I recently moved away from using the overhead light in my office to just lamps, only to realize that I needed more light on my desk. That’s when I decided to pick up a monitor light bar, and it’s by far the best money I’ve spent on my setup yet.
I’ve Wanted a Monitor Light Bar for Years
In 2017, BenQ released the world’s first monitor light bar with the ScreenBar. At launch, the original ScreenBar cost $99 (which would be about $130 today), and it just wasn’t something I could swing at the time—but I wanted one.
The ScreenBar (and other monitor light bars) deliver a unique illumination experience. Designed to shine light from the top of your monitor onto the desk, the light bar is actually built to keep any light from spilling onto your monitor at all.
This cuts down on screen glare while still delivering light to your desk, and is exactly why I wanted one. My desk never had enough light, and a monitor light bar promised to solve that problem. I just couldn’t afford BenQ’s premium light bar.
I Decided to Give an Off-Brand Light Bar a Shot
Shortly after BenQ released its ScreenBar, companies started releasing off-brand alternatives. While I’m not typically someone who has to have name-brand products, I was leery about buying a third-party light bar for some reason.
I still don’t know why I hesitated so much about buying a third-party light bar. But, I never did pull the trigger. Maybe it was price, because the first copycats were still priced close enough to the BenQ that it didn’t make sense to go off-brand?
I’m not sure, but whatever held me back kept me from buying a monitor light bar for years—that is, until a month ago.
I Can’t Imagine Using My Desk Without This Monitor Desk Light Now
In late June 2025, for whatever reason, I decided to jump on Amazon and find a monitor light bar. I’m not sure what spurred it on at that moment, but I quickly found the Quntis Computer Monitor Lamp for $40.
These days, you’ll spend $139 for the ScreenBar Pro and $180 for the ScreenBar Halo 2 going with BenQ, so $40 seemed like an absolute steal to me. It was within budget, had the features I wanted, and would arrive the next day—so I ordered the Quntis.
- Compatibility
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Flat/Curved monitors 0.17 – 2.36 inches
- Type
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Dual color LED
This premium monitor light is fantastic for dim workspaces, but its price may make less expensive options a better fit.
One of the reasons I went with this particular model was because it had over 14,000 reviews and was labeled as Amazon’s Choice. While I do know that Amazon reviews can be faked, because Amazon offered free returns on the unit, I was comfortable enough to give it a try.
Upon arrival, I was actually quite surprised by the build quality and feature set. I knew what the features were on paper, but actually experiencing it was totally different. The mount is plastic, which is to be expected at this price point. But the light bar itself (which is called ScreenLinear Pro) feels more premium. It’s still plastic, but it just feels good.
Feature-wise, this monitor light bar is actually a cross between BenQ’s ScreenBar Pro and ScreenBar Halo. While it doesn’t have rear bias lighting like the Halo, it does have a wireless remote, which is my favorite feature.
After putting the Quntis light bar on my monitor, my desk was immediately brighter. I was able to use the variable color temperature to dial in the warmth to match the other lights in my room.
Plus, it has a built-in dimming function so I can have it brighter when I need more light and dimmer when I don’t need as much illumination. There’s an automatic dimming function on the light itself, which uses an ambient light sensor, but I feel like it leans on the side of too dim, so I don’t use it.
With the wireless remote, I can just tap to turn the light off or change the brightness. The remote can sit anywhere on my desk, and I don’t have to touch the actual light itself. I prefer this method of interacting with the light as it makes sure that I don’t accidentally change how or where it’s sitting on my monitor.
Another great part of the Quntis monitor light bar is that it’s powered over USB-C. I actually have the included USB cable plugged into a power strip on my desk, but you could easily plug it into your monitor’s USB port too.
I absolutely love this monitor light bar. It’s affordable, gets the job done, and is feature-complete for my needs. At this point, I couldn’t imagine justifying hundreds of dollars for a BenQ model.