You’re standing in the aisle at Five Below. Everything is five bucks—well, mostly five bucks, since the "Five Beyond" section started creeping in with ten-dollar price tags. You see it. The Five Below ring light. It’s sitting there in a thin cardboard box, promising to make your TikToks look like you have a professional studio setup. It's tempting. But honestly, we’ve all been burned by "tech" that breaks before you even get it out of the parking lot.
So, let's get real about what you're actually buying.
The truth about that $5.55 price tag
Most of the ring lights you’ll find at Five Below fall under their private label brand, Buqu or Xtreme Connected Home. Sometimes you'll find a random off-brand, but the specs are usually the same. You are getting a 10-inch or 8-inch LED circle. It usually comes with a tripod that feels a little like it's made of recycled soda spoons. It’s light. It’s flimsy. But it works.
If you compare this to a $60 Ring Light from Westcott or even a $30 version from UBeesize on Amazon, the difference is immediately obvious in the build quality. The Five Below version uses thinner diffusion plastic. This means the light can sometimes look a bit "stabbier" or harsher on your skin compared to high-end models that use thicker, milky-white covers to spread the glow.
Does it matter? For a Zoom call or a quick "Get Ready With Me" video? Probably not.
Lighting modes and the "Blue Light" problem
Most Five Below ring light models come with a small inline remote on the USB cable. You get three modes: warm, cool, and "natural" (which is just both sets of LEDs turned on at once).
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Here is the thing about cheap LEDs. They often have a low CRI, or Color Rendering Index. Professional lights aim for a CRI of 95 or higher so that your skin looks like skin and your makeup colors look accurate. Cheap lights often hover around 80. This can make you look slightly washed out or even a little "green" if you aren't careful with your camera's white balance.
If you’re using this for professional photography, you’re going to be frustrated. The color temperature isn't consistent. But if you just need to stop looking like a shadowy ghost during your 9:00 AM Monday meeting, it’s a massive upgrade over the flickering overhead light in your bedroom.
Why the tripod is your biggest enemy
The light itself is usually fine. The tripod? That’s where things get dicey. The plastic tension knobs on the Five Below tripods are notorious for stripping. If you over-tighten them once, the whole thing might start drooping like a sad sunflower.
You’ve got to be gentle. It’s not "buy it for life" gear. It’s "buy it for this semester" gear.
Some versions come with a flexible phone neck in the middle of the ring. This is actually the most useful part. However, if you have a heavy phone—like an iPhone 15 Pro Max or a big Samsung Ultra—the weight might be too much for the neck to handle. It’ll sag. You might find yourself propping it up with a stack of books, which kinda defeats the purpose of having a tripod in the first place.
Powering the thing without blowing a fuse
These lights run on USB-A. They don't come with a wall brick. You have to plug it into your laptop or a spare phone charger.
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A lot of people complain that their Five Below ring light flickers or turns off randomly. Most of the time, it’s not the light's fault. It’s the power source. These LEDs pull a decent amount of current. If you plug it into a cheap, old 5W iPhone cube from 2014, it’s going to struggle. Use a modern "fast charge" brick or a powered USB hub to keep the light steady.
Also, the cord is short. It's usually about 4 to 6 feet. That sounds like a lot until you realize you want the light six feet away from you and the outlet is on the floor. You’re gonna need an extension cord.
Comparison: Five Below vs. Amazon "Best Sellers"
| Feature | Five Below ($5.55 - $10) | Amazon Mid-Range ($25 - $40) |
|---|---|---|
| Build Material | Thin plastic, lightweight | Aluminum and heavy ABS plastic |
| Brightness | Good for close-ups | Can light a small room |
| Stability | Tips over easily | Weighted base or sturdy legs |
| Longevity | 6-12 months average | 2-3 years |
Honestly, if you have ten dollars and you need light today, Five Below is the winner. If you can wait two days for shipping and have twenty extra bucks, the Amazon options offer much better stability.
Setting it up for the best look
Stop putting the light directly in front of your face. It makes you look flat.
Instead, try the "45-degree rule." Place your Five Below ring light slightly to the left or right of your camera and slightly above your eye level, angled down. This creates a tiny bit of shadow under your jawline and nose, which gives your face dimension. It makes a cheap light look like a much more expensive setup.
If the light feels too harsh, take a piece of white parchment paper (from the kitchen) and tape it loosely over the ring. It’ll soften the glow even more. Just make sure the LEDs aren't getting hot—though with these low-wattage lights, that's rarely an issue.
Who should actually buy this?
This isn't for streamers who are live for 8 hours a day. It’s not for professional wedding photographers.
It's for:
- Students doing online presentations.
- Kids starting their first YouTube channel.
- People who need a portable light for traveling that they won't cry over if it gets lost or broken.
- Crafters who need a little extra "top-down" light for their hobby table.
The value proposition is simple. It's a "disposable" piece of tech that performs at about 70% the quality of a professional light for about 10% of the price. That is a trade-off many people are happy to make.
Taking care of the hardware
Since the plastic is thin, don't leave it in a hot car. The tripod legs are prone to warping if they get too warm under pressure. Keep the box, too. Because the ring itself is hollow plastic, it’s easy to crack if it gets shoved into a backpack under a bunch of heavy books.
If the remote starts acting up—maybe it only turns on when you wiggle the wire—the internal soldering has likely come loose. This is the most common "death" for these units. Treat the cable with respect. Don't yank it out of the USB port by the cord; grab the plug.
Actionable steps for your next Five Below trip
If you’re heading out to grab one, keep these tips in mind to get the most for your money.
- Check the box for the "Five Beyond" logo. Some of the better, larger ring lights are now $10 instead of $5. The $10 version usually has a much taller tripod (up to 5 feet), which is way more useful than the 6-inch desk versions.
- Test it immediately. Five Below has a decent return policy, but you don't want to find out the LEDs are dead when you're about to start a call. Plug it into a power bank in your car to make sure all three color modes work.
- Buy a better phone mount if needed. The ring light uses a standard 1/4-inch screw thread. If the included phone holder is garbage, you can actually screw a better one onto the same stand later.
- Manage your expectations. It's a tool, not a miracle. It will fix your lighting, but it won't fix a bad camera or a messy background.
Ultimately, the Five Below ring light is one of the few "cheap" tech items that actually delivers on its basic promise. It turns on, it glows, and it makes you look better on screen. Just don't expect it to survive a fall off a desk or a move to a new apartment without some extra bubble wrap.