What Size Ring Light Do YouTubers Use? [Guide To Ring Lights]

The most common size ring lights YouTubers use are 10 inches and 18 inches. The 10-inch ring lights are considered “selfie lights” and are great for head and shoulder shots and video calls. The 18-inch lights may illuminate a small to medium-sized room instead of a single face. So it depends on how they’re using it.

You can read more about ring lights and see some recommended ones in What Ring Lights Do YouTubers Use? (With Examples).

Here is what you should know about finding the right size ring light.

What Is a Ring Light?

Today, a ring light is a circular light made up of a ring of LED bulbs that many video content creators, photographers, and even makeup artists use to provide additional illumination.

They’re designed to give the subject’s skin an even, soft, and flattering look.

Besides this, they also give an iconic circular reflection in the subject’s eyes.

A dimmable ring light is ideal for many situations requiring a continuous light source, ranging from product photography and macro photography to beauty and make-up instructional videos and Twitch streaming.

Because it’s a one-light-fits-all lamp, even a cheap ring light with only one lighting mode (often daylight / white light) can help you improve your video quality compared to natural lighting.

This makes ring lights an excellent choice that offers great value for personal use in a home studio on a tight budget.

Continuous flicker-free light for video production

Unlike the flash on your camera, a ring light is designed to provide continuous lighting, which makes it a great choice for YouTube videos and live streaming to other social media.

Because they’re used for continuous lighting, LED ring lights are flicker-free even at high framerates.

Old-school fluorescent ring lights aren’t flicker-free—more on this now.

Power. Batteries vs. AC power

Ring lights typically use either battery power or an AC power supply.

Smaller, portable ring lights often have built-in rechargeable batteries.

Bigger and more powerful ring lights need AC power or might be powered by industry-standard powerful V-Mount or Gold Mount batteries via D-tap cables.

Depending on your use case, I’d recommend a light that can be powered with AC power and battery for the most flexibility.

Mounting

A ring light is typically mounted to a tripod.

Bigger ring lights 16″ and up are typically mounted on an adjustable tripod on the floor.

Smaller ring lights can be mounted on a floor tripod or a mini tripod on the desk.

A few small ring lights are designed to be mounted directly on the camera around the lens or on top of the camera in the hot shoe adapter.

They often also have a built-in flexible (goose) neck that allows you to position the light at exactly the right angle.

Many ring lights come with a smartphone holder or phone clip.

If you use your phone to record yourself, I recommend getting a ring light kit with a phone holder and a small table tripod.

You might like Ten indoor lighting secrets for at-home video content.

Remote control

Some ring lights come with a remote control included.

This is a great option, especially for bigger lights that typically sit farther away.

With a remote, you can control the adjustable color temperature, hues (if it’s an RGB ring light), and brightness levels from your seat.

LED vs. Fluorescent ring lights

I’d recommend getting an LED ring light over a fluorescent one today. LED has so many benefits that it’s hard to justify buying anything.

Below, I’ve summed up the major differences.

An LED ring light is the most common choice today, but you can still get fluorescent options.

Fluorescent ring lights are mostly seen in photo studios for professional use. But even here, their use is fading.

An LED light is much more durable than a fluorescent tube or CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lighting) ring light. This makes an LED ring light easier to move around.

Also, with an LED ring light, you don’t have to change the bulbs. LED lights last up to 60,000 hours. Then it would be best if you changed the whole lamp.

A Fluorescent bulb typically lasts up to 10,000 hours and is prone to breaking if transported around a lot.

Also, LED lights use only around 1/5th of energy to provide the same brightness level as a fluorescent tube.

LED ring lights let you easily change color temperature and even hues without attaching colored gels.

So you see, LED ring lights are without doubt the best option for YouTube, portrait, and TikTok videos today.

You might also like this guide to the best budget-friendly LED for video.

So, why do YouTubers use ring lights?

Additional lighting improves video and photo clarity, especially when filming indoors.

A professional film production often involves complicated lighting of multiple lights.

Even professional photographers typically use multiple lights to enhance the quality of their photos.

In beauty shots and commercials – both video and photography – the desired look is often high-key lighting, which you read more about here.

In these use cases, ring lights are sometimes used as a fill light or even reflection light to create that coveted ring reflection in the eyes of the model.

However, a bigger ring light can be the only light in a scene.

Used this way, a ring light allows amateurs to produce better videos by ensuring that each shot is properly lit.

You do not need film production or photography experience to light a scene with a ring light or to get great results.

Using a ring light is the easiest way for YouTubers – fx beauty vloggers – to create professional-quality content and flattering facial features without a complicated lighting setup or additional crew.

So, let’s look at the various sizes and types you can get.

What Is the Most Common Size for a Ring Light?

The most common sizes for ring lights are 10 and 18 inches, but they are available in sizes ranging from 8 to 20 inches.

The 10-inch ring lights are considered “selfie lights” and are most useful for head and shoulder shots. It’s a great ring light size if you use a smaller light on a mini table tripod.

