Best lights for Zoom calls in 2023: look smart on camera with desktop lighting

Smiling man in office using Rotolight Video Conferencing Kit, one of the best lights for Zoom calls
(Image credit: Rotolight)

The best lights for Zoom calls will instantly make you look more appealing on a webcam. So whether you're having a one-to-one with the boss, pitching to a client, or addressing a meeting, you'll project a clear, crisp, and flattering image and look much more professional and confident.

Certainly, if you’ve spent money on the best 4K webcam, then it makes sense to invest in lighting too. And the best lights for Zoom calls are normally powered by LEDs, due to their longevity, reliability, and low energy consumption.

They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, too, so there are a lot of choices available. You might want a tabletop light, a larger free-standing lamp, or a small light with a suction-cup light that can be mounted anywhere. Bigger lights tend to offer more brightness, color flexibility, and more flattering light, although they also tend to be more expensive, so there's a compromise to be made there.

Below, we've listed the best Zoom lights you can buy right now. And we've included all the information to help you make the right choice for your needs.

Best lights for Zoom calls in 2023

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Editor's Choice

(Image credit: James Artaius)
The best ring light for Zoom calls

Specifications

Color temperature: 3,000K / 4,500K / 6,500K
Power source: USB
Dimensions: 300mm outer diameter, 241mm inner diameter
Weight: 260g

Reasons to buy

+
Superior light quality
+
Sturdy and robust
+
Excellent tripod 

Reasons to avoid

-
USB power only

Want to look your best? YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and TikTokers know all about that, and typically use a ring light, which produces constant light, and sculpts the face in a flattering way. 

Why not emulate this 12-inch model from Razer? The light quality is great and is softly diffused to cast your face in the most attractive manner. The included tripod is sturdy and substantial. 

And the wired remote lets you tweak the brightness and cycle between three color temperatures with one hand. That means you can adjust things discreetly during your Zoom call, without drawing attention to yourself. 

Overall, this ring light is easy to use, well made, and offers great performance for the price. 

Read our Razer Ring Light review 

Recommended

(Image credit: James Artaius / Digital Camera World)
The best ring light for Zoom calls if money's no object

Specifications

Color temperature: 3200-5600K
Power source: Li-Ion batteries, mains
Dimensions: 53.3 x 43.2 x 61cm
Weight: 99g

Reasons to buy

+
High quality output
+
Mains or battery
+
6.5-foot light stand included

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricier than rivals

Willing to stretch your budget? The Lube Cube Wireless ring light is packed with premium features. While it's much more expensive than the Razer Ring Light (number 1 on our list), it's also much bigger, at 18 inches in diameter. The light itself is really bright, and the two included batteries promise up to 1.5 hours of run time at full brightness. You can also run it off the mains if you prefer.

The built-in 3200-5600K color temperature range and high levels of brightness minimize shadows and reduce facial imperfections for the most flattering look. There's an LED readout for settings. Plus it comes with a carry case, a 6.5-foot stand, and mounts for iPhones, other smartphones, digital cameras, and action cameras up to 10 lbs.

In truth, this is probably overkill for just Zoom calls. But if you need a ring light for multiple professional uses, such as streaming or professional selfies, it could be a wise choice. 

`Read our Lube Cube Wireless ring light review 

(Image credit: Gareth Bevan / Digital Camera World)
The best light for Zoom calls for most people

Specifications

Color temperature: 3200-5600K
Power Source: Built-in battery or USB
Weight: 85g (Panel Mini)
Dimensions: 90.9 x 55.3 x 11.4mm (Panel Mini)

Reasons to buy

+
Handy suction-cup mount
+
Can run off USB
+
Incredibly light and portable

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricier than other options

If you're not bothered about a ring light and just want a good value light for Zoom calls, this is probably your best bet. The Lume Cube Video Conferencing Kit comes with an excellent Panel Mini LED, plus an included suction cup that allows it to be mounted to pretty much anything. 

Though the obvious choices would be at the top of your laptop or computer monitor, you could also mount it to a wall for a side light if you wanted, or to a tall piece of furniture. In short, there are plenty of possibilities.

The light itself is excellent. It offers a good range of brightness and color temperature options, making it easy to customize the quality of the light and get it just the way you want it. Also, while it’s powered by a built-in battery, you can use the included USB-C to USB-A cable to connect the panel to your computer and power it that way, meaning you never have to worry about the battery dying mid-call. 

(Image credit: Neewer)

4. Neewer Table Top 10-inch USB LED Ring Light

The best light for Zoom calls with a smartphone holder

Specifications

Color temperature: 3200-5600K
Power Source: USB
Weight: 467g
Dimensions: 290 x 270 x 50mm

Reasons to buy

+
Compact design
+
Flexible phone mount

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited color modes
-
Stand isn’t height adjustable

This 10-inch table-top LED ring light from Neewer has an in-built, adjustable smartphone holder perfect for Zoom calls and vlogging alike. An attractive integrated light stand can fold forward 90 degrees for table-top compositions to show documents or other types of flat lays. The stand isn’t height adjustable, unfortunately, but it does have a universal 1/4" thread to mount to a light stand.

With three color modes to choose from, it can easily match interior lighting for more realistic colors and skin tones, though a dimmable slider option would be better for those requiring precise balancing. Powered by USB, it plugs straight into a laptop or power bank for quick startup.

