I wanted to try out one of these monitor light bars and ended up liking this one so much that I bought another for my second screen. There are so many lookalikes of this style of product, but I liked this model because of its simplicity. Not having to deal with another remote dongle helps to keep my desk setup clean, but I still wanted to get a light of decent quality.
Pros:
+ The backlight actually works well to add ambient illumination in low light. It's not too bright, but it gets the job done.
+ The touch controls are decently responsive with only a light tap, and the operation of dimming and changing color modes is intuitive. Since you don't have to press too hard to activate the switches, knocking the lamp out of position isn't really a concern. This was my favorite feature from the outset, as the reduced complexity helps to keep things neat.
+ USB C power connectivity means that this can be used with alternative cables quite easily
+ The anodized aluminum body gives the lamp a premium look, and likely helps to dissipate heat from the LEDs which should improve their service life
+ Three color modes gives flexibility without overwhelming with too many options. It's actually pretty clever: there are cool and warm white LED in the unit. It switches between them for cool/warm light and uses both for neutral white light. I mostly use it in warm light mode.
+ The mount for the light is well designed. It uses a combination of a gentle spring and a counterweight to keep the lamp in position at the top of the monitor. Especially thoughtful is the small lip at the front, which helps to prevent overlap with monitors that have small bezels, but your mileage may vary.
+ The beam pattern works as advertised. It puts light exactly where I need it without glaring into my face. It also doesn't wash out the light on my monitor either. The wide band of light creates diffuse shadows on my work surface, in contrast to the desk lamp I was using before.
+ It has superbly minimal design. The body of the lamp has some regulatory compliance stuff and info printed on the back facing away from the user, but nothing else. No branding, no toggles, no status lights. It just sorta goes away. Only comes in black, but that's OK for me.
Cons and places for improvement:
- The included cable is decidedly meh. Be aware that it is a type A to type C cable, so some laptop users may need to power it off of a hub or with a different cable. It's long-ish, but users who wanna tuck it into a monitor arm or have their PC/power supply below their desk (especially with a standing desk) might need something a bit longer. For what it's worth though, it gets the job done, and I'm sure the manufacturer found it to be the ideal balance to keep the lamp's price competitive
- Cool blue light is kinda useless for a product marketed at reducing eye fatigue. The light intensity just isn't bright enough to justify the color. Some might like it, but I would prefer that the space be used for neutral or more warm LEDs.
- The counterweight on the mount is decently hefty, but the spring on the clamp is a bit weak. The mount doesn't move around when I adjust the height of my desk, but I wouldn't expect it to hold up to too much jostling
- Not everyone really cares about this, but I'd like to see more sustainable packaging materials in the future. That said, there wasn't too much single-use plastic in the box
The OOWolf light bar may have a goofy name, but it appears to be a well built product. Build quality seems good, and the design and functionality is thoughtful and straightforward. At 40 bucks, I'd say it hits the sweet spot in terms of value for monitor lights. I wouldn't want to spend any more, but I'd be leery of cheaping out too much on something I'll be using daily. Can't speak for the long term performance since I've only had it for a day, but LEDs driven at only 5W shouldn't dim out too badly. I also don't know how good OOWolf's customer service is since I've yet to have issues, but a 1 year warranty indicates a show of good faith to their customers.
Made with chemicals safer for human health and the environment.
As certified by
Global Recycled Standard
Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified products contain recycled content that has been independently verified at each stage of the supply chain, from the source to the final product and meet social, environmental, and chemical requirements. The purchase of Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified products supports the use of recycled content in the supply chain. A product must contain at least 50% certified GRS material to qualify for inclusion in Climate Pledge Friendly.
Certification Body
Intertek
Certification Number
TE-00298225
