January 15, 2022
If you’re testing your green thumb for the first time with plants, you’re probably wondering about the best LED grow lights. After all, having a quality light source is the first step to a successful indoor harvest.
The problem is: what makes the best grow lights better than the rest? Between the techy acronyms and the sheer number of options to choose from, buying an LED grow light with confidence is no easy task. Not to worry — we’ve rounded up all the best LED grow lights for indoor plants, and chosen the best ones for you.
To simplify your search, there are three types of LED grow lights to know about:
Spread: Spread-style grow lights are panels dotted with small diodes over a large surface area. You get the advantage of targeting many plants, higher output, and a built-in cooling system. Subcategories include quantum board or spider-style.
Traditional Panel: For small spaces, traditional grow light panels come in a compact size and generally include full-spectrum lighting. They’re a “hybrid” style between the spread and COB style.
COB style: Short for “chip on board,” COB style offers powerful lighting from a single source. It targets the plants directly underneath the grow light, emitting a full-spectrum frequency.
VIVOSUN VS2000 Samsung LM301H Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
VIVOSUN LED grow light adopts the latest LED grow light technology, including Samsung LM301H diode, high energy efficiency 2.9μmol/J; extremely high output but only consumes 200W of power, making it more efficient than traditional HID lights and other grow lights on the market Efficient. This LED grow light has a dimming knob that can be adapted to different growing seasons of plants by adjusting its output from 40% to 100%; very convenient for both beginners and professional growers. These VS2000 Full Spectrum LEDs provide the best full spectrum coverage — providing the power plants need in all growth stages and maximum PAR output at different distances to support plant photosynthesis in an efficient manner.
UNIT FARM UFS3000 LED Grow Lights
Features:
This UNIT FARM grow light is equipped with a 100,000-hour long life Osram diode. 2 times longer than the unknown brand SMD LED. The CRI is as high as 90, 10 times higher than blur light and 30% higher than cheap SMD LED. Easier to observe the health of plants. A mix of 3000K, 5000K, 660nm Red, 730nm IR and 380nm UV allows the lamp to produce a rich spectrum covering all growth stages. Red and infrared help to get good big shoots and greatly increase the yield. UV light stimulates plants to create amazing flavours. Single panel with drives not attached to the top. Can be set as the main light as a sidelight around the plants. Easily adjust the orientation to let light into every corner. Great for space budget growers.
So, now that you’ve taken a look at our top 7 picks were you able to select a perfect LED grow light for the indoor garden? Well, we know that it is not that easy.
Narrowing down on one option from a list of excellent choices can be quite challenging. Apart from the pros, cons, and prices of the items, there are quite a few other things you’ve to consider before choosing one.
So, to help you, we have designed a comprehensive buyer’s guide for your convenience. Without further delay, let’s jump right in.
Colour Spectrum
If you are using LED grow light as grow lights to help small saplings grow indoors, both full-spectrum and color bulbs can be quite useful during the growing phase. But we would recommend that if you are not on a budget, go for the full-spectrum options for the best results. But, yes, before you choose a multi-spectrum option, consider that they are a little more expensive.
It would be best to select a multi-spectrum option because it is that it is the closest replication to natural sunlight with a complete spectrum of light. However, we do agree that the debate on which one is better is ongoing and never-ending. We would suggest that you choose one that fits your requirements and budget.
Area It Covers
Coverage area is quite crucial when it comes to growing lights, and you have to choose very wisely. The area these bulbs will cover will increase if you move the plants higher, but the intensity of light that your plant will receive will decrease in such a scenario.
However, on the other hand, if you move the light close to your plants, PAR will increase, and coverage will decrease.
To understand this the best, do read the specifications well before you decide on buying one. But be cautious. Sometimes the PAR value listed on the packaging by manufacturers is misleading. They only list PAR in the central area and not of the surrounding areas. We’d suggest that you go for a product that is sold by a trusted manufacturer in the market.
Wattage and Lumen
Well, your consideration for wattage and lumen should be determined by the area that your indoor plantation covers, or very simply the number of plants that are in the garden.
Generally, it is a good idea to give 80W-100W per square foot of your growing area. However, even 50–70W is enough for every square foot of planting area if you have vegetable crops. But if you have plants that need more light, like cucumber, tomatoes, or peppers, it is better that you go for options that offer high lumens and is of higher wattage.
Put simply, for every 2–3 plants, you will need bulbs with 150 wattages or more.
Just make sure that when you choose the bulbs, you do not select wattages and lumens so high that the plants get burned. Provide sufficient quantity and good quality of lights to your plants, and they will flower the best.
How Many Bulbs?
When it comes to how many bulbs are suitable, the rule of thumb is the more light, the better. If you are growing saplings, you can start with 100 watts per plant. But do keep in mind that some plants need less light. So, before you can decide how many bulbs are required, figure out how much light your plants actually need.
Take a look around, see if specific patches have underwhelming growth. If that’s the case, you can easily determine that they would need more sufficient lighting for lush green growth. If your plants are not getting coverage from all angles, they won’t grow properly.
Keep in mind that with the LED grow lights, the idea is to mimic natural lights for your plants. So, just like sunlight, it should cover most of the plant angles. Consider this when you’re placing the bulbs.
We understand that your plants crave sunlight to thrive in the best possible way. However, sometimes it is not possible to give them the perfect natural light because of weather changes, outdoor risks, and many other issues.
We hope that this guide has been helpful to you to choose the perfect LED grow light for your plants. Additionally, we also hope that the buyer’s guide has assisted you in making an informed decision.
October 20, 2023