Atreum Lighting VELA 240W Full Spectrum Horticulture LED Grow Light VS AC Infinity IONBOARD S33 240W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Until scientists invent convenient little mini Suns we can keep inside our homes, our plants will need to rely on artificial light. Fortunately, those sources of illumination have come a long way in terms of efficiency and efficacy.
LED technology has improved everything from TVs to your smartphone, but it can also help your plants. Whether you’re trying to baby your indoor plants, nurture some seedlings that will eventually go out into the garden, or just please an outdoor plant that needs to spend some time inside, these LED arrays can pump out the photons plants crave.
But, you can’t just go shining an LED flashlight at your precious plants. You need to pick the right power, color, and size to make your indoor garden thrive. That can be tricky, but these picks can provide the perfect illumination no matter what your flora looks like.
Why Would You Use LEDs In A Greenhouse?
Before sharing how to pick LED grow lights for greenhouses, it’s worth reviewing why plants cultivators would bother installing these lights.
While LEDs may not be “essential” for greenhouse spaces, they allow cultivators to double their output throughout the year. Since plants are photoperiod sensitive, there’s only one growing season per year. However, if growers install LED grow lights, they could grow top-quality buds even in the dead of winter.
LEDs also offer an extra measure of control for growers throughout the year. Even if it’s cloudy outside, greenhouse growers could use their LED grow lights to make it “bright inside.” Plus, on sunny days, high-quality LED lights offer additional light penetration, which will help plants reach their max potential.
Atreum Lighting VELA 240W Full Spectrum Horticulture LED Grow Light
Features:
The Atreum Lighting LED grow light is a very energy efficient full spectrum light source for horticultural applications. Fully waterproof (IP65) design allows operation in wet environments. Add DC extension cords to remotely locate drives and remove heat from growing areas. Fanless and noiseless design will make your growing life easy and quiet, the large area of solid aluminum quickly dissipates heat, reduces light loss in aisles and walls, increases light intensity, and allows your plants to get more energy without burning yours Plant for maximum headroom.
AC Infinity IONBOARD S33 240W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
This dimmable LED grow light is designed with an optimized spectrum and diode positioning to maximize plant yields. Grow lights are specially formulated with full spectrum Samsung LM301B white, red and infrared LEDs optimized for all growth stages. The dimmer enables 0 to 100% brightness. Can connect with our smart controllers to access growth cycles, scheduling and applications. All components are sealed to IP-65 standards for optimum performance even in high temperature and humidity growth environments. Includes a pair of metal rod hangers and rope hangers. This LED grow light is specially designed for grow tents with internal reflective mylar lining for growing a variety of plants, fruits and vegetables.
Best LED Grow Lights Buying Guide
Setting up your plants with the best LED grow lights won’t be easy. You need to know exactly what to look for and what to overlook. And if you’re a total noob or just not experienced enough, then this may become a bit of an issue.
Luckily, we’ve brought a set of factors to consider if you’re ready to learn. Below, you’ll find these things to look for when buying a new grow light:
Light Spectrum
Probably the most essential feature if you want the grow light to work effectively. The light spectrum refers to the color range it offers, meeting the plant’s growing needs according to its stage.
A full-spectrum light should offer Red, Blue, Green, and Infrared/Ultraviolet waves. The focus is to have a light that gets to the whole spectrum to increase the effectiveness.
But you don’t necessarily need a broad light spectrum. You can also consider those with Red light only. This color is the most important for plants, especially on their initial growing stage.
Overall, try to get a light that goes anywhere from 380mn to 780mn. This range (or anything in between) should be enough to meet your plant-growing needs.
Light Power
You want a light that works with a few watts as possible and provides strong-enough light at the same time.
That’s why the power (in watts) is such an essential factor to think about. You will find lights going from 100 watts up to 1000 watts or even more. So the more output you get, the more likely the light will provide higher brightness. But if you go low, then the electrical consumption will be less.
Often, we recommend going as high as possible in power. But if you’re looking to save some bucks, then you may want to go for low power (less than 50 watts). Just be sure it is enough to help your plants grow.
Micromoles & Brightness
There are several light measurements from grow lights you may want to think about when picking. Among them, you’ll find micromoles (the number of photons per meter square) and the lumens (that measures brightness).
For the micromoles, you can go for as many as you need. And for brightness, we typically recommend at least 50 lumens.
Light Control
Because you want to reduce your own output on the growing process, then getting a LED light that automatically controls the spectrumcan be a huge advantage.
These lights will automate the different phases and types of light to ensure proper growth. For example, it will deliver Red light for 12 hours and shut off for the other 12. The same should happen with other phases as necessary. Automated cycles will save tons of time and effort.
Durability & Safety
Your growth light also needs to be secure and last through the whole growing process of several plants (preferably).
That’s why a quality construction with heat-dissipating materials is a go-to choice. Materials like aluminum and plastic tend to be pretty effective at reducing heat. The LED quality should also be part of what you’re looking for.
Another thing to consider is a fire-retardant material that prevents any kind of fire-related accident. Especially for cheap grow lights, you want to be sure it is safe enough to use.
Overall, you need to look for a grow light that lasts at least 20,000 hours of total use. This means no less than 2 years.
Programmability & Adjustments
Lastly, consider those lights that offer programming functions. This includes a timer, the ability to change the phases (spectrum), and those you can adjust the brightness (dimmable ones). Anything you can program to meet your demands is an excellent thing to consider.
Conclusion
If your plants need a little top-up when it comes to sunshine, the best LED grow lights can provide just that in an affordable, efficient way. If you’re getting serious about growing, you’ll want to make sure you get the right kind of light for your plants, but there’s almost certainly an LED option out there that can give you exactly what you need.
