September 06, 2022
LED lights are proving to be a revolutionary technology due to their low power consumption, fast startup time, reduced heat emissions and excellent light quality. These lights can actually help customers reduce energy costs and provide better lighting for their homes and business premises.
But most consumers aren’t sure which light to buy. Finding the right light can be challenging due to the wide variety of sizes, colors and lumens of LED lights. In this article, we’ll detail a buyer’s guide so you can find the perfect LED grow light.
Flowers growing vigerously under full spectrum LED grow lights.LED’s are some of the best options out there when it comes to indoor gardening, compared to traditional light systems like HID and HPS lights. Here are a few of the advantages:
Wide spectrums of light — Compared to HPS and HID lights, which are limited in their spectrums, LEDs offer more flexibility and a wide range of spectrum combinations. They’re also able to enhance specific wavelengths, like UV and IR, to target specific needs in your garden.
Lower heat output — LED grow lights run much cooler than other types of grow lights, thanks to the fact that they don’t need to burn anything to create light. This not only leads to lower electricity costs, but also protects your grow room from excess heat.
Increased efficiency — LED grow lights are much more efficient than HPS grow lights; they consume 60% less energy for the same amount of light. For example, the 680w lights we list offer more intense light than a 1000w traditional lighting system.
Longer lifespan — For lights that will last you a long time, go with LEDs. They can last over 50,000 hours thanks to their non-checmical construction and lower operating temperatures.
Viparspectra KS5000 500W LED Grow Light
Features:
VIPARSPECTRA LED Grow Light uses market-leading Samsung LM301H diodes (3.10 μmol/J) and Osram 660nm diodes, more energy-efficient LEDs that increase crop yields and save operating costs. High-end components give the KS5000 incredible performance. The KS series is designed for individual or commercial growers who want to optimize their growing space for maximum crop yield while producing the highest quality crops. The KS5000 Dimmable Grow Light with Daisy Chain allows you to connect up to 100 KS5000 grow lights to your commercial grow, horizontal and vertical farming, greenhouse grow, pipe grow, hydroponics, 4x4 grow tent. A built-in dimmer allows you to dial in the perfect PPFD for your plants at all growth stages. The KS5000 features a detachable power supply that can be remotely mounted on the side of a rack or on an adjacent wall to dissipate heat from your grow space.
ChilLED Tech Growcraft X3–500W LED Grow Light
Features:
ChilLED LED Grow Light will maximize your yields and profits. Switch from HPS to ChilLED and increase your yields & profits 30–70+% without adding any additional heat, energy costs or cooling requirements. The market-leading efficiency combined with the tunable Yield Max spectrum equals unmatched performance. This grow light uses the highest build & component quality — never sacrificed for profits. ChilLED grow lights are built to last. Retrofit into your environment with ease. Hands down, ChilLED lights are the most versatile on the market. Growcraft lights have very high light output and unless your plants are already acclimated to high light intensity, it is best to start slow with the light hanging high and possibly also dimmed. Then monitor plant reaction over a few days and slowly adjust as needed.
A good rule of thumb is to use 30–50 watts per square foot of growing space, especially on flowering plants. So if you have about 16 square feet of grow space, you will want to buy grow lights that are about 550 watts. That is, if we assume your plans are all in one region. However, plants that are still in their vegetative state only need about half the amount of light.
Full-spectrum lamps are recently available at reasonable prices. These lights mimic the sun’s spectrum, but usually add some extra light in the wavelength range that’s important to growing plants. We’ve done the job of picking the best full-spectrum lights, so we’ll help you choose the best LED grow lights for your needs.
Color is an important factor
Sunlight is more than just one color. Instead, it has a full spectrum of colors, which is why we see rainbows when it rains and the sun shines through (but that’s a conversation for another day). Regardless, colors range from red and yellow to blue and violet, and plants use this full spectrum to produce the photosynthesis they need. Red and blue light are the most critical for plants. Some people think that full spectrum LED lights are better because they ensure your plants get all the wavelengths present in natural light. According to this argument, wavelengths other than red and blue are also beneficial for certain aspects of plant growth.
Intensity is also a factor
The intensity of the light the plant receives is usually marked by the wattage of the bulb and the distance you place the light from the plant. Plants have different needs for certain colors, but their need for light intensity also depends on their growth stage. Unlike shade plants, indoor plants require high levels of sunlight. Likewise, when grown indoors, they require high-intensity LED lights.
However, these lighting needs will change throughout the life of the plant. For example, early germination of plants does not require light. However, once you have the early shoots, you need to start using the lights for about 18 hours, while the flowering period only requires 12 hours of lighting.
When growing plants indoors, you must decide what is your priority. Are you concerned about your energy bills, the environment, privacy or efficiency?
If you’re looking for grow lights, LED grow lights are the most likely option.
Different options are best for different solutions, so choose the option that works best for you and play to its strengths. Once you’ve selected the light that suits your needs, you can start growing plants. Of course, after choosing soil type, fertilizer preferences and a few other things!
October 20, 2023