There is no doubt that LED grow lights are the best light source for indoor plant growth. But with so many styles and wattages of indoor garden lights, how do you choose the best LED grow lights for the plants in your home? Just because grow light systems are popular, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. That’s why I’ve put together my research to help you choose the best indoor grow lights for your unique growing situation.
What LED grow lights do commercial growers use?
Commercial growers use a wide variety of grow lights to produce high-quality crops. Full-spectrum LED grow lights are growing in popularity because they offer all the colors of the rainbow and can penetrate deep into a plant’s canopy to boost plant growth and yield.
There are a few main types of grow lights used in commercial agriculture — HID (high intensity discharge) lights, metal halide lights, and fluorescent lights. While each has its own pros and cons, full-spectrum LED grow lights outperform them both in terms of yield potential and overall performance.
Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights are unique in that they emit a wide range of colors including blue, yellow, red, orange, green and white. This allows plants to absorb more light energy than other types of grow lights, resulting in healthier plants and stronger root systems.
Another advantage of using full-spectrum LED grow lights is that they don’t generate as much heat as traditional HID lights or metal halide lights. This is important because excessive heat can cause plants to fight thrips infestation or fungal growth.
In addition to producing higher-quality crops, full-spectrum LED grow lights are also more affordable than other types of lighting technologies. So if you’re looking for increased yield performance or a less expensive option for your gardening needs, look no further than full-spectrum LED grow lights!
ECO Farm Z8–800 Samsung LM301B LED Grow Light
Features:
The ECO Farm LED grow light is equipped with SAMSUNG LM301B chip and 8 high-efficiency aluminum rods to ensure high-efficiency PPE 2.7umol/J, better heat dissipation, and long service life. Compared with old plant lights, the average PPFD is increased by 30%, and the yield and quality are increased by 50%. 8 LED growth lights, each rod is covered with high-grade glue, waterproof and easy to clean, not easy to be filled with dust. This plant growth light also uses a special dimmer, which can precisely adjust the brightness. 0–10 levels are optional. This means that you can see clear brightness levels and record while adjusting. No need to worry about differences. At the same time, it also has an ideal full-spectrum and amazing heat dissipation: excellent full-spectrum mixing of white, blue, red, and ultraviolet light, IR LED (3500K, 660nm and IR 760nm & 396nm UV), close to natural sunlight. The spectrum applies to the entire stage of indoor planting.
Spectrum King Phoenix 840W LED Grow Light
Features:
Spectrum King’s Phoenix 840W is ideal for photon-hungry crops that can handle strong light. With 16% less wall power than standard HPS fixtures, the 840 provides some decent output compared to other fixtures while still saving electricity and heat. Spectrum King’s custom spectrum is tested and customized to maximize plant and flowering cycle growth. The intensity of this dimmable light can be as low as 10%, enabling growers to simulate a sunrise/sunset effect. Spectrum King’s innovative Cryo-Therm cooling technology features an ultra-thin profile that maximizes airflow and minimizes microclimates. The Phoenix 840 grow light is optimized for single or multi-level planting close to the canopy.
Grow Light Science PROGROW 850 850W LED Grow Light
Features:
Grow Light Science LED grow light is a full cycle overhead lighting solution for commercial or residential plants cultivation. The 850’s form factor allows for expandability and multiple grow room and grow tent configurations where photosynthesis and yield maximization are the goals. PROGROW 850 provides high PPFD levels and can be used with CO2 supplements. Top light output (PPF), spectral distribution and efficacy will deliver amazing results with little impact on your wallet. PROGROW 850 will deliver PPFD levels of over 1,400 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.
What to Look for When Choosing LED Lights for Plants
Durability — Obviously you want your LED grow light panels to be well constructed and sturdy. You want to make sure they are made of the best materials and that the wiring will last over time. Incorrect wiring can generate excess heat, which is not only harmful to your plants, but can also be a fire hazard. This is another great reason to buy the best quality grow lights you can afford.
Cooling System — LED lights are cooler than HID and HPS lights. However, they should still contain a high-quality cooling system. A heat sink within the system should dissipate the heat generated by the lights and move it away from the lighting system and plants.
Color Spectrum — Plants primarily use red and blue spectrum light to complete their growth stages. While HID and HPS systems use full spectrum light to target plant growth, a good LED system will include red and blue light for the perfect blend to help your plants grow. Some growers say that white LED grow lights are the closest to natural sunlight, so the effect is better. However, white LEDs contain yellow and green light that plants cannot use, so it is wasted, reducing the efficiency of the grow light.
PAR — PAR stands for Photosynthetically Active Radiation. In simple terms, this is the emitted light that plants can actually use. While many manufacturers provide details on lumen output (light visible to humans), for grow lights it is even more important to know the PAR output. If your plant doesn’t use it, it’s wasting energy. Manufacturers’ PAR data can be misleading because the value often varies from the center to the edge of the light. Plants down the middle of the light will get the full PAR value, while plants on the edges may get less light. Higher PAR is not necessarily better. In fact, the best LED grow lights will have a lower PAR value because the power will not be concentrated in the center but distributed evenly.
Wattage — When you look at the wattage associated with an LED grow light, it is usually the same equivalent wattage you would need to get the same results in a HID or HPS light. So, an LED grow light listed as 400W can replace a 400W HID or HPS light, but the actual wattage of the LED will be much less. This is how LED grow lights are more energy efficient. First-time buyers often assume that the more wattage a grow light offers, the better. But bigger isn’t always better. As a rule of thumb, you need 32 watts per square foot of growing space for flowering and light-loving plants. Low-light plants like lettuce and herbs only need about 11–18 watts per square foot.
Programmability — If you’re serious about growing, you’ll want to automate as many processes as possible, not just to reduce your workload, but more importantly, to reduce the possibility of human error. The best grow lights on the market offer a full range of programmability, including setting light schedules, changing intensity, and customizing the light spectrum to best suit individual plants.
Conclusion
With all the grow light options on the market today, it can be difficult to knock out the best and stay within your budget. Luckily, we’ve looked at some options that might work in your favor and budget without going overboard. There are many others besides the ones we have listed. But you now know the features to check out before buying. When it comes to choosing the best cheap grow lights online, all is well.