Best LED Grow Lights: Which LED Grow Light Should You Get?

Features to Look for When Choosing the Best LED Grow Light

You might not be familiar with some of the distinctive qualities of LED lighting if you’re new to growing cannabis indoors or using LED plant lights.

The following are the key aspects to consider when buying LED grow lights for your cannabis growth.

There is no particular sequence to the factors given. Given your unique situation as a growing person, only you can determine which is most important to you.

Light Spectrum

Natural sunlight contains all of the electromagnetic spectrum’s colors.

Unlike certain LED lights, which can only reproduce a limited range of color frequencies, full-spectrum white LED lights offer all the colors needed for every stage of the growing process.

• Early in a plant’s life, blue light aids in its growth. It is the first hue that plants in their vegetative state may absorb.
• Purple light is also utilized in the vegetative state, but it is less useful for photosynthesis than blue light.
• For buds to flower, red light is crucial in the last phases of growth.
• All the hues in the color spectrum are present in white light. It can be useful for all developmental stages when used alone.

The visible wavelengths enjoyed by plant leaves are used by chlorophyll to produce food. The exception is the green glow.

Plants’ leaves are green because chlorophyll only reflects green light; they do not absorb it.

Size and Shape of Grow Space

Consider how many plants you need to cover and where you plan to place them when determining the size of grow light you require.

Choose a lighter, more portable option to transfer your grow light from location to location. It might not matter as much if you know it will remain in place.

Make sure it has enough space to function properly and is not too close to any furniture, drapes, or other objects wherever you place it.

Strength and Function of Grow Light

The light intensity and function of your grow light are the next two factors you need to consider.

Make sure your grow lamp is powerful enough to give your cannabis plants the appropriate quantity of light by paying attention to its light intensity.

Wattage and the amount of light that reaches the plant canopy are two factors to consider. Identifying the primary usage for a grow light is known as determining its purpose.

Many folks only want a grow light for their mother plants or seedlings. Others are looking for the finest LED grow light to support all plant life cycles.

Performance vs. Value for Money

Select a grow lamp that is priced for performance or value.

The third criterion will allow you to cut through the voluminous selection of LED grow lights for cannabis cultivation that is now accessible.

Although it won’t be the most affordable grow light, bang for the buck doesn’t necessarily equal the cheapest.

When compared to premium, high-performance grow light manufacturers like HLG or Gavita, brands like Viparspectra, Mars Hydro, and AC Infinity offer good value for the money.

What distinguishes high-end LED grow lights from cheap grow lights? The difference is primarily in the components’ quality.

Some more expensive models also come with great extras but are not essential for success, like UV diodes, which the less expensive models won’t have.

A boutique brand that lacks the massive manufacturing capacity of the more value-focused firms may also cost you a little bit more.

In case you’re interested, I’ve talked to owners of both types of grow lights which are content with their harvests.

Selecting the factors above that fit your demands is the secret to choosing the finest LED to grow light for cannabis cultivation!

Type

Grow lights come in various forms, from panels to items that dangle from ceilings or screw into regular light fixtures.

You can reduce your options by considering the sort of plants you have, the amount of natural light that is already present, and where your plants are positioned.

Generally, desktop lights are smaller and easier to move around than hanging lights.

If you desire a comprehensive lighting system, think about purchasing a garden kit that includes a planter with an integrated light.

Location

Hanging your lights too low might burn your plants while hanging them too high can leave them reaching for the light and feeble.”

The recommended distance from plants for incandescent grow lights is at least 24 inches.

Fluorescent and LED lights can be placed 12 to 18 inches away from plants due to their lower heat outputs. However, various plants require varying levels of light.

It is advised to place seedlings as close to a fluorescent light source as they can get without touching it, which is about 2 to 3 inches away.

The ideal setup simulates natural sunlight and ensures the entire plant receives enough light by hanging or placing lamps directly over plants.

Wattage

A grow light’s wattage determines how much light it produces.

Most low-light plants, especially herbs, may thrive with a lower-watt bulb because you typically require 32 watts per square foot.

PPFD, or photosynthetic photon flux density, is a more important statistic for determining a lamp’s specific light production. Yet, not all products include this information.

Bulb Type

One of the most widely used and effective solutions is LED lighting.

They provide balanced light spectrum ranges as well. LED lights are my favorite go-to for lights because they’re energy-efficient and generate little to no heat.

LED lights’ lifespan is up to 30 times longer than that of incandescent bulbs. Although fluorescent lights are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they are more energy-efficient.

Even though incandescent bulbs are the cheapest option, they also use the least energy. Also, they produce a great amount of heat, which is not the best environment for development.

Growing Season

Herbs, seeds, houseplants, and flowers can thrive all year round under indoor grow lights, which is one of their best features.

Yet, they require the proper ratio of darkness and light to survive.

For seedling germination and growth, until they are a few inches tall, running lights should be used for 16 to 18 hours each day.

Before transplanting them in the spring, you can gradually reduce them as they age to get them on a similar light pattern.

Controlling the ideal light levels is simple with a grow lamp with a built-in timer, especially if you’re not at home.

After some experimentation, you should be able to pin down the best length for your particular plant kind.

You are matching the light schedule as closely as possible to the present sun pattern to prevent shock in your plants when moving outside.

Connectivity

Products having this feature plug into each other and then plug into one outlet, reducing the number of cables needed for setup.

Many LED grow lights are designed to link to other units to cover bigger areas, generally referred to as “daisy-chain connectivity.”