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Best Photography Lightbox

A photography lightbox is an absolute must-have for anyone invested in selling products online, regardless of whether your platform is Etsy, Pinterest, eBay, Facebook, or Amazon.

A good lightbox really can make all the difference for your product photography. It’s hands down the best way to guarantee shadow-free illumination,

The good news is that there are plenty of really good photography lightboxes out on the market today. So much so it can be difficult to decide which one to get. But don’t worry, that’s where we come in!

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We’ve been doing our homework, and after much deliberation, we were able to pick out our top 5 favorites, and we can’t wait to share them with you now!

And, after our product reviews, we’ve also got a handy buying guide for you, which serves as a handy checklist that you can through to check that you haven’t forgotten anything before you buy.

Then we’re going to top that off with a section where we tackle one or two of your most frequently asked questions.

So, without further ado…

Best Photography Lightbox – Comparison Table

Best Photography Lightbox – Reviews

Our Pick
Amazon Basics Portable Foldable Photo Studio Box with LED Light, 1 Count (Pack of 1), Black, 25 x 30 x 25 Inches
Our rating:

Don’t be fooled by this lightbox title – it is not basic, but rather is a portable professional photo studio.

It’s quite a large lightbox, measuring 25 x 30 x 25 inches when set up. But it folds down very compactly when not in use, and you can carry it over your arm.

Perfect for photographers that travel, that may at times capture slightly larger subjects.

Or alternatively, you can make use of all the free space to use all your photographic tools and props to really enhance the subject image.

To that end, it makes a great choice for student photographers who want to develop their art.

In addition to the main light, which fills the box, there’s also a second light to provide additional contrast.

And then you also get light reflected from the other inner surfaces of the box to provide excellent quality images.

The specs are very good. You get a color temperature that’s nicely balanced at 5600K (more on that in our buying guide) and it appears to have a CRI, although the precise figure is not stated (more on CRI in our buying guide).

The inner material of the box has a zero-texture bright white coating, which sufficiently diffuses the light, to soften shadows and reduce the reflections of the LEDs.

All in all, you get great contrast, and color very consistent with natural daylight.

We love the 3 door system at the front of the box. You can really maximize your image angles while reducing outside reflections.

And that’s not all – there’s also an opening on the top of the box too, for additional image angles.

The lightbox is fully compatible with the Amazon Seller app, which lets you shoot, edit, and directly upload your images to Amazon.

You can also opt to buy it with a tripod, but we bet that you will have one already.

If you do manage to take a look at the Amazon page, you’ll find some really handy tips there, both in the videos and in the product description if you scroll down.

Pros
  • Measures a large 25 x 30 x 25 inches
  • 3 door system at the front of the box
  • Second light to provide additional contrast
  • Excellent for student photographers
Cons
  • Premium product at a premium price
  • Some people would argue that it’s perhaps too big for most product photography

Photo Light Box 8 PCS Backdrops, SAMTIAN 24'/60cm Professional Studio Box Folded Shooting Tent 126 LED Lights with Continuous Lighting Portable Booth Table Top Photography Lighting Kit
Our rating:

Here’s another great lightbox that really has a lot going for it.

It has great dimensions, specifically 24” x 24” x 24” (or 60 x 60 x 60 cm), which is plenty big enough for most product photography subjects.

It has several different openings, including a front hole and front window for horizontal shooting, and also an opening at the top for capturing images from above.

The light comes from 2 strips of LED lights, made up of 126 individual LEDs, which you place across the box’s ceiling when you’re setting it up.

One at the back and one more central.

And we are pleased to report that it has a very high CRI of 95+ (more on CRI in our buying guide), and also that it has a very natural color temperature, which comes in at 5500K (more on that in our buying guide too).

The inner fabric of the box is reflective, which serves to evenly distribute the light for an even and uniform result.

We love the stepless dimming, which lets you adjust the brightness via a dial.

You don’t get any stroboscopic effects, which is great if you decide to video as well as take photographs.

It’s very easy to set up, and all the instructions for assembling are available right on the Amazon page.

You get 6 different color backgrounds included, which is two more than you’d usually get. The options include beige, blue, red, gray, black, and white.

