Our Top 3 Picks for Best LED Grow Lights

PICTURE	MODEL GROW LIGHT REVIEW	Grow Footprint	Rating
	Electric Sky 300 LED Grow Light (Wide Spectrum LED Technology)	2′ X 4′ In Flowering
	VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 600W (Top Seller)	2.5′ X 2.5′ Flowering
	Cree High-Intensity 100W Full Spectrum Cob (Small But Powerful)	2′ X 2′ Flowering

Our trusted reviews are based on careful testing in real-world situations in order to find the best LED grow lights. All of our tests are based on growing medical marijuana, which means our LED grow light reviews are 100% related to your LED panel or HID light needs.

We reveal the winners, bestsellers, budget options, small space options, and large space options. You can be sure that any of our successfully reviewed grow lights will meet your expectations.

Best LED grow lights, rated by price power and performance

PICTURE	MODEL GROW LIGHT REVIEW	Grow Footprint	Rating
	Advanced Platinum Series P9-XML2 Top LED Grow Light (Professional Level Power)	4′ X 4′ In Flowering
	Advanced Platinum Series P600 LED Grow Light	5′ X 2′ Flowering
	G8LED 600-Watt MEGA	4′ X 3′ Flowering
	MARS HYDRO Led Grow Light 400W Full Spectrum	2′ X 2′ In Flowering
	MarsHydro Reflector 720W	4′ X 2.5′ Flowering
	G8LED 900-Watt	4′ X 3′ Flowering
	CANAGROW CREE CXB3590 COB	2′ X 3′ In Flowering
	Advanced Platinum Series P300	3′ X 2″ Flowering
	California Lightworks 440W	3′ X 3′ Flowering
	Roleadro HYG08-2X400W-W 800W COB	3′ X 2′ Flowering
	Spider Farmer Reflector R90 450W	2′ X 3′ Flowering
	King Plus Double Chip 2000 Watts (Great Starter Light)	3′ X 2′ Flowering
	BESTVA 1000W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum Dual-Chip	4′ X 3′ Flowering
	Tao Tronics Hydroponic	Supplemental Lighting

When it comes to the best LED grow lights, it doesn’t matter if you are upgrading your current grow room or building ground up. LED offers the greatest increase in technology for growing in decades. It is now possible to toss out your old high energy consumption bulbs and replace them with energy efficient more powerful LED lights. Toss out your old metal halide and HPS lights, it’s time to invest in a led panel — especially ones from our list of the best grow lights.

I’ve read in many recent posts about people calling LED grow lights, a led bulb. This is not the correct terminology. These LED lights are created from small electronic components called light emitting diodes. It is these diodes that are used in led grow light fixtures that will greatly help you grow medical marijuana. You just can’t compare a metal halide or hid lights to these new breeds of led grow lights.

Electric Sky 300 Wide Band LED Lights

A New Best LED Grow Lights Technology

Electric Sky by The Green Sunshine Company is a truly a unique Led grow light in a crowd of similar technologies. It isn’t often that a new technology comes online that disrupts the marketplace and that’s just what the Electric Sky does through its development and use of “wide-band” LEDs. Electric Sky uses a patent-pending GS1 wideband spectrum technology to give your plants more of what they need to grow and thrive. The addition of these extra light spectrums is like “putting your cannabis plants on steroids” providing the power to increase yields and THC concentrations.

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Click Here To Buy The Electric Sky

The Old Way of Thinking about the Best LED Grow Lights

In the early days of LED grow lights, it was thought that plants only really needed red and blue light to grow. It’s because of this that many of the LED Grow lights that you see always look purple in light color. Cannabis leaves are absorbing much more than red and blue light. The fact is that the leaves of your plants are processing green and yellow light in the 500-600nm range. The chloroplasts which drive photosynthesis are using green, yellow and orange light as well to fully operate at peak performance.

It was thought in the past that green light is reflected off the leaves, but it is absorbed and used to produce energy within your plants. The wideband LEDs used in the Electric Sky produce a significant level of red spectrum and infrared light which many other LEDs lack; these spectrums are vital to healthy vegetation.

Why is the Electric Sky Different?

The wide spectrum LEDs are the first point of difference in this LED grow light unit. These wide bands provide your cannabis plants with more usable light then any other LED brand on the market. The Electric Sky doesn’t rely on just 8 to 12 spectrums of light like its competitors. It fills in the missing light spectrums other LEDs neglect. This light is different, it’s actually one of the top led grow lights available on the market today.

Older LED grow lights have difficulty penetrating the canopy of your cannabis plants to provide light to the lower plant leaves. The Wideband technology improves purple and white LEDs as well as red and infrared LEDs which allow for better penetration and light uptake in your cannabis plants. Good grow lights, provide more than just intensity, they provide the light spectrums needed for your plants to thrive.

