The best ring lights are used by TikTokers and vloggers, makeup artists and content creators in general, giving a much brighter and more professional look than room lighting and windows.
The secret is their size and shape. The best ring lights produce a constant, wide, circular light that illuminates the face from all directions – and the bigger the ring, the softer the lighting. The result is incredibly flattering illumination, with spectacular circular catchlights in the eyes, soft falloff, and light that generally wraps and sculpts the face.
Videographers love ring lights not just because of their soft and flattering lighting but because they provide a continuous light – regular camera flash is obviously no good at all for video. Many of the best ring lights enable you to adjust the color temperature to suit different skin tones (making them great for makeup tutorials, too) and to match the ambient lighting conditions. Whether you're using them in the sun, the shade or yellow-tinged indoor light, you can make your lighting look natural.
These are some of the most recommended ring lights on the market.
1. Razer Ring Light
Color temperature: 3,000K / 4,500K / 6,500KPower source: USBDimensions: 300mm outer diameter, 241mm inner diameterWeight: 260g
USB power only
This 12-inch Razer Ring Light does everything you could possibly want. The one downside to it is that's it's only powered via USB but that isn't the end of the world - especially considering how good the light quality is. They haven't skimped on build quality either, unlike a lot of ring lights, the Razer feels very sturdy and reliable.
2.Lume Cube Ring Light Pro
Color temperature: 3200-5600KPower source: Li-Ion battery (integrated), mainsDimensions: 17 inchesColor temperature: 3200-5600KPower source: Li-Ion battery (integrated), mainsDimensions: 17 inches
This ring light earns its "Pro" designation with distinction. At 17 inches in diameter it's an inch smaller than the Lume Cube Wireless Ring Light(opens in new tab) (below), but it gives you a half hour more battery life and the new light stand is a half-foot higher. The new remote control is a godsend for lighting yourself, and the improved diffusion is a dream for lighting portrait subjects. The quality of light is also absolutely spot-on, which is particularly important for creators shooting content such as makeup tutorials.
So everything about this light is premium – though that also includes the price tag, which stands at 60 bucks more than the Wireless model (which, in itself, is over 100 bucks more than the lower grade but still great Razer Ring Light(opens in new tab). If performance is paramount, this is the way to go – but if budget is a factor, Lume Cube or Razer's alternatives may be more up your alley.
3.Lume Cube Wireless Ring Light
The Lube Cube Wireless ring light might seem overpriced but it has a lot of really great features compared to other ring lights. The light itself is really bright, you can either run it off mains power or for up to 90 minutes on batteries which are supplied. It also includes an LED readout to monitor your settings and it comes with a sturdy 6.5ft light stand.
4. Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit
The Rotolight RL48-B Stealth was one of our favorite portable ring lights in years past, but disappeared from the market a while ago. Now it's back in an all-in-one kit, which also includes a Rotolight mini tripod, stand adapter, phone clip and accessory bar – making it the perfect partner for a tabletop smartphone setup. While this kit is geared towards phones, the RL-48 is also an ideal on-camera light for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras(opens in new tab). The Neo 2 is a bit heavy and unwieldy for the hotshoe, but this smaller model is just the right size (though this kit doesn't include a foot for the shoe), and the hole in the middle is perfect to poke a microphone through!
5. Xinbaohong Clip-On Selfie Light
Color temperature: 6000KPower source: USB (internal battery)Dimensions: 85 x 28mm
For those moments where you only need a little light, these very little lights from Xinbaohong are perfect. In fact, they're so small you can pretty much keep them on you at all times in a pocket or a bag. They can be attached to your laptop, tablet or phone so long as it's 18mm or thinner. They're great for taking on nights out so you can capture well-lit selfies, on holiday or even when travelling away from home so that you can Facetime loved ones no matter how much light is around you. Not only are they small but they're really cheap too and we can't see any downsides to owning one.
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