June 03, 2023
Indoor gardening has exploded in popularity lately. From a small herb garden on the kitchen windowsill to a well-appointed hydroponic setup in a spare room, most of us can’t get enough of the joyful ambiance that plants bring in our home.
With new technologies like LED grow lights, it’s now easier for anyone, with little to no gardening experience, to grow lush, healthy, thriving plants indoors.
Today, we explore LED grow lights, an innovative technology that promises to revolutionize the way we grow plants and meet local food needs.
ECO Farm SP-400 Samsung Foldable Dimmable Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light uses high-quality and durable drivers and 6 passively cooled light bars to provide full-spectrum and wide-coverage light for vegetable and flowering growth stages. This plant growth lamp has a high energy efficiency of 2.8umol/J and can produce a total PPF output of 1176 umol/J. It creates a uniform light spread in a place very close to the crop canopy, and provides for indoor planting, greenhouses and planting tents. A great effect. Compared with conventional similar wattage HPS solutions, LED lights can achieve 30–40% HVAC capacity and up to 30–60% increase in output. The ECO Farm LED plant growth light has a built-in 0–100% dimming control knob to control the dimming ability. Up to 100 lamps can be connected in a daisy chain. IP65 wet environment protection grade, waterproof and dustproof. The LED plant growth lamp adopts high-quality aluminum heat sink design to efficiently dissipate heat. It has no additional fans, and the quiet planting environment has zero noise.
Phlizon FD4000 Plant Led Grow Light
Features:
The upgraded PHLIZON FD4000 450W high-efficiency LED ceiling light with daisy chain function is specially designed for greenhouse and indoor applications, and is very suitable for full-cycle growth. The elegant design minimizes the interference of sunlight and at the same time provides more opportunities to enter the plant canopy. The ultra-efficient and compact design of the built-in driver utilizes thick waterproof aluminum skin to provide excellent heat dissipation and longevity. Efficient full-spectrum SMD chips provide ideal conditions for providing consistent crop quality. The daisy chain dimming function allows gardening professionals to adjust the PPFD to improve performance and yield.
Rayonled GLMF400W LED Grow Light
Features:
This LED grow light is the latest products from Rayonled’s team of lighting bioengineers. Backed by their impressive expertise in LED technology, this medical-grade unit has everything to appeal to both hobby and commercial growers. The GLMF400 is designed for plants in the vegetative stage the spectrum minimizes the stretch and allows for better and faster root structure, bigger stems and more dense leaves. From the spectrum to the certifications, it has been thoughtfully crafted to compete with the top grow light on the market.
Spider Farmer G5000 480W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
Spider Farmer led grow light has a unique elongated light bar design, which provides more even and comprehensive canopy coverage. Equipped with 1680 high-efficiency diodes, the G5000 LED grow light delivers 480 watts, achieving an impressive 2.8 umol/J PPE, covering a highly productive full-cycle grow of 4x4 feet. The G5000 Grow Light is a full-spectrum LED grow light (660–665nm, 3200–4200K, 4800–5000K) with different wavelengths of light, perfect for every stage of plant growth. The dimming button can adjust the brightness of the light, 10–100% dimming to meet the needs of plant growth.
Mammoth Lighting Fold Series MF04 LED Grow Light (Veg)
Features:
Mammoth Lighting was developed by indoor growers after years of careful trial and testing. Scientifically engineered to provide the highest level of PAR output and balanced coverage in LED growth markets. Mammoth LED grow lights are made of high-quality Samsung diodes. The light contains a continuous range of wavelengths from blue and green to red, creating a light mix that matches natural sunlight. Mammoth customizes its spectrum to optimize plant growth and increase yields while consuming less energy and reducing operating costs compared to traditional gardening techniques.
Input power
Entering wattage can be confusing. In fact, many people feel a little disappointed when they buy LED grow lights purely based on wattage. Instead of looking at the name of a product that advertises 3000 watts, look at the efficacy in the product specs.
Obviously, the higher the efficiency number, the better. As more input wattage is converted into photons for plants.
To understand the efficiency of grow lights, you also need to consider the type of plants you want to grow, as well as the spectrum and spread of the light itself. So don’t just take the wattage as gospel, because you might be very unhappy with the results.
Color
Plants need a combination of red, blue and white light at different stages of their growth cycle. Grow light manufacturers often claim that their lights are “full spectrum” even though only red and blue diodes are used. While this is fine for certain areas of the growing cycle, you’re still not getting the most out of the plant. The easiest way to give your plants this effect is to use bright white light, as this automatically includes a wider range of wavelengths that plants can use to thrive.
As the industry continues to evolve, there will surely be more information on specific plants and the type of light they are best suited for. But, for now, white LEDs are a much better choice.
Coverage
Manufacturers have a brazen habit of exaggerating their coverage and wattage. Generally, when asked “what are the best LED grow lights”, some people will say that they can provide the same level of light to the plants directly below the bulb as the plants in the corner.
Rather than trying to find zero shadow, all singing, all dancing lights, focus on the placement of your plants within your growing space. In general, you should try to keep plants away from the edges of your growing space no matter what, to ensure they get as much light as possible.
Otherwise, you’ll find the outer edges prone to shadows and dim lighting.
Worse, having plants too close to the sides of the grow tent can lead to mold and contamination. If you’ve ever camped in a tent in the winter or spring, you know that in the morning, the sides of your tent can get pretty wet. In a grow tent, the exact same thing can happen, as your plants may be giving off some level of humidity or moisture, so it’s best to keep them off the side.
This listing contains powerful full-spectrum LED grow lights for all indoor plants and hydroponic growers. Full Spectrum LED Grow Light for Larger Areas, 500w when growing in low coverage areas.
I hope you choose the best LED grow lights from the list above (updated for 2023). Otherwise, choose the best LED grow lights for your budget.