# Two softbox lights with stands > Large, soft light for clothing and full-body shots. - Lighting, High volume - Typical UK price: £50 to £90 (a typical band, not a live price) - Platforms: Whatnot, TikTok Shop, eBay, Vinted, Depop, Etsy - Orders a week: 0–2000 - Not yet checked by a person Softboxes spread light over a big area, so a whole outfit or a rail of stock gets even light with soft shadows. They take more floor space than panels and suit a spare room better than a desk. ## Kit rankings - #3 in [Best lighting for Whatnot and product photos](https://sellersetups.com/kit/lighting) ## Setups - [Whatnot clothing setup for live shows and TikTok Shop](https://sellersetups.com/setups/clothing-live-show): A rail, a tripod at eye height and soft light: the spare-room kit for selling women’s fashion and vintage live, then packing the sold pieces the next day. - [Depop vintage clothing starter setup](https://sellersetups.com/setups/depop-vintage-starter): Softbox lighting, a tripod and a flat-lay table for styled streetwear photos, plus a rail and paper mailers to post 10 to 30 Depop orders a week. - [Vintage ceramics and glass from a spare room](https://sellersetups.com/setups/homeware-ceramics-glass-room): A spare room set up for jugs, vases, tea sets and studio pottery sold on eBay and Etsy, with packing built around zero breakages. - [Japanese import reseller with proxy buying](https://sellersetups.com/setups/japan-proxy-import-desk): Prize figures, Japanese-language card boxes and stationery bought through a proxy, then sold on Whatnot shows and eBay listings from a spare room. - [Preloved designer handbag room for Vinted and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/setups/preloved-designer-handbags): Softbox light, dust bags, stuffing tissue and double-wall boxes for selling secondhand designer bags that arrive holding their shape. - [Retro football shirt corner for Vinted and Depop](https://sellersetups.com/setups/retro-football-shirts-corner): A rail, tubs sorted by club, soft light for shirt fabric and folded mailing bags for selling classic and current kits from a bedroom corner. ## Who a softbox kit suits You sell clothing, trainers or homeware and photograph or stream whole items: a coat on a mannequin, a full outfit, a lamp. Softboxes give wide, soft light across a rail, with no harsh shadows. They pay off most for a Vinted, Depop or eBay clothing seller working from a spare room. On a small desk they take up too much floor. ## Bulbs, box size and stand height Choose LED bulbs with adjustable brightness and colour temperature, a CRI of 95 or more, and boxes around 50 cm across or bigger. A bigger box gives softer light. The stands should reach around 2 metres, and each box needs a diffuser layer inside. Older kits with hot bulbs run warm, and LED versions run cooler and draw less power. ## Placing two boxes around a rail Stand the boxes either side of the item at around 45 degrees, roughly at chest height, angled slightly down. Move them closer for softer light and further away for more even coverage across a rail. Set both to daylight colour temperature and lock your camera or phone's white balance to match. A plain sheet or a backdrop behind the item keeps the room out of shot. ## Panels, a ring light or a light box instead Two LED video panels with stands fit a desk and suit cards and small items. A desk LED panel with app control suits a desk show without stands on the floor. An 18 in ring light with stand works for face-on try-on videos. For small items, a 40 cm photo light box gives even light with no stands at all. ## Floor space, storage and payback Each stand needs about a metre of floor, so measure the room before you buy. Fold the boxes and keep the stands in a bag between shoots. The pair costs £50 to £90, and a clothing seller listing every week earns that back in a few months of better-lit photos. Test the bulbs before each session: a dead bulb mid-shoot changes the light on half your stock. ## Common mistakes - On a desk, the softboxes sit too close to the camera, so use panels there and keep softboxes for a room. - Angle the boxes in from the sides. Placing both level and straight on flattens texture. - Daylight bulbs clash with warm room light, so switch off the ceiling light during shoots. - Fit both diffuser layers; leaving out the inner one gives harsher light. - Weight each stand's base with a bag of stock or a sandbag if pets or children pass. ## Guides - [How to take photos for Vinted](https://sellersetups.com/guides/take-photos-for-vinted): Shoot Vinted clothing with your phone on a tripod, soft light from the side and a plain wall, so buyers see the true colour, the fit and every flaw. - [Whatnot lighting setup for cards and products](https://sellersetups.com/guides/whatnot-lighting-setup): Place two lights so holo cards show their surface without a white glare stripe, and products keep true colour on a phone camera in a Whatnot show. ## Questions ### Are softboxes good for live shows? Yes for clothing shows in a room. For cards on a desk, panels fit better. ### Do I need two? Two give even light from both sides. One with a white reflector works on a tight budget. ### Do the bulbs get hot? LED bulbs stay warm rather than hot. Older halogen kits run hot, so check the listing. ### How much space do I need? Allow about 3 metres across for two stands and the item between them.