ECO Farm ECOZ PRO 700W Samsung 301H Chips LED Grow Light VS GrowPros HM660 LED Grow Light
You may not even be that much closer to buying any lights -maybe you’ve been put off entirely.
We get it, the process isn’t easy. Most of what you’ve seen up to this point has probably felt “samey”. Never mind the reviews. How many times have you felt as though you’ve landed on the perfect product only to be put off by the reviews?
Basically, we understand how tough it’s been for you up to this point. But that’s all about to change.
In this article, we’ll put your hours of frustrating research to an end by providing you with quality and energy-efficient LED grow lights.
Introduction to LED Grow Lights
Let’s start at the beginning and make sure we understand the basics of the grow lights themselves. Grow lights are usually indoor plant lights, artificial light sources designed to simulate natural sunlight, which are then converted into the energy (photosynthesis) needed for growth and good plant health.
Naturally, plants need plenty of light to thrive. Outdoor plants receive plenty of natural light from the sun during the day, and the amount and quality of light varies according to location and season. These changes in light are important in different ways for different plants, such as fruiting plants, which use these photoperiods to initiate fruiting, some prevent fruiting, and other types of plants will use these cycles to initiate or prevent vegetative cycles.
Controlling the type, quality, type and length of cycles, and other factors in the light you provide your plants, will allow you to enhance or extend the growth cycle, or simply grow your plants outside of the regular farming season.
Indoor grow lights are designed to provide a spectrum similar to the sun by fluctuating the lumens (intensity), color and temperature of light. Studies have shown time and again that different plants respond to different colors and intensities of light, so indoor growers quickly realized that grow lights that let you control these factors could produce healthier, higher-yielding plants. This is where LED grow lights step in and start glowing. (Pun)
ECO Farm ECOZ PRO 700W Samsung 301H Chips LED Grow Light
Features:
The ECO Farm LED grow light with unique designed extended 8 bars LED grow light provides more even and full canopy coverage, especially to the outer edges cultivation areas. With 2784pcs SAMSUNG LM301H& Os-ram Chip, This Led grow lights draw 700 watts with 1960 umol/s, achieving an impressive PPE of 2.85 umol/J, coverage for 4’x4’ of high-yielding full-cycle growth. Full-spectrum is perfect for veg to bloom, to adapt to each phase of the plant cycle. The dimming knob is ideal for growers to adjust the light intensity according to different growing stages. Bar grow light design and aluminum heat sink on the back contribute to better airflow and great heat dissipation. This plant-growing light comes with a detachable driver and long power cord, by reducing ambient heat in your growing space for an extended lifespan. With the waterproof coating on the LED diodes, worry-free of the moist environment.
Features:
Compared to traditional HID and HPS light sources, the GrowPros LED grow light saves about 50% energy, and you can save a lot of energy over time. Without CO2 supplementation, the same results will not be produced. The HM660 lighting system is a complete pre-assembled LED grow light that reduces installation time with a variety of wiring techniques and connectors. HM660 series systems run cooler with passive cooling thermal management, meaning your lighting system can last longer while maintaining high light output levels. Longer life means you can grow crops for years without having to replace your lighting system, reducing costs. Indoor plants grow best under full-spectrum lights that replicate the sun’s natural spectrum. The HM660 series lasts longer than traditional grow light sources, resulting in healthier, happier plants.
What to Look for When Choosing an LED Grow Light
Spectrum
Generally speaking, plants absorb and utilize light in the blue and red spectrums the most when progressing through the various stages of growth. Light in the blue and red spectrums is where most photosynthetic activity occurs, making full spectrum grow lights incredibly efficient. Some growers maintain that white LED grow light is best because it’s closest to natural sunlight. However, white LEDs include light in the yellow and green spectrum that isn’t usable by plants and is simply wasted, making your grow lights less efficient and your power costs unnecessarily higher.
PAR
In simple terms, Photosynthetically Active Radiation or “PAR” is the light emitted by a bulb or fixture that’s actually usable by plants. LED grow lights PAR values will vary from brand to brand, but a higher PAR value isn’t necessarily better because if your plants aren’t using it, the energy require to produce it is being wasted.
You’ll notice on manufacturer PAR charts that PAR is higher in the center and decreases as you move to the edge of the light coverage area. This means that the plants directly under the light will receive more PAR than those further away from the center. The more evenly distributed that PAR is from center to edges the better, so that plants get a more even distribution of valuable PAR. This is not only better for your plants but makes the light more efficient since the power isn’t concentrated in the center but is instead distributed more evenly.
Wattage
It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking more is better when it comes to wattage, but bigger isn’t always better. While spectrum and PAR play as big or bigger role in the health and yields of your plants, wattage is important to consider in terms of cost and preventing damage to your plants such as leaf burn and bleaching.
There is a commonly used rule of thumb that says you need 30–40 watts per square foot of plant coverage (not the growing space itself, but the current or predicted size of the plant canopy) for flowering and light loving plants, and 10–20 watts per square foot for low-light plants. These rules of thumb can be a place to start, but remember, these do not take number of plants, plant height, density and other factors into consideration so remember to weigh factors such as PAR and PPFD more heavily into your buying decision.
Power Consumption
Look for the power draw as opposed to power output. If you use less power to produce the same amount of light, you spend less on your power bill and the LED lights can usually pay for themselves with savings within 2–3 years.
Durability
Ensure that whatever LED grow light you choose is well made and manufactured from heavy duty materials. Solid, durable construction is important for the durability of your light, especially wiring, which can not only be a fire hazard, but can produce unnecessary heat, making controlling your grow space environment more difficult.
Temperature
One of the many advantages LED grow lights have over other types is their lower operating temperature. LEDs don’t completely eliminate the need for additional cooling and ventilation, they produce far, far less extraneous heat than compatible HID lights which can produce temperatures in excess of 95°F, which can be detrimental to many varieties of plants. These additional cooling and ventilation systems that HID and other traditional lighting systems require add extra power costs to your power bill as well as taking up valuable space in your grow area.
Ventilation
Because LEDs run at lower operating temperatures, they do not require the same ventilation as equivalent HIDs to maintain acceptable temperatures in your grow space. Lower operating temperatures means less hot air to be moved, which means lower operating costs, equipment needs and space requirements.
Cooling
While LED grow lights run cooler that comparable HID and HPS lights, they still need well designed cooling system to dissipate what little heat they do produce. A well-designed LED light should include an effective heat sink to move the heat created by the lights away form the fixture and the plants.
Lifespan
Old-school HID bulbs typically last up to 20K hours before needing to be replaced, but since their peak performance range is usually within the first 3K — 5K hours many growers will replace the bulbs much sooner because plant growth can slow significantly under older HID lights. Contrast that with LED grow lights, whose lifespan is typically in the 50K hour range, more than 5X that of HIDs.
Space
Since LEDs are generally smaller, thinner, usually only have a single cable, and eliminate the need for extra fans or ventilation ductwork, they require far less space in your grow area. This allows for more space to move around within the garden to monitor and care for your plants.
Conclusion
The new generation of lights are LEDs, and they require less electricity to generate less heat output. That’s why these lights are mainly used for indoor gardening.
