Ring lights for content creators, live streamers, or anyone involved in video production, photography, etc., act as a low-cost solution for bringing out stunning, studio-quality content.

If you were wondering how ring lights work -- they produce light to illuminate your face. But that's not all that they do! A high-quality ring light can help you get that effortless soft shadow effect on your face – giving you smoother skin on screen.

Ring lights are powered by an array of LED bulbs across the circumference of the light. This means that you get a uniformly projected light on the subject – with a soft and continuous glow.

Before buying a ring light, you'll want to pay attention to the size of the light that you purchase.

While there are small, portable ring lights, they often do not emit enough light, so be sure you get the correct size based on what you'll be recording. Here's a look at what you need to consider when looking at ring lights.

What do inches mean when it comes to ring lights?

Ring light sizes (among other parameters) are often specified in inches, referring to the outer diameter of the ring-shaped LED bulb's circumference.

Although available in different sizes, the most common ones come with a diameter of 8" to 20". That said, the larger ones hold more LED lights within, have more wattage, and distribute farther (and more powerfully) than smaller ones. They can also be adjusted. For example, you can change the color of the white LED lights from orange to a blue filter based on your skintone.

Now that you know what to look for in a ring light, let's take a look at some of the best ring lights.

Best Ring Lights For Content Creators: 11 Recommendations

1. Elgato Ring Light 

The Elgato Ring Light is a complete package for anyone looking to buy a ring light that eliminates shadows, flatters skin tones, and avoids glare. It comes with OSRAM LEDs and emits a soft glow. A step up from other products in the market, this one is perfect for those looking for a flicker-free and color adjustable product.

For easier use, this product comes with app and onboard controls. With up to 2500 lumens, it adjusts to any environment, is ultra-bright, and fully adjustable.

Meanwhile, Elgato's edge-lit LED architecture makes the light easy on the eyes – allowing you to get the look you want, and also works with Siri if your hands are tied.

One other reason to consider the Elgato Ring Light is that it can be paired with the Stream Deck, which will let you adjust is right from your desk.

2. Razer Ring Light

If you're looking for a ring light that can support PC as well as mobile, check out this one from Razer. Packed with 192 LEDs, it delivers incredible luminosity. You can also increase or decrease the brightness of the light from 10% to up to 100%.

We also like how this product provides different mounting options such as a ball head for mounting on a PC, monitor, or laptop. You can also fix it to a mini tripod or its adjustable tripod with a phone holder to stream from your smartphone.

Portable? You bet.

Powered through a USB port, you can charge it using a power bank, laptop, PC, USB hub, or even the wall AC outlet (with a USB wall charger).

You also have the option of pairing it with Razer Kiyo Pro -- an FHD USB webcam that works perfectly with this light.

3. Rotolight NEO 2

If you've been looking for ring lights as a light source, especially while on the move, you need a portable yet powerful ring light. This is what the NEO 2 is all about.

Equipped with advanced features such as HSS (High Speed Sync) flash for continuous power and zero freeze times, adjustable color temperature, flicker-free output, and True Aperture Dimming™ (calculates aperture and adjusts the brightness accordingly), this one makes for a much better piece of equipment than most of its rivals.

Rotolight's signature catch light effect offers a soft, diffused light to help you create excellent live streams. You also get several built-in lighting effects (like lightning, fire, TV, gunshot, etc.) thanks to Rotolight's trademark CineSFX™ technology.

The Rotolight isn't cheap, but you get quality light from it to light your scene.

4. Angler RLB18LED Bi-Color LED Ring Light (18")

This Angler ring light represents exceptional value for the money with its 240 SMD LEDs and high color accuracy. You can power it directly from an AC power outlet or also batteries if you are on the move and live stream without a power outlet in sight.

Its dimmer also adjusts from 0% to 100% to help you achieve the ideal brightness. Together with a mini ball head, a smartphone attachment bracket, and a mirror attachment (comes in handy for makeup and posing), this is a ring light you can grow with.

5. Diva Ring Light Super Nova

If your studio or your live streaming setup needs an upgrade, this professional-quality fluorescent light could be a perfect addition. Apart from being one of the best ring lights if you need soft, virtually shadowless illumination, it also comes with a built-in 20-100% dimmer that can easily reduce the output.

