ScreenBar Plus
The BenQ ScreenBar Plus was the middle child of the ScreenBar family — sitting between the standard ScreenBar and the Halo — and has since been joined by the ScreenBar Pro. It retains a strong position at #3 overall: identical CRI 95 and IEEE flicker-free certification to its siblings, a bundled wireless desk dial controller, and a USB-A charging port. For buyers who want BenQ’s core light quality with desk-level controls and don’t need the Pro’s motion sensor or the Halo’s rear bias lighting, it remains a clean, well-priced choice.
How We Scored It
Category Deep-Dives
Light Quality
9.5 / 10 30% weightingThe ScreenBar Plus uses the same CRI 95 LED system and asymmetric optics as the Pro and Halo, achieving 1,000 lux maximum output and covering the full 2700–6500K color temperature range. Light falls exclusively on the desk surface — zero screen glare. The core light quality is indistinguishable from its more expensive siblings in any measurable dimension.
The 9.5 mirrors the Halo’s score rather than the Pro’s 10.0, reflecting the same minor note: the underlying lamp technology is exceptional, but the Plus is now the older model in the lineup and future firmware or optical refinements may appear in the Pro first.
Bottom line on light quality: CRI 95 and 1,000 lux maximum — identical to the Pro and Halo in every measurable dimension. The flagship BenQ light quality at a lower price.
Adjustability & Control
8.0 / 10 25% weightingThe ScreenBar Plus includes the wireless desk dial controller that the ScreenBar Pro requires as an optional add-on. This is the Plus’s primary feature differentiator from the standard ScreenBar: brightness and color temperature are controlled via a smooth rotary dial at desk level rather than by touch controls on the bar itself. The dial is well-designed — responsive, with satisfying tactile feedback.
The deduction from the Pro’s 9.5 reflects that the Pro offers more precise continuous adjustment and the auto-brightness feature (ambient light sensor), while the Plus’s controller, while good, is an older design iteration. Users who rely on auto-brightness to set and forget will notice the absence.
Bottom line on adjustability: The bundled desk dial is a genuine usability advantage over single-bar competitors. The missing auto-brightness sensor is the main gap versus the Pro.
Eye Comfort
9.5 / 10 20% weightingIEEE PAR 1789-passed flicker-free across the full dimming range. Asymmetric optics for zero screen glare. CRI 95 for accurate color rendering. The ScreenBar Plus delivers the full BenQ eye comfort specification with no meaningful compromise relative to its more expensive siblings.
The 9.5 rather than 10.0 reflects the absence of the Pro’s motion sensor (a behavioral comfort feature) and the Halo’s rear bias lighting (a fatigue-reduction feature for dark rooms) — both absent from the Plus. For users who work in consistently lit rooms and don’t need passive automation, neither absence will be felt in daily use.
Bottom line on eye comfort: Full IEEE flicker-free certification and CRI 95 throughout the dimming range. Matches the Pro and Halo on every certified eye comfort metric.
Build & Design
8.5 / 10 15% weightingThe ScreenBar Plus has a slightly older physical design than the Pro, with a USB-A power connector rather than USB-C. Build quality is solid — consistent with the BenQ accessory standard. The included desk controller adds useful physical presence without desk clutter: the compact puck design sits unobtrusively alongside a keyboard or mouse and cables manage neatly.
The USB-A charging port on the bar is a convenience addition not present on the Pro — useful for keeping a phone or small device charged from the bar’s power supply without occupying a separate outlet. The counterbalanced clip mount is the standard BenQ mechanism, compatible with most monitor bezels from 0.4–4cm thickness.
Bottom line on build: Solid BenQ construction throughout. The USB-A charging port on the bar is a small but genuinely useful bonus absent from the newer Pro.
Value
7.5 / 10 10% weightingThe ScreenBar Plus sits between the budget segment and the ScreenBar Pro in pricing. In the current lineup, the Pro often sells at a similar or only slightly higher price, making the Plus’s value position slightly awkward — buyers who can stretch to the Pro receive an objectively newer design with more features.
The Plus is the stronger value when found on sale. At full price alongside the Pro, the Pro is usually the better purchase. Buyers who specifically want the USB-A charging port on the bar (absent on the Pro) have a concrete reason to choose the Plus regardless of relative pricing.
Bottom line on value: Best when found on sale. At full price with the Pro available nearby, evaluate both before purchasing — the Pro frequently justifies the small premium.
About the Manufacturer
BenQ Corporation was founded in 2001 as a spinoff of Acer’s peripheral and display division, and is now a subsidiary of Qisda Corporation. The company designs and manufactures monitors, projectors, and lighting accessories, and distributes through Amazon, its own website, and major electronics retailers globally.
BenQ pioneered the monitor light bar category with the introduction of the original ScreenBar in 2017. The concept — a bar-format lamp that clips to the monitor bezel and illuminates the desk without reflecting off the screen — was a new product category rather than an incremental improvement, and BenQ has maintained its position as the category’s most recognized brand. The ScreenBar Plus was BenQ’s second-generation product in the lineup, adding the wireless desk controller to the core screen bar concept first introduced in the original ScreenBar.
BenQ manufactures the ScreenBar family to IEEE PAR 1789 flicker-free certification standard. The ScreenBar lineup now includes four products: the original ScreenBar, the ScreenBar Plus, the ScreenBar Halo (which adds rear bias lighting), and the ScreenBar Pro (which adds an ambient light sensor and updated design). All four share the CRI 95 LED specification.