The Electric sky also uses “top bin mid power wideband diodes” which means the quality of the LEDs used is the top of the quality scale. With a life expectancy of over 60,000 hours, you’ll get your money out of these units fast between the number of grows you can have and with the amount of electricity you’ll save over using old-fashioned HPS or HID lights.

Another great convenience that is created by the wideband led is the fact that the light color is much more neutral to the human eye than most LED grow lights. While using the Electric Sky 300 I didn’t need to switch the grow light off and a regular light on to view my plants and how they really looked. The color shift in most LEDs makes it impossible to examine your cannabis in detail.

Dual-Way Linear Lenses

When you look at an Electric Sky Led Grow Light the first thing you will notice is the long linear lenses that stretch across the entire light panel. These lenses are designed to mimic natural light from the sky by diffusing the light rather than using a single source of light like traditional LED panels. The other goal of the linear lenses is to manipulate the light by projecting it out and down rather than all down like a single point LED grow light would provide.

Coverage Intensity

With the electric light the diffused light allows the unit to be placed at just 20” above your cannabis plants while vegetative and while blooming the light can be dropped to just 15” above your plants. All of the light intensity is driving directly into your plants whereas traditional LED lights would need to be placed at least 24” to 30’ above your plants.

With many grow lights on the market the actual growing footprint can be very different. For example, round LED units to produce around light pattern of dissipation where most of the intensity emanates from the center of the led panel and then falls off the farther from the center of the unit you get. The Electric sky has a must larger sweet spot and the light falls off in a regular rectangular shape which means there is much more usable light.

Build Quality

This is a higher end light, so you expect the whole package to look good, be functional and be tough. The Electric Sky will impress even the pickiest grower with its aluminum case and heat sinks which dissipate so much heat that I was able to run this light without a fan on it to cool it off.  The aircraft quality hanging cables and release system is genius, simple but perfectly functional.

The lens below the LEDs that move the light around your grow space while reducing the hot spot footprint is extremely unique.

The Electric Sky by The Green Sunshine Company currently produced the Electric Sky ES180 and the ES300. Two ES300 units in tandem will produce the same energy as a 1000-Watt HPS light.

The Final Word on the Electric Sky 300:

The Electric Sky 300 is a revolutionary new grow light using brand new wideband LED technology. If you are an intermediate to advanced cannabis grower you’ll be very excited when you get your hands on one of these bad boys. My personal experience growing cannabis with an Electric Sky was one of amazement and wonderment. Big fat buds and really fast healthy vegetation is what you have in store.

LED grow light distance chart:

Cree High-Intensity 100 Watt LED Lights

Small but powerful LED

This tiny fan cooled LED is a 200W HPS replacement. The Cree provides full spectrum grow light between 380nm~780nm using just one CXB3590 LED Chip. The power of this grow light will penetrate deep into your plant’s canopy.  Great for growing one plant or for supplemental lighting you’ll find the Cree suitable for many options in your grow area.

The onboard silent cooling fan keeps the device under 25C to ensure a long lifetime. Cree grow lights are the go-to LED lights for many growers. They are extremely powerful while being cost effective.

I love the convenience of the small light which I like to use to supplement the lighting on the lower sides of my plants. I generally run a few of these little guys along with my main overhead light to get the perfect deep canopy penetration you need to grow great cannabis plants.

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VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 600W LED Lights

Viparspectra has invested a lot of science and engineering into their grow lights. After years of experimental grow light development, working with professional indoor growers Viparspectra earned its spot in the top of all LED grow lights. This brand is the go-to light for many growers and one of our biggest sellers.
< Engineering allowed Viparspectra to create a perfect balance of PAR/Lumen output. This along with the large rectangular LED foot-print distributes light evenly over a larger usable area.

This is a 600-Watt LED but that is the effective estimated light output compared to an HPS. The actual amount of wattage being used by the grow light is only 276 watts at the wall. This means that it saves 70% of the electricity that would be used to light the same HPS equivalent.

The grow unit is built with high-quality aluminum heat syncs with high-speed fans directed right at the fins of the sync. This creates massive heat dissipation allowing your grow light to last for over 100,000 working hours. At the same time, the lower amount of heat created by this light will allow the grower to use fewer fans and ventilation overall to keep their plants at a happy growing temperature.

Viparspectra still provides you with a quick and easy VEG to Bloom switch. When bloom and veg are selected together the unit produces its maximum intensity grow light. The light provides wide spectrum light that will feed your plants from beginning to end.

The grow area for this light is 3×3 feet square at a growing height of just 24 inches above the plants. The LED uses 90-degree lenses to provide that great flowering grow area.

