Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

TL;DR Premium monitor light bar at a premium price. Would recommend if budget is not a huge concern Like the title states, I really desperately wanted to hate the BenQ Screenbar so that I would have an excuse to return it. At a steep $100 price point, it was hard to justify the purchase in the first place, but I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. This review will mostly be a comparison to the TORCHSTAR Computer Monitor Light and I will be posting a similar review on that product as well. A bit of background: I've always used/preferred task lighting when it comes to working at my desk and doing work on my computer. Up until about a week ago an architect style lamp from Ikea was filling the bill, but then I upgraded to a monitor stand for more desk real estate and now my my monitors are too high for that style lamp. After doing some research, I came across the BenQ Screenbar and similar styled lamps (i.e. TORCHSTAR Computer Monitor Light)--shopping around and reading reviews I narrowed it down to those 2 (thanks especially to Ken Y). I went ahead and purchased both from Amazon and after some light use decided to keep the BenQ Screenbar. At the time of purchase, the BenQ light was $99.00 and the TORCHSTAR $57.99 ($77.99 with a $20 off coupon) before tax. I've included photos to show the "differences" between the 2 lights--for all pictures the lights are at maximum brightness and maximum "warmth" or "coolness". All Photos are also captured at the same exposure settings with the same white balance for consistency. PROS: -Brighter (not sure if the LEDs themselves actually get brighter or there are just more, but this was a big reason I chose it) -Larger illumination area (about 3.5" longer than the TORCHSTAR) -Auto LED is green and milder (hurts my eye less than the sharp blue) -Clamp feels sturdier -Controls feel much more responsive and intuitive (sometimes I felt like I wasn't sure if the torchstar was working but I always knew if the BenQ was. Also with the Torchstar the brightness or color ALWAYS alternated between touches making it kind of difficult to reach exactly the right settings) -Flat cable USB feels more premium CONS: -Hefty price tag for a fancy USB LED strip -There's no diffuser over the LEDs (this may be a choice as diffused light scatters more but it hurts if you accidentally look into the LEDs and the diffuser wasn't too noticeable on the TORCHSTAR) -Noticeable flicker when dimming (slight pro though because on the torchstar sometimes I can't tell if it's working) -Auto mode doesn't disable if you tap it again (it does on the TORCHSTAR) -Torchstar came with an allen key to adjust the clamp tightness (I think the BenQ has a similar access panel but no key) SIMILARITIES: -Both work fairly well with curved monitors. (I use a Samsung CF398 27" as my primary display and a CF390 24" as my secondary) -Both have directed LED strips to minimize glare on the monitors (some of the chinese knockoffs aren't built well and create a ton of glare) -They honestly both just work well At the end of the day, I can kind of recommend both light bars, but I just personally preferred the BenQ more and am willing to pay the premium for it. My complaints with the TORCHSTAR are mostly minor and especially if you don't change the settings much won't even be very noticeable. I will continue to update this review with usage as well as try to answer any questions that might come up. Please click the helpful button if you find my reviews helpful