Top 5 Best Quantum Board Led Grow Lights in 2021

GrowLights
5 min readMar 28, 2021

When you talk about growing a marijuana plant, there are a number of factors that growers need to take care of. Among these factors, one of the most important things is the lighting. A grower needs to make sure that the lighting system is good in order to get maximum possible yields on their marijuana plant (especially when growing it indoors). If you want to have a high yield, a full spectrum LED grow light can be a good choice.

What is a Quantum Board LED?

A Best Quantum Board LED Grow Light is a newer alternative to the more expensive COB grow lights. The quantum board is a large circuit board in which a string of LEDs are connected forming “intelligent spectrum string” resulting in a broader spectrum and bigger plants. True full spectrum is the result. All growers know that full spectrum LED grow light is best recommended for plant growth.

Advantages Of Quantum Board LED Grow Lights

The primary advantages of quantum boards are:

Efficiency

Quantum board give you more output while consuming fewer watts. The HLG 550 V2 Rspec, for example, generates 168 lumen per watt or 2.6 umol per joule.

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.

All growers know that full spectrum LED grow light is best recommended for plant growth.

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

What should I look for when buying LED grow lights?

The best LED grow lights keep each of these components in mind:

  • Power output — How many watts is the light and does it fit your needs?
  • Spectrum — Does it include the complete PAR spectrum, especially blue and red?
  • Quality LED chips — We suggest chips of at least 3W each, these are good for blue and red lights.
  • Cooling — Are there onboard fan(s)? Or do you need to purchase any separately?

Top 5 Best Quantum Board Led Grow Lights in 2021

Yearld Pro 105W LED Quantum Board

Pros:

  • Features all the color spectrum
  • Extremely bright
  • No cooling fan thus no noise
  • Easy to install
  • Beautiful light and lightweight design
  • Ideal for veg and bloom
  • Highly efficient with 161 lm/w

Cons:

  • Poor customer support
  • It covers a limited space unless you use more light boards

Phlizon Newest 1000W LED Grow Light

Pros:

  • Sturdy LED drivers from MeanWell
  • Even light distribution
  • Full-spectrum lighting
  • Great for veg and bloom
  • High efficiency with a rating of 170 lm/w
  • The excellent lifespan of 50, 000 hours
  • 3-years limited warranty

Cons:

  • Quite cumbersome to install the unit
  • The electrical cord is short thus you might require an extension for most applications

ECO Farm 480W LM301B Quantum Board

Pros:

  • High-efficiency LED light
  • Full-spectrum for outstanding results
  • Better light penetration with diffused light
  • Very efficient
  • It has an aesthetically pleasing design
  • No fan so no sound is produced
  • Lightweight and easy to set up
  • Simple to install

Cons:

  • The customer support team takes time to respond
  • Some users say that the light runs hot

Roleadro LED Grow Light, 1000W Galaxyhydro Series

Pros:

  • Includes a timer to save energy
  • Ideal for growing all indoor plants even on hydroponics
  • Operates with a quiet cooling fan with 20–30% speed
  • Helps boost the plants’ defense mechanism with an expensive IR UV lamp
  • Perfect for winter with warm white light

Cons:

  • Not powerful enough to help tomato plants grow tall and healthy
  • Too bright to be looked at directly without an eye protection

HLG 550 V2 (Version 2, 3000K, 120V Plug) Horticulture LED Grow Light

Pros:

  • Specially designed to replace 1,000W HID LEDs
  • Provides a full spectrum to ensure your plants’ growth
  • Includes dimmable power supply for convenience
  • Offers bigger coverage for grow tents

Cons:

  • Too expensive
  • The lamp gets too hot after using it for a couple of hours
  • The wiring underneath it is exposed and hazardous

Conclusion

Quantum boards are not as revolutionary as the LED was, but it is a step forward in the technology. While quantum board led grow lights may not be the best choice for every application, they are a decent product for a number of applications.

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