Review: YEELIGHT Screenbar with indirect lighting for $59.99/50,10€

Home offices and RGB lighting are all the rage right now. Yeelight has a 2-in-1 solution for both: A screen bar that lights up in two directions. In the front, it illuminates the desk, and in the back, colorful LEDs provide some atmosphere.

• Yeelight Screenbar
  • at Banggood for $59.99/50,10€ – Coupon: 597fda
• Yeelight Screenbar – Pro Version
  • at Banggood for $74.99/62,62€ – Coupon: 597fda

Before questions arise; the test is about the standard version of the Screenbar. The Pro version also offers a link to Razer Chroma and Overwolf, as well as 4 additional presets. Yeelight has also announced that it will release an international version of the Pro. In the course of the first quarter of 2021, it should come on the market, who does not want to wait until then can order it from Banggood. However, the lamp does not have an EU plug there.

Technical data

Design and workmanship

The design of the Screenbar is a bit unusual. Actually, you are used to a plain look and white color from Yeelight and Xiaomi lights. The monitor light falls out of this track completely, because it comes in a matte silver and in the middle flaunts the Yeelight logo on a black background.

I actually like the silver a lot, only the strangely protruding logo isn’t really my cup of tea. The workmanship, on the other hand, is top notch and the light tube, as well as the clip for attachment, feel high quality. The tube can be easily attached to the clip via magnetic contacts and tilted by about 20 degrees. Of course, the screenbar also fits on curved monitors.

The light of the front LEDs is reflected in the tube and then shines through a milky glass whereby the lamp does not blind and the light is distributed softly and evenly on the desk.

App & Remote Control

Connecting to the Yeelight app was a bit tricky, first you had to plug and unplug the USB C cable five times and then do a firmware update. Once you managed to connect the lamp to the app, you can access some functions. There are six presets, for example to watch movies or to work. The brightness and color temperature of the main light can be adjusted and the color of the backlight.

The included remote can only control the main light and turn the backlight on and off. Turning the remote adjusts the brightness of the main light, holding it down while turning changes the color temperature. A short press on the remote turns the main light on and off, a long press turns the backlight on and off. Small drawback: The remote has a slight delay when you turn a bit faster, but the transition is smooth.

The two LED panels can be operated independently of each other, so you can concentrate on your work, but also turn off the white main light and relax while watching a movie or gaming with the backlight. For those looking for a desk lamp, I highly recommend a monitor lamp. They are more space-saving and illuminate the desk more evenly than regular desk lamps. An alternative to the Yeelight Screenbar is available from Xiaomi and Baseus, for example.

The mood light could be a bit brighter for my taste, but 100% brightness is still sufficient. With the standard version, no scenes or transitions can be played on the backlight. In my opinion, this is a must and possible with the pro version. At least it has a very good color reproduction with a color index of Ra90 and I like that the ambient light projects a nice color gradient on the wall, depending on the color.

I’m just a little worried about the cable, because I can imagine that it quickly gets a loose contact, since it goes out the top and so is always bent. In addition, the backlight shines on the cable and you also need an EU adapter, but you can also use any other USB C cable and power adapter. Against cable breakage, of course, we also have a suitable gadget.

Conclusion

The Screenbar is definitely unique in the Yeelight range as far as desk lamps are concerned. Unlike the lights with a stand, the monitor lamp has the advantage of illuminating the desk much more evenly. Yeelight has killed two birds with one stone here. I haven’t found any other manufacturer that offers a monitor lamp with lighting in two directions. The main light for working combined with the mood light is really awesome, especially in these pandemic times when we spend a lot more time at our desks.

Unfortunately, the standard version offers too few options and I miss the ability to create scenes or transitions. These functions are only available with the Pro version and you have to pay the extra price, although it is basically just a software upgrade.