7 Best LED Grow Light Strips in 2024

If you’re an avid plant lover, you may enjoy growing your plants outdoors, but you will need to move them indoors when the harsh winter months arrive. That is when the thought of providing proper lighting comes to mind. When you’re growing plants indoors, it becomes a new territory for you to get used to, especially when it comes to proper lighting. This is where grow lights come into the scene.

You may be wondering about grow light strips and how they work. They are ideal for areas where you have a shelf or a place where the light strips can be attached and still have proper coverage over your plants. You might want to get flexible grow light strips so that it will be easy for you to wrap them in a position suitable for your plants.

What Are Grow Lights

Plant grow lights are artificial light sources that are used to stimulate and promote growth in plants. They provide the plants with the spectrum of light they need to kickstart photosynthesis since they do not receive sunlight.

These grow lights are mostly powered by electricity and work by providing the spectrum of light that is similar to the sun, especially when the plants aren’t able to receive the right amount of sunlight they need to grow and reproduce. The grow lights can be adjusted to meet the plants’ various requirements, ranging from temperature, wavelength, intensity, and distance. These requirements depend on the growth stages such as germination, vegetative growth, flowering, fruit, or bud formation. The lights allow the plants to reach maturity and final harvest.

LED Grow Light Strips

If you aren’t sure what type of grow light will best suit your indoor plants’ needs, then the best solution for any first-timer is the LED grow light strips. These strips are compatible with a growing garden; it comes with accessories that increase its range and size to meet the plants’ requirements. It also deals with the underground issues where getting sufficient light is a problem.

If you are interested in growing herbs, Vegas, and microgreens in limited spaces, LED grow light strips will help your plants meet their growth requirement. It is not possible to achieve this with normal light. LED grow lights strips use three prominent colors of the light spectrum, the blue spectrum is used for growing, while the red is used for blossoms, and the entire spectrum can be used at once.

EFFECTS OF RED AND BLUE LIGHT IN LED GROW LIGHT STRIPS

The Effects Red Light Has On Plants

The red light produced by LED grows light strips has a wavelength of 620 to 750 nm. This wavelength is within the visible spectrum, and it has an obvious effect on flowering and photosynthesis.

However, if you grow your plants solely under red light, your plants may not have the desired characteristics that you want. Plants that grow only under red light may have stretched, skinny stems called etiolation and have fewer leaves. This is especially true if the plants are very young.

The Effect Blue Light Has On Plants

The blue light that is produced has a wavelength of 450 to 495 nm. They are also within the visible spectrum, and it also has a visible effect on flowering, photosynthesis and plants height.

The blue light is less effective compared to the red light when it comes to photosynthesis. Blue light is also known to reduce stem elongation, also known as etiolation or stretching. Plants that grow under blue lights are usually short with thick and dense leaves compared to plants grown without the presence of blue light.

The Ideal Combination Of LED Grow Light Strips – Combination Of Red And Blue Lights

Red light and blue lights should be used together to increase the rate of photosynthesis and the plants’ size. Plants can be grown using only red or blue light, but plants usually have a faster growth with a broader spectrum of light. So it is best to use the red light in conjunction with the blue light.

The red and blue light are properly absorbed by the photosynthetic pigments present in the plants compared to other lights in the spectrum. The red and blue combination allows photosynthesis to occur faster than if it was only the red or blue light on its own.

When compared with how the red and blue light does separately, they seem to increase leaf number, plant size, chlorophyll content, and leaf size when they work together. However, you should know that the ideal ratio of red to blue light varies depending on the plant species.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING AN LED GROW LIGHT STRIP

You need to take into consideration the following factors when looking for an LED grow light strip for our favorite indoor plants.

Wattage

When it comes to wattage, you need first to consider your grow room’s size and the number of plants inside the room. If you own a small grow room that houses only a few plants, it is best to go for a light strip with minimal wattage. However, if your grow tent is large and housing multiple plants, then you’ll want a more powerful light or several light strips.

