Ring lights might be more common today but many are still a little unsure about what is and isn’t normal behavior from these lighting accessories. Do ring lights overheat and is it anything to be worried about?
We’ll answer this question as simply as possible, because it’s not necessarily a black and white situation. It can depend on the type of ring light you own and the conditions that it is being used in. Here’s everything you need to know about ring lights and whether overheating in a concern!
Do ring lights overheat?
Yes, all ring lights are prone to overheating but the conditions in which they overheat and the way that this shows are varying.
LED ring lights won’t tend to radiate heat from the light source itself, but instead their battery pack will get hotter over time. This should be regulated to ensure that it never gets so hot that it can be unsafe. We’ve talked about whether a ring light can be left on overnight before and with LED lights it is safer due to a reduction in heat generated by running it over a long period of time.
That being said, if the ring light is connected to a power outlet, the temperature of the batter could get higher than is necessarily safe so be sure to check the ring light periodically to ensure it’s not getting too hot.
Fluorescent bulb ring lights will also overheat but they will do so from the bulb itself. This can lead to burnout of the bulb if not regulated so just like with the LED ring lights, be sure to check that the heat coming from the light is at a safe level.
Should ring lights overheat?
Also yes, ring lights will naturally overheat to a degree and this isn’t something that you need to worry about. However, we can’t overstate enough how important it is to regularly check the heat coming from the light or battery and shut the light down if you feel like it’s unsafe.
Always refer to the user manual or user reviews to get an idea of how long you can run the light before it becomes a problem. Pushing a ring light through severe overheating can massively reduce it’s longevity as well as being a general safety issue.
As a last resort, if you have concerns, you can contact the manufacturer to see if the behavior is normal and request a replacement if you are within warranty.
If you’re after more guides on ring lights, you can check out our ‘how to set up‘ and ‘are they worth it‘ guides.