Mars Hydro FC-E 4800 480W LED Grow Light VS TotalGrow MH Lumyre 480W LED Grow Light
You don’t need a lot of space to grow your own plants, but light is essential. Choosing the best LED grow lights is a key factor in providing plants with the right environment for healthy growth. Along with air, water, and nutrients, light quality has a major impact on a plant’s survival.
Grow lights are not like standard household lights. They fall into two categories: either blue/red spectrum or full spectrum. The blue/red (also known as blurple) spectrum maximizes photosynthesis for overall plant health, and it’s frequently recommended in greenhouses which already receive a lot of natural light. Full spectrum adds that “white” sunlight component for indoor growing. Full spectrum also has green light, which until fairly recently was not thought of as particularly important to plant growth. However, research now suggests it may be helpful during photosynthesis.
LED grow lights — well, LED lights in general — consume less energy than traditional fluorescent or high-density discharge models, have a lifespan two to three times that of non-LED rivals, and can largely be recycled. They can suit both commercial and home users, come in several different models, and offer a variety of features. The sheer diversity can make choosing the most appropriate model challenging. We took a look at the best LED grow lights for a range of different purposes.
Why Use LED Lights?
There are many reasons to use LED lights when growing plants.
Affordability
For many, the main reason is that they are relatively inexpensive when compared to the much pricier HID setup. This is especially true if you are growing a smaller number of plants. Our grow lights at A Pot for Pot are specifically designed for growing a small number of plants and is priced well under $200 — proof that high-quality lighting doesn’t need to be expensive.
This was not always the case. When LEDs were first gaining momentum among growers, the technology was still fairly new and had not entirely been perfected. Think about how expensive and inconvenient cutting-edge technology like smartphones were when they first came out, and it often wasn’t worth it. For example, many agree that the first-generation iPhone was not the greatest. However, today’s smartphones are much more affordable, and they are everywhere.
Energy Savings and Privacy
Another thing to consider is how much money LED grow lights will save you on your energy bill. HID lights are good at what they do, but the amount of energy they use will cause your energy bills to skyrocket. This not only hurts your pocketbook, but it can also draw unwanted attention in your direction either by a landlord, a nosy neighbor, and/or the police. When people had to keep their plants growing activities under wraps, spiking electricity bills often gave them away.
Reduced Water Usage
Not only are LED lights more energy-efficient, but you’ll also save on water usage as well. As you are now aware, HID lights use a lot of energy, which in turn produces more heat. This dramatically increases the temperature of the grow room, causing your plants to consume more water. Any way to reduce water consumption is great for the environment, not to mention great for your utility bill.
Durability
Finally, LED lights last longer than HID or CFL bulbs, ensuring many years of good use before they need to be replaced. Traditional grow lights last for only 20 thousand hours. In contrast, LED bulbs last more than twice as long, for up to 50 thousand, or sometimes even 100 thousand hours. That’s five times the life of HID lights!
Mars Hydro FC-E 4800 480W LED Grow Light
Features:
The Mars Hydro LED grow light consumes 480W input power, FC-E4800 has 2646 pcs high-quality BridgeLux chips, perfectly cover 4x4 ft (flower), 5x5ft(veg) grow space, more cost-effective compared with other same type lights. Not only the driver is removable, but also the light bars, which makes it easy to install, store, and replace the light bars. Meanwhile, cultivators can freely adjust the light bar space according to your growing needs in order to maximize light utilization. The newly developed chip arrangement by mars hydro enables a more even and efficient light distribution, thus promising growers a more uniform crop. Light designed with a dimmer knob which makes dimming more convenient.
TotalGrow MH Lumyre 480W LED Grow Light
Features:
TotalGrow LED grow lights feature 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 direct daisy chaining is easy to implement, has low up-front and ongoing costs, and sustainably produces high-quality crops. The efficacy of this LED grow light is as high as 2.8 μmol/J to meet the light intensity your plants need. Robust, reliable, ideally shaped design for ease of use and excellent uniformity.
Things to Look for in a LED Grow Light
Once you decide that you want to invest in a grow light, it is time to give them a try. However, do bear in mind that you would need to know the basics in order to buy the right kind of LED light.
Some of the factors that require consideration include:
POWER
Of course, power is the first thing that requires consideration. You need to know the amount of power you would require. You measure the power in watts. A general rule is that a grow plant with higher power tends to cover larger area.
However, do bear in mind that raw power is not the only thing that you need, there are several other things that require consideration.
PAR
PAR is as important as raw power. PAR means Photosynthetically Active Radiation. It basically refers to the wavelengths that are important for the plant. These are the wavelengths that are part of the photosynthesis process.
In simple words, plants require red and blue light for photosynthesis. When you have higher PAR, it means that the Grow light would deliver a higher amount of these specific wavelengths. A light with a higher PAR number equals to more effectively grow light.
PPFD
The Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) is a branch of PAR. Basically, a light that has a good PPFD rating has the ability to deliver wavelengths that are important to the plant’s growth instead of generic wavelengths.
HEIGHT AND AREA
Every grow light has a rating that greatly depends upon the area of the plants it can cover when you hang it at a specific height. Sometimes, you need to invest in waterproof LED grow light strips especially when there are chances that the light would come in contact with water.
It is important to ensure that the light you choose matches your requirements. For instance, there is a light that can cover an area of 3ft x 3ft, when you hang them at a height of 24 inches.
SPECTRUM
When we talk about spectrum, it is basically the range of wavelengths that these grow lights can produce. For instance, there are certain grow lights that are labeled as the “Full spectrum”. This means that these lights can produce all the wavelengths that a human eye can see.
However, not all “full-spectrum” models include ultraviolet and infrared light. Since these lights are useful for plants as they help them fight bacterial infection, therefore, it is better to opt for models that offer both the above lights.
MODES AND DEVELOPMENT PHASES
The growth of the plant goes through different development phases such as germination, seedling, vegetative, and fruiting or blooming.
Since each phase requires a different type of light requirement, the grow lights need to make adjustments accordingly.
This means your plant would get all wavelengths all the time. In order words, these are suitable for all development phases of all plants. However, these usually are not energy efficient.
The other option is to choose to grow lights that can switch between modes. For the vegetative phase, you can opt for blue and white light. When it comes to blooming, switch to red and white light. This is a better, more effective, and more efficient way to develop plant faster.
SAFETY FEATURES
A cooling system is an imperative safety feature of a grow light. Although, LED units run cooler in comparison to the traditional grow lights, yet they need an additional cooling system to prevent overheating.
These systems consist of one or more fans, depending upon different factors. They also have a head sink and similar features to aid ventilation. It is important to use an LED grow light that doesn’t overheat, especially when you use it intensively.
Some of the other safety features include light operators. This is important as it does not let one LED burn all the others. This is an important feature as it extends the life of the overall LED grow light. You would end up losing just one LED bulb instead of the entire LED light.
Conclusion
Quality LED grow lights are the best solution we have today for growing plants indoors. They are more efficient that traditional forms of light, meaning they produce more output, while using less electricity and producing less heat.
They also last much longer. You won’t have to change bulbs for at least 5 years, and often over 10.
ECO Farm ECO Z Lite 700W LED Grow Light VS EYE HORTILUX Ascend LED 700-ES Grow Light
When it comes to cleverly placing indoor grow lights indoors, nothing beats the most supported option — LED grow lights. Not only are LEDs incredible for the strength of your houseplants, but they can also give your nursery or houseplant a new look at a real cost.
Regardless, there are countless options on the market, ranging from small sizes to huge commercial LED grow lights, and it’s not difficult to choose the best LED grow lights to perfectly coordinate with your necessities. This article will cover the best cheap grow lights for 2022. Keep reading!
The Benefits of LED Grow Lights On Plants
Driven Grow Lights are way better compared to the regular HPS lights as far as:
1) Economical: LED grow lights utilize less energy and hotness to deliver more usable light and in this way a much prudent and advantageous choice than conventional lights, which cost you long power bills.
2) Eco-Friendly: Since LED lights don’t contain harmful gases or substances like mercury or lead, they are eco-accommodating and recyclable.
3) Longer Lifespan: LED lights utilize less temperature to deliver more hotness, making them more maintainable. They are intended to endure longer for as long as 102,000 hours. Their low operable temperature makes them durable and more solid than customary lights.
