June 09, 2023
If you decide to grow useful flower and vegetable plants indoors, you must have the right environment for it to grow properly.
LED grow lights are a key element in growing plants at home. Indoor plants need limited light to grow and cannot tolerate direct sunlight.
In this competitive market, we have hundreds of options when it comes to purchasing the best LED grow lights on the market.
In this article, we review the best-selling grow lights on the market.
If you’re confused and can’t decide which grow light is best for your plants, the following list of the best LED grow lights will help you choose the right one.
The area covered by the light is the area of the canopy that is illuminated by the beam. This is what the relationship between the intensity of the LED grow light and its coverage area requires. The farther away the light source is, the less coverage the plant will have.
Let’s say at a distance of one foot, you have a light hanging from your canopy. Then increase the clearance between the suspension height and the ground to 2 feet. As a result, the light intensity will be reduced by a quarter. This is why it is necessary to purchase insurance. The larger your footprint, the more space there will be between your lights and the canopy. However, the less light intensity the better.
ECO Farm ECOD Samsung UV+ IR 1000W Dimmable LED Grow Light
Features:
The ECO Farm LED Grow Light is powered by Samsung Full Spectrum LEDs that drive a wide spectrum from 395nm to 730nm and produce 144597 Lumens. The full spectrum coverage gives better results. Available in 3000K and 6500K. Full-spectrum light with higher intensity in the 395–730nm spectrum has been shown to perform better than the targeted spectrum for general use. The ECO Farm Samsung LED grow light produces a 1000W PPF output of 2524.5μmol/s and a PAR efficacy of 2.8umol/J making this fixture incredibly efficient compared to other commercial fixtures. LEDs generate far less heat than HPS and other HID lamps making them perfect for horticulture.
Optic LED Slim Killa 1000W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
The Optic LED Grow Light is designed to hang 12 inches from the canopy and deliver up to 1000 watts, beating out more traditional 1500 watt HPS grow lights. To meet the lighting needs of plants, the Slim Killa uses a combination of Samsung LM281B+ 3500K mixed white, deep red, royal blue, infrared and ultraviolet LEDs to cover the entire growth process of plants from inception to harvest. The Slim Killa’s built-in dimmer allows you to adjust the brightness from 0–100%. The Slim Killa also uses passive cooling to keep your grow tent from being cluttered with fans.
Light Output
Some LED grow light manufacturers may publish inaccurate PPF and PAR ratings, affecting how plants respond to light. In some cases, grow lights are only given a PAR rating, which is simply a measurement in the middle of the grow light’s footprint. Unfortunately, this does not represent the entire grow light, as you also need to consider the surrounding area.
In addition to buying from a reputable brand, it’s a good idea to consider looking at the reports of the independent labs that tested these grow lights. Typically, these tests are posted on the LED grow light’s product page. You can use this as a guide to check the accuracy of the information posted on the product page.
You can calculate the average PPFD for your grow lights based on the PAR readings published in these reports. The average PPFD should show you how much light your grow lights are delivering.
Plant growth lamp wattage
The wattage of your grow lights is important because you want to get more while consuming less. Remember, this is the whole point of choosing LED grow lights because you want to save on electricity consumption.
Now, there is often a 5% difference between the declared wattages. Knowing the actual wattage is important as this will translate into power consumption and heat emissions in your grow space.
The good news here is that independent labs report the wattage of grow lights as well as the test voltages of the grow lights. Voltage is important because running grow lights at slightly higher voltages will result in lower wattage.
Diode used
While uncommon, some companies use higher quality diodes for test units and switch to lower quality LED arrays. This deception can lead to inaccurate results that can affect plant growth.
Buying from a reputable company or dealer is the best way to prevent this. You can also request an independently conducted lab report to ensure that the proper LEDs are being used in your grow lights. Compare the lab results with the manufacturer’s published product specifications.
Diode and Driver Lifetime
The LEDs in grow lights have a lifespan of 50,000–100,000 hours. However, the drivers for these grow lights tend to have a short lifespan. If you’re shopping for LED grow lights, look for LEDs that use an external driver so you can move them around for airflow. Keeping it from overheating is the first thing you have to think about to ensure its longevity.
But at some point, the driver is bound to fail. Drivers are now easy to replace. But before you spend money on a replacement drive, consider checking your drive’s warranty coverage. You may be eligible for repair or even replacement.
Light is an important factor in plant growth. Ensuring the proper amount of light and the perfect spot has a big impact on the overall health of your plants. If you found this article helpful, please visit our website for more articles about lighting.
October 20, 2023