Spectrum Of Light

The spectrum of light is the wavelength of light that is best for your plant growth at different maturation stages. The wavelength of light required to grow weed indoors varies for the various growth stages. Weed usually requires the blue spectrum of light during germination and vegetative stages. In contrast, the red spectrum is needed during the flowering stage. the best light spectrum used in growing cannabis varies during the different stages of plant growth. Cannabis, like all other plants, rely on the spectrum of light for signs concerning their growth.

The most useful light is the blue light during vegetative growth, while the red light is most useful during the flowering stage. To get the best results, you might want to supplement these two lights with other colors of the visible spectrum. Different plants use different wavelengths during the various stages of growth, but in general, blue lights are the most useful during initial growth, while red is best used during flowering and bud formation.

Amount Of Light

Cannabis plants tend to adapt well to blue and red wavelengths for germination, flowering, vegetative growth, and bud formation. So when choosing a light, ensure you choose one that provides you with the range of the spectrum that your plants need. It is important to choose a full spectrum light for your to grow room even when you aren’t growing cannabis. You should choose a light with the following spectrum of light; Ultra Violet, Blue, Orange, Red, and Far Red.

Coverage Area And Wattage Per Square Foot

If you’re growing cannabis, your grow light has to be operative majority of the time, probably for 12 to 14 hours. This is why it is vital to know the wattage and daily light consumption that the light you choose will end up using. Another factor to take into consideration is the fact that the light you choose should be based on the programs you plan on implementing in your garden in the future; it is important to know that these lights will spend a long time with you. The light you select has to be based on the type of plants in your grow room and the area where the plants will cover as they continue to grow. Large spaces require you to get more lights but growing a few plants should limit the number of lights you buy.

Low Heat Emission

Having high heat emissions in your grow room could damage your plants due to burning problems. Ensure that you select lights that are durable and protect your plants from any form of heat burns. Choosing durable lights will allow you to keep the light close to the plants without any burn issues. But high emission lights tend to cause burns to your plants after being used for a long time. So be careful while choosing a light that produces balanced heat.

Quality Of Materials

Most of the time, you can only tell if the quality of the material is durable only after it has been used. There are different products with various abilities and prices, but you won’t be sure of the quality. Ensure you check the brand’s reputation, check reviews from existing users, and check the company’s portfolio for their business history. After doing all this and certain that you are fully satisfied with the supplier’s product and service, you can go ahead and make a purchase.

Energy Saving

You will be using your grow lights for majority of the time, from about 12 to 14 hours, especially if you’re growing cannabis. This is why it is important to know the wattage of the grow light you purchase. Go for the products that have energy-saving options that will help reduce your plants’ cost of production, most especially if you’re a hobbyist and do not grow for commercial purposes.

Lifespan

LED lights are known to work for years under normal and suitable conditions in your grow room. Ensure that you go for a product that has the maximum guarantee that has years with options of replacement. Do not go for a cheap product in order to save money, because it would affect you in the long run.

Ease Of Use

Make sure that the product you go for is easy to operate, handle and install. You don’t want to choose a product that will prove difficult from the handling to the operation of the product.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF LED GROW LIGHT STRIPS

In recent times, LED grow light strips have come out as one of the best technology with various advantages over the conventional lights that have been used growing plants. They also have their cons that have been constantly reviewed by the manufacturers; a lot of the cons are still being worked on, but most of them have been fixed, such as a reduction in prices and efficiency. Let us take a look at some of the pros and cons that LED grow light strips have.

ADVANTAGES OF USING LED GROW LIGHT STRIPS

Long Life

LED grow light strips are made to deliver over 50,000 hours of lighting to your plants; however, the duration keeps increasing daily thanks to the efforts of the manufacturers. They have promised to get to 60,000 hours of working time, and this is possible because of the low heat emissions these lights produce compared to that of conventional lights, which tend to heat up quickly, thereby cutting their lifespan short. Their lifespan allows you to grow flourishing greens without having to change them every few months, and this also reduces the cost of production.