4) Efficiency: LED lights convert energy into usable light 40–60% more than regular lights with a low hotness signature. While the other customary lights radiated the greater part of their energy as hotness and just proficient 20–40%, LED grow lights produce extremely light hotness and use a large portion of their power into the light outflow.
5) Less Heat Production: Unlike HID lights, LED grow lights seldom emanate frequencies of 730nm, because of which just a negligible measure of hotness is coordinated towards the plants, and the rest is the encompassing hotness from the board. This makes grow lights appropriate for plant growth as more hotness creation can consume the leaves of the plants and harm their turn of events.
6) Better Crop Production: One of the greatest benefits of growing lights is that they accelerate the growth cycle of plants by giving sufficient lighting actually like normal daylight, bringing about better yield creation.
ECO Farm ECO Z Lite 700W LED Grow Light
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light features an 8-bar design for more even and complete canopy coverage. Equipped with high efficiency diodes with extremely low thermal resistance. Grow lights are flicker-free and dim, with a lifespan of 50,000 hours. LED grow lights consume 750 watts at 2069 µmol/s for a satisfactory PPE of 2.8 µmol/J, ideal for 6 x 6 ft. plant areas or 5 x 5 ft. flowering areas. Each full spectrum LED grow light uses a custom made 2100 diodes. The abundance of wavelength types is consistent with the spectral range of plant photosynthesis. It concentrates specific wavelengths of light to illuminate crops evenly, controlling plant height and plant nutrients. Accelerates the synthesis of plant carbohydrates and vitamins and shortens the growth cycle. The indoor plant LED grow light adopts advanced heat dissipation aluminum. High-quality components ensure that the product works better during its life cycle. At the same time, it can also make the planting in the tent safer and more comfortable.
EYE HORTILUX Ascend LED 700-ES Grow Light
Features:
EYE HORTILUX LED uses upgraded SMD LED technology, which can save energy up to 50% compared to other HPS grow lights. It can provide strong light output and uniform penetration to achieve higher output. It is with incredible power and light that can cultivate healthier plants from beginning to end. Compared with other ordinary lighting equipment, LED grow lights are gentler and will not scorch seedlings. Use plant growth lights to improve productivity. The shell is made of sturdy aluminum alloy, fast heat dissipation, high performance. Built-in dimmer switch, simple and convenient. The nine-position dial will allow you to set the level you want for the stage of growing you are in. Adjust to a suitable position to adapt to the different growth cycles of plants. This full-spectrum lamp is infinitely close to natural sunlight, very suitable for the entire stage of indoor plant growth.
Things to consider before buying an LED grow light
While just about every plant loves light, they don’t all have the same taste. Here are some things to consider when buying an LED grow light.
Power consumption
Even though LEDs are much more efficient than their older counterparts, they still require a constant stream of energy to run. And leaving them on all the time — especially if you’re running a lot of them — can really start to ramp up the ecological impact and your electric bill.
Older bulbs used to measure power in watts, but LEDs don’t quite work like that. Input power on an LED suggests how much power it’ll use, but not necessarily how bright it will be. High-efficiency LEDs can put out a lot of light with a few lamps, while other arrays use a higher number of smaller lamps.
Your needs are specific to your plants, but don’t go buying an LED light array just because it has a high wattage rating. Look for an equivalent wattage number or other methods of measurement.
Spectrum coverage
Full-spectrum lights can mean different things depending on the model. True full-spectrum lights include infrared modules that emit waves you can’t technically see. Different light wavelengths often serve different parts of the growing process, so you’ll want to match up the spectrum performance with the plants you’re trying to grow. If your plants aren’t picky, most “full-spectrum” lights should do a fine job. But, it’s worth doing a little research about your specific plants to make sure the light you’re buying offers what they need.
Dimmability
Not all grow lights are dimmable. Some have either an on or off setting and not much else. Other LED grow lights can offer ten or even more different levels of illumination so you’re not always blasting them on full power.
Self-timers
Plants don’t need light 24 hours per day, so you’ll want to turn lights on and off as needed. Some lights have built-in timers that allow you to program in a custom schedule. That absolves you from having to remember to hit the switch, which can have a profound effect on plants, especially if you’re trying to start outdoor plants inside.
Conclusion
If you buy the right LED lights, growing LED lights can be very beneficial for your indoor plant growth from the point of view of analyzing different viewpoints such as containment area, effectiveness, PAR value, heat outflow, etc.
Understand that sometimes you need to choose the light that best suits your needs. We believe our LED grow lights buyer’s guide will help you pick the best grow lights in 2022.
Best 400W Quantum Board LED Grow Lights in 2022
People jump on trends and get pretty obsessed. And few things are as trendy in the indoor growing community as quantum board LED grow lights.
But what are they exactly?
And perhaps more importantly, are they as good as they say?
And if they are, which brand is best?
We’ll tackle all those questions and more. By the time you get to the bottom of this page, you will know everything you need to know about quantum boards, and you’ll know whether they are right type of grow light for you, and exactly which one(s) you should get.
Let’s start with the most basic question.
What Is A Quantum Board?
The term “quantum board” was first introduced by Horticulture Lighting Group (HLG for short), a relatively new supplier of LED grow lights. It referred to a new style of light where a large number of small LED diodes are affixed to a flat board.
How Do Grow Lights Work?
Grow lights convert electrical energy into photons, light particles that stimulate photosynthesis and encourage plant growth. The best light sources for photosynthesis include a variety of wavelengths that the human eye perceives as color. Red light works best for fruiting and flowering plants, while blue light enhances vegetative growth.
ECO Farm LM301B UV&IR 450W Quantum Board
Features:
The ECO Farm LED grow light uses the high-efficiency white light board with Samsung LM301B diode is highly efficient at 2.7 μmol/J. Higher output but lower electricity consumption. Making these lights more efficient than other lights on the market. ECO Farm LED quantum board uses full-spectrum (3000K), red light at 660nm and IR 730nm and UV 395nm are designed to provide everything that plants need under natural sunlight and promote healthier and more balanced plant growth by stimulating photosynthesis. No Fan, ZERO Noise, and Water Resistance. Passively cooled with a large area of the solid aluminum plate heat sink, no exposed wiring. Considerable design, against electric shock, High safety performance. Waterproof LED, high safety performance, and dimmable MEAN WELL driver.
Spider Farmer SF4000 LED Quantum Board
Features:
SPIDER FARMER LED Grow Lights utilize today’s latest high yield LED technology — Samsung LM301B diodes with high energy efficiency of 2.7 umol/J, providing powerful light output and uniform canopy penetration to maximize yield. Consumes only 450w and runs 50% less power than HPS or other SMD LED or Blurple lights. Upgraded SF4000 grow lights. The arrangement of diodes gathered around the edges makes the PPFD more uniform, and the dimming knob can adjust the light intensity at will. Multi-light connections with uniform dimming are especially beneficial for large areas of indoor and commercial cultivation. Turn your seeds into your own supply. And the light looks quite natural, so it’s good for accurate monitoring of plant health.
UNIT FARM UF4000 LED Grow Lights
Features:
The spectrum of this LED grow light is a mix of 3000K, 5000K, and 660nm red, perfect for full-cycle growth. Plus special infrared and ultraviolet light to stimulate growth. A better diode arrangement provides a more even output, working as well as a strip light. Allowing each leaf to get enough light can increase yields by 20%. This grow light consumes 400 watts, which is equivalent to 700 watts of blur light or HPS. 100,000-hour long life Osram diodes are used. The CRI is as high as 90, 10 times higher than blur light and 30% higher than cheap SMD LED. The detachable drive has a total length of 13 feet (4M), and you can place the drive outside the tent to keep the ambient temperature cool in the summer or keep it warm inside in the winter. Ultra-thin and strong bearing capacity, built-in fans can be set on it, providing more growth space for plants
Advantages of Quantum Board LED Grow Lights
So what’s the big deal with these things?
They look pretty basic and not nearly as well-made as most traditional LED grow lights. Are they really any better?
Generally speaking, yes. Quantum boards have a umber of advantages over regular LED grow lights. In fact, we always recommend either quantum LEDs or COBs (read Quantum Board Vs COB for a comparison of the two) for anyone wanting to get into growing indoors.
