Ring lights have become in high demand in the last 5 years. Due to the popularity of vloggers. Ring lights are a first choice when setting up their own home studio under space limitations. Ring light kits offer a simple and affordable solution for those who want to setup quickly and on the go. From my point of view, the main industry getting the most of ring lights are make-up video tutorials vloggers because the way ring lights softens the skin imperfections makes ring lights a great lighting solution. In this article we review the Best Ring Lights of 2020.

What Are Ring Lights Anyway?

If you want to make evenly lit videos, record your self-tapes or make up tutorials pictures like a pro, you need to have good illumination. Today’s photo studios are making use of the best ring lights. They are all at rage these days because they highlight the windows into your soul (the eyes), minimize shadows, and offer even, radial illumination that conceals skin imperfections. This makes these devices ideal solutions for for close-ups and portrait photography if you have space limitations or want to set up your own home studio.

What to Look for when Shopping

Before we get to the ring light reviews, you gotta know what to look for. In my experience, you get what you pay for when it comes to ring lights. So, what sets an amazing light apart from the just okay ones?

Adjustable Lighting

Depending on the manufacturer and model, different ring lights have different lighting options. You get maximum functionality with the best models. For instance, the majority of ring lights allow you to take pictures in low light conditions and to adjust the light output. Others even allow you to adjust the color temperature.

LED versus Fluorescent Lamps

The two main types of ring light lamps are LED and fluorescent. We can’t give you a blanket answer for which is better. They both have their pluses and minuses. LED lamps supply a minor pink shade, while fluorescent lamps are on the green side. Plus, fluorescent lamps emit diffused light, but the LED lamps are more directional. When it comes to durability, nothing beats LEDs. So, you should choose an LED ring light if you plan on travelling to different places to take photos.

Extras and Size

We suggest checking out what accessories each model comes with to ensure you are getting everything you need. For example, some lights come with a stand. If you need a stand, be sure to check if the light comes with one. If not, you can buy them separately. I recommend the Phot-R Professional Photography 2m Adjustable 4-Section Photo Studio Lightweight Aluminium Light Stand Reason being, it can get to 2m high and the legs are very narrow. this make this tripod ideal to use it along your ring light without taking much space and the build quality is superior to those cheap-ass tripod out there.

In this case, size also matters (Sorry master Yoda). Diameter usually goes from 10″ to 18″.  You need a small diameter ring light for phones if you are going to do some macro shooting.

Now that you have an idea of what to look for, here are the best ring lights in the market:

1. ZOMEI 18″

Features:

• Ring Size 18″
• Power 58W
• Source of light LED
• Stand included: Yes
• Dims from 1 to 100% percent of full power
• Color Temperature 2700-5500K

The color temperature and brightness are adjustable by knob.

2. Neewer 18″

Features:

• Ring Size 18″
• Power 50W
• Source of light LED
• Color Temperature 3200-5600K
• Dimmable from 1 to 100 percent of full power
• Made up of 240 LEDs that produce 5500K daytime light
• Color temperature adjusting knobs (Yellow and White) on the front base of the ring light, which make it easy to operate and provide more natural light for different skin color and surroundings; Special LED design;Lightweight and Portable; Constant current drive, low power loss

This Neewer model is our pick for the best ring light under £150. We like it because it’s easy to take with you wherever you go. There are countless buyer reviews from salon owners and makeup artists who found this light really made their work pop.

 

3. SAMTIAN 18″

Features:

• Ring Size 18″
• Power 55W
• Source of light LED
• Color 5500K
• Dimmable from 10 to 100 percent of full power
• Number of LEDs 240
• Color temperature adjusting knobs (Yellow and White) on the front base of the ring light, which make it easy to operate and provide more natural light for different skin color and surroundings; Special LED design;Lightweight and Portable; Constant current drive, low power loss
• It can rotate 180 degrees.

If your budget is a bit tighter. The Samtian Ring Light comes with a bluetooth remote controller  and transparent and orange filters (color temperature on this unit is can’t be changed with a knob).

Also worth saying that the minimum dimmable power is 10% of full power so you won’t have that much control on the luminosity if you are aiming for a moody setup.

 

Verdict

Features and price are very similar on all units, but Neewer offers dimmable and better color balance. so we’d say Neewer is our choice as the best ring light of 2020 !

 

I hope you like our article. If you have questions or comments, please leave them in the commnents section below.