Are monitor light bars actually worth it over a regular desk lamp?

Across the workspace subreddits we read (r/Workspaces, r/battlestations, r/desksetup), the consensus is yes for screen-heavy work: a properly aimed light bar illuminates the desk without casting light onto the monitor, reduces eye strain in dim rooms, and reclaims desktop space a traditional lamp would occupy. Dissenting voices exist — some reviewers returned theirs in favor of a floor or architect lamp — so the value depends on how often you work in low ambient light.