The primary advantages of quantum boards are:
Efficiency
Quantum board give you more output while consuming fewer watts.
Light Spread
Because the light emanates from many points across a large board, it has a more direct path to the canopy on the outside of the coverage area than a light that comes from a smaller fixture and has to emanate further outward.
This results in less intensity in the middle of the coverage area and more intensity around the outside. In other words: a more even light spread.
Spectrum
The Samsung diodes (and the cheaper alternatives many brands use) emit a full spectrum white light that contains every visible wavelength of light. They are available in several different color temperatures, but all are close to natural sunlight. This makes it an excellent spectrum for plants.
While blue and red LEDs were common in the past, the industry is coming to realize that white LEDs are better for plants, so more and more manufacturers are switching to white. This switch began with HLG and their quantum boards.
These days, quantum boards often have additional diodes mixed in among the white ones, most notably deep red and sometimes UV and IR.
Thermal Management
Quantum boards are generally mounted to a to a thin piece of aluminum (or sometimes a heatsink), which suffices to passively cool the diodes. No fans are needed (note that the fixtures do still get hot; see disadvantages below).
Low Price
On average, quantum board lights cost less than traditional LEDs or COBs that produce a similar output. Yes, there are far cheaper lights, but those lights do not come close to giving you the output of a quantum board.
DIY Options
HLG and some other manufacturers sell DIY kits that make it easy to build your own light and save even more money
How to Use Grow Lights
The success of grow lights will be a process of trial and error. So have fun, give it a try and don’t get discouraged too soon.
Here are a few steps to help you succeed:
Choose your bulbs wisely. Figure out what you want to do with the light before buying. Remember: More expensive lights may only take a fraction of the time compared to cheaper lights.
Place lights close to plants. It varies by lamp, but six inches is a good rule. If a light is a foot or two away, it reduces the intensity significantly, by about 75%. If you’re using a row of store lights, hang them on adjustable chains so you can easily move them around as the plants grow.
Use a timer. Some plants do better with constant daily light. If your plant is sensitive to day length, it can be confusing to give it 8 hours a day and then another 22 hours.
Study the amount of light each plant needs. Think of a plant’s light needs as filling a bucket. That bucket is full of photons. The rate at which it fills depends on the intensity of the growing light and the natural light the plant gets.
maintenance and safety. Clean the lighting as needed for maintenance, but be careful.
Conclusion
Ultimately, quantum board LEDs are the perfect solution for replacing inefficient HID systems.
If you’re ready to push the envelope of your indoor garden — there’s no better time than now to buy a quantum board LED.
Alternatively, jump over to The Best LED Grow Lights for Plants Cultivators if you want to learn about other types of LED systems.
Once you buy a quantum board LED — it’s time to head over to our Grow Guide to learn all the essential tips and tricks to growing top-shelf plants.
2022 Top 3 Best 700W LED Grow Lights for Indoor Garden
Looking for the Best Light For Indooe Plants’ Growth? Here are all the best ones on the market, pros, cons and how to use them properly!
Plants can be fickle things. They need the right blend of water and light in order to grow healthy and strong. It can be frustrating planting your seeds for only a few of them to germinate and sprout foliage.
Water is a factor that you can easily control, but what about a source of light for your plants?
This is where a grow light can come in handy. This is a piece of equipment that has been designed to give your plants the right level of light, as well as the right type of light so that they can grow healthy and strong.
But with so many different grow lights on the market how can you be sure that you’ve found the best light for vegetative growth?
That’s where we come in. We’ve done all the hard work for you so that you don’t have to. We’ve researched and reviewed hundreds of products to help you find the best grow light for your plants.
So you can rest assured that if you opt for one of the grow lights that we’ve reviewed in more detail below that it will be perfect for your needs.
WHY USE A GROW LIGHT?
The tall buildings and the changing weathers might not allow the plants to take-in the required natural light. However, with grow lights, you can easily overcome these hurdles. Light, after all, is imperative for the growth of the plan, but sometimes, it fails to reach them especially in winters or for indoor plants.
In this case, let the grow lights nurture your plant. With these lights you can grow plants anywhere you want and at any time of the year. These lights are effective for seed starting, herbs, house plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and much more.
ECO Farm MB3 Pro 760W LM301B LED Grow Light
Features:
High efficiency + high yield ECO Farm LED grow light is equipped with tWith 2880 pcs SAMSUNG LM301B diodes+80 Osram 660nm, with high PAR/PPF efficiency up to 2.8 umol/J and powerful output, enabling you to Obtain higher output. Only consumes 760W. The ultra-thin and unique 180° foldable design grow light is easy to stretch or fold. It is very suitable for large-area planting and commercial planting. The perfect coverage area is 4*6 feet. Both sides can be folded freely from 0° to 180°, easy to install, save space, and easy to carry, no need to worry about hurting hands and lights. The dimming knob is ideal for growers to adjust the light intensity according to different growing stages., which provides the needs of each stage of the plant, allows the plant to obtain the perfect growth effect flexibly, increase the yield, and save energy costs at the same time.
MedicGrow Fold-8 720W LED Grow Light
Features:
This Ultra High Output Full Spectrum LED Grow Light 720w produces full spectrum white light, ideal for growing flowering plants. Its light output of 1944 µmol/s matches or exceeds conventional 1000W DE HPS grow lights. Its low profile ladder design allows use in a vertical growing configuration. It is passively cooled through its unique trapezoidal design. It comes with a built-in dimming control knob and features remote dimming. This 720W collapsible grow light gives your plants the full spectrum, giving them everything they need to grow big and beautiful. Full Cycle Phase Spectrum will take your plants to new heights using the best LED diodes.
B-Lite Premium 1940e LED Grow Light
Features:
The input power is 720W, the light efficiency of the LED grow light is 2.7umol/J, and the PPF is 1915umol/s. The light source of the grow light is a high-performance Samsung LED chip, which emits full-spectrum light for the overall growth and development of plants. Has a 90 CRI count and good color rendering. Plantation gardeners prefer light because it uses the highest quality diodes for high quality output. For the 1949e, grow lights use the least amount of energy to provide the most output. LEDs emit full spectrum light, providing maximum output and promoting all growth stages of the plant life cycle. With high efficiency, the fixture is expected to increase yield and quality production. Thanks to proper thermal management, the system works efficiently from start to finish. Without a cooling fan, you don’t have to deal with any annoying sounds.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN AN LED GROW LIGHT
Once you decide that you want to invest in a grow light, it is time to give them a try. However, do bear in mind that you would need to know the basics in order to buy the right kind of LED light.
Some of the factors that require consideration include:
POWER
Of course, power is the first thing that requires consideration. You need to know the amount of power you would require. You measure the power in watts. A general rule is that a grow plant with higher power tends to cover larger area.
However, do bear in mind that raw power is not the only thing that you need, there are several other things that require consideration.
PAR
PAR is as important as raw power. PAR means Photosynthetically Active Radiation. It basically refers to the wavelengths that are important for the plant. These are the wavelengths that are part of the photosynthesis process.
In simple words, plants require red and blue light for photosynthesis. When you have higher PAR, it means that the Grow light would deliver a higher amount of these specific wavelengths. A light with a higher PAR number equals to more effectively grow light.
PPFD
The Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) is a branch of PAR. Basically, a light that has a good PPFD rating has the ability to deliver wavelengths that are important to the plant’s growth instead of generic wavelengths.
HEIGHT AND AREA
Every grow light has a rating that greatly depends upon the area of the plants it can cover when you hang it at a specific height. Sometimes, you need to invest in waterproof LED grow light strips especially when there are chances that the light would come in contact with water.
It is important to ensure that the light you choose matches your requirements. For instance, there is a light that can cover an area of 3ft x 3ft, when you hang them at a height of 24 inches.
SPECTRUM
When we talk about spectrum, it is basically the range of wavelengths that these grow lights can produce. For instance, there are certain grow lights that are labeled as the “Full spectrum”. This means that these lights can produce all the wavelengths that a human eye can see.
However, not all “full-spectrum” models include ultraviolet and infrared light. Since these lights are useful for plants as they help them fight bacterial infection, therefore, it is better to opt for models that offer both the above lights.
