Best Photo Light Boxes 2023 – Top 10 Budget Models Reviewed!
Are you fascinated by some of the product pictures you see on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and other ecommerce retail sites?
The illumination is perfect and without shadows, the background is clean, and overall, it’s a flawless display, helping you view the features of the product effortlessly.
Perhaps you’re an online seller, and you’re wondering how to make that happen with your products.
Maybe you’ve even secured an expensive camera for the work, but the images are not quite as you want them to be.
Do you know what you’re lacking? A photo box.
A good photo box will provide the clean background and great illumination necessary for creating beautiful images that showcase your products excellently.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of finding a good model, our review of the best photo light boxes should come in handy. We’ll tell you about the features and the benefits and shortcomings of some of the most preferred models.
Jump in.
Need a quick decision? Here's my Top 5 Photography Light Boxes Picks:
Image | Name | Editor's Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 5 out of 5 | ||
 | 5 out of 5 | ||
 | 4.5 out of 5 | ||
 | 5 out of 5 | ||
 | 4 out of 5 |
Table of Contents
Benefits of Using a Photo Light Box
Also known as a photo light tent, a photo light box is a cubical object made of fabric, a wire frame, and lights.
It might have one side open, or it might be closed on all sides with little openings from where the photos are to be taken.
There are two major benefits of securing one:
- Uniform lighting – photo light boxes are lighting equalizers. They diffuse ambient light, making it uniform, and thus eliminating glares, spots, and shadows.
- The product is showcased as it is – with custom lighting, it’s easy to miss some parts of the product due to shadows, spots, and glares. But with a light tent, all these issues are solved, making it possible to capture the product as it is.
Note, however, that a light tent limits you to its size. You cannot place items that are bigger than the space inside.
Again, a light tent doesn’t capture anything outside the enclosed space, and that might not work for other photography works except product photography.
If you’re an online seller, a light tent will definitely help.
Go on and see what we have in the reviews. Remember, any prices mentioned represent the cost of the product at the time of writing this review.
Our Top 10 Best Photography Light Boxes Reviews
1. AmazonBasics Portable Photo Studio
The look, feel, and ease of set up are some of the factors we look at when shopping for photo background shooting tents.
Considering the three factors, the AmazonBasics Portable Photo Studio is one of the best photography light boxes. It’s a collapsible professional lightbox with an excellent design, making it super easy to use.
This is a portable photo light box. It weighs in at 9.25 pounds, and it has carry straps that you can put around your shoulder when carrying the item.
The little photo studio comes with a power supply, which is conveniently housed in a pocket on the side. This also means that travelling, you needn’t stress about where to keep the power supply.
Opening the photo studio is a cinch, thanks to the Velcro straps at the back. You just undo them and lift the top part to transform the item into a box.
In the open position, the studio has a really big space with the dimensions being 25 by 30 by 25 inches. That’s big enough to take pictures of a wide variety of products like home electronics, shoes, art stuff, kitchenware, and more.
The removable white backdrop is really nice (and WHITE), and the front cover keeps the box well sealed. On the front cover, there are three slots you can open to take photos in. And at the top, there’s an extra slot you can shoot photos from.
Once the power supply is connected, well-balanced 5600k LED light comes on, ensuring you have the perfect snapshot.
The drawback to keep in mind is that there’s no switch to turn the lights off. You have to unplug the power. Really inconvenient, but not a deal breaker.
Current price on Amazon is around 130 dollars, and you might get a discount of more than 10%. Go ahead and check it out.
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2. HAVOX Photo Studio (HPB-80XD)
Do you have large electronics, beauty products, footwear, or any other products to snap? Will a 32 by 32 by 32 inches photo studio be enough? If so, we encourage you to consider the HAVOX Photo Studio.
That’s how much interior space this product photography lightbox contains.
But that’s not the coolest part. The part we loved most was the lights.
The box is fitted with over 300 special SMD LED lights to ensure you have enough lighting to take vibrant photos.
Even better, the lights are dimmable so you can tune the brightness on the photo to your exact needs.