Viparspectra uses 129 high-intensity 5-watt Bridgelux/Epileds LED chips to cover the unit’s surface. The manufacturer offers a full 3-year warranty and a 30-day no hassle return policy if you aren’t happy with the unit.

MARS HYDRO II Led Grow Light, 400W Full Spectrum LED Lights

Mars Hydro is a great consumer grade LED brand. I’ve tested many of their LED grow lights over the years but was very excited with the results I achieved growing White Widow with the Mars Hydro II 400W Full Spectrum light. This is a small light which will flower a 2×2 area only at 24 inches. The Mars Hydro uses more traditional LEDs which are red and blue in color.

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I was very surprised at how well this light performed. It didn’t heat up my small grow test at all and in the end had two plants about 3 feet tall that produced about 1 pound of bud total. Very respectable results for a small unit. The reason for this power is the use of 5-watt LED chips which provide that extra power needed to penetrate deep into your plants.

The unit is full spectrum reporting light-wavelengths from 365 nm to 750 nm. This spectrum provides perfect coverage for seedlings, vegging and flowering. That penetrating light does come at a cost as the grow light produces significant heat which it manages well with two high quality bearing driven fans.

This light was exceptional for vegging cannabis plants. I would recommend this light for any small or beginner grower because of its simplicity and it’s ability to not over-challenge the grower with complications during the grow.

The Mars-Hydro II LED grow light is rated for up to 100,000 hours of use and comes with a 3-year warranty plus 30 days satisfaction or return guarantee.

CANAGROW CREE CXB3590 COB LED Lights

Small but powerful LED Full Spectrum LED

The Cangrow Cree is a full spectrum unit which provides 200 Watts of growing power from two 100 Watt Cree Cob drivers. The cooling fan used in this unit is silent and provides exceptional cooling for the light unit. This unit is dimmable which is great for starting plants and younger seedlings, as the plants mature you can dial up the power.

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This unit also contains glass optics to better spread the grow light into a usable area of about 3×2 feet for flowering.

This full spectrum option provides light from 380nm to 780nm and is designed to replace a 400 Watt HPS system. The cobs are super high-quality made by MEAN WELL, a leading producer of LEDs.

This light will rapidly veg your plants and when the unit is dropped close to your flowers it will produce nice fat buds. This light will not penetrate very deep into a dense canopy so I recommend some LST (low-stress training) to keep the plants flat and the buds exposed to the light to get maximum bud yield.

Roleadro HYG08-2X400W-W 800W COB LED Lights

Roleadro has been a maker of fine LED grow lights for several years. I have tested these lights with cannabis so I can speak from experience about their grow and build quality. You can certainly grow up to about 6 to 8 nice plants under this bad boy and achieve nice yields as long as you train your plants for maximum light exposure.

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Though this is an 800 Watt light it’s growing footprint is just 3×3 which do mean you are giving a lot of energy to a smaller space. I grow some big plants under this light with large colas.

This 800-Watt quality lighting source provides a wide spectrum of usable grow light wavelengths from 440nm to 730nm. Though the unit is producing a substantial amount of grow light it’s efficient heat dissipation system with silent fans to mitigate any increased heat.

The Roleadro 800W COB system uses patented reflective cups with a 90-degree coverage area to ensure maximum light reflection and wavelength blending.

What I love about this grow light is the format of the footprint and the fact that you can daisy-chain up to 5 units to cover very large growing areas.

The grow unit comes with a full 2-year warranty so you know you are going to get lots of grows under your belt with this baby.

Advanced Platinum Series P9-XML2 LED Lights – Editor’s Choice for the Best LED Grow Lights – Our Review

The Advanced Platinum Series from PlatinumLED use full-spectrum LED grow light technology to keep your grow room and plants cooler while meeting all your cannabis plants photosynthetic requirements. The P9-XML2 offers their trademark technology which provides “3x the light intensity” of other LED lights.

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Buying into LED is a big investment regardless of energy savings so we’ve researched all the best LED grow lights on the market and created this top LED lights for-the-money list. All the picks in our list have been tested so that we could provide accurate and qualified top picks for the best grow lights on the market today. We’ve also included a buying guide which explains all the terminology and what you should look for in a grow Light. All of the Top LED grow lights that we have reviewed are suitable for indoor grow tent kits.

The best LED grow lights PAR rating you can’t beat

The P9-XML2 series LED grow light also features the highest PAR per watt rating of any other LED lights available on the market. Remember that LED lights are not measured in watts but PAR, which stands for photosynthetically active radiation. This refers to the active light bands for plant photosynthesis.

