March 28, 2022
When it comes to investing smartly in your indoor grow, nothing can beat the most sustainable option — LED Grow Lights. LEDs are not just great for the health of your indoor plants but also give your nursery or an indoor grow a completely vibrant look at a cost-effective price. But with so many options available in the market ranging from small size to large commercial LED grow lights, it isn’t easy to choose the best LED grow light for the money that perfectly matches your requirements.
Worry not! With our detailed top LED grow lights buying guide, we will cover every inch of various types of grow lights available in the market for both large spaces and small rooms. We have curated the top suggestions based on your requirements, budget options, bestselling reviews, and functions to let you get the right led grow light for indoor growing.
Grow LED Lights are safe for plants if you are buying certified ones. Always check for the certifications and warranty while buying the Grow light for your indoor space to avoid any damage to your crops or tent space. An ideal grow LED light must be CSA, or UL certified. Also, take care of a few things while using the grow light to avoid any damage:
There must not be any humidity or moisture around your LED light to prevent damage.
Never overload the circuit as it will shorten your light lifespan and decline its performance.
Use eye protection like sunglasses while operating LED lights to avoid harmful UV rays.
Different types of plants require different levels of light to grow. For example, shady plants require a low level of light, while veggy and other flowering plants require a high level of light to grow. For high light level plants, 800–1000 uMols is a considerable range for the flowering and vegetation stage. For low-light-level plants, 400–500 uMols will work fine.
Jungle — LED G7 2000 LED Grow Light
Features:
Jungle LED grow lights are designed to be efficient and easy to install right out of the box. The Jungle G7–2000 is designed with a power drive and can be mounted on a rack system away from the fixture itself to accommodate installation in your growing space with minimal constraints. It comes with an onboard dimmer and an external connection port for use with the main controller. The Jungle LED system maintains an IP65 wet location rating as well as corrosion resistant construction, ETL and DLC certification standards. Its single power supply (LED driver) detachable design provides flexibility for remote mounting to most vertical rack systems without adding accessories or modifying existing space. The single power supply (LED driver) provides mobility for growers who wish to mount the power supply unit away from the growing space and is wall-ready.
TotalGrow MH Lumyre 720W LED Grow Light
Features:
The TotalGrow LED grow light features multiple high-intensity light strips in a slim profile and built-in power supply to distribute the ideal light intensity evenly across your growing area to meet your growing goals. Superior, customizable full spectrum supports efficient, high-quality growth of any life stage and crop variety. This plug-and-play solution with built-in dimming is easy to implement and has very low up-front and ongoing costs for sustainable production of high-quality crops. With an actual power of 720 watts, this LED grow light covers a 4'x4' high-yield full-cycle growth and has a market-leading efficiency of 2.6 μmol/J to meet the light intensity your plants require. Robust, reliable, ideally shaped design for ease of use and excellent uniformity.
Some strains of plants are very sensitive that they can be grown only in indoor settings. You have to take proper care of it by keeping it under optimum temperature and humidity settings. When you are growing multiple plants under one roof indoors, you will need to grow lights to keep a regular check on the growth of the plants. We will help you with some useful tips to choose the best grow lights for your plants.
1. Budget & Warranty
Planning the budget is the first step to follow before buying the grow lights. Grow lights come in various price ranges according to their quality, quantity, light type and design. Sort out your planting requirements first and measure the size of your plants growing area. Choose the grow lights accordingly. For a smaller area, a minimum number of grow lights will suffice. This will come at an affordable cost than many numbers of grow lights.
Similarly, look for warranty and customer support while choosing to grow lights from a specific brand. Some brands offer to grow lights at a cheaper price with attractive features, but won’t have a warranty. Your invested money will be a total waste if the grow light stopped functioning after a month or so. So, it is highly recommended to buy grow lights with a warranty period.
2. Number of lights
The number of lights depends on the number of plants you grow and the size of the area in which the plants are grown. If you are growing two to six plants, one or two lights will be more than sufficient. Most home growers will grow only up to 6 or 8 plants, for which one or two lights will be enough.
However, if you own a large grow area with numerous plants; plan the number of lights accordingly. Also, make sure you don’t overcrowd the area with lights more than what is required. This may produce heat and can harm plant growth. You can invest in large lights if you own a big lawn or grow room with multiple chambers. Just like how the number of lights is important, the quality of the light is also important. Invest in high-quality lights.
3. Light coverage & intensity
As there are many grow light models in the market, first decide the light coverage area to select an appropriate light model. For example, if you grow plants in a 5’ x 5’ area, you can buy several grow lights according to that. Large lights can cover a 5’ x 5’ area. If you are not sure what type of light is suitable for your coverage area, you can consult a professional for advice. While buying LED lights, make sure the light intensity is as much as you expected.
Some complain of poor light, while some complain of overlighting. Both are bad. Light intensity is nothing but the number of photons your plants use for their growth and flowering. To decide the light intensity, you can check on factors like the PAR chart of the manufacturer, and PPF reading. These readings will tell you about the exact light intensity.
4. Durability & Design
Durability is an important factor to consider, especially if you are buying an electrical device. Before buying the grow lights, check their material and quality as you don’t want them to wear off soon. Buying grow lights with a warranty is an added advantage as you can claim the warranty when something goes wrong. Make sure the wires and bulbs are of durable quality. Design is up to your personal choice & plant requirements. You can buy small or large or aesthetically pleasing bulbs depending upon your choice.
5. Additional features
Apart from the above features and functionalities, you can also look out for useful bonus features to save your power cost. Many grow light models come with energy-saving technology to save your power consumption and costs. You can opt for such models over normal ones. Some grow lights are equipped with a cooling system to reduce heat produced from the bulbs. This will avoid heating inside the tent and protect your plants from bulb heat. You can also prefer lights that produce low noises without disturbing your plants.
When you grow plants indoors with lights, you have to decide what is most important. Will you prefer to buy cheap lights that consume a lot of energy, or would you rather spend a lot of money at the start and spend less on electricity? You also have to consider the conditions in which you are growing your plants. What works well in one space may not be suitable for a different area. Happy gardening!
October 20, 2023