The 26K lumens and the 5500k color temperature ensure that you’re able to take professional photographs that your customers will love.
The angle of the snapshot based on the size of the object is crucial when taking professional product photos. With several openings at the top and on the front, the box makes selecting the desired angle a piece of cake.
Uniform lighting is another cool benefit of this product photo box, thanks to the light diffusing fabric it is made from. No more worrying about reflections or shadows, as the lighting is even.
The foil lining also helps in diffusing the light.
There’s no need to get a white backdrop as the product comes with it. In fact, there are three backdrops of different colors.
Any issues? Yes – the price, which is around 280 bucks. Nonetheless, the product is really easy to use, and it is collapsible, making transportation convenient.
It’s also durable, and you get different background options, not forgetting the excellent lighting and the huge interior space.
Pricey yes, but it pays off!
And because of its awesome features and great lighting, the HPB-80XD is the best light tent for jewelry photography. It showcases them excellently.
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3. Elviros Portable Shooting Tent
If you’re on a budget and you need an inexpensive but quality small light box, the Elviros Portable Shooting Tent would be a great selection.
At around 50 bucks, it’s one of the cheapest models that offer a set of good features. We have to tell you though, that you don’t get much space with this one.
The inside dimensions are 16 by 16 by 16 inches, meaning the box is meant only the small items, such as mobile phones, art items and supplies, and so on.
It only takes items that are up to 12 by 12 by 12 inches.
The lighting system is made up of 60 LEDs with an intensity of 13000 lumens. That might not be anywhere near what the premium models offer, but it’s still a sufficient light source for illuminating your products.
No need to photoshop your items to add a white background. The box comes with a pure white background.
Wondering how you’re going to be transporting the box?
You can fold it up into a compact roll and use the included carry bag with ropes to transport it easily and conveniently.
With this photo box, you have two view options. You can snap from the front and the top. That gives you the ability to take pictures from different angles depending on your product’s size and position.
The Elviros Portable Shooting Tent might not be a premium model, and it’s limited with regards to the size of products you can photograph.
The light diffusion is also not impressive. But, by flipping the box upside down, the light seems to diffuse much better.
Even with these issues, this little photo box is still pretty useful and it will be best photo light box if you’re on a budget.
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4. ESDDI Photo Studio
Wouldn’t you love a top-rated photo studio light box that comes with 4 different-color background options? Imagine the flexibility you’d enjoy with 4 different background color choices!
That’s precisely what you get with the ESDDI Photo Studio, an inexpensive model that goes for less than 70 dollars.
One of the reasons why we think this product is really cool is the adjustable brightness. That allows you to tweak the lighting to take the perfect shot according to the product you’re snapping.
Brightness is sufficient with the 120 LED lamps. These supply you with 26100 lumens and a color temperature of 5500K, making sure you can take truly vibrant snapshots.
The coolest part is that the lighting is stable and uniform, so you have no worries about shadows, flicker, or color distortion.
On the inside, the fabric is lined with silver film reflective material. This is really helpful, ensuring there’s no vignette and boosting light evenness.
Need a mobile lighting studio? This is the product for you. It features a hoop and loop design without all those inconvenient connectors, tubes, rods, and all that other stuff that makes assembly a hassle.
This is a portable photo studio that folds into itself and that comes with a carrying bag. You can also use the bag to carry the power supply.
Another great perk is the flexibility in the angle of shooting. This is presented by the multiple snapshot slots inside.
As for the shortcomings, we found is that there’s no means of securing the top opening. You can solve that by attaching a Velcro strip.
The box is also a bit weak, and it doesn’t seem like it’ll hold up for many years. But for the price, it’s a good pick. Besides, it works fine.
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5. LimoStudio Table Top Photography Studio
How would you like to get a light box photography kit that comes with some of the essential shooting gear without breaking a bank for it?
The LimoStudio Table Top Photography Studio Kit provides you with a universal cellphone holder and a steady mini-tripod. These items make your work so easy especially when you have many items to photograph.
It features a minimalistic design, where you have a tent with an open front part.