SAFETY FEATURES
A cooling system is an imperative safety feature of a grow light. Although, LED units run cooler in comparison to the traditional grow lights, yet they need an additional cooling system to prevent overheating.
These systems consist of one or more fans, depending upon different factors. They also have a head sink and similar features to aid ventilation. It is important to use an LED grow light that doesn’t overheat, especially when you use it intensively.
Some of the other safety features include light operators. This is important as it does not let one LED burn all the others. This is an important feature as it extends the life of the overall LED grow light. You would end up losing just one LED bulb instead of the entire LED light.
Conclusion
The majority of today’s best grow lights are energy-efficient, full-spectrum lights that emit a white glow and support plants through all parts of their growing cycle. I hope this guide will help you buy a suitable LED grow light. Happy growing!
ECO Farm ECO Z Lite 700W LED Grow Light VS MedicGrow Fold-8 720W LED Grow Light
Is your apartment lacking natural sunlight? Looking to get a head start on your summer vegetable garden? Perhaps you’re hoping to fill every nook and cranny of your home with houseplants. Chances are, you’re going to need an assist. Mother Nature is great and all, but even she can’t make the light appear where the sun doesn’t shine.
Thankfully, the best grow lights today come in a variety of looks, colors, and power levels, and most have done away with that garish blue/red/purplish hue in favor of an easy-on-the-eyes daylight feel. With so many options, there’s something to fit every plant lover’s style and needs. Here are some of our favourites.
What Color Light is Best?
Alright time for some science. The light spectrum ranges through red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. The colors at the far ends are most useful to plants but all colors are absorbed to some extent. When purchasing your grow light, make sure to read the packaging as it will outline what spectrum is provided. Full spectrum is always the best choice or one that offers a mix of red and blue (which is what my light has in the pictures). Different colors serve different purposes which I will outline below.
Blue light (and for the most part violet) is extremely important as it is how our plants get chlorophyll and therefore grow and strengthen their foliage.
Red light is needed for flowering varieties. You must be cautious when using this as too much red light can kill your plant which is why a lot of grow lights offer a mix of both red and blue so your plants are getting all their needs met.
Green and yellow light is said to have minor benefits when it comes to germinating seeds but otherwise is not essential to your plant.
ECO Farm ECO Z Lite 700W LED Grow Light
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light features an 8-bar design for more even and complete canopy coverage. Equipped with high efficiency diodes with extremely low thermal resistance. Grow lights are flicker-free and dim, with a lifespan of 50,000 hours. LED grow lights consume 750 watts at 2069 µmol/s for a satisfactory PPE of 2.8 µmol/J, ideal for 6 x 6 ft. plant areas or 5 x 5 ft. flowering areas. Each full spectrum LED grow light uses a custom made 2100 diodes. The abundance of wavelength types is consistent with the spectral range of plant photosynthesis. It concentrates specific wavelengths of light to illuminate crops evenly, controlling plant height and plant nutrients. Accelerates the synthesis of plant carbohydrates and vitamins and shortens the growth cycle. The indoor plant LED grow light adopts advanced heat dissipation aluminum. High-quality components ensure that the product works better during its life cycle. At the same time, it can also make the planting in the tent safer and more comfortable.
MedicGrow Fold-8 720W LED Grow Light
Features:
The MedicGrow LED Grow Light is the latest LED grow light for indoor plants from industry leader MedicGrow. Designed for a variety of growing operations, this full spectrum LED grow light is designed for home or commercial indoor growing operations or gardens with an emphasis on cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Offering impressive coverage up to 5' x 5', the Fold 8 LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants supports all stages of the plant’s growth cycle, whether used in a personal grower’s tent or with up to 100 Fixtures are connected together in large commercial operations. This grow light has an impressive PPFD of 1944 µmol/s to increase your plant yield (requires 20–40 moles of light per day). In addition, the Fold-8 is dimmable from 40% -100%, allowing you to easily adjust the light intensity of vegetables and flowering stages.
Buyer’s Guide to Best Light for Indoor Plants’ Growth
Choosing the best light for plants’ growth can be an overwhelming experience. There are so many factors to consider. It can also be confusing knowing where to start if you’re new to gardening and trying to grow plants in pots in your home.
What are the essential features that you will need to look for in a grow light to ensure that it will be perfect for your needs?
We’ve put together this handy buyer’s guide to help you. As long as you bear the below factors in mind when you start to choose your preferred grow light, you can rest assured that this will be the right fit for your greenery.
We’ve included all of the essential factors that we bore in mind when choosing our best light for vegetative growth products that we’ve reviewed in more detail above.
Full Spectrum
The most important thing to consider when choosing the best light for vegetative growth is the spectrum of light that your grow light is able to offer your plants. To get the best value for money, it will be ideal to opt for a grow light that offers a full spectrum of light. This will be able to cover all stages of your plant’s growth.
In terms of vegetative growth, you will need to ensure that your grow light comes with the blue light you need.
This light works to encourage photosynthesis as well as chlorophyll absorption, which is what your plant needs to grow up big and strong. If your grow light covers this spectrum of light, then it will be ideal for vegetative growth.
Want to get more bang for your buck? Look for a grow light that also offers red light. This will be just what your plants need during the budding and flowering stages of growth. This is why you should opt for a grow light that offers a full spectrum of light if possible as you will get more value for your money.
Easy To Use
It will be important to opt for a grow light that will be super easy for you to use. This will make it much easier to set up the grow light with your plants, and ensure that they get the right amount of light that they need to complete a successful vegetative growth stage.
How easy is your preferred grow light to use straight out of the box? Is it fairly easy to set up? Does it include a stand, or do you have to hang the grow light from hooks or attach it to a surface before you can use it? All of these factors will dictate how easy your new grow light is to use.
It will also be worth considering how easy your new grow light is to use once you’ve got it all set up in your home. Does it come with a range of features for you to use? Do you have to change the settings manually?
Does it include a timer function to make it easier to use throughout the day? The easier your grow light is to use in general, the easier it will make your life.
Versatile
Another factor to consider is what type of gardening you need your grow light for. It will be worth opting for a grow light that is more versatile, as this will be a model that you can use with a variety of gardening styles.
No matter whether you prefer hydroponics, traditional gardening, or other styles of gardening, the more versatile your grow light, the better.
This will mean that if you switch up your gardening styles, you can easily do this without having to buy additional grow lights to give your plants the light they need to power through the vegetative stages.
Size
You will also need to consider the size of the grow light you need for your plants.
The larger the light, the more plants it will be able to cover. If you only have a small handful of plants that need a helping hand, then it will be worth opting for a smaller sized grow light. If you have lots of plants that need light, then you should opt for a larger grow light.
It will also be worth noting that the price of your chosen grow light will differ depending on the size you choose.
Energy Saving
It will be worth opting for a grow light that is able to save you money while also delivering a powerful performance.
Out of all the grow lights on the market, you should choose an LED indoor grow light. These bulbs are highly energy-efficient, so will save you money, deliver a solid performance in terms of plant growth, and won’t use up too much energy to do so.
Conclusion
Indoor gardens can be a rewarding and fun hobby. It’s easy to be successful when you have the right tools at hand. LED grow lights specifically designed for indoor plants make this an enjoyable process. There are many systems to choose from as well as various price points, so there is something for everyone.
Optic LED Slim 650S Dimmable LED Grow Light VS Lightspeed Pro Cosmic Plus LED 600W LED Grow Light
There was a time when choosing a grow light was simple — all you needed to know was what brand and wattage you wanted. Things have changed. Drastically. The market has been flooded with grow light options and it can be quite challenging to figure out which light is best for you. Below is some advice on how to know what the best LED grow light looks like.
What makes LED Grow Lights different from standard LED lights?
LED Grow Lights are different from the usual LED bulbs in your household. The everyday light only illuminates, while grow lights have a broad spectrum of red and blue that stimulate growth.
LED grow lights come in many shapes and sizes. But as the most needed units of LED grow lights, LED chips have most of the effect on the quality of the lighting, such as spectrum (colors) and photon flux (“brightness”) produced.
Since LED grow light manufacturers can choose the LEDs they use in their lamps, it is crucial to understand which kind of LED grow light best fits the specific application.
One of the advantages of LED grow lights compared to traditional lighting solutions is the ability to match the lighting to the needs of plants.
Can you have too much light in a grow room?
