Compact RGB fill lights have been all over vlogging setups lately, and cheap ones are everywhere on Amazon and AliExpress. A while back I picked one up — an LY-01 unit — and quickly noticed something odd while shopping for it: the exact same light is sold under two completely different brand names.
Andoer or Neewer? Doesn’t matter — it’s the same light.
If you’ve been comparing these two before buying, stop overthinking it. I’ve handled both, and they’re identical — same shape, same buttons, same RGB modes, same everything. Only the box says something different. This happens a lot with budget gear from Chinese manufacturers — one factory, multiple resellers slapping their own name on it. So really, the only thing that should decide which one you buy is whichever is cheaper at the time.
What it’s actually like to use
I unboxed mine on camera and ran through the color modes to get a feel for it in a real shooting setup rather than just going off spec sheets. It’s genuinely tiny — fits in a jacket pocket — and powers on with a single button. Cycling through the RGB colors is straightforward, no app or Bluetooth nonsense, just physical controls.
Brightness is decent for what it is — not going to overpower a room, but for accent lighting or a splash of color in the background of a shot, it does the job. Battery life held up fine for a shoot or two before needing a recharge over USB.
Is it worth buying?
Honestly, for the price, yes — but with the right expectations. This isn’t going to replace a proper RGB panel if you’re doing serious video production or need consistent, color-accurate lighting. What it’s good for is exactly what I used it for: adding a quick pop of color behind a subject, lighting up a desk setup, or experimenting with creative portrait lighting without spending real money on a lighting kit.
If you’re just starting to play around with colored lighting in your photos or videos and don’t want to commit to an expensive setup yet, this is a low-risk way to try it out.