The best indoor grow lights are those that closely mimic real sunlight. The P9-XML2 grow light achieves this by providing 12 bands of light wavelengths including infrared and ultraviolet, which can’t be seen by the human eye. This LED light provides not only the correct light wavelengths for all stages of cannabis growth but also the correct intensity of light for incredible growth results in both the vegetative and flowering stages.

A flip of the switch is all it takes for full spectrum LED grow light

With the P9-XML2, a flick of the switch provides the perfect light intensity for vegetation, another flip of the switch increases the intensity for blooming and flowering cycles. Another breakthrough in the PlatinumLED series lights are the LED focusing lenses. These lenses act like mini reflectors to send the maximum amount of light deep into the canopy of your grow. Getting light deep into your plants encourages explosive plant growth.

The initial investment in LED systems is higher than a traditional bulb and ballast options but over time the investment in LED lights will pay off because of the massive savings in electricity. The P900 can replace a 1000-watt high-pressure sodium light and only uses a power draw of 515 watts of electricity. This means that your energy savings are close to 50%. The average cost of a 1000-Watt HPS light is 12 cents every hour. This doesn’t include the cost of the fans needed to cool these extremely hot lights. Overall the P900 gives the same intensity of light as well as full-spectrum light at half the price of a traditional HPS bulb.

The P9-XML2 provides 4×6 feet of vegetative growth quality light and 3.5×5 feet (18 inches above your plants) at full blooming intensity of 515 watts. Like traditional incandescent grow lights, raising and lowering the grow light increases and lowers the intensity of the light reaching your foliage. The P9-XML2 also provides the “Veg” and “Flower” switch, as well.

How many plants can you grow with a platinum series P9-XML2? You can grow between 12 and 24 plants at a time, depending on which growth stage they are in. Adult cannabis plants use 1 square foot of space in a 3-gallon grow pot, meaning that in a 4×6 grow area, you could fit 24 plants. If you plan to keep your plants in the same grow area from vegetative to flowering, you could safely grow 18 plants in a 4×6 area with our platinum series P9-XML2 on full intensity.

The PlatinumLED LED light system is not an entry-level budget LED grow light system. Its power and features are leaps ahead of most LED light systems and even include the ability to function on 110V or 220V, as well as 85V to 260V power systems.

The Final Word on the Advanced Platinum Series P9-XML2:

This is an investment and the advanced platinum series P9-XML2 includes a fantastic warranty. They stand by their products with a 90-day money back guarantee and a whopping 5-year full warranty on the system itself. That’s 5 years of growing worry free!

Advanced Platinum Series P600 LED Light – great for up to 8 flowering cannabis plants – Our Review

Platinum Grow Lights are the most advanced grow light available on the market. The P600 Advanced Platinum Series is no exception. It is easily one of the best 600w LED light to buy for the money, and worth the heavy investment. Your energy savings and increased plant yields will more than pay for this high-end grow light system before the incredible 5-year warranty expires. That’s at least 5 years of trouble free growing of the biggest crops you’ve ever grown. The P600 is built with rugged components and has a vegetative coverage area of 2×5 feet. Hit the magic “bloom” switch and you’ll blast up to 8 mature plants with flower growth intensity light.

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The advanced platinum series p300 provides the highest PAR per lumen output compared to any other grow light available in the market today. That’s fancy technical speak; meaning the Platinum P300 provides 3X the light intensity of other grow lights available on the market.

Setup the advanced platinum series p300 in a 3×2 foot tent our grow closet at a height of 18-inches and you’ll be able to take up to 7 plants from their veg state to full flowering, without changing anything but flipping a switch when it’s time to bloom your cannabis plants. The light intensity is like a 400-Watt HPS light and only uses about 180 Watts of power – making it super energy efficient like its big brothers the P600 and P900.

Like the larger models, the platinum series p300 includes the same high-end features growers want. Don’t forget that the PlatinumLED provides 11 band full-spectrum LED light that provides your cannabis plants with the photosynthetic energy they need to flourish, including both UV and IR light. The P300 is composed of 3 Watt LEDs and provides 60-degree and 90-degree lenses, which focus the light for more intensity.

The Final Word on the Advanced Platinum Series P600:

The chips in this lamp are also replaceable and another reason for the slightly higher price tag. This means you can always keep that 400-watt output, even when a chip blows. Just order the one chip and replace it when it arrives from the manufacturer. With a 5-year guarantee, PlatinumLED offers complete security to their customers.

California Lightworks 440W, ideal for a 3′ by 3′ grow tent – Our Review

California Lightworks 440W LED Light is a whole different breed of grow light but it comes at a steep price. It is actually one of the more expensive lights we’ve reviewed. What is instantly apparent when you see the Lightworks 440 LED light turned on is the bright red color emitted from the 5Watt LEDS, all 88 of them shining brightly.

