What is the best light for streaming? Streaming-specific lights offer an instant way to boost your stream, making you and your setup look more professional and flattering. If you’re streaming on Twitch, Instagram, or YouTube and want to attract more followers, check out our favourite stream lighting below.
The best streaming lights are either ring lights or LED panels. Game brands like Razer and Elgato create reliable lights to boost productions, but you can also find smaller and cheaper ring lights on Amazon. That said, the best light for the entire streaming is Elgart ring light. This is because it is well built, strong and delivers excellent results. Meanwhile, your budget option is the Neewer Basic 5-inch ring lights for under $20, while the top studio lighting option is the Joby Beamo Studio key lights. Below you will find more options, which will help you choose your guide and FAQ to find the right light that suits your needs.
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Best lights for streaming:
Elgatling light
Perfect ring light for streaming
Elgart ring light specifications:
| Color temperature |
2,900-7,000k |
| Light output |
2,500 lumens, dim |
| Connection |
USB |
| Outer diameter |
17 inches |
| Weight |
1.6kg (light only) |
Strong Points
- A striking range of colours
- Very flattering light quality
Cons
- You might prefer to control the app
The Elgart Ring Light is the perfect light for streaming overall. Place it on top to balance features, connectivity and price. It is especially designed for streaming live games, making flattering and light even while brightening your eyes for more engaging videos.
Onboard controls are available to change brightness and color temperature settings, but you can also tweak these through apps (and WiFi) on Mac, PC, iOS and Android.
The 2500 lumen light output is one of the highest on the market, and the customizable color temperature range of the ring light is comparable to the more expensive Razer key light chroma below. Whether you use live streams on Twitch, Tiktok, Instagram or YouTube, Elgato Ring Light is the perfect choice for the best streaming camera.
Neewer Basic 5 inch ring light
Best budget ring lights
Neewer Basic 5-inch ring light specification:
| Color temperature |
3000K-6000K |
| Light output |
450LX lighting at 0.5m |
| connection |
USB with wired remote control |
| size |
145 x 127 x 28mm (5.7 x 5 x 1 inch) |
| Weight |
188g (6.6 z) with tripod, 131g (4.6 z) with clip |
Strong Points
- Incredible value
- Most often, there is plenty of light
- Convenient inline remote
- Includes tripod and monitor clips
Cons
- No software control
- It’s not bright very much
Neewer is one of the most reliable names for low-cost LED lighting, offering a wide range of studio and home lighting. The Neewer Basic 5-inch ring light is exactly what it says, offering a simple 5-inch ring light with no too many bells or whistles and at a very low price.
What’s more, even though it’s called Basic, it actually comes with quite a few features. Get both the monitor/laptop clip and the mini tripod. It comes with an inline remote that allows you to control power, brightness (10 levels), and color temperature. The latter allows you to cycle through cool lighting modes from a variety of warm lighting modes to suit your setup.
At the maximum power output of 0.5m 450LX lighting, the Neewer Basic 5-inch ring light does not set a brightness record, but it is sufficient for use in most indoor homes, and the use of a USB connection is convenient for connecting to any type of device away from the main socket.
Elgart Key Light Mini
The best compact streaming light
Elgart Key Light Mini Specification:
| Color temperature |
2,900-7,000k |
| Light output |
800 lumens |
| connection |
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C charging |
| size |
5.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches |
| Weight |
300g. |
Strong Points
- A range of versatile colours
- Bright light
- Refined design
Cons
- Less versatility than ring lights
The Elgato Key Light Mini is a concrete yet compact streaming light. This is a portable LED panel, but despite its small size, it has a high-rise output of 800. The color temperature range is also one of the most versatile on this list. The Key Light Mini is well designed, with power buttons and brightness switching to its sides.
If you want to mount the lights on your monitor, you can do that with Elgato’s multi-mount system. There is also a ¼-inch thread for mounting on a typical stand (sold separately). Unlike the wired lighting on this list, the Keylight Mini is battery powered and is charged via USB-C. It gives you about 4 hours of light at half the brightness, and once the juice is gone, charging is quick and easy.
The Elgato Key Light Mini makes for a great streaming light for anyone who needs portability and a variety of positioning options. Not the cheapest (or most expensive) streamlite on this list, but it’s reasonably priced for what you get.
