Elgato Ring Light adds WiFi to a WFH essential

Ring lights have gone from YouTube and TikTok star niche to work-from-home must-have for anybody wanting to look their best on video calls, and now Elgato is getting in on the action. The new Elgato Ring Light promises not only consistent – and flattering – LED lighting, it's also easier to control since it's WiFi-connected.

That means you can access the settings from the Elgato app, which is available not only for iOS and Android, but for Windows and Mac too. Through that, you can adjust the brightness of the edge-lit LEDs, from their 2,500 lumen maximum down, in 1-percent increments.

The color temperature can be adjusted manually, too, from 2,900 to 7,000 K. If you don't have the app to hand, controls on the light ring itself allow for adjustments to brightness and color temperature. There are two diffusion layers on top of the LEDs, to make sure the glow is uniform and doesn't create weird shadows (or emphasize the bags under your eyes).

If you're already in the Elgato accessory ecosystem, meanwhile, it's possible to control the Ring Light over WiFi using the company's Stream Deck control panel. That allows different configurations to be saved to the LCD keys on that controller, so that you can switch settings without opening the app – including when you're mid-stream. If you're using the Stream Deck Mobile app for iOS, you can use Siri to switch between different customized scenes too.

On the practical side, there's a telescopic pole that can stretch from 17-inches to 29-inches and a 3D swivel mount, for adjusting the height and angle of the 17-inch diameter Ring Light itself. A camera ball mount with a 1/4-inch screw, meanwhile, supports attaching either standard cameras or – with the right grip or bracket – a phone within the ring. A padded desk clamp fixes the Ring Light to the edge of a desk up to 2.35-inches thick; or, alternatively, you can use Elgato's Multi Mount modular rigging system, if you have other devices – such as a microphone – you want to also mount.

The Ring Light is priced at $199.99, and comes in a single size with the power supply in the box. Elgato's phone grip is $14.99, while a heavy base option for freestanding use is $39.99. They're shipping from today.