You’re provided with four backdrops of different colors – red, blue, white, and black. Thus, you get to enjoy the flexibility of taking photos with different backgrounds.
The kit comes with two table-top lamps.
Unlike the fixed lamps, these offer you great flexibility in that you can move the lighting based on your needs.
The lamps have legs so you can position them where you want on the table without worrying about the stability. The cool part is that you can remove the legs if you prefer to hold the lamps with your hands when taking the photos.
The fabric used to make the tent is high quality 100% polyester. It’s able to soften and reflect the light, allowing you to take the perfect shot without spots and glares.
One problem is that the brightness of the light is not enough. You might want to purchase and install some LED strip lights.
Again, the side panels are weak. Add poster boards with Velcro underneath them for support.
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6. Amzdeal Light Box
Are shadows ruining your product photos? Try the Amzdeal Light Box. Its silver reflective interior does a perfect job at minimizing the shadows. It achieves that by diffusing the lights efficiently.
Moreover, the box is installed with a light diffuser. This feature spreads and softens the concentrated light rays emitted by the LEDs. The result is smooth, uniform light with no rays.
The LED panel consists of 20 LEDs with a total luminosity of 20000 LEDs. That makes the box super bright, making it possible to take really vibrant pictures.
One thing we loved about this photo booth is the energy efficiency. This is brought about by the fact that the amount of heat coming from the LEDs is minimal.
Another amazing thing you’re going to enjoy is the option of choosing between four background colors. Yep, the box comes with 4 backdrops to choose from with the colors being black, grey, orange, and white.
There are two openings on the box – one in front and another at the top. The two openings allow you to take the shot from different angles.
What’s more, they’re large enough to allow you to use phones/cameras of different sizes without a problem.
Want to hear the coolest thing about this model? No need to unplug the power cord to turn off the light. There’s a little switch on it for that!
The only complaint on this one is that the backdrops aren’t well attached at the top. Small binder clips are used to hold them, and they don’t seem to work very well. You might need to get extra clips.
If you need the best photo box for someone on a budget, go on and check this one out. It has great features, and it goes for just around 60 bucks.
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7. SAMTIAN Portable Photography Studio
If you want to know if a photo box is truly worthy, one thing you can look at is the CRI. This is the measure of the light source to reveal the colors of the object as compared to natural lighting.
Anything greater than 80% is considered good CRI. And guess what? That of the SAMTIAN Portable Photography Studio is 95%.
That simply tells you the lighting used here is awesome, enabling you to showcase your products just as they are.
The lighting is derived from 84 LED pieces with a luminosity of 2200 lumens. That’s a lot brighter than the ordinary lighting, and it will help you bring out color vibrance with your product images.
Both the color temperature and clarity are excellent.
The inner side of the fabric is reflective. It evenly distributes the light, ensuring there’s minimal shadowing.
Visible rays are eliminated and what is left is well balanced light.
How would you want a photo booth with light that you can adjust? You get to adjust the brightness of the light according to your needs.
Carrying the item is a cinch, thanks to its foldable design. The box is also pretty lightweight, weighing in at just 3.75 pounds.
The issue with this light tent is that the backdrop has to be taped up as the upper attachment isn’t strong.
Other than that, it’s a best photography light box. Going for around 70 dollars, it’s also inexpensive. Don’t forget also, that it comes with four backdrops of different colors.
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8. Neewer Photo Shooting Tent
If your budget is very tight, you might want to know what the 20-dollar Neewer Photo Shooting Tent has to offer.
This portable white photo box is crafted from translucent nylon material. The material has a good ability to diffuse the light, thus filtering the rays and eliminating hot spots.
As a result, you get a clean shot with uniform brightness.
The front door has a slot for the camera lens. What’s more, you can detach it if that’s going to make your shot better.
With the box’s design and carrying gear, transportation has never been easier. First off, the frame is spring-like, allowing you to fold down the box into a nice, compact and portable size.
Then, there’s a carry case where you can put your folded photo box. Even better, the carry case has two straps – one for carrying by hand and another for carrying by the shoulder.