However, 10-inch ring lights give the best results when used right before you. The small size doesn’t provide much light in terms of light intensity.

This means that if you move the light further away from you, you’ll start to see harsh shadows and not the soft skin you want. As a result, the overall quality of your videos will suffer.

Enter the 18-inch ring lights.

The 18-inch lights may illuminate a small to medium-sized room instead of a single face. However, you’d probably still want them close to your face. The closer you use them to your face, the softer the look.

Because of their bigger size and more levels of brightness, bigger ring lights provide a softer look than their smaller counterparts.

How to read the size specifications of ring lights

The ring light’s size is typically listed in inches and refers to the outer diameter of the light.

The product details may occasionally list two measurements, such as 14 inches/12 inches.

The smaller measurement is the ring’s inner diameter, while the larger is the outer diameter.

What Size Ring Light Do You Need for Selfies?

You may only need a 10-inch ring light when shooting headshots or selfies.

Most 10-inch ring lights are advertised as “selfie ring lights.” They typically provide enough illumination to highlight the details of your face, even when filming in a dimly lit room.

A 10-inch ring light provides a more concentrated beam of light. Instead of filling a wide space, it mostly illuminates the area within two to three feet of the light.

Because of this, they are typically used with smartphones, webcams, or small mirrorless cameras.

Along with 10-inch ring lights, you can find 8-inch and 12-inch options.

A 12-inch ring light will likely provide more illumination than a 10-inch or 8-inch light.

Twelve-inch ring lights may allow you to adjust the color temperature to achieve the right look, but they also tend to cost a little more and take up more space.

The 8-inch ring lights offer limited output but are often the most portable. Using an 8-inch ring light with a smartphone clip allows you to remain mobile as you film.

This is useful for filming yourself while holding your smartphone, as the light is clipped to the phone.

What Is the Best Ring Light Size for Filming in a Large Space?

Some of the largest ring lights measure 18 to 20 inches and give enough light for lighting in a large room.

Because of this, they are typically used with mirrorless or DSLR cameras.

While a large ring light can illuminate a room, it can also be used for close-ups, and it’s a better choice if you want soft skin.

Many of the larger lights offer two power options. You can power the light with AC power or a battery pack.

However, plugging the light into an AC electrical outlet is often necessary for achieving full brightness.

Most ring lights are dimmable, allowing you to adjust the brightness settings of the LED.

Larger ring lights also consume more power. While many 18-inch ring lights include a battery pack, they may provide a shorter life than a 10-inch or 12-inch ring light with a built-in battery.

Read more about other lighting options for YouTube in What Lighting Do YouTubers Use?

What Else Should You Consider Before Buying a Ring Light?

Size is not the only factor to consider when choosing a ring light. Two 8-inch ring lights from different companies may produce two completely different results.

Some of the most important details to pay attention to include the following:

• Color rendering index (CRI)
• Color temperature
• Settings and controls
• Power options

Color rendering is the ability of light to render the natural colors of objects and backgrounds. A high color rendering index (CRI) makes colors more vivid instead of dull and washed out.

The best ring lights have a CRI of 95 or higher. Subpar lights often have a CRI of 90 or lower.

An adjustable color temperature is great when switching between natural colors (daylight) and more warm colors (candlelight).

A color temperature of 5,500 Kelvin (K) helps recreate the look of natural daylight, while tungsten or candlelight is 3200 Kelvin.

You can also get RGB ring lights, which let you dial in all the colors of the RGB spectrum and often come with effects that let you recreate situations such as a flickering fire, an ambulance, paparazzi photography, and more.

If you’re interested in RGB lights, check out the guide to the best affordable RGB LED panels.

Read more about ring lights and color temperatures, and see some recommended ring lights in What Ring Lights Do YouTubers Use? (With Examples).

Some ring lights have remotes for dimming the LEDs or adjusting the color temperature. This makes the light easier to operate when sitting away from the camera.

You should also pay attention to the power options and battery life.

Most ring lights are USB-powered. If you use your ring light outside the home, look for a light with a built-in battery.

Most of the time, I’d suggest getting an AC-powered light.

Last Thoughts on Choosing the Right Size for a Ring Light

Any ring light should offer additional illumination to help you produce clearer videos, but some sizes are better suited for specific situations.

A 10-inch ring light is suitable for close-ups. If you mostly film makeup tutorials, you do not need a light that can brighten an entire room.

If you need to fill a room or outdoor space with light, consider getting an 18-inch ring light. The larger size will help illuminate a large area and more of the background.

Keep in mind that getting a larger ring light also provides greater flexibility. Many ring lights are adjustable and dimmable, allowing you to lower the intensity of a larger light.

You can use a large 14-inch or 18-inch ring light in more situations than a smaller one.

The bottom line is that you may want to purchase the largest ring light you can afford. While you may only need light for close-ups, a bigger light offers more versatility.