Short answer, no. However, you are spending money to convert electricity into usable light. If you are creating more light than your plants need (or if the light isn’t getting to your plants), then you are very literally, wasting money.
Reflective walls that surround your plants or lights with reflectors built-in can double your PAR efficiency and ensure optimal light absorption. The truth is that horticulturists and botanists don’t know a great deal about the
Without installing more lighting.
Optic LED Slim 650S Dimmable LED Grow Light
Features:
Optic LED’s Slim650S is designed and built to be one of the highest performing LED grow lights on the market. It uses Samsung’s new LH351H version 2 660nm deep red LED chip, 3.75 umols/j and LH351H 450nm royal blue LED with Samsung white LM301H LED, over 3.0 umols/j! Pair it with a 3-way dimmable system running 3,096 LEDs and you get breakthrough efficiency and tuning capabilities. When combined with our touchscreen master controller, the Slim 650S allows growers to recreate nature with precise control. The Slim 650S can be called the most advanced LED grow light ever.
Lightspeed Pro Cosmic Plus LED 600W LED Grow Light
Features:
The Lightspeed Pro Cosmic Plus LED 600W Grow Light provides 600W of powerful lighting, producing higher intensity lighting to ensure maximum indoor plant growth. This 600W full spectrum hydroponic grow light is specially designed to optimize plant reproduction during the growth and flowering stages of plants cultivation. Like all of our Lightspeed Cosmic lighting ranges, this grow light has many innovative features designed to help you reduce operating costs and make your hydroponics business more profitable. First, it provides more uniform full-spectrum LED natural light than HPS and MH lighting. Plus, it has a dimmer that allows you to precisely control the light during key growing stages to help prevent damage to sensitive plants and extend the life of your grow lights.
Buying An LED Grow Light: What To Consider
There is no need to make buying a grow light a complicated process. By considering a few factors you can get the perfect light for your needs.
Let me show you how:
Think about the space you have available and where and how the light will fit.
Also think about how much you intend to grow and the wattage of the grow light you need to purchase (you can use the grow space chart listed above to work out roughly how many watts you need).
Then you need to consider the light spectrum.
Think about it this way:
If you want to grow your plant right through from seedling to flower you will need a full spectrum light.
But if your plant has already germinated you might just need the blue or red spectrum — to help with growing and flowering respectively.
You might also want to check the PAR output.
This is where things can get a little confusing.
PAR is one of the biggest factors on the yield you might get from your grow light. It stands for Photosynthetic Active Radiation.
In simple terms:
It is the amount of light produced that is usable to plants, ie light wavelengths that can be used for photosynthesis (ie within the range of 400–700nm). Try and look for a light with high PAR readings.
And remember:
You are likely going to have your grow light on for a long period of time so you might want to consider how much energy it uses.
LED lights use less energy than traditional lights but it is always worth checking the energy consumption of the light you intend to buy.
Soon you will have your plants growing like never before!
Conclusion
If you plan on using your light for a while, LEDs are a better deal than HID. High-end LEDs are more efficient than HID and have far more ability to provide a specific, tailored spectrum. Lower energy consumption is not only good for you, but it’s good for the environment. Don’t forget, too, the cost and hassle associated with changing bulbs for HID fixtures every year to six months. A great LED grow light will last you many years, maintenance free. If that wasn’t enough, you also don’t have to feel guilty about using a light that contains mercury and other toxic heavy metals like those contained in HID and fluorescent.
ECO Farm ECO Z Lite 1000W LED Grow Light VS Iluminar 1000W iLogic™9 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Most people have some green thumb or interest in gardening. And with the right plants and some sunlight, many can grow a garden in their backyard. But not all regions are as sunny as they seem. Many people struggle to keep their garden alive and thrive in less direct sunlight and cloudier days, such as the Pacific Northwest or Northeast. That’s why grow lights provide an excellent solution for people who live in these areas. There are many ways you can use grow lights to help your outdoor plants thrive in indirect sunlight!
If you’re having trouble with your plants not getting enough light, or if you’re looking for a way to add more light for your plants all year long, grow lights can be a great solution. But before you buy any grow lights, you’ll want to know what type of grow light is best for your needs, how to set up your grow light, and what kind of plants will thrive under these lights.
This article will help you understand a bit more about the benefits of LED grow lights and how they can help you grow healthy plants in indirect sunlight.
Why Do You Need Grow Lights?
If you are growing plants indoors, it is important to have lights that emit the proper amount of light and color. These lights are called “grow lights” and can be found in many different shapes and sizes. The most common types of grow lights are HID (high-intensity discharge) lights, which provide a high amount of light. Fluorescent grow lights are also used to grow plants, but they provide a lower level of light.
Plants use light to produce food. Photosynthesis takes place when light is absorbed by the leaves. This process creates carbohydrates that are then stored in the plant for future use. When you start to eat your vegetables and fruits, you are eating the carbohydrates that were created during photosynthesis.
Light is also important because it regulates growth. Plants will grow at different rates depending on how much light they get. For example, spinach grows much faster when it has a lot of light. You can see this by comparing the size of your spinach with other types of greens that grow slower.
How Long To Leave Grow Lights On
When using grow lights, it’s important to leave them on for the amount of time needed for the plant to be at the desired height. The ideal time to turn them off is when the plant reaches the desired height, but if you are growing a lot of plants, this may not be feasible.
For example, say you wanted to grow the plant with the tallest stems. You would probably want to keep it on until the tallest stem was about 2–3 feet tall, and then take the plant out of the light for the remainder of the growth cycle.
But what if you want to grow the plant as a small plant? This would mean that the light would need to be turned off when the plant reaches a height of about 2–3 inches. If the light is turned off too early, the plant will grow much more than it should. If you turn it off too late, the plant will be stunted and have shorter stems. Therefore, it’s important to know how tall the plant will get before turning the light off.
If you are growing a lot of plants at once, this may not be feasible because you can’t watch all the plants at once to make sure they reach the desired height. So, you might want to keep the lights on for only a few days or weeks. If you leave them on for longer than the ideal time, you risk the growth of stunted plants or plants that grow more than they should.
ECO Farm ECO Z Lite 1000W LED Grow Light
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow lights ensure concentrated and even lighting and reduce light waste. This plant light brings a 30% increase in output, consumes a total of 1000W, 2800 LEDs, and replaces the traditional 2000W plant light. Achieve higher yields while saving energy costs! Grow lights are easy to assemble yourself in minutes. You can install as many LED strips as you want. Plug and play, effectively save your installation cost and time. The aluminum backplate enables excellent heat dissipation. Pure aluminum light bars better dissipate heat and stay cool, essential for heat dissipation while ensuring long lamp life. No fan, no noise. The cost-effective grow light is designed for home/commercial growers, long-term use of the fan will make noise, but the LED light panel uses aluminum to cool it instead of using a fan, giving you a fanless and quiet growing experience.
Iluminar 1000W iLogic™9 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
The Iluminar LED Grow Light is an efficient product that helps growers produce quality crops. This grow light consists of 9 replaceable LED strips with a total energy of 1000W. If you want to use a less powerful LED strip, you can always replace it. This grow light emits just the right amount of light and can easily penetrate dense tree canopies. Plus, it doesn’t create hot spots, which means it spreads light evenly to all plants. The Iluminar 1000W grow light uses Osram and Samsung diodes to dissipate heat. These diodes are soldered into the grow light’s circuit, making it easier for growers to clean without worrying about damaging any wires. This grow light has a maximum installation height of 12 inches, which is sufficient for all types of vegetative and flowering plants.
Your Guide to Setting Up Indoor Grow Lights
Whether you’re growing microgreens or an herb garden, having an indoor grow light setup can take your efforts to the next level. With that move, your plants can get all they need to thrive and provide bountiful harvests. There are a few requirements for this type of project, however.
You need the right bulbs, placement and runtimes to achieve your goals. To help you get started, here’s a quick guide to setting up indoor grow lights.
Pick the Right Spectrum
To best mimic the power of sunlight for your indoor plants, you need to select full-spectrum bulbs. Like the rays coming from the sun, these bulbs generate all the colors of the rainbow for the perfect cool-warm light balance. With that, they work well from the germination through fruiting stages, so you don’t have to switch out your grow lights halfway through.
