BenQ’s first dual-monitor desk lamp will give your screens a glow up
BenQ has launched the ScreenBar Max, its first monitor light bar designed to span dual-monitor setups, alongside a second new light bar. The device combines a bias light, which reduces eye strain by softening the contrast between screen glare and a darker background wall, with a desk lamp for illuminating keyboards and documents, aiming to tackle computer vision syndrome for people who spend long hours in front of screens.
The ScreenBar Max costs $289, plus an optional $39 stand, making it BenQ's most expensive ScreenBar product yet. It features a high-frequency mmWave presence sensor that automatically activates the lamp as a user sits down, independently adjustable brightness for its bias and desk lights (though colour temperature, ranging from 2,700 to 6,000 Kelvin, is fixed across both), and studio-grade colour rendering rated at Ra ≥95, Rf >96 and Rg ~100. An early hands-on review found the light quality impressive, though it flagged the premium price and a slightly fiddly mode-selector button as drawbacks.
- BenQ launches ScreenBar Max, its first dual-monitor light bar
- Combines bias light and desk lamp with auto presence sensing
- Costs $289 ($39 more for the stand), BenQ's priciest ScreenBar yet
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Screen lights are designed to illuminate a desk or soften the contrast between a bright screen and a darker wall behind it. That contrast can contribute to tired eyes during long periods at a computer, though lighting is only one factor in eye comfort.
BenQ is a technology company that makes monitors and lighting products, including its ScreenBar range, which attaches to a monitor. The new model is designed to cover two screens and combine light for the desk with a glow behind the monitors.
The product sits at the premium end of BenQ’s range, so its price matters to people weighing up specialist desk lighting against simpler lamps. Features such as automatic activation and separately adjustable lights may also matter to people who work at a screen for long hours.