LYMAX vs BenQ ScreenBar: Which Monitor Light Bar Is Worth It?

If you have searched for a monitor light bar at all, you have met BenQ. The ScreenBar family is the reference product in this category and it is reviewed by nearly every desk-setup publication. LYMAX competes in the same category with a different set of design choices — most visibly, putting 24GHz mmWave radar presence sensing in bars that cost $75.99 and up.

This page compares the two honestly, including the places where BenQ is still the better answer.

The short answer

• Choose BenQ if you want the light to adjust its own brightness to the room (ambient auto-dimming), or you want the most heavily reviewed product with the largest support network.
• Choose LYMAX if you run a curved or ultrawide monitor and want it to fit properly, if you want hands-free radar on/off without paying premium prices, or if you want RGB ambient backlight without a $199 outlay.

What both brands get right

Both use asymmetric optics. The LEDs sit behind a lens or reflector that throws light forward and down onto the desk while shielding the panel itself, so you light the work surface without lighting the screen. This is the entire reason a monitor light bar exists — a normal desk lamp placed behind a monitor washes out the display and creates exactly the glare you were trying to remove.

Where the two actually differ

BenQ specifications and prices above are as published by BenQ and as reported in 2026 third-party roundups; they change over time, so verify before you buy. LYMAX specifications are taken from our own product pages.

Sensors: radar, motion and ambient light are three different things

This is where the marketing gets muddy, so it is worth separating the three jobs a sensor can do:

1. Detecting that a person is present — turns the light on when you sit down and off when you leave. LYMAX uses 24GHz mmWave radar for this on the R1000, M6 and X1. BenQ offers a motion sensor on the ScreenBar Pro.
2. Reading room brightness — keeps the desk at a consistent illumination level as daylight changes through the day. BenQ's Halo 2 does this, targeting around 500 lux.
3. Remembering your settings — not a sensor, just memory, and both brands offer it in some form.

If hands-free on/off is what you want, you are comparing a $75.99 radar bar against a motion-sensing bar at roughly $139. If what you want is the light to also match ambient brightness automatically, BenQ's ambient sensor is the stronger feature and LYMAX's radar models do not claim to replace it.

Curved and ultrawide screens

Most flagship bars are built around flat panel geometry. On a curved screen a flat bar bridges the top of the panel and leaves gaps at the edges, which shows up as uneven desk illumination. Curvature is expressed as a radius: 1000R means the curve matches a circle with a 1000 mm radius, so a lower number is a tighter curve. A 1800R panel is gentler; a 1000R ultrawide is aggressive.

LYMAX's curved models are designed around a 1000R profile and specified to fit 1000R to 1800R screens, with the R1000 using a 550 mm lamp body to span wider panels. BenQ supports 1000R–1800R on the Halo 2 and the ScreenBar Pro. If you own a curved monitor, check this line first — it is the single most common reason a light bar gets returned. Our curved monitor light bar guide walks through the measurement.

Light quality: CRI, blue light and flicker

All of LYMAX's bars are rated Ra ≥ 97, with CQS ≥ 98 on the full-spectrum models, and carry TÜV SÜD IEC RG0 low blue light certification. RG0 is the most restrictive of the photobiological safety groups in IEC 62471, meaning the light source is exempt from blue-light hazard under that assessment. The M6 is additionally flicker-free certified.

These are the three numbers worth checking on any bar, because they are the ones you cannot fix later with a setting. Warm colour temperature reduces blue content, but it cannot rescue a driver that flickers or an LED with poor colour rendering. More on this in our eye strain guide.

Backlight: is it worth $199?

A rear-facing light reduces the contrast between a bright screen and a dark wall, which is the harshest lighting condition for your eyes at night. In a normally lit room it adds little.

This is a genuine value difference. LYMAX puts RGB ambient backlight on the $39.99 M1 and the $49.99 D012, and full RGB ambient on the $79.99 M6 and $99.99 X1. With BenQ, backlighting starts at the Halo 2 at around $199.

If you work after dark in a dim room and you want the backlight, the price gap is real and large. If you work in a normally lit room, it is a feature you will barely notice — and buying a cheaper bar without it is the rational choice.

Controls

BenQ's wireless dial is genuinely good: it sits on the desk, it is stepless, and on the Halo 2 it is USB-C powered so there is no battery to replace. LYMAX splits this across models — the M1 uses touch controls on the bar, the M2 and X1 ship with 2.4GHz wireless rotary knobs, and the M2P and R1000 include wireless remotes.

The practical difference: a desk-side dial or knob means you adjust the light without reaching up to the top of the monitor. If you never touch your settings after week one, on-bar touch is fine.

Which should you buy

• Curved or ultrawide panel → a bar designed for the curve. Start with the LYMAX R1000 or compare the curved collection.
• Want hands-free on/off → radar models. The M6 adds a 50 cm body and 1800 lux for larger desks.
• Want the light to self-adjust to room brightness → that is BenQ's Halo 2, not a LYMAX feature.
• Budget under $50 → see what a sub-$50 bar can and cannot do.
• Want RGB ambient on a budget → the M1 at $39.99 is the cheapest way into dual-light design in this comparison.

Every LYMAX model's full specification is in one place on our spec and press page, if you want to check a number rather than a claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is LYMAX as good as BenQ?

For optics, colour rendering and certification, the two are comparable: both use asymmetric light paths, both rate colour rendering around CRI 95–98, and both carry blue-light safety certification. BenQ leads on ambient auto-dimming and on the polish of its wireless dial. LYMAX leads on radar presence sensing at a much lower price and on curved-screen fit in the sub-$100 tier.

Is there a BenQ ScreenBar alternative for curved monitors?

Yes. BenQ's Halo 2 and ScreenBar Pro support 1000R–1800R curves, but both sit in the $139–$199 bracket. If you want curved support below that, look for a bar with an explicitly stated curvature range and a curved or pivoting clamp — LYMAX's R1000 and X1 are built around a 1000R profile and specified for 1000R–1800R.

Do monitor light bars work with ultrawide monitors?

They work if the bar is long enough to span the panel. A 50 cm body covers a typical 27-inch screen with margin; a 34-inch ultrawide is better served by a longer body, which is why the R1000 uses a 550 mm tube. Check the stated body length against your screen width.

Does a rear backlight actually help?

It helps most in a dark room, where it reduces the luminance contrast between the screen and the wall behind it. In a well-lit room the benefit is small. It is a comfort feature, not a correction for a bad screen.

Will either brand work if I have a webcam on my monitor?

Both compete for the same strip of top bezel. If your webcam uses a clip, check the combined footprint, or move the camera to a small tripod beside the screen. See our fit guide for the measurements to check.