Rotolight Video Conferenceing Kit, one of the best lights for Zoom calls

(Image credit: Rotolight)

5. Rotolight Video Conferencing Kit

The best light for Zoom calls if money's no object

Specifications

Color temperature: 3150-6300K
Power Source: AA batteries or Mains
Weight: 354g (Rotolight NEO 2)
Dimensions: 145 x 50mm (Rotolight NEO 2)

Reasons to buy

+
No flicker
+
Incredibly versatile
+
Great accessories

Reasons to avoid

-
Over-specced for just Zoom

Ready to push the boat out? Rotolight is deservedly one of the most respected names in video lighting, and this pricey kit includes the Rotolight NEO 2. With ease, you can rig up this light to give yourself soft, flattering, professional-quality lighting on your calls. The fully dimmable set of LEDs can be white-balanced from 3150K to 6500K, ensuring accurate colors in all conditions.

If this all sounds a little overkill for just Zoom calls – well, it probably is. However, the Rotolight NEO 2 is cheaper these days thanks to the introduction of the NEO 3, and this video conferencing kit represents good value for money, throwing in a desktop light stand, a 360-degree ball head, and four-piece filter set to further diffuse the light. 

(Image credit: Neewer)

6. Neewer Dimmable Bi-color LED

The best light for Zoom calls for lighting flexibility

Specifications

Color temperature: 3200-5600K
Power Source: Li-ion battery and mains
Weight: 1680g
Dimensions: 325 x 305 x 75mm

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful light output
+
Sturdy and robust build

Reasons to avoid

-
Diffuser panel fiddly to fit
-
Power cable not long enough

This LED panel from Neewer is an attractive item for those that need a good Zoom light but require flexibility when it comes to lighting for photos or videos. A slim profile and robust metal finish makes it easy to transport for use out of the home office, too. 

Dimmable and capable of matching color temperatures between 3200-5600K it can render skin tones accurately. A universal 1/4" thread mounts directly to light stands and the U-mount bracket allows full vertical tilting. Also included is a useful diffusion panel for softer, more flattering light. 

(Image credit: Manfrotto)

7. Manfrotto Lumimuse 8 LED

The best light for Zoom calls for portability

Specifications

Color temperature: 5600K
Power Source: Li-ion battery
Weight: 175g
Dimensions: 115 x 71 x 21mm

Reasons to buy

+
Ultra portable
+
High power output given size
+
Rechargeable li-ion battery

Reasons to avoid

-
Snap-on color filters

Setting up a Zoom call but have limited desk space, or perhaps you just need some more light while in a virtual meeting while on a train? Then opt for the Lumimuse 8, a lithium-ion powered LED light that will easily add more light to your video call. It’s incredibly bright considering its compact dimensions and so lightweight it’s easy to throw in the pocket before leaving the house. 

Simply prop it up on the desk or attach it to one of Manfrotto’s many accessories for flexible positioning. The only drawback is a limited stepped brightness control and snap-on filters for adjusting color balance, but for most Zoom users it’s a great value LED panel to add a splash of light.

(Image credit: George Cairns / Digital Camera World)
Best portable LED for camera-mounted illumination on YouTube shoots

Specifications

Color temperature: 2500-8500K
Weight: 7.02 ounces
Dimensions: 14 x 73 x 130 mm
Battery performance: 5 hours
Lighting effects: 12 presets
Output: 1580 Lux
CRI: 98+
TLCI: 98+

Reasons to buy

+
Solidly built 
+
Fast charging
+
Bright output

Reasons to avoid

-
There are cheaper, similar-looking panels
-
The special effects are not particularly useful on most Zoom calls

There are many mini light panels on the market, but the RM120 stands out from the crowd for several reasons. For starters, we were impressed by its construction. It feels more robust (and heavier) than many flimsy plastic LED panels due to its metal body (and this quality is reflected in its comparatively expensive price). It also has a colour OLED display on the rear that makes it easier to view the many menu modes this mini LED panel has to offer. You can dial in a range of color temperatures using the main dial at the side (which also doubles up as a mode-changing button).  A 1/4 threaded hole lets you mount the light on a stand or tripod, you can use the supplied cold shoe adapter to pop the panel above your DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Read our full SmallRig RM120 review for more details.

(Image credit: Future)
Lume Cube's LED panel can also double up as a power bank

Specifications

Color temperature: 3200-5600K
Lux (at 5m): 1600
Power source: Internal battery
Dimensions: 151x80x9.8mm
Weight: 180g

Reasons to buy

+
Good light power
+
Can be used as power bank

Reasons to avoid

-
Cheaper options exist
-
Middling colour temp range

The Lume Cube Panel doesn't reinvent anything about LED lighting, but it's a useful unit for occasional use, or to carry with you when away from home. For a start, it's not just an LED panel, but also a power bank; when we tested it out, we were using it as a light while also charging a smartphone, which is pretty handy. 

It doesn't hold enough juice to replace a dedicated power bank, but it's a handy feature nonetheless. If you don't use this functionality, then the 3.85V Li-Polymer battery will last about 90-100 minutes, which is also really impressive. Brightness is good, and you can adjust the color temperature, so you can more naturally blend in with your room lighting.

How we test LED panels

At DCW, we test a huge variety of photo and video equipment, including cameras, lenses and accessories such as LED panels. Our process involves both real-world and lab testing – for LED panels, we measure brightness output and compare it to the manufacturer's claims to see how well the product stacks up. We also look at portability, colour temperature range, lighting modes and other factors to assess how useful the LED panel will be to working photographers and videographers. Learn more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World.

Read more:
Best ring lights
Best USB microphones
Best boom arms for microphones
Best laptop stands
Best light stands
Best tabletop tripods

Jason Parnell-Brookes

Jason Parnell-Brookes is an internationally award-winning photographer,  writer, and an optics specialist. He currently serves as the Channel Editor for Cameras and Skywatching over at Space.com and is the former Technique Editor of N-Photo magazine. He won Gold in the Nikon Photo Contest 2018/19 and was named Digital Photographer of the Year in 2014. Jason is a qualified teacher, Masters graduate and works with many high-profile international clients. 

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