LED grow lights have become an increasingly popular device to use in growing spaces. This is because they aren’t only affordable, but come with plenty of features as well. This includes being energy-efficient and usually containing a wide color spectrum. However, because of their popularity, you’ll find hundreds of different products to invest in. Because of this, it can make it difficult for you to find the right LED grow light to buy. This article will help you in your search by listing some important buying information, as well as some of the top LED grow lights on the market today.
What is an LED Grow Light?
Table of Contents
An LED (Light Emitting Diode) grow light is designed to help your plants grow as quickly as they can. They contain special LED lights with features built into them to help with this. You’ll often find LED lights that have UV or IR rays or some that have different colors, like red and blue. Some of these lights also have chips built into them to help specific LED grow lights create a special spectrum feature. While all of these colors have a different purposes, they have the same goal: to help your plants grow. They work to imitate sunlight due to these plants being located indoors. They create energy for your plants and each have their own different wavelengths which you can often adjust. No matter what type of LED grow light you buy you can be ensured that it will work to help your plants grow quickly and be healthy.
The Best LED Grow Lights
If you’re currently searching for an LED grow light, you’ve probably come across many different models. This can make finding the right LED grow light difficult due to the many choices available. This article will highlight 10 of the top LED grow lights on the market that you should consider using.
Product Name | Weight | Dimensions |
Bestva | 10.4 lbs. | 20.7 x 8.5 x 2.4 inches |
Galaxyhydro | 6 lbs. | 12.1 x 8.2 x 2.4 inches |
Sandalwood | 12 oz. | 5 x 5 x 5.5 inches |
Unifun | 2.9 lbs. | 1.8 x 12.6 x 16.7 inches |
Essential Choice | 2.9 lbs. | 1.8 x 12.6 x 16.7 inches |
Wisful | 6.6 lbs. | 4.5 x 10.1 x 15.2 inches |
Levin | 1 lb. | 12 x 5 x 4 inches |
Viparspectra Par600 | 13.7 lbs. | 3.5 x 11.8 x 14.1 inches |
Roleadno | 2.1 lbs. | 1.7 x 11.9 x 13.3 inches |
Sygavled | 6.3 lbs. | 4.5 x 10.5 x 16 inches |
VIVOSUN Grow Light | 11 lbs. | 20.2 x 15.5 x 15.5 inches |
AMMON Grow Light | 14.3 lbs. | 19.7 x 11.8 x 3 inches |
These models are all some of the best LED grow lights you’ll find on the market today. Besides their different weight and dimensions (which you can see from the table above), they all have their own unique features and functions. Some are built with numerous LED lights to help with your plant’s growth while others are built with fewer but more intricate LED light features, like occasional dim ones. Keep reading to learn more about these models and the features they offer.
Product Reviews
Bestva
This LED grow light model runs on dual chip 2,000W lights. As you’ll find with this model, it also features a full spectrum of LED light colors. This means it will emit lights of all colors on your plants to help them grow better. These LED lights have an angle of 120 degrees and have a lifespan up to 100,000 hours. However, be careful to not look into the lights when you work with this grow light as its lights are extremely bright. To prevent this LED grow light from overheating it features a cooling fan system. This will help to stop the grow light from getting too hot which could end up negatively impacting your plants. You’ll find small cooling holes in its paneling to help with this cooling process.
One great thing about this LED grow light model is that it can be controlled with a timer. This will allow you to set a specific time it should be on and off without having to worry about doing so yourself. This LED grow light comes with a 3 year warranty. Something to keep in mind about this product though is that it does tend to be a little expensive.
Galaxyhydro
This 300W LED grow light is made with a white coating. It features LED lights that are angled at 90-120 degrees. This will help these lights to fully reach every inch of your plants to help them with their growth. These LED lights have 100 pcs and are made with EpiLED chips. These EpiLED chips are not only energy efficient, but also help with light absorption. The LED lights included with this grow light have a dimmer which helps to encourage growth in the plants. These LED lights have an IR and UV function and emit a bright pink glow. These lights have a lifespan of 50,000 hours.
This model also features a Better Heat Solution system. This helps to keep this LED grow light cool when it’s running with the 2 fans that are built into it. This feature also helps this product to run quietly.
