, you can customise your colour temperature accordingly, from cooler, at a maximum of 6500K, down to warmer, at a minimum of 2700K.

The LEDs on the ScreenBar Halo have a photography-level colour rendering index of 95, which means that what you see is what you get when it comes to onscreen colours.

Whether you're a casual computer user who wants to optimise their viewing experience, or you're working at a desk all day, the BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light bar is an excellent upgrade for your space and will do wonders for your eye comfort.

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