Its USP is its unique shape that produces a stunning catch light in the subject's eyes. Then, its quality construction is another big selling point. And you also get great mounting options – a light stand gooseneck arm and a tripod Z bracket.

6. Nanlite Halo 16C BiColor LED RGB Ring Light

For those in search of a super portable product on this list, the Nanlite Halo could be a fantastic choice.

Thanks to its soft, shadowless lighting, you get studio-quality lighting without any fuss. Plus, if and when you need to, you can add a splash of color thanks to 360 colors available from the RGB spectrum.

You can also power your smartphone through the ring light with a USB power passthrough feature and go as long as you want with your videos or live broadcasts.

7. GLAMCOR GALILEO

In many ways, the GALILEO from GLAMCOR redefines lighting for content creators. This 18-inch ring light is foldable and offers a variety of hue options, such as cool, warm, and neutral.

Apart from fully customizable brightness and temperature, the GALILEO also lets you attach your phone or other devices without any difficulty. So, if you think it's all about the looks, you're mistaken. This portable and well-designed light features a super-awesome Bluetooth functionality that operates at lightspeed when connected to other devices. And, there's no need to use an additional tripod too!

As far as the top ring lights go, this one is the best all-in-one product, hands down.

8. Neewer Pro 18" LED Ring Light kit

Neewer has a stunning collection of ring lights. That means whichever model you choose, the chances are you'd find its performance pretty impressive.

Our favorite among them is the Neewer Pro 18" LED Ring Light kit for the value it offers. This light comes with two reflective silver layers embedded around the LED beads -- offering bright light even in a low-light setting.

You can also twist and bend the gooseneck soft tube and adjust the ring head up to 180 degrees to achieve the perfect illumination at the angle you want. In addition, you get a reverse folding leg stand that's convenient to carry, set, and even store.

9. Lume Cube Cordless 12'' Ring Light Mini

Seek portability with ease of mount? You got it.

This cordless ring light from Lume Cube holds plenty of promise as the best choice for live streamers and content creators.

With a sturdy make and a 12-inch diameter, this premium light also offers adjustable color and brightness. While you can enjoy endless illumination by plugging it in with the AC power adapter, it also delivers up to 1.5 hour run time at full power on the Li-Ion battery that comes included.

You also get flick-free operation, bold 360-degree light, and a 6.5' stand and carry case for hassle-free use and travel.

10. ESDDI PLV-R432 18" LED Ring Light 

Loaded with 432 SMD LEDs, a special ABS shell, and easy to adjust color temperature and brightness, the ESDDI PLV-R432 includes all the goodness of a 45w powered ring light along with a handy kit to complete the awesomeness.

The 4800LM luminous flux, a wide dimming range, and the adjustable color temperature make it a good option for lighting any video. And with a smartphone holder that's compatible with 60-80mm wide smartphones, it's certainly a compelling purchase for creators who care just as much about versatility as about performance.

11. Logitech Litra Glow

The Logitech Litra Glow was purpose-built for live streaming. Featuring Logitech's TrueSoft technology (cinematic light with color accuracy) and their innovative edgeless diffuser, this product delivers a soft and diffused light, which makes it one of the best ring lights available today.

This model also features a patent-pending, 3-way monitor mount for quick height, tilt, and rotation adjustments. Plus, the built-in cable management makes hiding and organizing cables a stress-free task. You can easily remove it from the monitor mount, and it'll be ready to use with any standard camera tripod – a fantastic feature for those who love creating content on the go.

While the Logitech Litra Glow can get bright, and be controlled using the Logitech G Hub app, this particular light is a great ring light alternative. Keep in mind, you may want to use two of them to evenly light your face.

The great thing about this light is that it is portable and can sit on a monitor, laptop, or tripod.

Conclusion

Ring lights are a perfect addition to any live streaming or video production setup.

When choosing a ring light, you often want to go with a larger ring light. The smaller, portable ones simply don't emit enough light to illuminate your face.

As a result, your camera may struggle without enough light.

While this list of best ring lights isn't exhaustive, we are sure that using any of these recommendations will elevate your video production – live or recorded.

For those of you looking to use a virtual background, be sure you pick a ring light that gives off enough. This way you can replace your background easily.

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