Xiaomi's $39 Monitor Light Bar 2 takes on BenQ with Ra 96 color accuracy
Xiaomi has launched a crowdfunding campaign in China for its Mijia Monitor Light Bar 2, priced at 259 yuan (around $39). That puts it squarely against BenQ's ScreenBar lineup, which starts at $109 and climbs to $179 for the Halo 2 — for a product that, on paper, offers comparable specs at a fraction of the cost.
The light
The bar stretches 500 mm and houses 108 full-spectrum LEDs. Xiaomi claims a color rendering index of Ra 96 — a score that sits comfortably in professional studio territory, where Ra 90+ is the benchmark for accurate color reproduction. Supporting metrics (R9 95, CQS 98, Rf 97) back that up. Illuminance at desk level lands between 1,100 and 1,800 lux depending on mounting height, per Gizmochina.
The headline engineering upgrade is a redesigned asymmetrical lens with a 20.8-degree shielding angle. That geometry directs light downward onto your desk surface while keeping the monitor screen itself out of the beam — no glare, no reflections bouncing back at your eyes. Cheaper bars skip this step, and you feel it after a long session.
The controls
A wireless dial handles brightness and color temperature, sliding between 2700K (warm) and 6500K (daylight). Gen 1 shipped with a wired dial, so this is a meaningful upgrade. The bar also integrates with Xiaomi's HyperOS Connect smart-home ecosystem, letting you set scenes — auto-on with your PC, or a warm shift after sundown — if you're already inside that ecosystem. Blue light output is reduced for late-night use, which matters for anyone working past 10 p.m.
The mounting clamp fits flat and curved monitors with bezels between 5 mm and 65 mm thick, so compatibility shouldn't be an issue for most setups.
Availability
The crowdfunding campaign goes live July 15 in China. International buyers won't get it that fast — based on how Gen 1 rolled out, AliExpress and Amazon typically stock Xiaomi accessories within two to four months of a China launch. Expect it to appear around September or October 2026, likely priced at £40–50 in the UK and $45–55 in the US.
Gen 1 sold for £28–35 in the UK and was praised as a best-value pick by Boredom at Work for offering a wireless dial and aluminum build at sub-$50 pricing. Gen 2 raises the Ra index, sharpens the optics, and cuts the cord on the controller — without raising the price significantly. If you've been eyeing a BenQ ScreenBar but stalling on the price, this is worth the wait.