You can choose either fluorescent, LED or high-intensity LED lights to give your plants the full spectrum of light. Fluorescent bulbs will generate a bit of heat to help your seedlings sprout but cost much more to run than LEDs. Pairing LEDs with a heat mat can mimic that effect without using up excess energy.
Determine the Ideal Distance
When using indoor grow lights, you need to set the fixture at the perfect height. For most plants, 12- to 24-inches from their canopy is a great place to start. You can then adjust the position as you monitor your plants’ growth.
If they are looking too leggy, you’ll want to lower the light a few inches to keep them from reaching ever upward. Lights that are too close to the plants can cause them to spread outward as they grow or even damage their leaves.
Set up a Timer to Match Plant Preferences
Plants grow best when kept on a strict daytime/nighttime schedule. At the seedling through vegetation stage of growth, they need the indoor grow lights for about 12 hours a day. Once they begin to flower, you can turn up the lights for around 16 to 18 hours a day.
You should never have the lights on for 24 hours a day as that can disrupt the growth of your plants. They need the off hours to rest and cycle nutrients up from the roots and through their systems. If you think you may forget to turn the lights on and off, put them on an automatic timer set to your ideal preferences.
Monitor Plant Growth and Make Adjustments
Experiment with the placement and timing of the lights to see what each plant prefers. You can even switch light types if you’re not satisfied with the results or just want to gauge the difference.
As you do, jot down data on their growth speed and harvest size to determine what works best. Remember to note any changes you made to their watering and fertilizer schedule as well to control the other variables.
Over time, you’ll find the perfect formula for every type of indoor plant you like to grow. Then, you can branch out by adding other types of flowers, veggies and fruits to the mix and expand your indoor garden by leaps and bounds.
Conclusion
Learning how long to leave grow lights on is important so you do not end up damaging your plants. The more time you leave the more the plants will grow and the more nutrients they will use. Leaving them too long on the lights can also damage the plants as it is hard for them to regulate their growth while being left on light 24/7. How long to leave grow lights on depends on the type of light you have. Some grow lights are more efficient than others and some use less electricity.
SpecGrade LED Verta-6 Eco 640W LED Grow Light VS Flexstar Foldable 645W Dimmable Led Grow Light
If you have indoor plants, you should pay attention to how much light they’re getting. In this article, we’ll look into various grow lights for houseplants to help your indoor plants grow fast and healthily. We also provide a buyer’s guide to help you make the right considerations when purchasing in terms of brightness, pricing, and more, so read on!
What Color of Light?
You may notice that many grow lights have both red and blue bulbs. During our previous discussion on LED grow lights, you learned that plants only really care about these two types of light. But what’s the difference?
The blue spectrum of your grow light to aid in photosynthesis, but don’t contribute as much to your plant’s growth as the red spectrum. Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that blue light tends to suppress growth and plants grown solely in blue light tend to be shorter with thicker and darker colored leaves.
However, blue light is beneficial in regulating and encouraging flower growth in some species of plants, especially at higher intensities.
Red light is responsible for extension growth and those same researchers at MSU found that plants grown only under red light tend to be tall, thin, and elongated. The red light also had an effect on the flowering of the plants involved in the study.
Researchers concluded that the combination of red and blue lights was the most effective in terms of both growth and flowering. So that’s why most of the grow lights you see on the market today have both.
How Many Plants?
The number of plants you can keep under your grow lights will depend on the type of light you use and how many plants you own. Obviously, if you only have a few succulents and cacti, covering them all with a grow light will be relatively simple.
If you only have a few plants, you might want to consider clip-on or single bulb grow lights. This will allow your grow light to concentrate its efforts on a small space.
However, if you have a large collection of plants, or have particularly large succulents or cacti, you may need larger or multiple grow lights.
Hanging overhead lights are ideal for maximum coverage. As mentioned earlier, tube lights will cover the most plants.
If your succulent collection is spread throughout your home, rather than just in a single location, you may need to consider investing in multiple grow lights.
SpecGrade LED Verta-6 Eco 640W LED Grow Light
Features:
SpecGrade’s new professional-grade Verta-6 Eco combines performance, superior engineering, and price. Their fine-tuned mature A1 spectrum will improve tricolor and flavor while reducing operating costs and shortening growth cycles. Verta-6 Eco is sure to be the new choice for professionals to get the highest return on investment. Standard 0–10V dimming works with Grow-Connect ready (daisy-chain) harnesses, making the Verta-6 Eco the perfect choice for flowering and vegetable applications. It is designed for maximum PPFD while using much less power than conventional light sources. Fully modular design allows for best-in-class maintenance and adaptability.
Flexstar Foldable 645W Dimmable Led Grow Light
Features:
The Flexstar LED Grow Light is an electronic horticultural LED fixture with 6 LED light bars to be used in greenhouses or in climate-controlled rooms. Powered by Samsung & OSRAM. More than 50% higher in PPFD compared with HID lamps. Energy-saving with 37% lower power consumption than HID lamps. Slim design that is foldable up to 180 degrees, making it small, compact, and easy to install. The ballast includes specialized foldable mounting brackets that attach to the LED tubes. This LED grow light product will deliver everything plants need from natural sunlight to transform your seeds and saplings into high-yielding plants. There’s no assembly required either, right out of the box, the LED grow light is ready to use.
Buyer’s Guide to LED Grow Lights: How to Choose the Best Lights
There are a number of different factors that you need to keep in mind when you are looking forward to buying an LED grow light for your plant. First off, you need to know if the light you are buying will be providing you with sufficient coverage as to cover the grow tent properly. In addition to that, you need to know exactly how much area does it cover during the vegetative phase and how much does it cover during the flowering phase when the light is lowered. Always make sure the flowering area is sufficient to cover your tent before you finalize on the light.
Post the coverage, you need to check for power consumption which is another important factor for growers. The wattage written on the product’s name is usually the output that you get and not the power draw (which is generally lesser). Hence, always check the product details for the exact power draw, which will tell you about the amount of power that is being drawn from the wall socket. In addition to that, do check the durability of the product — as well as the total lifespan. Most good LED grow lights will last anywhere 75,000 to 100,000 hours!
Lastly, also check if the company that is making it has service centers in your country. Most major players are based in China (or other nearby Asian regions) and have warehouses and service centers in US, UK, Australia, EU, etc. Do check the warranty period that they are offering (a minimum of three years is recommended) as well. Lastly, the price and your budget should also be kept in mind before you make a final purchase.
Conclusion
Plant grow lights help indoor plants sustain their growth even without direct sunlight, aiding them in various stages of development, such as germination and flowering. Buying the right grow light for your houseplants is crucial for ensuring they continue to grow and make your house a more comfortable place to live in. Make sure to buy one that provides the right type of light for them and offers the flexibility you need in terms of installation, illumination, and heat management.
Grow Light Science PROGROW 640 LED Grow Light VS OCL SKWID 1900 Pro LED 680W Grow Light
If you’re looking to grow plants indoors, you need to choose the right grow lights. Without adequate light, you won’t get a decent harvest. The best lighting usually equals the highest quality THC, so it’s essential to get the best ones you can afford. There are so many different types of grow lights available that finding the ideal ones for your needs is challenging.
This article provides a handy list of some of the best grow lights for indoor plants currently available on the market. Some of them are cheap; others are a little pricier. Regardless, if you use them correctly, they’ll get the job done.
What LED grow light do professional growers use for Indoor planting?
Light is an important element required for plants. In the process of photosynthesis, plants can convert light energy into chemical energy, so that plants can thrive, especially plants, and light can also promote the production of buds.
When growing outdoors, the energy of the sun can be harnessed, while in an indoor environment, growers can simulate sunlight through LED lights with the aim of showing the same spectrum as the sun.
LED grow lights can precisely control the amount of light the plants receive, ensuring they get the same amount of light day in and day out, and growers don’t have to worry about bad weather or cloudy days in outdoor environments.
More and more professional growers are buying grow lights to increase crop and Plants production.
Led grow lamp market sales are expected to grow from USD 1.2 billion in 2021 to USD 4.9 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 32.2% during the forecast period. The legalization of plants cultivation has also increased the demand for LED grow lights from more growers.
