What to look for when buying LED grow lights
Below we have rounded up what to look for when shopping for LED grow lights, followed by a list of the the best LED grow lights available on the market today.
The type of light you use has a monumental effect on your cannabis growing efforts. Many factors go into what LED light to use for growing cannabis. We did the research for you and have rounded up the most important ones below.
Light spectrum
- While plants can grow under most spectrums, to make the process efficient they need specific wavelengths throughout each growth stage. High quality LED lights provide the full spectrum of light, allowing you to select the best one for each growing stage. Plants naturally react and grow based on the spectrum of light they get outdoors. They will grow as long as they receive blue and red lights, though most good LED lights offer the full spectrum. The spectrum you use in different stages will affect the plant?s growing patterns.
- Blue lights (400nm ? 500nm): Blue lights are often used in the vegetative stage of growth. That?s because this spectrum mimics the sunlight during summertime. Plants use this blue spectrum as a hint to spread its leaves in order to soak up as much sun as possible during the summer. It?s recommended to use blue light during the plant?s vegetative stage so it spreads and grows leafy. However, if you use blue light throughout growing you?ll get plants with short stems but with large healthy leaves.
- Red lights (660nm ? 730nm): Red or yellow lights are often used in the flowering stage of growth. This spectrum mimics the sunlight during the fall. This is when plants grow tall to prepare for the upcoming winter. Taller plants are in a better position to bud and pollinate via winter winds. Using more red light stimulates your cannabis to grow taller and flower (promoting bud growth).
- Since you?re playing the role of the sun, you can choose the optimal spectrum of light for the strain of weed you?re growing. Most LED grow lights come with customized spectrums of light that are optimized for speedy growth. Manufacturers often state the great PAR of their LED grow lights. Photosynthetically active radiation, or PAR, is the wavelengths of light between 400nm and 700nm. These wavelengths are the best for photosynthesis.
Amount of light
The more light your plants receive, the better they grow. So, how do you find an LED grow light that emits the highest quantity of light? For one, LED lights are already designed to directly aim at the plant. Panels that are 3W per bulb produce the highest yield without burning the plant. More panels help spread light over more area. It?s recommended to use an LED grow light with over 2 panels if you plan on having a large growing space.
Wattage per square foot and coverage area
Your grow lights will be running for long hours, so you?ll want to save electricity.You?ll want to check the electrical output of your light, which should optimally stay over 300W. If the wattage is too high, you can run the risk of burning your plants. The recommended amount for growing cannabis is 50?60 watts per square foot. You will also want to know how much area your lights can cover. Most lights we recommended today have a coverage area of 3 ft x 3 ft at the vegetative stage.
Low heat emission
It?s important to find an LED grow light with low heat emission. You don?t want to run the risk of burning or discoloring your plants. You can put lights with low emission close to your plants, allowing them to receive more direct light. Controlling the temperature of your grow room is important for saving electricity and room temperatures contribute heavily to plant growth. If the air is humid, similar to the tropics, your plants grow optimally. Grow lights that emit too much heat turn the air dry, meaning your plants won?t grow.
Quality of materials
LED lights can be an expensive investment and the quality of your light source highly affects the yield. You want an LED light that gives off 3W per bulb, meaning the semiconductor chip needs to be of high quality. You need to look for durability; very durable LED grow lights last for 50,000 hours plus. Look for manufacturers that state longer warranties (2 years plus). They are most likely using the highest quality materials. Most grow lights we suggested today come with a hanging hook and power cord.
ECO Farm 600W Dimmable LED Grow Light
The New ECO Farm LED 600W Vertical Farming LED Grow Light takes Vertical Farming into the new era. Fully equipped with the Latest in High End LED technology from the best of Samsung, the best of CREE & best from Meanwell. ECO Farm 600W which delivers uniform light intensity and promotes uniform growth across your canopy. Dimming gives you full control of your intensity and allows you to only use what you need taking efficiency to the next level, reducing btu output and extending the lifespan of the fixture. The ECO Farm 600W using Samsung LM301H ,delivers industry best efficacy for LED Grow Lights with Samsung LEDs at 3.0 umols/j. Double Row LED strips with 2,760 LEDs all being under driven to max efficiency to deliver next generation Par efficacy and a mind blowing 1200+ ppfd at 10″ & 12″.
ECO Farm 600W is the first Vertical Farming style of light to integrate Blue LEDs with the Red LEDs to make the light easier to absorb at high intensities and promote best possible bud quality. ECO Farm 600W is also the first to feature Samsung?s LM301H LEDs in a high power LED grow Light that flowers a 4×4 area or bigger.
Loriflux 630W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
The Loriflux 8 blade is full spectrum top and vertical lighting solution designed and engineered by growers for use in full cycle cultivation. With variable power levels and a rigorously developed and field tested spectrum, our light vastly simplifies the growing process while allowing even the most seasoned veterans the control and power to exceed yields beyond anything they have ever experienced. For optimal results we recommend that this fixture is used in environments with supplemental CO2 at a range of 800?1400PPM due to high concentration of PPFD.
Features & Benefits
Optimized spectrum engineered and tested by growers
Scientifically engineered to maximize photosynthesis, growth, and yield
2.0 gram/watt field produced yield (dried)
Superior delivered PPF and PAR exceeding 1000 Watt HPS grow light.
Almost 50% energy savings over traditional HID and HPS
40% less HVAC usage
Cultivate Tech GrowtechX 660
Cultivate Tech?s GrowtechX660 is a 660W, full cycle LED grow light designed to target only the parts of the spectrum your plants need to thrive through both vegetative and flowering cycles. At 660 TRUE LED watts, the GrowtechX660 is the equivalent to approximately 1100 HPS or metal halide watts, meaning, it runs on nearly half the wattage of traditional grow lights. Importantly, all fixtures in the GrowtechX Series carry an ETL label, meaning they are thoroughly tested and in compliance with North American safety standards.
Both the GrowtechX480 and GrowtechX660 are designed to fold 180 degrees to make it more compact and easier to transport and install.
With the use of passive cooling technology, Cultivate Tech fixtures produce virtually no heat so no additional air cooling is required for your grow space. This also eliminates the need for additional fans (internal or external), so running a Cultivate Tech fixture will be virtually silent and drastically increase the longevity of the fixture. The lower temperatures from lighting results in an ideal, easier to control grow environment for your plants to flourish in. Without the threat of ?leaf burn?, Cultivate Tech fixtures can be placed mere inches from the plant canopy which is ideal for optimal light absorption and necessary for vertical grow application.
All products in the GrowtechX series are 0?10V dimmable. By purchasing the optional Zigbee gateway and controller, the grower will have the ability to adjust light intensity, group multiple fixtures together to be controlled simultaneously, and program timers all via WiFi. Timers can be stacked to adjust light intensity several times throughout the day to mimic a sunrise/sunset cycle. The Zigbee gateway plugs directly into your router via ethernet cable, and the controller plugs easily into your GrowtechX fixture. The gateway syncs easily with the controller and with the iLightsPro app you will have full control over your fixture(s) on any mobile device. Multiple fixtures can be connected together using a single power supply and then grouped together to be controlled simultaneously.
