Home head-to-head
BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2vsPHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp
1.1 points separate them: 8.6 for BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, 7.5 for PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp. Design carries most of it, 9.0 to 6.4.
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.
7.5
A clamp arm that hands the whole desktop back to you, provided your desk has an edge to grip.
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 Design, BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 ahead 9.0 to 6.4. They come closest on Durability, 8.4 to 7.6. Left of center is BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, right is PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp.
Which one to pick
Take the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2
Leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design.
- 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 PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp
Leads on Value.
- Drafting, soldering, sewing — work that needs the surface completely clear
- You want the light directly above the work rather than off to one side
- A desk with an accessible edge or a rear rail to clamp onto
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
PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp
- Your desk is glass, has a bullnose edge, or is thicker than the clamp opens
- You expect a sprung arm that holds any pose — these are friction joints
- The desk moves around the room, since remounting is a five-minute job each time
Specs, side by side
| Spec | BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 | PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp |
|---|---|---|
| Mount | Counterweighted clip over the monitor's top edge | Clamp, desktops up to 2.36 in thick |
| Power | USB-C, 5V / 3A max | 8 W |
| Color temperature | 2700–6500K | 2700–5700K |
| Center illuminance | Over 1000 lux at 50 cm | — |
| Controller | Wireless, rechargeable | — |
| Length | 50 cm | — |
| Arm | — | Two 16.3 in metal sections |
| Head | — | 13.6 in bar, 180-degree swivel |
| Dimming | — | Stepless touch, last setting remembered |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- Is BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 the straightforward pick?
- BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design. If Value matters more to you, take the PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp instead. It is 1.1 ahead on the average, which is wide for a 4-axis category.
- What does PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp still do better?
- Value. Value runs 8.8 to 7.6. Everything else goes the other way.
- 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", PHIVE CL-1 Architect Desk Lamp at #3.