Most versatile streaming light
Logitech G Litra Beam LX Specification:
| Color temperature |
2700-6500K |
| Light output |
400 lumens |
| connection |
Bluetooth, USB-C |
| size |
42 x 401 x 35 mm |
| Weight |
1.49 kg |
Strong Points
- It’s bright and even a key light
- Excellent RGB features
- Comes with a flexible stand
Cons
- Heavy designs are not portable
- There is no Wi-Fi connection
- Premium Price
The Logitech G Litra Beam LX is an original, inexpensive Litra beam upgrade to provide double side lighting. The powerful 400 lumen light bar on the front brightens and shines your face. And behind, customizable RGB lighting climbs around. This light is a real atmosphere for gamers and can be linked to other Logitech G products such as microphones and keyboards for the gorgeous ecosystem.
When I tested the Litra Beam LX, I was impressed by how easy it was to set up, how flexible it is to place it, and how bright the key light itself is. Using the Logitech G Hub on your desktop allows you to change granular settings from power output to color temperature, but there is also a button at the top if you don’t want to use software.
The Litra Beam LX is not the cheapest product in this guide. But it is slim, elegant and well built. And because of the combination of bright front lights and gorgeous coloured backlights, it’s the most versatile choice here.
Read the Logitech G Litra Beam LX Review.
Razer Key Light Chroma
Best Premium RGB Streaming Lights
Razer Key Light Chroma Specifications:
| Color temperature |
2,900-7,000K, RGB |
| Light output |
2,800 lumens, light dimming agent |
| connection |
USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| size |
21.8 – 53.2 inches |
| Weight |
1.6kg |
Strong Points
- Jazzy RGB lighting effects
- Very bright maximum light output
- It comes with a stand
The Razer Key Light Chroma is definitely a premium streaming light and isn’t the cheapest. This is a much larger panel than the portable Elgart key light below, which allows for output of more than three times the brightness at up to 2800 lumens (which can be dimmed in increments).
It also offers RGB lighting, offering over 16.8 million colors, which actually sets the atmosphere of the live stream. The light can be controlled wirelessly from your smartphone (using the Razer streaming app) or PC (using Razer Synapse). So you can customize it while streaming without moving it. In terms of placement, the Razer Key Light Chroma comes with a slim clamp mount to hold it in to your desk, plus expandable poles on the sides if you want to move apart.
If you are a serious streamer and want the best stream lights with RGB lighting, the Razer key light chroma is your best choice.
Top quality streaming lights
Lume Cube Cordless Ring Light Pro Specifications:
| Light output |
1,500 lumens / 1,700 lux at 0.5m |
| Color temperature |
3,200-5,600k |
| Battery life |
Full brightness for up to 70 minutes |
| Charging port |
USB-A |
| size |
17.5 inch ring light, 18-70 inch stand |
| Camera Mount |
Smartphone, DSLR |
Strong Points
- Gorgeous light quality
- Physical Remote Control
- The settings will be displayed in the handy panel
Cons
- Premium Price
- Non-pro models are big
- Integrated battery
This 17-inch ring light has everything a Pro Streamer can request. It comes with a fully adjustable 18-70-inch stand that can be set up at any height, standing upright from the gaming chair. A travel case is also included for easy storage or transportation. There is a rear LCD to check the settings, and the integrated battery is easy to ride.
The color temperature of the Ring Light Pro can be adjusted from 3200-5600K. Unlike the other streaming lights in this guide, it features Lume Cube Edgelit Technology. The 256 LED is built into the face of the inside to achieve the most flattering light quality. Physical remote control allows you to change the light power and temperature on the spot during live streaming.
Lume Cube Cordwrestling Light Pro is the most expensive in the guide, but overall it’s the best. I couldn’t put it in the number one spot due to the price, but I think it was the right choice if you could afford to add it to your streaming setup and wanted the best lights.
Read Lume Cube Cordwrestling Light Pro Review.
The perfect streaming light for tabletops
Joby Beamo Studio Keylight Specifications:
| Color temperature |
3,200 / 6,500 / 5,600K |
| Light output |
0.5m 650 lux |
| connection |
USB-A |
| size |
7.5 x 10 x 37 inch light, adjustable 27-37 inch stand |
| Weight |
1.64kg |
Strong Points
- Beautiful light quality
- Magnetic Remote Control
- 4 cold shoe mounts
Cons
- USB Type-A connection
- No full color temperature range
- Not the most powerful light
The Joby Beamo Studio Keylight is a great purchase for streamers who want to enhance the lights of their game streaming setups without spending a lot of money. It is designed to look great when streaming on YouTube and Twitch, but the light has three colour temperatures and 10 brightness levels, but on 650 Lux it is not the most powerful light in this guide.
The Beamo Studio key light is USB driven and can be placed in a variety of locations with a 1.8m cable. Designed to be used as a desktop video light, the relatively small footprint means there is not much space in the gaming desk. It features streaming microphone attachments to save even more space.
If you want a versatile light at an affordable price, I recommend the Joby Beamo Studio key lights, but buying a pair and creating a two-point lighting setup for your stream will give you the most impressive results.
