LED Grow Lights for Indoor Gardening

LED grow lights are an excellent investment that will benefit the growth of your plants and crops. But, you’re shopping in 2021, when the market is overwhelmed with so many products. The chances are you need help in making the right decision. That’s why we wanted to share our five best LED grow lights that we’ve tested and love.

Best LED Grow Lights

Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED Grow Light

Pros

• Very quiet
• Three-year warranty
• High efficiency

Cons

• No fan
• The light can get hot

The Spider Farm SF-1000 light does not come with a fan; hence it’s a very quiet product. Expect to receive very bright light, made of Samsung LM301B diodes. The energy efficiency for the product is 2.9 umol/J and has a dimming option.

Another thing to know is that it has a multi-light connection option that will help you dim several lights simultaneously. This is very useful if you have a large area covered with LED grow lights and will save you a lot of time. You can connect up to 12 lights together thanks to this feature.

The panel draws 100 Watts but generates enough power to cover 3×3 ft for veg footprint and 2×2 ft for flowering footprint. This Spider Farm light is excellent for all growth stages because it has a full-color temperature spectrum: 3000K, 5000K, 660nm, and IR 760nm. Thanks to the 90° degree lenses, the light falls entirely on your plants. That’s how you get all of it where it’s needed. Since this is a panel covering a large area above your plants, it provides equal coverage and administration of light.

The manufacturer has terrific customer service, which is fast to reply and solve your problems. Let’s not forget that this is an extremely efficient light that runs on 50% less power than many other HID, HIS, and SMD LED lights. In other words, your electric bill will be half of what it used to be. The process of installation is very simple, and the exterior is elegant. One of the best features that it has is that it’s water-resistant.

MARS HYDRO TS 1000W LED Grow Light

Pros

• Doesn’t make noise
• Very bright

Cons

• Instructions are not clear enough
• No fan
• No ON/OFF switch

The MARS HYDRO TS 1000W LED light comes as a single panel made of 342 LED bulbs. For this product, the PPFD is 743 μmol/m2/s at a distance of 18 inches. The high reflective design elevates the light intensity of the product up to 20%, it’s more focused on your plants, without them being burned.

Each of the MARS HYDRO TS 1000W light panels can cover 2.5×2.5 ft for the flowering stage and 3×3 ft for the vegetative stage. It will help your plants grow in all stages, with a full spectrum light both 660-665nm Red, and IR 3200-4200Knm, 5200/6800Knm. This means that the plants will benefit from the light starting from the moment you plant the seed.

This LED light panel also has a multi-light connection option, and you can connect up to 15 devices with it. Compared to the previous one, it offers three more, which is excellent for everyone who thinks that 12 is not enough for them. It uses around 150 watts for all of the 324 LED lights. This can also be dimmed, meaning you can control the light according to your plants’ needs. The design is waterproof and includes a timer and a thermometer. It doesn’t feature a fan, meaning that it’s practically 100% silent. This is a device that regulates its temperature internally. It doesn’t get hot, but it can get a little warm at times.

It is slightly cheaper than the Spider Farm light, but the difference is only around $10. This is one of the best LED grow lights that we’ve tried before. It’s definitely worth the purchase. One of the cons that got our attention is that it doesn’t have an ON/OFF switch, so you need to regulate it using the cord.

VIVOSUN VS1000 LED Grow Light

Pros

• Most affordable
• Comes with glasses that block UVA and UVB
• Sound-free

Cons

• Collects heat
• Poor customer service

The VIVOSUN VS1000 LED grow light features Samsung just like the first light on our list, but the diodes used in this case are LM301H. This is one of the most popular brands for LED lights, so it’s fair to expect excellent quality right from the start. The energy efficiency for this light is 2.75 umol/J.

It has a dimming option, just like the previous two choices. It’s controlled with a dimming known for effortless and easy use. The maximum coverage area is 4×4 ft (core 3×3 ft). Thanks to the unique design, there are two suspension methods you can use. You can either hang it over the area where you need it with hanging ropes or directly at a rod to save space. It has a hook that helps you install it close to the ceiling. In the packaging, you’ll find glasses that block UVA and UVB rays, meant to protect you while you’re in the room.

The light uses only 100W of electricity, making it very energy efficient. Just like the first two products, it helps your plants in all of the stages of growth because of the warm white light, red light, and blue light that it emits. It doesn’t feature fans in its design, so that’s why it doesn’t make any noise.

This is the most affordable product on the list. It has a lower price than the MARS HYDRO and Spider Farmer lights, making it a great alternative if you’re looking for something cheaper. The quality is excellent. You won’t be sorry. VIVOSUN offers a 3-year after-sale service for this LED light panel.

BESTVA 2000W LED Grow Light

Pros

• Efficient, quiet cooling fans
• Covers a large area
• 3-year warranty

Cons

• Not waterproof
• Doesn’t have a multi-light connection option

The manufacturer offers a 3-year warranty for their LED grow light, together with a 90-day return guarantee. It’s an energy-efficient product that uses 390W, with a chance to lower your electricity bill by 50% if you previously used HID lights.

This product is similar to the others on the list in terms of the spectrum of lights. It promotes the growth of your plants in all stages. The coverage that it offers is 7.8×7.5 ft for a growing area if the light is set at a 24-inch height.