One of the best things about this LED grow light is that it can be used during all growth stages. Some LED grow light models can only be used during certain stages, but not this one. It can also be used up to 10-16 hours per day. Keep in mind though that sometimes the cable of this LED grow light can be a little short. This might make it difficult for it to reach certain outlets to be plugged in.
Sandalwood
This 12W LED grow light features a sleek white design. It is made with 3 bands and uses an E27 socket. The LED lights built into this model are energy-efficient and have a lifespan of 50,000 hours. You should be sure to keep plants about 2-18 square feet under the lights for it to fully reach them with light. To prevent overheating, this model has a heat sink built into it. This heat sink is made with an aluminum alloy board which helps to cool the grow light as it works. This lights runs on AC85-264V and is a very affordable option. However, this isn’t one of the biggest lights on the market. If you plan to use this with numerous plants, it might not be able to reach all of them.
Unifun
This LED grow light runs on 45W. It comes with 8 bulbs. Four of these bulbs are UV ones and the other four are IR ones. The LED lights feature red and blue colors. These colors will help your plants to grow and bloom quickly. Keep in mind though that the lights on this grow light are very strong and could cause damage to your eyes if you look at them. You want to make sure to also keep this LED grow light at least 12-18 inches away from the plants to prevent them from burning. The lights on this model have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. Something you should also keep in mind about this product is that it doesn’t come with an on/off light switch. This might make powering it on and off a little time-consuming as you’ll have to plug and unplug it rather than just having to switch a button.
This model runs on AC100-240V and works best in temperatures that are 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit. The fan that is built into this grow light to help cool it barely makes any noises which is ideal.
Essential Choice
If you’re looking for an LED grow light that gives you some unique light choices, you should definitely check out this one. This LED grow light features 12 LED lights and 3 LED bands. These LED bands include the colors of rose red, red, and blue. The rose red runs on 640-660 nm, the red on 620-630 nm, and the blue on 460 nm. The lights built into this model can run for up to 50,000 hours. This model is also energy-efficient. It features an aluminum covering and heat sinks which work to help prevent this grow light from getting too hot. This can help to prevent it from overheating which could otherwise end up damaging not only your grow light, but the plants you’re using it with.
This model is a little small compared to other models though. If you’d like a basic and simple LED grow light option, this is a good one to consider.
Wisful
This 1,000W LED grow light is made with a full spectrum. This means you’ll get almost every type of color glowing on your plants, like yellow, red, UV, and white. This feature and its light strength will help to make sure that your plants grow as quickly as possible. Besides this, these lights are also made with double chips. These double chips are 2 pcs and each LED light features over 5 of them in it.
The fan built into this model can help cool the light temperature down to about 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help to prevent overheating. The fan will also work quietly so you don’t have to worry about loud and annoying noises occurring while it’s on. When you’re done using this LED grow light, you can simply use the on/off switch. This model is a little more expensive compared to other ones, but it comes with some great features built into it. Besides the features above, it also comes with sunglasses, a hanging kit, and a guide to help you better understand how to use this product.
Levin
This 36W LED grow light is made with a full spectrum feature. This means it will feature almost every needed color to help your plants grow better. Included in this full spectrum are red and blue lights. You’ll find 9 red and 3 blue ones built into this model. The red lights have 610-720 nm and the blue lights have 400-470 nm. These lights get very bright so you can be sure that they will cover and warm your plants as needed. This model works with E26 bulbs and runs on AC85-265V. The lights of this grow light have a lifespan of about 20,000 hours. However, you want to be sure to not let them shine too much over your plants per day. The best amount of time to keep this grow light over your plants is about 17 hours.
Besides this light feature, this product also has a special energy-efficient cooling feature. This feature will help to eliminate excessive heat from smothering your plants. This model is also created with a special design that uses aluminum to help it accomplish this cooling feature. It is created to make sure your plants don’t suffer under excruciating heat.
Viparspectra Par600
This 600W grow light features 12 bands. Its lights (the IR ones) have a special dim feature which helps to prevent the lights from burning too brightly on your plants. The LED lights also have a 90 degree angle which will help them to better reach all the areas on your plants. These lights have a 2nd optical lens built into them, which is also known as PAR.