If you’re looking to have different backgrounds for your photos, you’ll find this light tent quite useful. It comes with 4 different backdrops. The colors are red, blue, black, and white.
On the flip side, the backdrops have creases and removing these creases is a hassle. If you don’t mind the appearance of the background so much, that shouldn’t bother you.
But if the background is crucial to you, then you might want to get backdrops separately and keep this amazing photo box. Or, you might prefer to avoid the box all-together and buy a different model.
We have to mention also, that this product doesn’t come with a light source. But, you can get a compatible lighting kit for less than 30 bucks. You’ll see the option to purchase the items together on Amazon.
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9. Amzdeal Upgraded Photo Light Box
How do you know that a certain manufacturer truly cares about their customers? They listen to talks on products defects and fix the defects.
Well, the previous version of the Amzdeal Photo Light Box had flickering issues with some of the LEDs. Amzdeal heard the concerns of the customers and fixed the issue, and now the Amzdeal Upgraded Photo Light Box is free of the flickering issues.
The zipper system has also been updated, and what you have now is zippers that close and open without a struggle. They make assembly and folding a breeze.
This box uses 2 LED bands that provide bright light with an intensity of 4027 lumens and a color temperature of 6584K.
With such high-quality lighting, you can take vibrant photographs and showcase your products effectively.
The amount of space that this box offers is also worth mentioning. The interiors measure 32 by 32 by 32 inches. You can comfortably photograph items that are up to 25 inches high.
You have more flexibility with regards to the number of items you can shoot. Definitely more useful than smaller light tents.
You’ll find three backdrops in this light tent kit, with 3 colors – orange, black, and white. The white and orange ones work perfectly, but unfortunately, the black one leaves reflections and doesn’t seem to be uniformly black.
You can solve that by getting another black backdrop separately for 10 dollars.
Another issue is that lights don’t have a dimmer. Again, you can fix that by getting a dimmer from eBay for 10 bucks or less.
The Amzdeal Upgraded Photo Light Box isn’t without issues, but it’s a truly nice photo light box that performs and lasts.
It goes for around 90 bucks.
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10. Foldio3 Photo Shooting Studio (With Halo Bars)
“You get what you pay for” isn’t just an old phrase; it’s true!
The Foldio3 Photo Shooting Studio goes for a premium price of around 170 dollars, but it is truly the best light box for photography especially for online sellers.
It is exceptionally constructed from a light plastic-like material, and both the set up and folding are super easy.
When folded, the studio is a really compact 1-inch tall 25-inch wide item that’s easy to transport. That’s a lot more compact than most other photo studios you’ll find out there.
The magnets in the frame of the box allow the box to come together seamlessly during setup, making your work extremely easy.
Unlike some other models that we’ve seen, the backdrops are well attached at the top with Velcro; no need to apply tape.
A really cool thing you’re going to love is the dimming controller. With the turn of a knob, you’re able to regulate the brightness of both the LEDs and the halo bars according to your needs.
But do you know what’s even more amazing? The halo bars. You can place these magnetic light bars anywhere in the box.
Together with the triple LEDs, the halo bars create a perfect lighting environment where you can take amazing snapshots of your products.
The ability to reduce the shadows of the products is better than what you’ll find in most other photo boxes. Attached at the top, the diffuser ensures the lighting is smooth and well balanced.
The only issue with this photo box is the condition of the black backdrop. It has lint, and that will be captured in the product especially if it sits low. However, you might even fail to experience this problem because not all users we talked to said their black backdrop had a problem.
But if yours arrives with this issue, you can always get a replacement one for 10 or less from Amazon.
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Best Photo Light Box Buying Guide for Beginners
If you’re a product photographer or online seller, a photo light box is one of the most useful gadgets you can buy. It’ll help you showcase your products beautifully to your customers.
However, not all light box models out there will work for you. The guide below should help you find the best photo boxes according to your needs.
Size
Light tents come in a variety of sizes. There are small models where nothing larger than a regular smartphone can be photographed, and there are models big enough to accommodate a human adult.