Unlike the VIVOSUN, MARS HYDRO, and Spider Farm lights, the BESTVA 2000W LED panel has an efficient and quiet cooling system made of fans. That doesn’t make the light loud. On the contrary, it’s relatively silent while it’s working.

Unfortunately, if you want to connect more of these devices, the LED grow light panel doesn’t feature a multi-light connection option. Although it covers a larger area, it’s still something you need to know before buying. The packaging also features grow room glasses, a hanging kit, and adjustable rope ratchets.

King Plus 3000W LED Grow Light

Pros

• Veg/bloom switch
• Powerful
• Large coverage

Cons

• Expensive
• Doesn’t have dimmers
• Makes sounds

The King Plus 3000W LED grow light features a new high-tech double chip technology that replaces a standard 2000W HPS light. It spends less electricity but is more powerful.

The King Plus 3000W light has a special ‘veg/bloom switch’ that you can use during different growth stages. There is also an ‘all on’ switch to use during the stages of flowering and fruiting.

It’s a light that features an effective cooling system with fans that keep the temperature low. However, they can sometimes become noisy, one of the biggest cons of the LED panel. The product has a 3-year warranty and a 90-day free return.

Yes, this grow light is more expensive than the other four on the list. However, the others feature the power of either 1000W or 2000W, while the King Plus LED grow light that we’re reviewing comes at 3000W. The good thing is that this product is also available for purchase at 1500W, 2000W, and 4000W. The first two options are cheaper, but if you need to get the 4000W, it will cost you more. It all depends on what you need it for.

back to menu ↑

What to look for when buying a LED grow light for indoor gardening

Lightweight

Everyone prefers a product that is lightweight and easy to carry. If you ever want to move the led grow light panels from one place to another, you’ll appreciate ones that are lightweight. Also, they are much easier to install. The most recent LED grow lights panels are designed to look pleasant to the eye and not take too much space. That’s what also makes them light. When you see the panels, you’ll notice that they are thin, which is very handy when you have many of these over a larger area.

Since there is a good and a bad side to everything, we wanted to mention the cons of a lightweight product. If you have a LED light that doesn’t weigh too much and hangs above plants, it’s effortless to move if you touch it or if something touches the cords. That’s why sometimes these lights are hard to stay put, which takes away from the quality of the light over your plants.

Brightness

Light intensity is one of the essential features of LED grow lights. It’s measured with PPFD, which is short for Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density. This measurement describes how many protons fall on one square meter per second. It’s actually the light that plants will absorb. If there is a high PPFD, the light is considered more effective.

People see this phenomenon through their eyes and describe it as brightness. Brightness is the sensation, while PPFD or light intensity is a measurement.

Not all plants are the same, and that’s a fact. That’s why you should educate yourself about the intensity of brightness your plants require during different stages of their growth. For example, many flowering plants require between 300 and 600 umols during their vegetative growth, while they require between 800 and 1,000 umols during their flowering stage. You don’t want the LED grow lights to be too close to the plants or too far away from them. It’s best if you follow the instructions of each manufacturer.

Energy Efficiency

LED lights are efficient in so many ways compared to other traditional types of lights. They use the same amount of electricity but use it sparingly and smartly. They preserve this energy, and while they’re plugged in, there is no energy waste.

These days, there is a high competition rate between manufacturers, so each one tries to create a more energy-efficient product. Although having grow lights turned on for long periods of time sounds scary and expensive, that’s not quite the case. LED lights are a thing of the future, and they get better each year. They use electricity, but they store it and use it more efficiently than other types of lights.

These latest LED grow lights feature an auto-shutoff feature that will help you schedule when they go off and save electricity. If you had to do that yourself, the chances are sometimes you’ll forget and end up getting a much higher bill.

Another pro of these lights is that they generate less heat, saving you money on the cooling costs in the room.

Temperature

LED lights can overheat, so that’s why it’s essential that they don’t generate too much heat and that they have a specific cooling system. Most of the LED grow light panels that you’ll see don’t have a fan, but they don’t overheat either. That’s thanks to their advanced designs. However, there are also ones that heat a lot and can negatively impact your plants’ growth.

One of the reasons brands don’t install fans is because they’ve found a way to create a design that gets rid of heat through heat sinks and doesn’t generate noise. These sinks are usually located in the back of the unit and get rid of the heat before it gets to the plants. Fans can be noisy but also do a fantastic job of keeping the device from overheating.

Value for Money

Value for money is a feature you have to consider for every product you’ll buy, not only for LED grow lights. When reading reviews, make sure that the lights that you’re buying are exactly what you’re looking for. That’s how they’ll fulfill their purpose and will be worth every dollar that you’ll pay.

Also, try finding a product that is durable and lasts for a long time. Scroll through reviews to see how other customers describe the durability of the LED light you’re interested in. It’s beneficial to offer a warranty that will cover refunds if something happens to the LED grow light. That’s the safest way to know that you’ll be getting what you paid for.

LED grow lights have a high initial cost, but they will justify the cost by lowering your electricity bills. That’s another reason why these lights bring value to your home and indoor garden. They have a long life span, which leads to the fact that they are environmentally friendly and durable.

back to menu ↑

Summary

Now that we’ve shared our picks for best led grow lights, you will find it much easier to choose one that works best for your needs. These products are not the same, because they are meant for different areas and have various features. Whichever one you pick, you should know that you’ll be getting a bang for your buck.