You can adjust the lights with the 3 switches built into this model. There is a R (red) switch, a W (white) switch, and a B (blue) switch. This will allow you to have better control over which colors shine on your plants. These lights have a lifespan of 100,000 hours.
Because this model is made with aluminum cooling heat sinks it won’t overheat while it’s on. There are also fans located on the front of this model to help prevent overheating as well. These fans work quietly so you don’t have to worry about them being a nuisance.
This model is timer controlled and also comes with an adjustable growing rope hanger which you can attach to this product so it can hang. This LED grow light is ideal to use with all growing stages and comes with a 3 year warranty.
Roleadno
This 45W grow light has a red and blue spectrum. It comes with 117 pcs red and 52 pcs blue. The lights have the ability to reach 90 degree angles to help them better cover your plants with their warm glow. They have a lifespan of 50,000 hours and run on AC85-265V.
You also don’t need to worry about this LED grow light overheating thanks to its aluminum back panel. This back panel is made to help with heat dissipation which makes this product very energy-efficient. This product is good to use with all growing stages and can cover an area of about 7-8 square feet. This model comes with a 1 year warranty.
Sygavled
This LED grow light features a stylish white design and runs on 300W. It has a full spectrum capability and is made with EpiLED and BridgeLux LED lights. These LED lights have a Zener feature built into them. This feature will help to prevent any lights that are in the same circuit as one that burned out from not working. This helps to keep them all running without problems. These lights can burn for up to 100,000 hours. They are ideal to use to cover an area of about 3 ft. by 3 ft. Keep in mind though that this model doesn’t have a power switch.
Besides this, it also comes with an aluminum heat sink and cooling fans. These will work to keep the grow light from overheating. The fans also work quietly which will help to prevent this model from making annoying noises. This model also comes with a light hanger and a 3 year warranty.
VIVOSUN LED Grow Light
This powerful LED grow light by VIVOSUN runs on 600W and features a full spectrum to help ensure it covers your plants in enough light. While a little pricey, this option comes with plenty of features. This includes an adjustable hanger, two built-in cooling fans, and a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours. Thanks to the cooling fans built into this grow light, there’s no need to worry about it overheating. The fans will also make sure that your plants stay cool and don’t burn.
This product is ideal to use in a 4 x 4-inch grow tent and comes with a three-year warranty. No extra ballast is needed, but you shouldn’t run this light for more than 18 hours per day.
AMMON Grow Light
The AMMON Grow Light features 1,500W making it ideal to use in a large growing space. It features a full spectrum and uses optical lens technology. This technology allows it to increase the amount of light it uses thanks to built-in reflectors. This product is heat-resistant and comes with a few built-in fans to ensure there is no overheating.
The AMMON Grow Light features two switches on the side of it. One switch can be turned on to encourage the production of chlorophyll while the other can be used to encourage blooms. This grow light shouldn’t be run for more than 12 hours per day and comes with a hanging cable and power cord.
What do the Different LED Lights Means?
As you’ve probably seen in the product reviews above, there are quite a few different LED lights that come with these models. You’ll often find four main types: red, blue, UV, and IR. Each of these colors work to help your plants growth process in a unique way. The red light is meant to help with the blooming process. The blue light will help to create photosynthesis that your plants need. UV lights helps with seeding, and the IR light is important to help encourage blooms in your plants.
To be more specific, the red light helps with plant growth. If you want your plants to quickly start flowering, this is a good color to use. Red is ideal to shine on your plants during their early growth stages.
Blue lights are meant to help your plants produce not only photosynthesis, but chlorophyll. This will help your plants to produce strong leaves and stems. This means it will work to stop the plant from wilting.
UV lights are also best to use in the early growth stages. They work to help produce defense proteins in your plants which works to strengthen them. This can also lead to the plant having a better color and taste because it is healthy and strong. IR lights are mainly used to help produce photosynthesis in plants. Often these lights are paired with red ones to help plants grow quicker.
You’ll also sometimes find dim lights that are built into your grow light. These dim lights are specially designed to help prevent your grow light from overheating. This can also prevent it from getting the plant too hot which could end up burning it.
What Hanging Height Should I Use?
It’s important to use the correct hanging height with your LED grow light. Using the wrong height could end up destroying your plants due to burns or could even end up making it difficult for the light to reach your plants to help them grow.