If you’re an online seller dealing in jewelry, small electronics like mobile phones and WIFI routers, footwear, handbags, and so on, then a size between 16 by 16 inches and 32 by 32 inches should work for you.
If you’re looking for something portable, the same size range will work for you.
Ease of assembly/disassembly
Ease of use plays a key role in determining the worth of a light box. And when talking about ease of use, you want to know how easy it is to assemble and disassemble the box.
We find that the model that most people prefer is the one that can be collapsed into a compact, thin size and popped back into box form in seconds.
Look for one that doesn’t need any tools to assemble or disassemble it.
Shooting angles
Some mini photo booths have an open front panel. Others have all the sides closed, with small openings around for the camera lens.
Whatever model you prefer, it’s important to have different shooting angles. The more the openings on the box, the more the shooting angles. You want to have openings at the front and on top.
The lighting
The whole idea of having a photo box is to have good and controlled lighting that helps you take the finest shots. You want the lighting to be bright enough and to be well balanced.
An incandescent bulb won’t offer you that! You want LEDS. And remember, LED luminosity/intensity is measured in lumens. The more the lumens, the more the brightness.
Something else to look at is the color temperature. Once again, the higher the color temperature, the better the shots.
The fabric that the box is made from also matters. A good light box has a reflective interior that properly diffuses the light rays.
Some boxes also come with a built-in diffuser for evening out the light.
Another feature you’ll find in the best photography light box is the ability to adjust the brightness of the LEDs.
How To Take Care Of And Maintain Your Photo Box
You’re in luck! Why? Because a light box’s care and maintenance are extremely easy. But that’s as long as you understand your light box.
The most important part of the care and maintenance is the cleaning. To have clean snapshots, it goes without saying that the box should be dust-free and spot-free.
So, once in a while, use a clean towel to wipe down the surface and remove any dust and smears you find. You can dampen the towel if the surface is made of plastic.
If the surface is plastic and it’s particularly dirty, use lemon oil and some mild detergent to restore the finish.
Here are some tips to guide you:
Psst…we find that folding the box everyday can gradually diminish its stability. You might want to avoid folding yours after every use, especially if you use it often.
Try, instead, to cover it and place it in a corner somewhere and fold it only when you know you’ll not be needing it for a long time.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
What is a product photography light box?
Also known as a shooting tent, a product photography light box is a small box with lights (usually LED) in it. The box also contains a backdrop in it that acts as the background when shooting the product.
The purpose of a lightbox is to provide bright, well-balanced light and eliminate/reduce hot spots and shadows so as to create a clean, vibrant shot.
Who can use a light box?
Light boxes are often used by product photographers and online sellers.
Does a light box get hot?
That depends on the sort of lighting that is used. If the light comes from incandescent bulbs, there’s likely to be heating. But if it’s coming from LEDs, heating will likely be minimal or totally absent.
How bright is an led light box?
Generally, light boxes are really bright, but the brightness depends on the number of leds and the luminosity. The higher the lumens, the more the brightness.
Professional lightboxes with a luminosity of over 20000 are very bright, and they’re great for taking vibrant pictures.
Should I get an led light box or one with incandescent bulbs?
Each of the two has pros and cons, but generally, LED light boxes are better. Firstly, LEDs hold up better than the incandescent bulbs. An incandescent bulb might stop working in a few months, but LEDs will go for years.
However, LEDs are often not replaceable, unlike the incandescent lamps.
LEDs are also better for compactness. They’re preferred for collapsible light tents as they don’t get in the way.
The greatest benefit is the quality of the lighting. LED light is much better and more balanced than incandescent bulb light.
Will my products fit in a photo light box?
That will depend on the size of the light box, and it’s the reason why we emphasize that you think about the size of your products before purchasing a light tent.
Final Word
Have you decided on the photo studio light box you’re going to secure?
We did our best to select the best photo light boxes and tell you the things you need to know about them before buying.
Whether you have a small budget or a flexible one, there’s a good product for you in the list. It is up to you to consider your needs and see which one fits your needs. If none of the 10 photo light boxes fits you, our buying guide should help you find something suitable out there.