Home head-to-head
BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2vsDyson Solarcycle Morph
The 4 axes split 2-2 and the averages still land 8.6 to 7.7. Value is the widest of them, 7.6 to 5.2.
8.6
Lights the desk without taking any of it, if your monitor's top edge and USB port cooperate.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
7.7
Daylight tracking, a head that docks into the stem, and a bill that reflects the engineering.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Where they diverge
The widest gap is Value, BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 ahead 7.6 to 5.2. They come closest on Durability, 8.8 to 8.4. Left of center is BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, right is Dyson Solarcycle Morph.
Which one to pick
Take the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2
Leads on Value and Ease of use.
- A desk where the monitor already occupies the only clear surface
- Glare on the screen is the actual complaint, not darkness in the room
- You want the light aimed forward at paper and keyboard, never back at the panel
Take the Dyson Solarcycle Morph
Leads on Durability and Design.
- The lamp has to work as a floor-standing object in the room, not just a tool
- You want one fixture that goes from task light to indirect light without moving
- Warm evening light matters to you enough to automate it
What each one gets wrong
BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2
- A webcam, a soundbar, or a privacy filter already sits on the top edge
- You need light on your face for calls — this one points down and away
- You would rather not charge another accessory
Dyson Solarcycle Morph
- Connecting a lamp to an account and a Wi-Fi network sounds like a chore
- You draw or paint and want soft, wide, shadow-free coverage
- Something has to be repairable years from now — nothing here is user-serviceable
Specs, side by side
| Spec | BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 | Dyson Solarcycle Morph |
|---|---|---|
| Mount | Counterweighted clip over the monitor's top edge | — |
| Power | USB-C, 5V / 3A max | — |
| Color temperature | 2700–6500K | 2700–6500K |
| Center illuminance | Over 1000 lux at 50 cm | — |
| Controller | Wireless, rechargeable | — |
| Length | 50 cm | — |
| Light output | — | 850 lm |
| Color rendering | — | CRI 90 minimum |
| Rated power | — | 11.2 W |
| LED life | — | 181,000 hours, per Dyson |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 or Dyson Solarcycle Morph — which should I buy?
- BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 takes Value and Ease of use; Dyson Solarcycle Morph takes Durability and Design. Neither leads on more axes than the other, so it comes down to which of those you care about.
- Is 0.9 a real difference?
- Barely. BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 averages 8.6 and Dyson Solarcycle Morph averages 7.7, and the total is the plain average of 4 axes, so 0.9 is what one axis moving 3.6 looks like after averaging. The axis split, 2-2, tells you more.
- Which one ranks higher in "Nothing about a lamp matters until it fits the desk"?
- BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 sits at #1 in "Nothing about a lamp matters until it fits the desk", Dyson Solarcycle Morph at #2.