Quick Harvests

Using these LED grow lights strips lets you tell your plants that it’s time for them to increase their growth rate because you can keep the lights on for 24 hours without your plants knowing that it’s snowing outside. The long working hours of the lights do not heat up the plants; instead, they keep growing under the suitable condition you provide for them. During a single cropping season, you’ll be able to reap your harvest in multiples just by introducing red light to promote flowering, and this means higher production and more harvests.

Healthy Growth

The effects of heat emissions are reduced when using LED grow light strips, and they also offer you with the right wavelength of light that your plants need to flourish. The infra-red and ultraviolet rays that harm and burn plants and lead to considerable damage are limited in LED grow light strips. The plants make use of the spectrum of light to grow healthy and produce successful harvests. LED grow strips offer you the complete range of wavelength that your plants need for effective growth.

Free Of Toxins

LED grow strips do not use substances such as mercury and other harmful gases, and this makes them 100 percent environment friendly and recyclable. They are also certified by Restrictions of Hazardous Substances Directive that they do not pose a threat to the environment or humans. They are productive and beneficial.

Low-Temperature Performance

These lights are made to work under low temperatures for long hours, and they do not heat up like conventional lights that require a cooling system and exhaust to reduce the effect of the heat. Using LED grow strips allows your plants to keep growing properly without installing cooling pads, exhausts, and air conditioners to keep the room cool.

Desired Spectrum Of Light Saves Energy

LED grow strips have the ability to provide you with the wavelength of light that is needed during the various stages of plant growth. The blue light during germination, red light during vegetative growth and flowering, and the ordinary lights’ wavelength can’t be tampered with. LED grow strips fully utilize energy to save you money, providing sufficient light for your plants to grow. Grow light strips have been estimated to save up to 60 percent energy when compared to the energy used by conventional grow lights.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING LED GROW LIGHT STRIPS

LED grow light strips have a few cons, but the usual ones they have include the following;

High Price

As we all know good quality products tend to cost more compared to other products. LED grow strips are more durable than conventional lights, and this is why to purchase them for the first time can be quite expensive. However, they prove to be useful and save you money in the long run. These days manufacturers are inclined to start production of low-priced good quality products as time goes.

Light Throw

LED lights tend to throw light in a unidirectional pattern, and this is why you need to bring the lights closer to the canopy of the plants. However, this issue has been fixed in most of the strips produced now. They now come with rotating heads that allow you to place the strips anywhere you desire over the canopy of the plants.

Dirt Resistance And Low Heat

LED grow strips are prone to getting dirty, and they also have a low resistance to heat compared to conventional lights. Placing them in grow rooms that experience high temperatures may cause damages to the system. They also catch dirt and humidity easily, and this can affect their overall performance.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE FOR LED GROW LIGHT STRIPS

Ensure that you keep your grow light strips are clean, free of dirt and smoke. Be on the lookout for insects that make nests in grow spaces, such as spiders. You can get rid of the insects by blowing compressed air when the lights are not in use.

When different lights are connected in a row and working simultaneously, ensure that you use a power stabilizer. Ensure that your connectors and plugs are not rusted, in order to prevent damages to your lights when they heat up or interruption to the power supply.

LED Grow Light Strips Safety Tips

When using grow lights in your grow room, you’ll tend to use them for hours on a daily basis. Like any other electrical component, there are safety measures you have to take for protection. These safety tips include;

• Avoid overloading the plug sockets
• Avoid keeping your grow lights in a permanently damp room

When the lights are plugged in, avoid any contact with water.

Try using a timer so that you won’t leave the lights on for longer than is necessary.

As long as you implement these precautions, you won’t have to worry when using your LED light strips. It is also best to use a power stabilizer to prevent any damage in case of a power surge.

LED grow light strips come in different shapes, power outputs, sizes, and lengths, so we have considered different good quality options and included them in this list. We have provided you with a list of the top LED grow light strips you can get to increase your plants’ yield. After going through this article, you will be well equipped and know the important features to look out for when selecting grow light strips for your grow room.

Below, we have reviewed some of the best LED grow light strips, we have listed out their specifications and key features. Let’s take a look at the list.