Something I never Knew I needed until I tried it: Review of an LED Task Lamp

There are products out there you never knew you needed.  Products you don’t even know exist because you’ve never looked for them.  You don’t even know what to search for.  One of my favorite things, and something I never knew I needed, is the BenQ ScreenBar e-Reading LED Task Lamp.

It's an 18 inch long LED light bar that sits on top of my monitor.  It provides a nice, wide light over my desk and work area, without any glare on my monitor, that I use it instead of a lamp.

The light is attached not by screws, glue, clip, or vice, but by simple gravity.  The base uses a simple counterweight to keep the light atop my monitor.  It's simple to attach, simple to power, and simple to use.  Power is supplied by a USB cable.  I connect mine to a USB connector plugged into an electrical outlet but the ScreenBar can also connect to one of your computer's USB ports.

It's very easy to use with four touch-sensitive buttons on top of the ScreenBar.  The power button is on the right.  Just to the left is the auto-dim button.  When enabled a small, green light turns on and the ScreenBar automatically adjusts the brightness of the LED light based on the ambient light in the room.

To the left of that is the light temperature button.  You can quickly change the light output from a cool white to a warm white with the tap of a finger.  Keep your finger on the button and the light shifts along the warm/cool spectrum.  When you've reach the desired temperature, let go.  Depending on your mood or needs, the temperature can be adjusted throughout the day.  

Finally, the last button is the manual dimmer feature.  When you tap this button, the auto-dimmer turns off and you have control over the brightness of the light.  Leave your finger on the button until it reaches your desired brightness.

Your settings are even remembered while the ScreenBar is turned off.  When you come back later or the next day, you can tap the power button and the light comes back on at the temperature and intensity you last used.

I use my ScreenBar daily to illuminate all of my workspace.  Under the light, you can easily see your keyboard, paperwork, or project.  A couple of feet away, the rest of your desk is also lit.  I now use the ScreenBar rather than my desk lamp.

Since the ScreenBar is asymmetrical, more light comes toward you rather than toward your screen.  I don't have any glare on my monitor.  The only downside is that the light, as it grazes the monitor surface, lights up any dust that has accumulated.  Once I clean off my monitor, the ScreenBar's light isn't even noticeable on the monitor screen.

The ScreenBar's matte black finish blends into my monitor's black bezel.  It doesn't even look out of place.  The USB wire connects in the middle of the back of the product and trails down the base.  I don't even see the wire when at my desk.

The base clip fits any monitor that's 0.4 inches to 1.2 inches thick.  The bar itself is 18 inches wide.  I can't stop recommending the BenQ ScreenBar e-Reading LED Task Lamp with auto-dimming and hue adjustment features.  It's simple to install and use, and it makes a huge difference in my workspace.  It's something I never knew I needed.

You can find this here or here

What's something you have that you never knew you needed?