We were also assured to learn that lightbox comes complete with a 12-month warranty, and excellent after-sales service.

Pros
  • Excellent value for money
  • 6 different color backgrounds
  • Adjust the brightness via a dial
  • Great for video as well as photos
  • Comes with a 12-month warranty
Cons
  • Some customers have said that the color backgrounds don’t stay in place, but there are ways around this

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Our rating:
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Here’s another great little portable lightbox!

It’s a nice size, measuring 50 x 50 x 50 cm (or 20 x20 x 20 inches). And it has a nice durable build, with its iron frame, oxford cloth, and lightweight cardboard. Sturdy, but easily portable.

There are 120 LED bulbs already built into the box’s ceiling, and they throw out a very bright 26100 lumens of light when you use a white background

It has a high CRI, coming in at 90+ (more on CRI in our buying guide), and a color temperature of a nice 5500K (more on that in our buying guide too).

So you get natural color in your images that match those in bright daylight.

It’s very easy to set up, you simply unfold it, then refold it into place in the correct order. And it fastens via hook and loop which is very easy and convenient.

There are multiple openings, including one in the ceiling, which means quite the array of angles from which to take your ideal shot.

The inner of the box uses particulate silver film reflective fabric.

This helps to not only soften the glare of the LED lights, but it also serves to concentrate light and shadows, and protect the eyes too.

It comes with 4 different color backgrounds, including white, black, grey, and beige.

And if that’s not enough, you also get stepless dimming to boot! You can capture the perfect image.

We were also impressed by ESDDI’s excellent after-sales service.

We don’t think you’ll ever need it, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there if you ever do need it.

Pros
  • Measures a nice 50 x 50 x 50 cm
  • Sturdy, but very easily portable
  • Particulate silver film reflective fabric
  • Multiple openings, including ceiling
  • Dial the brightness up or down
Cons
  • There are no included means of securing the top flap into the open position
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NEEWER Photo Studio Light Box, 20” x 20” Shooting Light Tent with Adjustable Brightness, Foldable and Portable Tabletop Photography Lighting Kit with 80 LED Lights and 4 Colored Backdrops
Our rating:

It may cost over $100 (unless you manage to catch a deal), but judging from the customer feedback, photographers seem to feel this beauty is well worth the money.

It’s a cubic shape, with each side reaching 50 cm (20 inches), which we feel is a good size, able to accommodate more substantial items than some of the other smaller portable lightboxes around.

It’s very easy to assemble, you won’t need any tools whatsoever, it simply velcros into place.

There is a whopping 120 individual LED lights already built into the fabric of the box, placed in the box’s ceiling, with 30 lights along each length.

The brightness is completely adjustable, you simply turn the dimmer switch until you are happy.

It produces 21100 lumens of light and has a color temperature of 5500K which is ideal (more on that in our buying guide).

Moreover, it also has a great CRI at Ra 85+ (more on that in our buying guide too).

We love its silver reflective fabric which diffuses light evenly across the box, so you avoid any saturation toward the periphery compared to the image center.

There are 4 color backgrounds also included, specifically, black, white, orange, and grey.

We love the multiple openings, which allow you to capture your image from either the front or the top of the box.

It folds down almost flat when you’re not using it, making it a great option for the photographer on the go.

Pros
  • Very portable and easy to assemble
  • Light is diffused evenly across the box
  • Sized to accommodate larger items
  • Multiple openings for different views
  • LEDs line all 4 sides of the box ceiling
Cons
  • Premium product at a premium price

Upgrade EMART 14' x 16' Photography Table Top Light Box 104 LED Portable Photo Studio Shooting Tent
Our rating:

What we love about this one is the super affordable price – available at a fraction of the price of some of the other lightboxes out there at the moment.

The affordability of the product may well be due to the slightly small size, which isn’t too bad at 14 by 16 inches.

There are two powerful light strips, each with 26 LEDs, and that you can position on the ceiling of the box, one at the front and one at the back.

These are designed to effectively replicate natural daylight, and they have a 5500K color temperature. (More on color temperature in our buying guide.)

