BenQ ScreenBar Pro vs Halo vs Halo 2

Shopping for a BenQ monitor light should be simple. Then you meet three names—ScreenBar Pro, ScreenBar Halo, and ScreenBar Halo 2—that sound like upgrades in a straight line but are not.

Here is the useful version of the ScreenBar Pro vs Halo vs Halo 2 comparison:

ScreenBar Pro puts most of your money into wide desk lighting and broad monitor compatibility. ScreenBar Halo adds a rear ambient light and a wireless dial, but uses BenQ's older, narrower front light. ScreenBar Halo 2 combines the wide front light with a much more capable backlight and controller.

There is also an availability catch. BenQ's U.S. refurbished-store page now labels the original Halo a discontinued product available only while supplies last. You may still find it new or refurbished, but it now makes sense mainly at a clear discount.

The specifications below come from BenQ's current U.S. ScreenBar Pro, ScreenBar Halo, and ScreenBar Halo 2 pages. Prices and marketplace stock can move, so check the exact listing before paying.

Quick verdict

The short answer: buy ScreenBar Pro if you want the best task-light value. Buy Halo 2 if you also want light behind the monitor and a wireless controller. Buy the original Halo only when remaining stock costs far less than Halo 2.

As of August 13, 2026, BenQ's published U.S. reference prices are $139 for Pro and $179 for the discontinued Halo, while a current BenQ promotion values Halo 2 at $199. At those prices, Halo 2 costs $60 more than Pro but only $20 more than the original Halo.

1. Desk coverage is the biggest practical difference

If you want to light a keyboard, mouse, and notebook rather than just the center of the desk, this is the specification that matters most.

BenQ measures the area that receives at least 500 lux and publishes these figures:

ScreenBar Pro: 85 x 50 cm coverage, with center illuminance above 1,000 lux at a 50 cm mounting height. ScreenBar Halo 2: 85 x 50 cm coverage, also above 1,000 lux at 50 cm. ScreenBar Halo: 63 x 40 cm coverage, with center illuminance of 800 lux at 45 cm.

Pro and Halo 2 therefore cover the same published area at 500 lux. Compared with Halo, that footprint is 22 cm wider and 10 cm deeper.

One detail prevents a careless brightness comparison: BenQ tests Halo's center reading at 45 cm and the newer lights at 50 cm. The equal 500-lux coverage measurement is the cleaner way to compare them.

For a large keyboard, paperwork, or a wider desk, choose Pro or Halo 2. The original Halo still lights a normal central work area, but coverage is no longer its competitive advantage.

Which one is better as a serious work light?

ScreenBar Pro and Halo 2 are tied on BenQ's published front-light coverage.

2. Halo wins on mood and controller experience

Against Pro, the original Halo offers two features you notice every evening: light behind the monitor and a wireless desk controller.

The controller runs on three AAA batteries. It lets you switch among front light, backlight, or both; change brightness and color temperature; and start auto-dimming without reaching for the bar. BenQ's auto mode reads the room, adjusts brightness, and sets the color temperature to 4000K.

Halo 2 keeps that basic idea but improves almost every part of it. Its rechargeable USB-C controller has a numeric touch display. Both front and rear lights support continuous brightness adjustment, and the backlight can also move from 2700K to 6500K instead of acting as a simple fixed glow.

The Halo 2 bar contains two separate sensors. An ambient-light sensor handles automatic brightness. An ultrasonic presence sensor can turn the lamp on when you arrive and off after about five minutes without detected movement. Calling that “motion-sensing auto-dimming” mixes two different jobs.

Halo 2 also spreads its rear light across a tri-zone, curved housing. If you work against a wall in a dark room, it creates the most complete front-and-back lighting system here.

Which model gives you the best ambient lighting and controls?

Halo 2. The original Halo retains the same general appeal, but the $20 reference-price gap is too small to offset its older controller, backlight, and front-light design.

3. Pro is easier to justify on compatibility alone

Do not order any monitor light bar until you have looked at the top and back of your display. Thickness is only part of the fit; a rear bulge, sharply curved shell, built-in camera, or another device on the bezel can still get in the way.

BenQ publishes these clamp ranges:

ScreenBar Pro: flat or curved monitors from 0.43 to 6.5 cm thick. ScreenBar Halo 2: flat or curved monitors from 0.43 to 6 cm thick; BenQ explicitly lists 1000R to 1800R curves. ScreenBar Halo: flat monitors from 0.7 to 6 cm and curved monitors from 1.6 to 3.8 cm; the box includes adapters for curved and very slim displays.

Pro accepts the thickest display on paper. Halo 2 is almost as broad and gives curved-monitor owners a stated curvature range. The original Halo asks you to pay closer attention to monitor shape and the correct adapter.

