Sales of LED ring lights boomed when it emerged that they were the secret behind all those flawlessly lit selfies doing the rounds on Instagram taken by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid.
LED ring lights remain a must-have tool in both the fashion and beauty worlds. Why? They ultimately enhance selfies so, for those who film reels, IGTVs and YouTube videos regularly, they are considered an essential piece of kit.
In the past year, the demand for ring lights has surged. Searches for 'ring light for laptop' are up a whopping 171% and 'ring light for Zoom' up 250% as we all spend more time in front of video calls.
What's more, the TikTok boom and constant stream of video content online has encouraged Gen Z to invest, too. In short, the obsession with LED ring lights isn't set to disappear any time soon.
There are countless reasons you might be considering investing in an LED ring light. If you're dabbling in photography, ring lights are ideal for lighting headshots and still life set-ups. Maybe you're constantly logging in to WFH video calls or you're trying your hand at the odd video tutorials. Or maybe you simply want to lock down the perfect lighting set-up for applying your favourite beauty products.
From multicoloured ring lights to selfie ring lights, there really is a perfect LED ring light out there for everyone. Scroll on down to find the best LED ring light for you.
SHOP: The Best Ring Lights 2023
1 of 8Brilliant Ideas Star-Shaped Vlogging Ring Light
Whether you're trying to snap the perfect selfie or have a job interview you want to look your best for, this star-shaped ring light from Urban Outfitters will do the trick. It features different brightness levels and colour temperatures, and it also comes with a phone holder so you can get started pronto.
Features: Bright and dim modes, three adjustable colour temperatures, 10 brightness levels, USB-powered.
Review: "Exceeded expectations! I’ve wanted a ring light/tripod for ages. I am glad I got this in the sale. Easy to assemble too."
2 of 8Neewer Ring Light
An all-around ring light that works with your phone or your camera, giving you all the light you need for your photos and videos. It's 18 inches, which is ideal for covering a larger area with soft lighting. It comes with both attachments for a phone and for a camera, white and orange colour filters to tweak the colour temperature, and a clicker to connect to your phone camera.
Features: Dimmable, cold shoe adapter, carry bag.
Review: "Powerful led light that’s easy to dim and compact enough to take with you when you are on the go. Quality-wise you get plenty for the price, very well-built light, great snap-on filters and solid hot shoe adapter and phone holder. Performance-wise it's very bright and easy to adjust using the dimmable knob on the back, I recommend it, 5/5."
3 of 8VEVICE Ring Light
This ring light offers different brightness and light modes, allowing you to get the results you want for those portraits and videos. It comes with an extendable stand and a clicker, making it easier to take selfies or adjust the subject without having to use a timer on your phone.
Features: Three colour modes, 10 brightness levels, wireless remote control for selfies, 360-degree pan-tilt.
Review: "Great value and versatility. Able to use in many different ways. Used a power bank which I attached to the frame to allow real portability."
4 of 8Rio Professional Makeup and Vlogging 18 Inch Dimmable LED Ring Light
This dimmable ring light provides studio-quality lighting, helping you vlog and snap photos while looking flawless as ever. It offers warm, organic and natural lighting modes, and the long-life LED means over 50,000 hours of use.
Features: Long-life LED lights, LED ring carry bag, 360-degree lamp.
Review: "Purchased this ring light to use for creating makeup looks on myself and others for my makeup portfolio. I have set it up in my home studio and it is perfect. The light can be changed from natural light through to a warm light that is perfect for capturing the best from your makeup looks! Cute carry case too which will be perfect for weddings."
5 of 8Neewer Macro LED Ring Flash
For photographers wanting a ring light attachment for their DSLR, we've got just the product. This ring light fits onto the front of the camera for close-distance photography and comes with eight mounting rings and four colour filters to create different temperatures and lighting styles. An LCD display will help you adjust the light settings, and allows you to have full light or half-light
with either the left or the right side of LEDs on.
Features: Four lighting modes, three brightness levels, and eight adapter rings.
Review: "Very happy with this kit, works flawlessly and seems very well built, would definitely recommend to anyone on a budget!"
6 of 8Rio Beauty Glow Selfie and Vlogging Smartphone Ring Light, £9.99
Selfies will never be the same again with Rio's beauty glow selfie ring light. Add brightness and clarity to all your content, with three brightness settings that'll help illuminate your face, helping you look like the best version of yourself.
Features: 36 LED lights, adjustable brightness, USB-powered, 1.5-hour run time.
7 of 8IVISII Ring Light, £109.99
This ring light gets brownie points for versatility; it comes with a tripod stand, phone holder and smart LCD display, as well as a hot shoe adapter, making it compatible with most phones or DSLR cameras.
Features: Wireless use and LCD display, ring-shaped design, LED lamp.
Review: "I’m a beauty influencer and I work on social media this Ring light is perfect for me taking photos of my make-up and filming my videos. Absolutely love the fact that there is a component that you can attach within the ring light to secure your phone - very pleased with this product."
8 of 8Swipe Selfie Light
Up your selfie game with this ring light. Attach it to your phone on the go to brighten your pictures in a flash.
Features: Battery-powered, 36 LED lights with three brightness modes and an attachment clip to place over the front of your phone.
Is a ring light worth it?
Ring lights are versatile and a useful tool to have full stop, even if you only want one to light up your dressing table. The improved lighting situation an LED ring light affords allows you to see more clearly how each product sits on your skin, enabling you to home in on areas that require a little more blending with a make-up brush.
If you want to start or continue creating content it's a great addition to your kit. An LED ring light stands to give you a high quality, professional look.
They up the ante of your selfies no end too, talk about a glow!
What size ring light is best?
To work out which size LED ring light you need have a real think about how you'll most likely be using it. A 6" or smaller ring light is perfect for selfies from your phone or for attaching to your laptop while working from home.
A larger ring light, 10" or 12" is best for make-up lighting and creating content that is close to the subject being videoed or photographed for example beauty headshots and still life shots or video tutorials.
LED ring lights can come in at as large as 18" as well. These ones are better if your shot needs to cover a larger area. The bigger the ring light, the larger the area it covers and the softer the lighting.