Although LED grow lights are more expensive than traditional grow lights, they are also more energy efficient and can save more capital costs in the long run. Some lamps are large in size and have many parts, some are light in weight, and some are more suitable for seedlings or mature plants.
There are many different kinds of led grow lights, so knowing where to start can be daunting.
Today, we would like to show you our hot-selling LED grow lights in 2022.
Grow Light Science PROGROW 640 LED Grow Light
Features:
PROGROW 640 is a full cycle overhead lighting solution for commercial or residential plants cultivation. The 640’s form factor allows for expandability and multiple grow room and grow tent configurations where photosynthesis and yield maximization are the goals. PROGROW 640 provides high PPFD levels with or without CO2 supplementation. Top light output (PPF), spectral distribution and efficacy will deliver amazing results with little impact on your wallet. PROGROW 640 will deliver PPFD levels of over 1,000 umols/m2/s, either individually or in arrays of multiple cells. We recommend that all growers conduct research and trials within their growing space to design the best combination of inputs.
OCL SKWID 1900 Pro LED 680W Grow Light
Features:
The OCL SKWID 1900 PRO LED grow light offers an absolute market leading PPF up to 1.938 μmol/s! A high-performance energy-efficient alternative to the traditional commercial 1000W DE HID fixtures. The eight bars are passively cooled in an extra wide shape to enhance spread and coverage. The absence of moving cooling parts reduces the possibility of mechanical failure. The OCL SKWID 1900 PRO LED is dimmable and delivers broad, full-spectrum light anywhere from 400w to 680w while maintaining efficiency. The dim switch on the driver makes it easy to control the light intensity. Developed for growers by growers whose cultivation is in low rooms, on vertical racks, over rolling benches, and in tents. For maximum uniformity, hang the fixture 6–12 inches from the crop.
Factors to Consider Before Buying Grow Lights for Indoor Plants
Before we reveal the different grow lights for plants, there are quite a few factors to consider. Therefore, we condense them into a handful of handy categories below.
Сost
First thing’s first; what is your budget? If it is under $100, you can still find something. However, you won’t get anywhere near the yield of what a $1,000+ high-quality LED system provides, for instance. Also, bear in mind that you need different lighting for the various stages of the grow cycle.
It is best to calculate how many plants you need each year. MMJ patients and regular recreational users are best served making a one-off investment in decent standard lights. Also, the more harvests you intend to have, the quicker you ‘pay off’ the cost of lights. If you only plan to grow palnts occasionally, HIDs may fit the bill because of their cheaper initial cost.
Ventilation
Certain lights run significantly hotter than others. HIDs, for instance, run extremely hot and need an air conditioning unit. Otherwise, the temperature of your grow room could become excessive and harm your plant’s growth. Please note this is an extra expense to add to the ‘cheaper’ HID setup.
Space
How big is your grow room going to be? If you don’t have much space, you should steer clear of ‘hot’ lights, or else the room’s temperature will increase rapidly. You also won’t have enough space to install an AC unit.
Safety
Check your breaker board to ensure there are plenty of outlets and enough power to handle your lighting easily. Next, go through your full list of equipment to determine its power usage. If you don’t have enough power capacity, the risk of electrical fires increases markedly.
Growth Cycle Stage
The lighting required by plants varies according to their stage in the growth cycle. Young plants require a different light spectrum from their mature counterparts. For example, Metal Halide lights are associated with plants in the vegetative stage. In contrast, HPS lighting is frequently used in the blooming phase.
Conclusion
With so many grow lights available in the market, choosing just one becomes a hectic choice. But, don’t worry though because we have done the hard work for you. This means that the products that we have sorted out for you are some of the best ones in the market. But you keep a check on the individual products before you finalize the purchase.
ECO Farm FLD 200W Full Spectrum Dimmable LED Grow Lights Bar VS Jungle LED G2 240W Grow Light
Far have we come from the days of relying exclusively upon natural sunlight as our only source of grow light- today’s technology equips the modern gardener with LED grow lights!
Whether you are aspiring home growers or hardened veterans, grow light kits come in all sorts of variations that cater towards excelling in growing specific plants. In short- they are exactly what a successful grower needs to succeed in any environment.
Ready to find the perfect light for yourself? Let’s dig in and look at the highest-rated LED grow lights that can help you start your production successfully.
Why Use a Grow Light?
Grow lights are pretty nifty for hobby gardeners and commercial growers alike. Here are some common uses for grow lights:
Growing plants entirely indoors
Starting seeds or propagations
Extending the growing season of some herbs and veggies
Supplement insufficient natural light
That last one is pretty important to us indoor-growers. Have you had ever problems with succulents turning out just plain green instead of all those vibrant colors Pinterest promised? Or you order plants that look really pretty and then slowly fade to dull green over a few weeks?
Yup, that’s because they haven’t gotten enough light (or not enough strong light).
ECO Farm FLD 200W Full Spectrum Dimmable LED Grow Lights Bar
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light makes you get a 35% higher yield compared to OLD purple led lights. The LED grow lights use 800 LED chips that consume only 200W, with perfect coverage for 2x3ft, running 50% less power than the HPS /MH and getting maximum higher yields. The intensity of light can be adjusted according to the stage of plants. Excellent full-spectrum LED grow lights deliver optimal light-spectrum coverage for your blooms. The SMD leds spectrum is white 3000K leds, white 5000K leds, 660nm red leds and 740nm IR leds. A full spectrum increases the quality of your crop. not only cost-effective but also produces better yields. This LED grow light can be folded up 180°, installed, and moved easily.
Features:
Jungle LED grow lights are designed to be efficient and easy to install right out of the box. The Jungle LED grow light offers a variety of power cord length options, whether you want to mount the LED driver on the side of the rack or the fixture itself, the Jungle LED grow light comes with a simple snap-lock connector for quick and easy cable reconnection . The Jungle LED system maintains its IP65 wet location rating and its corrosion-resistant construction, allowing it to be installed in your grow space with minimal restrictions.
Key Considerations:
Power vs energy expenditure
More power does mean more production, but it also leads to higher electricity bills. The most commonly used lamps are between 400W- 600W, with their corresponding ballasts. LED lights create the same amount of energy at a much lower wattage level, but are often advertised using traditional wattages.
Temperature vs space
the more watts, the more heat. If your grow tent or room is big, this probably wont be an issue, but if it’s small or you live in a warm area, you may have to invest some money on fans that help you control the temperature.
Light spectrum vs the time you’re going to spend cultivating: depending on the phase in which a plant is, the light spectrum will be different. During the vegetative stage, plants need blue light while red light is needed for the flowering. Many growers will change the light bulbs in every stage of their plants. The blue light during the growth phase will always lead to bigger plants, however, there are other growers who prefer keeping the same lamps during the whole cycle, adjusting only their intensity. While this is possible when you work with sodium lamps, it’s not advisable if you’ve got fluorescent lamps. Most new LED lights will allow you to change between spectrums with a flick of a switch.
The Cooling System
The heat is extremely important in the field of lighting it with horticultural vocation or not.
Even though LEDs produce less heat than other technologies, this heat is not negligible and must be taken into account. For panels of a certain power, it is imperative to dissipate the heat to guarantee the life of the lamps, but also in the case which interests us, to avoid temperature increases detrimental to the plants.
There are two cooling techniques: active dissipation and passive dissipation.
Active dissipation
The active dissipation is based on fans that extract hot air around the lamps so that it is replaced by cooler air. This principle is simple and proven because it is used in many everyday devices.
Passive dissipation
The passive dissipation as the name suggests is not based on any moving part, but on the presence of a piece of metal put in direct contact with the heat source (that is to say, the lamps). Metal has the physical property of dissipating heat in the surrounding air, thereby cooling lamps.
Noise Problems
In addition, a poor quality lighting device can in some cases produce annoying hissing or noise.
In conclusion, it can be said that the lower the quality of the lighting device, its components, and its manufacture, the higher the risk of noise pollution.
Sealing Of The Lighting System
Certain types of plants require fairly high humidity and temperature (carnivorous plants for example). It is therefore strongly recommended to choose lighting equipment that can function and above all withstand these conditions of use.
Conclusion
Overall, when deciding on the right lights, growers need to establish their key objectives. For those who want greater environmental control or need to introduce new spectra and light intensities to optimize plant attributes like morphology, cannabinoid content, and overall yield, LEDs should be the first option.