Webcams need another check. BenQ's current U.S. buy pages list a webcam accessory in the box with both Pro and Halo 2, although the specification pages call it optional. Retail bundles can differ, and no accessory guarantees that every camera, monitor hump, or integrated lens will fit.

Which model is least likely to cause a clamp problem?

Pro has the broadest stated thickness range. Halo 2 is the clearer choice for a 1000R-to-1800R curved monitor. Check BenQ's compatibility guide or ask support if your display has an unusual back.

4. Pro is more work-focused, Halo is more environment-focused

The feature lists get easier to understand when you decide whether you need light behind the monitor.

ScreenBar Pro is the better fit for people who mainly care about:

wide front-light coverage, broad clamp compatibility, and automatic on/off through an ultrasonic sensor. Its controls stay on the bar, so there is no separate controller on the desk.

ScreenBar Halo is the better fit for people who mainly care about:

a rear glow and wireless dial control at a clearance or refurbished price. It also makes sense if you already own one and it fits your monitor; Halo 2 is not a necessary upgrade for a setup that already works.

ScreenBar Halo 2 is the better fit for people who want both: Pro's wider coverage and broad compatibility, plus Halo's ambient-light idea with a much better backlight and controller.

Power requirements differ too. Pro needs up to 5V/1.7A over USB-C. Halo needs 5V/1.3A over USB, plus three AAA batteries for its controller. Halo 2 can draw up to 5V/3A over USB-C. BenQ's current U.S. buy pages list power adapters with Pro and Halo 2. If you use another USB source, remember that a USB-C connector does not guarantee enough power; check the port rating first.

Pro is not the “lesser Halo.” It is the cleaner choice when you only need task lighting. Halo 2 earns its higher price when you will actually use the rear light and remote. The discontinued Halo sits awkwardly between them unless a sale changes the math.

5. Light quality is strong across all three, so it is not the deciding factor

All three use BenQ's asymmetric optics to direct light toward the desk rather than straight at the display. You still need to aim the bar correctly and check for reflections, especially on glossy, OLED, or QD-OLED panels.

The published color specifications are close, but not identical:

ScreenBar Pro: Ra at least 95, Rf at least 96, 16 brightness levels, and eight color-temperature settings from 2700K to 6500K. ScreenBar Halo 2: front-light Ra at least 95 and Rf at least 96, brightness from 1% to 100%, and continuous color-temperature control from 2700K to 6500K for both front and back lights. ScreenBar Halo: Ra at least 95 and continuous brightness and color-temperature adjustment from 2700K to 6500K. BenQ does not publish an Rf figure on the U.S. specification page.

For color-sensitive work, Pro and Halo 2 provide the stronger paper trail because BenQ publishes both Ra and Rf. For normal typing, browsing, and reading, placement, coverage, and brightness control will usually affect the experience more than a small specification difference.

Which one has premium light quality?

All three publish a high CRI figure. Pro and Halo 2 add a published Rf rating of at least 96.

Do not treat any light bar as a medical fix for eye strain. Comfortable screen work also depends on glare, display brightness, text size, viewing distance, room lighting, and regular breaks.

Do you want the strongest work light, the most atmospheric premium light, or both?

That remains the more useful buying question.

Which one should you actually buy?

Buy ScreenBar Halo if:

Buy Halo only if remaining stock is substantially discounted and your monitor fits its narrower clamp requirements. It suits buyers who want front and rear lighting with a wireless dial, accept three AAA batteries in the controller, and do not need the widest task-light footprint.

Buy ScreenBar Pro if:

Buy Pro if wide task lighting and value matter more than ambience. It has the broadest stated monitor-thickness range, keeps its controls on the bar, and adds automatic on/off, but it does not light the wall behind the screen.

Buy ScreenBar Halo 2 if:

Buy Halo 2 if you want Pro's published front-light coverage plus a far more adjustable rear light. Its rechargeable digital controller, explicit support for 1000R-to-1800R curves, auto-dimming, and presence-based on/off must be worth the extra $60 to you.

BenQ ScreenBar Pro is the best value for task lighting. At BenQ's $139 reference price, it matches Halo 2's published 85 x 50 cm front-light coverage, supports a slightly wider monitor-thickness range, and adds automatic on/off without putting another controller on the desk.

BenQ ScreenBar Halo is now the deal-dependent option. It still provides front and rear light with a pleasant wireless dial, but BenQ labels it discontinued in the United States. Its $179 reference price sits too close to Halo 2.

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is the most capable package. At the current $199 reference price, it adds a tri-zone backlight, rechargeable digital controller, explicit support for 1000R-to-1800R curves, and separate ambient-light and presence sensing.

Choose Pro for work light and value. Choose Halo 2 for work light plus room ambience. Consider the original Halo only when the discount is large enough to make its older design—and remaining-stock status—worth accepting.

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