BenQ ScreenBar Review: The Perfect Computer Desk Lamp

Author: Jason Fitzpatrick / Source: reviewgeek.com

Claiming something is the perfect computer desk lamp is a rather, well, bold claim. The BenQ ScreenBar, however, is as close to perfect for the task as we’ve ever seen. Doubt us? Read on and see.

Before we even dive into the features of the ScreenBar, let’s start by setting the stage for our claim of it’s perfection with a hard look at the challenges that come with designing a desk lamp used in parallel with a computer and why so many lamps fall short.

Designing a Good Computer Lamp Is Difficult

If you have a desk without a computer screen on it, selecting a lamp is simple. You pick any old lamp that meets whatever requirements you have (warm white light for comfortable reading, bright crisp light for fine task work like crafting or electronics) and you’re good. You can pay more or you can pay less for various features or light quality, but it’s not too terribly complex.

Introduce a computer monitor, however, and suddenly it’s more than a little bit complex. First, the monitor itself is a large physical object that blocks some or all of the desk span. Monitors are getting bigger, wider, and multiple monitor setups aren’t uncommon. It’s quite possible to have a desk where there simply isn’t a good spot to place a lamp that isn’t in the way or unwieldy to use.

You don’t realize what a terrible fit most lamps are for a computer desk until you use one uniquely designed for the task.

Second, you can’t (or at least shouldn’t) place the lamp anywhere that it will cast light onto the screen and create glare. Not only does it make using the computer screen difficult but it can lead to eye strain and headaches. That rules out placing the lamp in front of the monitors or hanging down over the monitor, say, on a swing arm.

In fact, this is why many people, myself included, use a bias light behind their monitors.

Bias lighting has a pretty severe limitation though. It’s perfect for alleviating eye strain and providing some ambient light, but by its very nature bias lighting is not task lighting. Task lighting is light that shines directly down on the things in front of you so that whatever your task is, there’s light to do it. As much as I love bias lighting (and I incorporate it into every desk setup and use it behind every TV in my house) it’s not suitable for task work.

So where does that leave us? It leaves us in want of a highly specialized lamp that casts light only in a band in front of the monitor without shining the light onto the screens or into the eyes of the person sitting at the desk. The BenQ ScreenBar is that specialized light.

The ScreenBar Isn’t Just Good Enough, It’s Brilliant

The ScreenBar’s design is significantly different than other desk lamps. There’s no base, no gooseneck or mechanical arm, and nothing to move out of the way (or to get in the way). The lamp rests on the top of your monitor just like a webcam, with a form factor highly reminiscent of picture lights found over paintings in art galleries and well appointed homes.