Please read the Joby Studio Key Light Review.
Razer Kiyo
Best webcam with ring light
Razer Kiyo Specification:
| Color temperature |
5,600k (daylight balance) |
| Light output |
not specified |
| connection |
USB |
| size |
2.7 x 7.9 x 1.9 inches |
| Weight |
201g |
Strong Points
- No separate webcams required
- Small size is bright
Cons
- The lighting may be a little harsh
- Positioning is not flexible
Although the Razer Kiyo has been around for over 5 years, this guide is the only streaming light that doubles as one of the best webcams. It’s a great way to save desk space and money, as you don’t need to buy individual products for your setup. Kiyo is mounted on the monitor and automatic or manual focus works to sharpen the photos. You can also adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation, and white balance levels.
As a streaming light, the Razer Kiyo is surprisingly powerful. But it cannot do color or effect. If you want to light up a dark room so you can live with friends, it’s a wise choice. It is suitable for streaming games on YouTube and Twitch, but also suitable for everyday use in video calls. Razer Kiyo is the best generalist choice in this guide.
How to choose the best light for streaming
The best streaming lights are either ring lights or LED panels. And like the best gaming microphones, they don’t have to sacrifice a lot of money. Game brands like Razer and Elgato create reliable lights to give productions a dramatic boost, but you can also find smaller, easier to use cheap ring lights on Amazon. The best webcams for streaming have built-in ring lights, but these are less powerful than standalone lights.
I’ve been using streaming lights for years and there are several different options depending on whether I’m on my desktop, laptop, or filmed content. To find the ideal streaming light, ask yourself a few simple questions. How big is the streaming setup you want to brighten up? Do you need a light that can be attached to a monitor or placed far away on the stand? Should it be portable? How bright does it need?
Most lights for streaming are LED lights, not tungsten or fluorescent tubes. LEDs are the best type of river light because they are cool for a long period of time, energy efficient, and provide a fairly even shine. This is perfect for the skin. If you’re wondering if a ring light is better than a streaming key light, there’s no answer. Keylights are very bright, but often produce more glare, so you may need to place them further apart than ringlights.
If you’re making it on a small desktop, laptop, or on the go, a small light is better. If the streaming setup space is generous, we recommend investing in greater light that can be placed on the stand. Alternatively, you can illuminate a large space with some lights.
For most of us, price is important when shopping for streaming accessories. You don’t have to spend hundreds to get a decent streaming light, but more expensive lights often offer better build quality, additional settings, and better connectivity, such as Bluetooth, whether it’s WiFi. Many streaming lights in this guide offer Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, but some are USB only. It’s not necessary to have a smart connection, but you can do things like controlling the lights from your smartphone.
Some streaming lights come with stands and some are mounted on monitors. The sturdy, height-adjustable stand allows you to change the position and angle of the light for more versatile streaming options. If you want to change your streaming setup regularly and use the lights in different locations, look for lights that can be used on both the tabletop and the floor. I want to make sure the streaming lights don’t get in the way of other streaming equipment like cameras.
The temperature of the colours represented in Kelvin (k) affects how cool or warm the light is. I like streaming lights with fully customizable color temperatures. These are to give you a more look in the live stream. Do you prefer a warm, cool or neutral look in your stream? The lower the K number, the warmer the light will be, but higher numbers will look whiter. For reference, sunlight is about 5000-6500k on the scale.
It is important to buy bright and large enough light for your streaming setup. Lighting up a larger space requires brighter light, but brighter ones aren’t necessarily better. Too much light can make sitting in front of you uncomfortable, but it’s not enough and the video is dim and dull. Manufacturers usually measure light by lumen or lux, and most streaming lights have an adjustable output, allowing you to adjust the brightness of your live stream. We recommend a streaming light of at least 250 lumens. All the lights in this guide have a minimal amount.
Is Ring Light worth streaming?
Ring lights are one of the best and most popular options for streaming. This is because unlike rectangular key lights, its circular shape distributes light more evenly and reduces the shadows of the face. Generally speaking, there is no light in the center, so the ring light doesn’t get hot as fast as the key light. This means you can stream for a long time without overheating. That said, most modern lights run with LEDs that don’t get hot right away.
Ring lights can be found at a wide range of prices, from entry-level to professionals, making it easy to find the perfect one for your streaming needs. They are usually light enough to be attached to a gaming monitor or added to a stand or desktop. In other words, their uses are more diverse. Designed to even provide lighting without glare, the ring light can be placed almost apart in arm length. This means you can accommodate it in the smallest streaming setup.
Check out our guide to the best LED strip lights for more ways to light up your game setup.