That said, the cost is often top of mind for growers and HIDs can sometimes win out here. Just remember to factor in all long-term expenses including the upfront price, utility fees, and replacement costs when calculating expenditures.
2022 Best 200W LED Grow Lights For Your Indoor Garden
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 (especially when your purchasing other growing products, such as a grow tent). Not to worry — we’ve rounded up all the best LED grow lights for indoor plants, and chosen the best ones for you.
ECO Farm FLD 200W Full Spectrum Dimmable LED Grow Lights Bar
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light makes you get a 35% higher yield compared to OLD purple led lights. The LED grow lights use 800 LED chips that consume only 200W, with perfect coverage for 2x3ft, running 50% less power than the HPS /MH and getting maximum higher yields. The intensity of light can be adjusted according to the stage of plants. Excellent full-spectrum LED grow lights deliver optimal light-spectrum coverage for your blooms. The SMD leds spectrum is white 3000K leds, white 5000K leds, 660nm red leds and 740nm IR leds. A full spectrum increases the quality of your crop. not only cost-effective but also produces better yields. This LED grow light can be folded up 180°, installed, and moved easily.
Viparspectra KS2500 250W LED Grow Light
Features:
The VIPARSPECTRA KS2500 LED Grow Light uses the market leading Samsung LM301H diode (3.10 μmol/J), a more energy efficient LED that increases crop yield and saves operating costs. 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. Composed of 3000K warm white, 5000K white, 660nm deep red and IR730nm, it provides your plants with an excellent spectrum, tailored for germination, vegetative and flowering applications in indoor environments. The KS2500 delivers high light output and consistent uniformity with market-leading efficacy, consuming only 250 watts of perfect light for 3'x3' coverage.
Advance Spectrum 240W Sun Series Model E 4-Bar Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
The Advanced Spectrum 240W Sun Series E-Type 4-strip full-spectrum LED grow light adopts a full-spectrum design that is closer to natural light. Exposure of plants to grow light strips increases terpene levels. It ensures better and more complete plant growth — from seedling to harvest. This high performance LED grow light is suitable for plants that grow in water and soil. Plug-and-play systems are easy to implement with minimal cost. All die-cast aluminum bodies provide excellent heat dissipation to prolong lamp life. It ensures that the system stays cool and the consumer gets high output. Grow lights come with manual dimmers to help you manually set the correct spectrum for your plants at different growth stages.
Factors to consider when choosing the best grow lights
There’s a lot that goes into the decision-making process when choosing which type of light a grower should use, including the cost, quality, intensity, and desired spectrum.
Here we’ll go over the main factors to consider when choosing grow lights:
Cost and efficiency
Facility layout
Light spectrum
Let’s look at each of these in detail:
1. Cost and efficiency
In general, the cost to purchase HIDs is lower than for LEDs, but prices on LEDs are decreasing. Plus, many companies offer rebates, helping to offset the upfront costs. But when calculating capital expenditure, you also must consider the net running costs of lights, including how much power they consume and how much heat they give off.
“Plain and simple, LEDs are extremely energy efficient,” says Delaney. “When talking about efficiencies, it’s not just about the light itself but more in terms of environmental variables. LEDs throw off considerably less heat than other lights, such as HPS. This has a dramatic impact on cutting cooling costs, making it more efficient all the way around.”
That said, as Kirk notes, some growers rely on the heat from HID lamps to provide warmth to their facility. “If a grower is replacing HPS lamps — which often provide heat for the grow room due to their low efficacy — with LEDs, which run cooler, they’ll need to properly compensate by adjusting the HVACD [heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and dehumidification] system to add heat to the room.”
2. Facility layout
Another key consideration is the space that plants cultivators are working with. With vertical farming increasing in popularity, growers are now able to produce high yields within a limited footprint. Plants are grown in tiers, which means a multi-level lighting system is required to supply all plants with the right amount of light.
HPS lamps are usually unsuitable in this scenario, as they tend to be large and give off a lot of heat. On the other hand, LEDs have a slim profile, fit easily into racking systems, and don’t emit much heat. As such, they can be strategically placed to ensure that all plants have the right amount of light, no matter their position on the racks.
3. Light spectrum
Plants require different levels of light intensity and spectrum composition depending on their cultivar as well as their stage in the growing cycle. Recent advancements in research mean that lighting manufacturers and growers are now equipped with more in-depth knowledge in this area and are tailoring lighting systems accordingly.
As mentioned, LED lights offer more control here, but not all LEDs are made equal. This is definitely an area where you need to do some research and find out what the different lighting manufacturers are able to offer.
As Delaney reveals, “When you’re looking deeper into the light spectrum, we’re really starting to see companies experiment more in-depth with diodes, adding deeper reds and more UV at various stages. With these initiatives, we’re seeing better results with higher yields. It’s still early on, but this is a big trend within the market.”
Conclusion
Overall, when deciding on the right lights, growers need to establish their key objectives. For those who want greater environmental control or need to introduce new spectra and light intensities to optimize plant attributes like morphology, cannabinoid content, and overall yield, LEDs should be the first option.
That said, cost is often top of mind for growers and HIDs can sometimes win out here. Just remember to factor in all long-term expenses including the upfront price, utility fees, and replacement costs when calculating expenditures.
ECO Farm MB660 Foldable Grow Light Bar VS LUXX Lighting 645w LED Pro
LED grow lights are a great way to have plants indoors. They provide the perfect spectrum of light for your plants and can be used both during the day and at night. LEDs can be used as a sole source of light for your plants. On the other hand, they can also make great supplementation to sunlight coming through your windows. That’s because LEDs emit light in specific wavelengths (colors), and this is directly related to their electrical properties. The plants will also tend to grow much faster than they would otherwise because this type of lighting encourages healthy growth.
What Color LED Grow Lights Should I Get?
Having a solid understanding of the light colors that your plants need will help you choose LEDs for them. These colors are known as Photosynthetically Active Radiation or PAR, which is measured in “umol/s/m2”. All plants have been scientifically tested to grow best under different color lights, and that’s why it’s essential to choose ones with the right color spectrum inside.
Blue-toned lighting encourages vegetative growth, while orange and red-colored LED grow lights encourage blooming and fruiting. The more blue, green, and white there is in a light source, the less effective it will be for growing healthy plants indoors (this goes especially true for growing food as well as flowers). That’s why you should only use full-spectrum colored LEDs (especially reds, oranges, and yellows) to grow plants. Plants that are grown using blue-toned lighting will look bigger, but they’ll also contain more sugars, carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients that people don’t want their food to have.
ECO Farm MB660 Foldable Grow Light Bar
Features:
This ECO Farm LED Grow Light can effectively extend and scientifically control the light required by indoor plants, using 2112 LM301b 3030 white chips + 48 OSRAM 660nm red chips + 4*165W Sosen designed driver, suitable for plants from seedling to flowering growth process. Plants can absorb more than 95% of light energy, increasing yield and crop quality. It’s perfect for a 5 x 5 foot plant area or a 4 x 4 foot flowering area with 6 LED strips. PPF up to 1944 µmol/s while consuming only 660 watts. Simply adjust the height and brightness to the level your plants need for optimal growth, and it can completely replace natural light and promote plant growth. This grow light is designed for personal and commercial grade full cycle horticultural lighting solutions, with a controller to adjust light intensity and time. Aluminum heat sink, gas return design, space between light bars, provide better heat dissipation and reduce heat energy waste.
Features:
The LUXX LED grow light was developed by evaluating SMD (Surface Mount Device) chips and drivers from leading manufacturers for over 3 years in controlled test applications and cultivation facilities. The LUXX 645 LED PRO consists of Samsung Horticultural White/Blue and Osram Red. The respective companies are leaders in LED research and development, offering high efficiency, reliability and diode performance. The LUXX 645 LED PRO features a 120-degree lens angle, a 6-bar design, and a total of 2,226 diodes. The LUXX 645 LED PRO features manual and automatic power regulation. Flexibility to dim the unit to 40% of total power to reduce photon intensity without compromising spectral quality.
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
Growers everywhere are turning to LED grow lights for their indoor growing projects because they offer several advantages over other types of lighting. They’re not well-suited for all applications, however, so it’s important to understand when an LED is best for your needs and when to go with another type of light.