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Most of the other lights we have tested are driven by 3-Watt LEDs which provide a less intense light. The LEDs are emitting deep blue in the 430-460 nm, and deep red in the 650 to 670 nm levels. This helps achieve maximum light absorption in your cannabis plants. This range of light also handles the plant’s vegetative stage. as well as the flowering stage very well without switching lighting equipment.

The intense light is focused at 90 degrees by the jewel-quality glass, which directs the light deep into your plant canopy. Though the LEDs provide ample light wavelengths for all stages of growth, the California Lightworks 440W LED grow light also includes two 15-Watt UV-B tubes to enhance your flowering stage growth. UV-B light is not included in any other lighting system we’ve tested, and this wavelength of light truly helps grow fantastic crystal covered buds.

The Final Word on the California Lightworks 440W:

The lighting unit in this taking less room in your grow area and comes in a solid enclosure with built-in high-speed fans which keep the whole grow light unit cool.

King Plus Double Chip LED Grow Light

What makes this unit so powerful? The secret is the double 5-Watt chips, which are laid out in a grid pattern. These chips are literally more than twice as bright as your average LED light. I haven’t seen this sort of technology before on any of the other lights we’ve reviewed, and I have to say I’m excited to see more of it in the future. These double chips provide very bright uniform light with a PAR range of about 660 directly below the led grow unit.

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The LEDs used to build this unit have a lifetime expectancy of 50,000 hours. This ensures that the grow light continues to perform even if one LED burns out. This is known as a “Zener protector.” It allows the unit to continue working even when one light is burned out. Think of it as a string of Christmas Tree lights. Just because one light goes out doesn’t mean the whole strong is done for.

The Final Word:  King Plus Double Chip

The lighting unit in this taking less room in your grow area and comes in a solid enclosure with built-in high-speed fans which keep the whole grow light unit cool.

G8LED 900-Watt MEGA LED Light — 2016’s Best LED Grow Lights, according to HIGH TIMES Magazine

The G8LED 900-Watt MEGA LED Light is a high-quality unit with LEDs made in the USA. High Times Magazine called this light “a winner.” This grow light provides an 8-band light wavelength and includes IR and UV, which provides the extra wavelengths to support massive flower growth on your cannabis plants.

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The LEDs in the grow light are so efficient that, even after running for a full 24 hours, you can touch them without burning yourself.

The G8LED 900-Watt Mega LED provides ample power to grow cannabis in a 4×4 grow tent or room, the optimal flowering area is 3×3. The penetration of the powerful LED light measures 60 inches down into the canopy of your grow.

This unit can operate on 110V and 240V power with the flip of a switch. G8LED provides complete 2-year parts and labor warranty.

G8LED 450-Watt LED Grow Light

For small- to mid-size growers, looking to light up to a 3×4 square foot area. This grow light can provide vegetative lighting for up to 12 plants or flower up to 8 plants in your grow tent or closet. If you are working on a budget but want to have an upgraded lighting system, this is the unit for you.

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The G8LED 450-Watt grow light unit provides 8 bands of the visible light spectrum plus infrared, giving it the ability to grow your plants through all stages of life. The 450-Watt system provides an equivalent amount of power as an 800-Watt HID system while using less than half the energy to power the unit.

The Final Word:

This is a quality-built American-made grow light, which comes with 2-year parts and labor warranty. The solid made unit weighs 18 pounds due to its durable construction. The LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours, which means you can be using this grow light for at least 10 years!

Mars Hydro Reflector 720 Watt LED Grow Light

If your growing in a 2×4 square tent or grow space, this unit will excel as it is the only light that we’ve reviewed that isn’t rectangular. The MarsHydro Reflector uses 5-Watt LEDs, which provide very intense lighting. The unit also produces UV light to supplement flowering. Like many of the other units we’ve looked at, this system provides a switch to change from vegetative growth to flowering.

This light puts out the equivalent wattage of a 1000-Watt HPS light but uses 40% less electricity to provide the same grow energy. This Mars Hydro unit is made up of 144 X 5-watt Epistar LEDs which are incredibly powerful putting out 1202μmol/s per square foot.

Your cannabis will grow very well under its full-spectrum grow light which runs between 440nm to 730nm.

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The Final Word:

The high-quality LEDs in this grow light are rated for at least 50,000 hours, and the manufacturer provides 3-year parts and labor warranty. The light intensity from the 5-Watt LEDs is amazing.

VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 300W LED Grow Light

If you are a small grower and are looking for a balance of features for the money, then look no further than the VIPARSPECTRA 300-Watt. This grow light unit is perfect for grow tents or closets that are 2×2 or 2×2 square feet. At 24 inches, the unit provides light intensity like a 250-Watt HPS while it only consumes 137-Watts of power.

This is a solid quality beginners light but it lacks the power and features that more advanced growers will need. You can daisy-chain up to 4 units together which can easily flower a 4×4 tent.

The 60 Epileds/BridgeLux LEDs are high quality and focused to 90 degrees to give good coverage while providing some canopy penetration.

This unit won’t heat up your grow area because Viparspectra uses two high-speed fans which are more than capable of keeping the unit cool to the touch.

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This light is engineered to balance the PAR output for even light intensity meaning that the center of the light provides the same light quality as the sides, no burning or stunted grow of your center plants.

The Final Word VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 300W Grow Light:

A fantastic 3-year warranty plus 30-day Monday back Guarantee round out the VIPARSPECTRA 300-Watt grow light making it an ideal choice for the small grower.

Tao Tronics Hydroponic LED Grow Light

Are you just starting out on your home-grown journey with a single plant? Then the TaoTronics Hydroponic LED Light is perfect for you. Why invest more money than you must when you are just starting out? This is the absolute cheapest way you can grow a plant from seedling all the way to flowering.

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This best seller on Amazon.com is powered by 12 LEDS, 3 blue, and 9 red, which give you a good balance of light from 430, 460, 630 and 660nm. All the light that the unit produces is usable for your plant and will provide health photosynthesis through all the stages of growth. What is best about this grow light beside the price is that you can screw this bulb into any light socket and be ready to grow.

The Final Word Tao Tronics Hydroponic:

This is a low cost, grow light meant only for one plant. If you are just dipping your feet into the cannabis growing game, you can invest almost nothing into lighting and still veg and flower 1 plant easily.

Spider Farmer Led Grow Light Dimmable Series 600W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light from MEIZHI

The Spider Farmer by MEIZHI is another great low cost 12 spectrum option. This unit boasts of 90 5-Watt LEDS, covering a light spectrum with these important growth wavelengths: 450~475nm,620~630nm,650~660nm, 730nm(IR)and 5500-6500K(white). In veg mode, this light only uses 133 watts of electricity; and when switched to flower mode, 72.4-Watts.

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This LED has a PAR rating of 540 umols at a height of 18 inches and can cover 3.5×2 feet when set to vegetation mode. Another great feature is that the unit contains two dimmers, allowing you to dial in your power intensity for different stages of your grow.

This is one budget-priced grow light and replaces a 450-Watt HPS. It only uses 201-Watts of electricity. Be confident in your purchase as it comes with a 1-year warranty with a 30-day unconditional return policy.

Get some high-end features on this budget-priced LED light.

The Final Word Spider Farmer:

This is a low-cost high-intensity light option, which includes the option to dim the light for seedlings.

What Do We Look For In a LED Grow Light

So, you might be wondering about the factors we looked at, in order to come up with our best LED grow lights list. We considered several aspects of growing, as well as what a beginner and professional grower would want in their grow lights.

Check this out. This way, with or without our list, you know what to look for when you go out to buy your grow lights. We want you to know to look beyond the brand and its published features. Here are a few more things to think about.

Comparison of LED Grow Lights vs. HPS:

What is Your Grow Light For?

A top consideration when you buy a grow light is something basic: what are you buying it for?

What are you growing? There are certain LED lights that are better made for specific crops. So, it’s not going to be the same for every crop.

Remember that you want to use your LED lights for getting your seed to the flowering stage. Growing cycles differ for different crops, in the same way, that they need different light intensities and LED light features.

Take for example the AdvancedLED diamond series. While this grow light can work with almost any crop, it is best for growing cannabis through its full cycle. The diamond series has several models, such that you can choose the specific wattage that you need. The wattage depends on your growing space, and the number of plants you want to grow.

Know Your LED Light

Making the best choice for your growing light is not just about reading our best top lights list. Of course, we are happy to help. But, consider this as only the start. Do a bit more research in the grow light that appeals to you.

In growing cannabis, you want a full cycle LED light that can nurture the crop from seedling to its flowering stage. Consider too that in some cases, you only need your LED light during the vegetative and blooming stages.

You will find several LED light options that go perfectly for the different stages of growth. There are several differences among the models, especially when it comes to the number of channel lights.

A single channel LED light gives you the option to turn the light off or on. On the other hand, a two-channel model comes with more features. These LED systems would usually have several programming options, and separate vegetative and bloom modes. You can program these for varying light schedules, which saves you a lot of time.

With two-channel models, you also get a light spectrum that’s customizable. You can choose the right spectrum for your crop’s specific phases of growth. This is actually where the LED technology is now. This is the standard technology that you should expect.

Likewise, consider the shape of your LED lights. Different models come in a variety of shapes, such as panels, saucers, bars, and your traditional light bulb shape. The shape you choose affects how effectively you can cover your grow space.

What to consider when purchasing a LED grow light

You can find various LED grow lights on the market ranging from about $70 up to several thousand dollars. How do you know which light is going to suit you?

Here is a list of questions you need to answer when considering your LED choice.

• What is your grow area you need to cover for flowering (bigger coverage areas make for more expensive LEDs)? The LED’s come in different wattage’s such as 200W, 600W, 1200W but what is important is what is the draw from the wall.
• What is the power draw for the grow light? The power the light draws each minute it’s operational is money spent, getting more efficient LED lights?
• Does the LED grow light use top bin Diodes? (there are quality tiers for LEDs get top bin for more power).
• What PAR does the grow light LED produce? (PAR or Photo-synthetically active radiation) is the spectrum of light the LED can produce in the electromagnetic spectrum between 400nm and 700 nm which is beneficial for photosynthesis.
• Lens optics can increase the power and spread of LED grow light but increase the cost of a unit.
• Do you want extra features like dimmable, spectrum control, timers, these will bring the cost of your grow light up?
• How long of a warranty do you want? Better quality units generally have a longer warranty period because the build quality is much better. Try for a 3 to 5-year warranty so you are guaranteed your investment will pay for itself over the years you run it.
• What’s your budget? Whatever your budget is you should try to stretch it as far as you can to buy the best LED grow light possible. There is a massive difference between simple Chinese grow lights and highly developed and engineered grow lights.

Main Types of LED Grow Lights

We are going to cover the 5 main types of LEDs that are most commonly found in cannabis grows. Each type of grow light has its pros can cons, there still isn’t a perfect LED grow light but they are getting better and better every year.

Quantum Board

Quantum Board LED grow lights started with Horticulture Lighting Group creating this style of light. It caught on and several other brands of LED’s started being referred to as Quantum Boards. The boards are different in that they use lower voltage diodes but use many more over a larger light unit. This is said to provide good grow results without wasting as much electricity.

Spider Style

Spider Style LEDs are similar to Quantum Boards in the way that they are covered with individual diodes spread out over a wider area. Instead of placing the LEDs in square or rectangular long arms covered in LEDs are used to spread the light out so that there is no center hotpot below the grow light unit.

Traditional Panel

When you think of and LED grow light in your mind you probably think of a traditional style LED panel. A square or rectangular box containing groups of medium to high wattage diodes. You’ll find that this format of lighting tends to have various colors of LEDs to increase the spectrum of grow light available to your cannabis plants.

COB Style

COB style LEDs use very large diodes instead of being covered by many small diodes. COB stands for chip on board which means that large chips are affixed to substrate in group modules. Since the chips are all wired together into a single ceramic or copper board, so they function as a single light source. COBs are currently the most popular grow light source for LEDs. They are cost effective and very powerful and can work in just about any configuration.

Wide-Band LED

New technology is merging into LED grow lights very quickly with new developments happening constantly. One of the newest developments has been wide-band LED technology. The first advantage to this light option is that the light, at least the light visible to the human eye looks like normal daylight. This means you can view your plants with the light on and see your plants as they are. With other LED’s there are massive color shifts which make it impossible to inspect your plants with LED on.

These lights support more infrared light like the power of the sun. The color ratios are tuned perfectly to provide amazing growth.

Here’s a quick wattage guide to keep in mind:

Watts

LED grow light distance chart:

How Do the Best LED Grow Lights Work?

How do tiny LEDs produce enough usable energy to supply cannabis plants with enough photons to support photosynthesis? Can LED’s produce healthy plants and even more importantly can it provide the energy needed for these plants to flower?

Why Use LEDs

• • Use no hazardous materials
  • Produce little heat
  • Last for thousands of hours
  • Ten times more efficient than an incandescent light bulb

Powerful lighting to grow your cannabis plants

In the past, we used HPS lights (high-pressure sodium) to provide the light energy required to feed cannabis plants. That energy usage was measured in Watts because the electricity input was directly related to the total light intensity output. LED has made this measurement obsolete even though many makers of LED grow lights continue to use Watts in their marketing literature. The accurate term of measurement for an LED grow lights intensity is now known as PAR. PAR stands for photo-synthetically active radiation which is light emitted in the electromagnetic spectrum between 400 and 700 nm. (Nano Meters)

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a two-lead semiconductor light source. It is a p–n (positive/negative) junction diode that emits light when activated. When enough voltage is applied to the leads, electrons can recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons.

LED grow lights use a combination of light colors to provide plants with the needed usable energy to vegetate and bloom. While lighting containing more blue wavelengths support better vegetative growth the introduction of red wavelengths supports blooming and flowering. In addition to red light IR (infrared) are used to greatly increase the flowering of plants.

Multi-Wave (Full Spectrum) Length Light

Higher quality modern LEDs are now able to provide most of the known useful wavelengths for plant growth with the flip of a switch. This is achieved by adding red LED’s to the Vegetative blue lights this also increases the light intensity which fuels faster cell division in plant matter which leads to increased growth and higher yields.

The key to LED light is intensity. The light intensity is called PPFD which stands for Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density. This is a direct relationship of how much of the generated light reaches your plants each second, or more technically it is the number of photo-synthetically photons that fall on a surface each second.

Light intensity is responsible for healthy photosynthesis in plants there for more light intensity equals more photosynthesis which means the plants produce more energy for cell division which leads to growth.

To ensure healthy growth we recommend a LED grow light with a wide range of wavelength options, this will allow you to adjust the light according to the needs of your plants. The amount of photosynthesis taking place in your plants can be directly affected by, the amount of light, the type of light, type of plants, the Lumen per Square Foot, light wavelength and the distance from the plant to the light.

Advances in LED grow lights

With the advances in LED grow lights, the time has come for this option of grow light. LED has transformed the way smaller growers can produce increased amounts of cannabis in smaller spaces. HPS lighting required more space due to the massive heat generated and required a proper ventilation system to dissipate all that heat. That’s no longer true for those using LED lighting.

LED grow lights can function in a wide area of the light spectrum which means that your plants receive more usable energy from the light generated. LED is able to be adjusted to match the needs of your plants during the different life cycles of your grow.

The greatest change in LED lighting is that you will use less than 50% of the energy required to grow your cannabis while providing your plants with a better usable wavelength that promote better faster growth.

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LED Light Features

So, are you ready to pick out the perfect LED lights? Here are a few features to look at. Find products with these features, and you’re good to go.

Top of its Class Semiconducting Chip
Your semiconductor is the heart of your LED light system. Your chip is responsible for converting electricity into light. It determines the wavelengths emitted by your light. You want to look for LED light systems that use at least 3-watt chips. Something less will produce less luminosity.

Heat Output
When looking for a LED light system, you should find one with a low heat output. This is necessary because you don’t want your growing environment to be too hot.

A low heat light saves you from needing to install a cooling system. Plus, high heat LED lights have the tendency to burn out faster. This means that you get to save on replacement costs and the hassle of installing new LED lights.

Manufacturer’s Location
While you may find cheaper options in other countries, these places have different manufacturing and safety standards. This affects the products that you get.

Just consider the top names in LED lights, include Osram, CREE, and LEDengin. These are all based in the United States. This is a feature that is not required but you are more secure when you look for US-made LED light systems.

Easy Installation and Use
Another feature to look for in a LED light system is one that is easy to install and use. After all, you want to be able to work independently. You need to be able to install the system on your own, as well as adjust the height, color, and intensity of your lights.

Established LED Light Manufacturer
Choosing an established name in LED lights is one of the most reliable ways to ensure that you find the perfect LED lights for your crops. Read our reviews and you’ll find a couple of standout brands and manufacturers.

Return Policy And Warranty
Of course, after all this, you need to find a supplier that gives you a fair return policy and warranty. So, in case you do make a mistake and choose a lemon, you have something to fall back on.

Watts don’t measure LED grow lights

A lot of manufacturers offer a watt value for the energy produced by their LED grow lights. Unfortunately, the measurement watts really have nothing to do with the measurement of light generated by a LED light. For that, you need to understand PAR or photo-synthetically active radiation. Par refers to the number of light wavelengths that your cannabis plants can use to achieve photosynthesis.

This is where it gets complicated. Par is measured in two ways:

PPF or photosynthetic photon flux and Photosynthetic Flux Density.

The next measure is PPF or photosynthetic photon flux. This measurement tells you what spectrum’s of photo-synthetically active light are emitted from your light.

PPFD, stands for Photosynthetic Flux Density. This is an even more important measure because it specifies not just how much PAR is emitted by your grow light, but how much of that light falls on the plant. The numbers you’ll see are in micromoles per square meter per second (μmol/m²/s).

Remember that these light measurements are spot measured and that manufacturers list their PAR rating in the hot spot created in the center of every LED light fixture. PAR values also change the farther the canopy is away from the light the less power that strikes the plants.

So, are you ready to get started?

Start by measuring your grow space. Check out our list of the best LED grow lights and choose the options that you want. Note their coverage areas. Do they fit your grow space?

Then, take note of your crops. What cycles are they on? Do you need LED lights for the full cycle or vegetative cycles only/ flowering cycles only? We’ve talked about this several times in our product reviews so you can go back to see which options are best for you.

Feel free to get in touch with us if you have questions or need help determining the best LED grow lights for your crops. We’d be glad to help you choose the best system for your grow space and crop.

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