BenQ iScreenBar – a light bar made only for the iMac
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The 24-inch iMac is a beautiful computer. Then people put an ugly clamp lamp next to it, or a monitor light bar that was built for a chunky gaming screen and sits on the iMac like a hat two sizes too big.
The BenQ iScreenBar is a light bar made only for the 24-inch iMac. It clips onto the back with a magnet, matches the silver aluminum, and lights up your desk without bouncing off the screen. BenQ says it’s the first monitor light bar built for the iMac, and MacRumors repeated that claim when it launched on August 25, 2026.
An accessory for one single computer. Very Apple of them.
What is the BenQ iScreenBar?
It’s an iMac light bar: a long aluminum bar with LEDs that hangs over the top edge of the screen and points light down at your keyboard and desk. BenQ, from Taiwan, has been making ScreenBar monitor lights for years. This is its first one for a specific computer.
What makes this one different is the mount. A custom magnetic clamp grabs the back of the iMac, and BenQ designed it so it doesn’t cover the built-in camera, the microphone or the Apple logo on the back. A magnetic cable clip keeps the USB-C cable out of sight. It gets power from one of the iMac’s USB-C ports.
It fits every 24-inch iMac from 2021 and later. It won’t work with other displays.
How does it work?
BenQ uses what it calls ASYM-Light optics. The light shines down and forward at an angle, so it doesn’t hit the screen or your eyes. BenQ says it covers an area of 33.5 by 19.7 inches at 500 lux.
You control it with a glass touch panel on the bar, or with a macOS app that sets brightness, color temperature and lighting modes, even per app. On paper it’s also pretty smart:
- Presence detection turns it on when you sit down and off when you leave
- It can switch on when the iMac wakes up
- Auto-dimming adjusts the brightness as the room gets lighter or darker
- A video call mode evens out the light on your face and reduces bright spots
The good and the not-so-good
The good: it takes up zero desk space and it actually looks like it belongs on the iMac. Dennis Sellers at Apple World Today gave it 4 out of 5 stars in his review. He liked that the aluminum body and glass controls match the iMac, and that the Mac app lets you save brightness and color presets and switch with one click. He also liked the video call mode, which keeps stray light away from the webcam.
The not-so-good: 189 bucks is a lot for a lamp, and Sellers called it “a bit on the pricey side” too. It only comes in silver for now, so it clashes a bit with a blue or green iMac (BenQ says blue and green versions follow in late 2026). And if the iMac ever gets replaced by a different screen, the iScreenBar goes in a drawer.
Who is the BenQ iScreenBar for?
The iMac owner who works late, edits photos or does a lot of video calls in a dark room. It’s a nice gift because it’s something an iMac person would never buy for themselves, but would use every day. Pair it with a Moft smart desk mat and the desk is done.
Skip it if you don’t have a 24-inch iMac. For any other monitor, the BenQ ScreenBar Pro does the same job for less. And if your desk light is fine but your mouse is the problem, look at the Logitech MX Master 4.
Where can I buy the BenQ iScreenBar?
It’s on Amazon for about 189 bucks at the time of writing (October 2026), sold by BenQ itself. BenQ also sells it on its own site.
Your iMac finally gets a lamp that matches its shoes.