The 5 Best LED Grow Lights (2022 Review)
What are LED grow lights?
LED grow lights are lights used to promote indoor plant growth. These lights offer light or PAR analogous to daylight necessary for plant growth. To people with gardening desires, LED grow lights are a must have for consideration in indoor gardens. These lights enable you to grow various plants irrespective of the season and the weather changes. The lights obtain their name because of the LED technology used in their light fixtures.
LED Grow lights have come a long way in the last 5 years and there are some great new designs and changes that make these lights even more attractive to home gardeners. In this review I will have a look at some very important innovations and price changes that make LED grow lights an even better choice.
How do LED Grow Lights Work?
Unlike other fluorescent bulbs or lights, LED grow lights use two different kinds of semiconductors: Electrons (carry a negative charge) and Holes (have a positive charge) to create their own light spectrum. This light spectrum act as a supplement to natural light and helps plants grow healthier and faster.
While the other bulbs or lights use filament or mercury or lead to produce light, LED grow lights use their semiconductor chips to emit the light spectrum and thus more energy-efficient, eco-friendly & long-lasting.
Why Choose Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights?
Different LED Grow lights emit different wavelengths depending upon their spectrum pattern. These different light wavelengths stimulate different stages of plant growth, and thus while choosing the correct grow light, you must check its spectrum according to the sort of stimulation you want. For example, LED that is perfect for vegetation might not be as effective with flower development.
But Full Spectrum LED Grow Light caters the plant stimulation at different stages according to your need, and thus you can use it for all. Full-spectrum grows light is an adjustable LED light that emits lights of different wavelengths similar to the Sun. In other words, Full Spectrum Light emits all wavelengths of light that are emitted from the sun.
Many plants not only require red or blue light but all the colors of visible light (even in a limited amount) for proper growth. For such plants, Full-Spectrum light is the best suitable option. For example, the Cannabis plant requires different lights of different wavelengths at its various growth stages, and thus it is advisable to use full-spectrum light for its healthy growth.
The 5 Best LED Grow Lights (2022 Review)
ECO Farm FLD 320W LED Grow Light
These lights provide a good PPFD light output of about 1371 (in the center), which is lots of light for growing seedlings, and most houseplants. The light spectra is good and the efficiency is great with most using about 320 watts of power. “320 watt light” is actually a 320 watt light!
Why is the price so low? Several reasons. The LED chips are more efficient and cheaper, allowing light manufacturers to provide a good spectrum at a reasonable cost. The second reason is a change in design. The LED chips are mounted on an aluminum backing that dissipates heat. This means the fan system is no longer needed and the whole light is cheaper to build. The simple design has also resulted in a lot of competition, forcing the price down.
HLG 650R LED Grow Light– Best Energy Efficient Grow Light
Specifications:
- Dimension: 26″ x 21.25″ x 4″
- Wattage: Dimmable- 60 to 610 Watts
- Energy Efficiency: 2.8 (μmol/joule), max output- 1700 PPF’s
- Spectrum: Full Spectrum White and 660nm Red
- Coverage Area: 7×7 ft (veg) / 5×5 ft (flower)
- Hang Height: Flowering: 30 inches / Veg: 48 inches
- LEDs: Samsung LM301H and Deep Red LED 660nm
- Power Supply: Works on 120VAC and 240VAC and 277VAC
- Warranty: 3 years
When it comes to choosing the most energy-efficient and value-for-money LED Diodes, the best option is HLG 650R grow light. Whether you want to grow a single plant or want to use it for cloning, this grow light is perfect for a 5*5 grow tent.
The light comes with both white light (Samsung LM301H full-spectrum white diodes) and deep & far-red spectra (LM351H V2 660nm diodes). Talking about white light, it covers the full spectrum of PAR better than Blurple light and thus enhances the photosynthesis process. The white diodes used in this light resemble natural sunlight and allow you to produce high-quality yield.
Apart from white light, this grow light also has both deep and far-red spectra, which is crucial for the “Emerson Effect” in plants. Emerson Effect is nothing but an increase in the photosynthesis process when chloroplasts are exposed to the light of wavelength 680nm (deep red spectra) and more than 680nm (far-red spectra).
BESTVA BAT W600 Dimmable LED Grow Light
Bestva’s BAT series of grow lights are a modern solution for the modern grower, who plans on growing weed indoors. Instead of being one big chunk of light, you get six broad strips of LED lights, which allows you to get a better scatter, but also ensures that there’s less heating and you can continue a smooth, fanless operation. The design has a unique appeal, and this is a great option for a 5×5 setup. However, a lot of people who tend to grow in a larger scale prefer buying multiple of these units and setting them up side by side for an even larger coverage.
This grow light from Bestva makes use of the Samsung LM301 diodes, which are known across the industry as one of the most popular lighting solutions for indoor growers. This grow light makes use of 1680 pieces of these diodes, to ensure a good and bright lighting experience. The brighter the light, the better your indoor plants are going to grow — and Bestva has got you really covered on this front. This grow light delivers 15% more brightness than traditional 600W lights while consuming up to 35% less power!
Maintaining the efficiency of Grow Light when used for a commercial purpose is a real challenge, but ECO Farm MB660 is making its mark in terms of both efficiency and performance.
Operates at an incredible efficiency of 2.7 µmol s-1 per watt, ECO Farm MB660 can be dimmable from 10%- 100% using the external controller without losing its efficiency.
Its cooling mechanism is exceptionally effective with noise cancellation, and you won’t need an additional cooling fan to opt apart from it.
Mars Hydro TS 1000W LED– Best Budget Grow Light
Specifications:
- Dimension: 14.2″ x 13.2″ x 1.4″
- Wattage: 150 watts
- Energy-Efficiency: 709umol@18″
- Spectrum: full-spectrum, 60–665nm Red IR/3200–4200Knm/5200–6800Knm
- Coverage Area: 3 x 3 ft (veg) / 2.5 x 2.5 ft (flower)
- Hang Height: 16 inches (for vegetation), 12 inches (flowering)
- LEDs: SMD LED White and Red Diodes
- Power Supply: Works both on 120VAC and 240VAC and 277VAC
- Warranty: 3 year
Mars Hydro TS-1000W is a great budget alternative with some outstanding features that you won’t be able to find in other grow lights of the same price range. Like it has excellent build quality with highly efficient white and red LEDs that produce light spectra similar to natural sunlight, resulting in a 30% higher yield than other brand LEDs of the same range.
Buyer’s Guide
Before buying an LED grow light, read our buyer’s guide below to learn about important factors that’ll help you make an informed purchasing decision.
Coverage
Grow lights typically give you measurements for how much vegetative and flowering coverage they offer. Be sure to choose a light that matches the amount and type of coverage you need.
Wattage
A grow light’s wattage determines how much light it produces. Different plants require different amounts of light, so don’t just choose the light with the highest wattage. Instead, match the wattage to the plants you’re growing. For example, if you’re growing tomatoes, choose a grow light that offers about 32 watts of light per square foot.
Adjustability
Several features of your LED grow light should be adjustable.
- Color: Plants need a different color light for every step of their growing cycle. The best LED grow lights offer red, blue, and white color options.
- Brightness: In addition to color adjustability, LED grow lights usually have knobs for adjusting the brightness of their bulbs.
- Proximity: You can also adjust how close the lights are to your plants by lengthening or shortening the rope or chain they’re hanging from.
Installation
Grow lights are usually mounted to the ceiling with a chain or rope. This installation process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours.