Pick Up One of These Photography Softbox Lighting Kits to Enhance Your Home Studio

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The most important equipment for any home photography studio is undoubtedly the lighting kit. A softbox lighting kit softens, evenly diffuses, and strengthens the illumination of a smaller light source, recreating the quality of daylight in your indoor studio. Photographers can use a softbox to control the shape and direction of light, reduce shadow, and minimize glare.

What Are the Best Photography Softbox Lighting Kits?

The best softboxes and photo lighting kits come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, and can be used for everything from shooting portraits to still-life to product shots for your website or social media. We found sets for both aspiring pros and hobbyists alike.

For most purposes, you’ll only need kits with one or two boxes included — just make sure they have a wide rotation range, sturdy stands that can be adjusted for height, and bulbs with sufficient wattage. Here are some other things to look for.

Quality of Light: Check the light quality produced by the softbox for brightness and range, which should be evenly diffused across the entire area you’re photographing. You’re also looking for a light source that is constant and steady. This is especially important for shooting video.

Size: In general, the larger the box the softer the light will be. But likewise, the larger the box, the more energy and bulbs will be needed in order to be effective. For beginners, one or two square or rectangular boxes — around 24 by 24 inches in diameter or 20 by 27 inches — will suit most purposes.

Mobility: If you plan to keep your studio stationary at home, than how portable a kit is won’t matter much. That said, we find kits that are easy to quickly assemble and disassemble and include some kind of duffel carrying bag are extremely useful. Most of our picks are also pretty lightweight, which makes them less of a hassle to move around.

Sturdiness: A poorly-constructed stand or one made of weak materials will not reliably hold up the box without some wobble, never mind withstand outdoor winds or other conditions. Because a softbox needs to produce light that is constant and steady, a sturdy stand is essential.

Adjustments: In order to always get the correct shadow control or angles, the lightbox and stands should both include a wide range of height and rotation adjustments. Good softboxes rotate 210 degrees, and can be modified for heights between 27 and 80 inches.