May 28, 2022
Just because the days are shorter in winter doesn’t mean that the growing season has to be over and done! Greens and some herbs will flourish indoors, under grow lights. Here’s what to consider when choosing indoor grow lights.
Now that we know more about what LED grow lights are, let’s take a look at the many advantages they offer indoor gardeners throughout the year.
Efficiency: The biggest advantage of LEDs is efficiency. According to the Department of Energy, LEDs offer the most energy-efficient lighting technology. Bulbs use about half the energy of fluorescent bulbs, which is better for the environment and better for your wallet.
Higher light intensity: I used old fluorescent grow lights to hang the fixtures on chains so I could move them up and down to keep the bulbs close to the top of the plant’s canopy. If the bulbs are more than a few inches away, the plants don’t receive enough light, and they’ll grow legs. With high output LED lights, you don’t need to worry about light intensity or fuss with moving the light fixture closer to the top of the plant or seed.
Less heat: Unlike fluorescent lamps, LEDs emit very little heat. In fact, LEDs run 80% cooler than fluorescent lamps. Why is this important? Overheating can affect the moisture levels in the soil and leaves, and can burn leaves.
Long Life Lamp: LEDs have a long lifespan, typically up to 50,000 hours. This is about five times longer than fluorescent bulbs. This is convenient for the gardener, but also reduces waste.
Cost-effectiveness: LED technology has come a long way over the past few years. One benefit of this is that the price of LED grow lights has come down. Combine this with lower operating costs, and LED grow lights are a cost-effective option for indoor gardeners.
ECO Farm ECO NET 680W Samsung 301B Chips LED Grow Light
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light used a foldable design, can be easy to adjust the angle between the lamp and the plant, and according to your plant stage to adjust the illumination area. which is more effective to promote plants growth. Designed for home growers, fans get noisy when long time use, but this LED light board use aluminium to make it cool down instead use fans, bringing you a FANLESS QUIET grow experience. High Safety performance driver and Pure Aluminum light bars for better heat disappear and stay cool, never burn your plants like other low quality led grow lights. 680w 2400 individual LED’s covering the full-colour spectrum 3000K 5000K 660nm our grow lights are ideal for all growth stages., infinite close to natural light, best for all plants all stages growing, rapid plant response from seed to flower and increase yield & crop quality, improve the nutritional value of plants.
Enlite Flora 680W LED Grow Light
Features:
This Enlite LED grow light gives a High-PPFD level 1000–1100 μmol/m2/s in a 4x4ft to growers. This grow lights adopt a self-designed special structure heat dissipation system. Compared with other plant lights, its working temperature is much lower. This unique design can not only extend the light life, but also bring less harmful canopies. Enlite LED plant growth lights use full spectrum, a light suitable for the entire growth stage from vegetables to flowering. So growers only need to buy a lamp suitable for the entire growth stage. The Flora series plant light is composed of 3 parts of uniform size, each part can be folded 180 °. This design helps us make shipping and packaging easier, and you can store it more easily.
led lights
Since LED grow lights can be expensive, you shouldn’t buy them willy-nilly. There are things to consider if you want to make a smart purchase, such as:
Lifespan
One of the biggest benefits of LED light products over others is their burning time. Some brands have managed to produce LED grow light with a lifespan of 100,000 hours or so, which is admirable, to say the least.
However, don’t expect all LED lights to have such a long lifespan. Around 50,000 or less is what you should expect, and anything over it is a huge plus.
Still, it’s a lot more compared to others and you do get the best value for your money.
Generally speaking, the best grow LED lights are long-lasting, but make sure to check the lifespan of the light you choose for your tent so you know what to expect.
Shape and size
You have to match the size of the light to the size of your grow tent to ensure the heat balance and that your plants receive the heat evenly during each growth stage.
While the shape is not crucial, you can choose between different types according to your preferences.
The great thing about LED grow light is that they come in different shapes and sizes, so be sure you’re getting the ones that suit your grow tent and your plants the best.
Efficiency
Every LED grow light features info about energy efficiency. Usually, you’ll see it expressed in μmol/J or micromole per Joule.
This measurement determines how efficiently a light converts electrons into photons. The higher the value, the more efficient the light.
LED lights are generally highly efficient.
We don’t have to tell you the significance of energy-saving capabilities — if you have a grow tent (or tents), you know that inefficient lights can run up your electric bill in the blink of an eye.
Installation
Most of the best LED grow lights for grow tents are not complicated to install.
The ones that made our list are all fairly easy to install and use, so you ought to be able to do it yourself without any issues.
If, however, it comes to that, they come with detailed instructions that can help you out.
Worst case scenario — you can call a professional to help you install the light properly.
Price
When choosing the best LED grow light, we can’t dismiss the price points, especially since some models cost twice as much as others.
That being said, we’ve made sure to include excellent choices from both sides of the price spectrum, so you can choose between high-end items and budget-friendly options.
On average, an LED grow light goes for $200. You can find options under this amount, and there are plenty that cost a lot more.
The bottom line is — think about your budget and how much you can (and want) to cough up for LED grow light, and start from there.
Sure, the expensive ones may have better features, but don’t dismiss the cheaper ones so easily, they might surprise you!
Dimming abilities
Most products and brands mentioned today have amazing dimming options.
It’s vital to consider the dimming capabilities of the best LED grow light for grow tents. In other words, you have to think about the light intensity.
Different growth stage requires different light intensity, so proper dimming options are crucial.
Power consumption
Most LED grow lights consume around 300W in a grow tent. Some use less energy, some use more, so don’t forget to check the exact power consumption before purchasing.
Heat sinks
A LED grow light for a grow tent should feature a sturdy, ergonomic design with aluminum heat sinks that dissipate heat in grow tents.
This is important for any growth stage so your grow tent doesn’t get too hot and burn your plants.
Full-spectrum lighting
Full-spectrum lighting is a vital part of LED grow light products.
Growers know the importance of adequate light in every stage of plant growth, and the only way you can achieve that in grow tents is with a full light spectrum.
Why would somebody need an LED grow light when we have a fully functioning Sun? This question might arise in your mind too.
However, everyone is not living the same life. Some people do not get to see the sun for a long time because of the weather conditions in their area. Likewise, some people are too busy with their jobs that they cannot pay attention to the time to take care of plants.
When it comes to indoor plants, it is not suitable to keep them in the dark for a longer time. Similarly, you cannot keep them under the sun for a long time too. Moderation is the key here.
However, if you do not have enough time, you can simply use LED lights. No need to move the flower pot and no need to worry if you have cloudy weather for too long.
October 20, 2023