It’s designed to be portable – it folds down and has top loop handles for easy carrying. It’s quickly and easily assembled with its snap-button design.

It’s great for the professional photographer on the go. We prefer this design to the alternative magnetic variety which isn’t as stable.

And, adding to its portability, although it comes with a plug adapter and micro USB port power cable, it also comes complete with a power bank.

So, provided your power bank is fully charged, you’d be hard-pressed to find yourself out of power for a shoot.

You also have the option to remove an opening at the top of the box, if ever you want an overview.

The walls of the box are entirely wrinkle-free and easy to clean, simply wipe with a damp cloth.

There are 4 color backgrounds included in the price that you can choose to use with it, namely white, cyan blue, black, and pale grey.

They’re easy to use, you just tuck them into the tabs provided.

And that’s not all – it also comes with a small tripod, designed to hold a smartphone.

How convenient is that! And it’s great – able to provide a full 360-degree rotation.

Pros
  • Easy to assemble
  • Very portable
  • Tripod included!
  • Super affordable
Cons
  • Limited backgrounds
  • Modest overall size

Best Photography Lightbox – Buyers Guide

As promised, here’s your buying guide. We’ve tried to cover most of the main points, and it will give you a little bit of guidance if you need it.

Size

The size of the lightbox is crucial. You will need your lightbox to be larger than the largest products that you capturing, allowing room to the left, right, and above.

For most product photography, a lightbox that is 25 by 25 by 25 inches, will often do the trick, though there may be occasions where a bigger lightbox is necessary.

Lumens

Lumens is basically a measure of how bright a light is. Lightboxes in particular often need to be quite bright which serves to produce the best possible images.

CRI – Color Rendering Index Rating

CRI is a measurement of the ability of a light source to render color compared to natural sunlight. The index rates start from 0 and go up to 100.

As a minimum, we recommend that you only for lightboxes with a CRI of 80 or above.

Color Temperature

Color temperature refers to the intensity of light emitted. Color temperature is measured in degrees of Kelvin on a scale from 1,000 to 10,000.

In order to cover a sufficient stretch of the warm light to cooler light spectrum, you should look for a lightbox with a range that lies between 2900K to 6250K,

4,250K color temperatures emit a natural white glow, whereas a 6,250K color temperature gives off a bright white glow.

Between 5000K and 6000K should be ideal.

Reflective Inner Surface

A reflective inner surface to the lightbox is quite a valuable feature to have.

It serves to diffuse the light given off by the LEDs, giving far more even lighting and softening any shadows.

It also reduces glare, and in doing so, also protects the eyes, which is important when you spend a lot of time doing photography.

Easy to Assemble

If you plan on taking your lightbox from place to place, as many photographers do, then in addition to your lightbox being compact, lightweight, and portable, it’s nice to be able to have your lightbox in minutes, if not seconds, so you can get straight to doing what you’re there to do, and not have to needlessly waste time.

Multiple Openings

It’s great to be able to take a photo from the front or side of a product, but for a complete portfolio of images, it’s also nice to be able to take a photo from a birds-eye view.

Customer Ratings

When you’re shopping for anything online, it’s always good practice to take into account the overall customer’s feedback on the product you’re looking at.

We’re not saying that you need to read every customer review – not only would that take way too much time, but also because they often say pretty much the same thing.

What you should look at however is the average customer rating.

In our top 5 picks, we only bothered with products with an average rating of 4 and a half stars out of a possible 5, and we strongly suggest that you do the same. It’s for peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best photo lightbox?

In our view, our number 1 pick, the AmazonBasics Portable Foldable Photo Studio Box, is definitely one of the best photography lightboxes out on the market at the moment.

It’s certainly large enough for the majority of product photography, and it offers great lighting and color production.

Moreover, the reflective inner surface means you get very even and uniform lighting, and then in turn. soften shadows.

How do I choose a lightbox?

To begin choosing your lightbox, you must first decide what size lightbox you need.

You should then think about where you want your LED lights positioned, as this can really vary from box to box.

Then you might want to consider what backgrounds come with it, and/or whether you want one with a ceiling opening.

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