How high you should hang your LED grow light mainly depends on the wattage your grow light has. If your grow light has a 150W you’d want to hang it about 10 inches away from your plant. If you have 400W you’d want to hang your grow light about 14 inches away, and with a powerful 1,000W grow light about 22 inches.
Something else to remember is that further away is often better. Sometimes it can seem like the closer you hang these lights the better your plants will grow. This isn’t always true. It’s best to usually keep the grow light a little further away from your plant just to be on the safe side. So, if you’re having difficulty with figuring out the proper length, it’s best to hang it a little higher than the plant. Usually, this is about 18 inches from the plant.
Features to Look for in a LED Grow Light
There are quite a few features you should look for in an LED grow light. Here are some of the top ones that you should keep in mind.
- UV and IR Lights
These lights are some of the most crucial ones to have. As mentioned in the section above, UV and IR lights help your plant to produce photosynthesis and a good flavor in them. If your grow light doesn’t included these UV and IR lights, it could impact how well your plants grow. Be sure to look for these lights to ensure that the grow light will work to help your plants grow well.
- Wattage
The wattage is especially important to look at in an LED grow light. The wattage will determine how hot the grow light will get. Depending on your needs, you’d either want to look for a lower or higher wattage. A lower wattage is often good to use with a small amount of plants, while a higher one is good to use with many. However, be sure that the wattage isn’t too low or too high. Too low a wattage could negatively impact the plant’s growth and too high a wattage could end up burning your plants.
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- Light Bulb Lifespan
It’s always good to look at the lifespan the lights have in each grow light model. You want to make sure it has a long lifespan as you’ll usually need to keep the grow light on for a while. One of the highest lifespans that LED grow lights come with is 100,000 hours. However, this isn’t the case for all models. Ideally, a grow light should have a lifespan of about 50,000 hours. Be sure to take the lifespan into consideration as it is an important feature to have with one of these products.
- Spectrum Level
A wide spectrum level in an LED grow light is good to have. The spectrum level is meant to help the lights built into your grow light work how you want them to in order for your plants to grow in your desired way. If you’d like a certain color to shine more than others, you would want to make sure to check the spectrum level capabilities of a grow light model.
- Color Switches
In addition to a wide spectrum, it might also be a good idea to see if the grow light comes with color switches. These are usually built into the side of the grow light and allow you to help your plants during a certain growth stage. For instance, some grow lights come with a chlorophyll switch which intensifies colors such as red or blue for the production of it. On the other hand, some might have a bloom light which turns blue lights on at a higher intensity. With this feature, you won’t have to worry about adjusting the colors yourself.
- Cooling System
To prevent overheating in your grow light you definitely want to check to make sure it has a cooling system. Depending on the model you use, the cooling system will vary. Some will have heat sinks while others will use fans. Either one will help to make sure that the grow light doesn’t get too hot and burn your plants.
You also want to look for a cooling system that works quietly. While this isn’t necessarily a crucial feature, it is good to have. A cooling system that runs loudly could end up being a little annoying due to its loud noises. You want to check to see if your grow light model has a quiet cooling system to help prevent this.
- Warranty
The warranty is another important thing to consider. Some LED grow lights will come with a long warranty while others don’t. These models should have at least a warranty of 1 year. Anything lower than that could mean that any broken or malfunctioning piece in your model isn’t covered and you’ll end up having to pay for that out of your own pocket.
- Price
It’s extremely important to look at the price of an LED grow light. Just because one model has an expensive price tag doesn’t mean that model is ideal for you. You want to always read the description and features of each model before investing in one. However, usually an expensive price does indicate that the model comes with quite a few features. So, don’t just look at the price tag of an LED grow light. Be sure to invest in a model that will work the best for your plants.
- Its Durability
Another thing to look at is the durability of the LED grow light. While many tend to be made of high-quality materials, like metal, not all are. Because of this, they might end up breaking, chipping, or not working well. It’s very important to check the durability of the LED grow light you’re interested in to ensure it will work well for your needs.
- Grow Light Hanging Equipment
Some of these LED grow lights might need to be hung over your plants. However, regular cords and wiring won’t help because you need to invest in special LED grow light hanging equipment. While most will come with a power cord and hanging kit you can use with your model, not all do. Because of this, you might end up having to make a separate purchase. To help prevent this extra purchase, it’s ideal to ensure that the grow light you’re interested in comes with a hanging kit.
Benefits of Using an LED Grow Light
There are many benefits that LED grow lights have.
They are Easy to Use
One benefit is that they are easy to use. These products are simply to install and turn on. You basically just hang them above your plants and plug them in. There’s practically no installation needed in order for LED grow lights to work which makes them great to use to grow plants.
More Than One Can Be Used at Once
Another great benefit of an LED grow light is that you can use many at once. You don’t have to just hang one over your plants. You can use as many grow lights as you need for your plants without worrying if they each might impact each other in a negative way. However, be sure to not overdo the lights or that could end up causing problems for your plants.
They Come with Plenty of Features
The other benefit these grow lights have is that they come with many different features and abilities. This means you can easily find one that will work to help your plants. For instance, if you need more red lights, there are plenty of models that offer more red colors than other ones. These grow lights come in various types so you can be sure you’ll find one that works great with your plants.
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They Help to Save You Money
LED grow lights also can help to save you money. Because they create less heat and energy in order to burn, they won’t make your energy bill skyrocket. This makes them ideal for those who are on a budget to invest in.
Besides being energy-efficient, LED grow lights are also affordable which is a surprise benefit about these powerful lights. You’ll be able to invest in a few without fear of breaking the bank.
They are Powerful Lights
Despite not creating a lot of heat, these lights are very powerful. The LED chips built into them warm up just enough so they bask your plants in an efficient amount of light. This light might not get to be very hot, but the beam is very powerful. So, despite their small looks, LED grow lights tend to be very powerful options to use in a growing space.
Safely Using One of These Products
While these products are easy to use, you do need to be cautious when using them. One thing you need to especially keep in mind is to not look at the LED lights when using the grow light. The LED lights glow so brightly that they could end up causing major eye damage. Sometimes grow lights will come with sunglasses you can use when using one of these products, but not all the time. To sum it up, it’s best to prevent looking into the lights at all.
You also want to make sure to not let the LED grow light burn too long. Often models will come with an ideal running time until you should shut it off for a little bit to give the grow light a break. If you let your grow light run too long, it could end up making the entire product overheat if the cooling system doesn’t work well. This could end up not only damaging your product, but also the plants below. The intensity of the light could end up being too much for them to handle and could stunt their growth or burn their leaves.
How Do I know If I’m Burning My Plants?
There are a few signs you can use to tell if the LED grow light is burning your plants. One of the biggest signs to tell that you’re putting too much light on your plants is yellow leaves. Other signs are brown spots, curling leaves, wilting, and new plant growth being stunted. All of these mean you need to immediately lower the light amount and exposure on the plant.
However, if you find that even lowering the light amount and exposure on the plant doesn’t help, you might have the wrong wattage. The higher the wattage the more intense the light will be. If you’re using a powerful LED light designed for numerous plants on only one or two, it could cause problems. Because of this, make sure that the wattage isn’t what is also causing you trouble.
Are LEDs Safe to Use?
Sometimes it’s believed that LED lights aren’t the safest type of light to use. It’s often thought that they can be a little dangerous due to elements in them like mercury. However, this isn’t true at all. LED lights don’t contain mercury. The only LED light that really has a toxic element is a very low red color one which has a slight amount of lead in it. LED lights are very safe to use and are environmentally-friendly as they can be recycled. If one of the LED lights in your grow light burns out, you can easily replace it with a new one without any worries.
What are Double Chips?
A double chip in an LED is when five-watt chips are placed next to each other in a grid-like pattern. However, despite only having five-watts, they are extremely powerful. In fact, their intensity is even higher than normal five-watt chips. Because of this, they are often referred to as double chips because they double the amount of light they emit.
Conclusion
This article showcased the best LED grow lights on the market. As you can see from their descriptions, they all have unique features. It’s important to invest in the right model depending on the needs of your plants. Besides the features, be sure to also take into consideration the different hanging heights and LED light colors they come with. These LED grow lights are perfect to use to help your plants not only stay healthy while indoors, but also grow quickly. As you search for an LED grow light to use, be sure to consider one of the models highlighted in this article.