Buying guide for Best LED grow lights
If you don't have an outdoor space, or you live in a cool climate with a short growing season, indoor gardening is the way to go. Plants need the right kind of lighting to thrive, however, so you'll probably need to invest in some LED grow lights.
The question is, which ones? You can find hundreds of LED grow lights for sale, and not all are created equal.
Read our full guide to LED lights, and discover how to find the perfect lights to fit your requirements. Or buy with confidence by selecting from our top recommendations.
Why do you need LED grow lights?
LED stands for "light emitting diode" — LED lights aren't light bulbs in the traditional sense, but are rather semiconductors that convert electricity into light.
LED grow lights are specially designed LED lights that emit the right colors of light at a powerful enough intensity to help plants grow indoors. If you don’t have a grow light, most plants won’t get sufficient light to grow indoors, unless placed on a windowsill.
Some LED grow lights produce full-spectrum light, which is best at replicating real sunlight, whereas others produce a more limited spectrum.
Many of the modern grow lights we look at are full-spectrum lights—they resemble sunlight and promote plant growth throughout the plant life cycle.
When searching for the best LED grow lights, we think about the varying needs consumers have, such as the different sizes and quantities of plants they intend to grow.
Wattage is an important consideration when choosing the best LED grow lights. We look at wattage, noting the amount of power needed for successful results.
Ideally, an LED grow light will have different settings for various stages of plant growth, such as veg and bloom. We look for these settings when shortlisting products.
Some of the LED grow lights we consider have built-in fans that help distribute heat and reduce the likelihood of the unit overheating.
We think about the different types of plants indoor gardeners like to grow. Often, this information correlates with the best LED grow light choice.
Some LED grow lights are designed to be placed on a flat surface; others can be suspended from a wall or ceiling. We look at both types of lights in our research.
Some lights are compatible with an app for smart programming. We take note of this feature when it is offered.
We research the setup process for various LED grow lights so our readers can make an informed purchase.
Some of the LED grow lights we consider have automatic timers. This feature comes in handy for those who are frequently away from home.
Considerations for selecting LED grow lights
Ease of use
Indoor gardening can be challenging enough, without having to contend with complicated equipment.
For your own sake, choose an LED grow light that's easy to position and use. It should be very straightforward to switch between different wavelengths and levels of light intensity.
Did you know?
The lifetime of an LED light is roughly 40 times that of an incandescent bulb. LED lights have a life expectancy between 35,000 and 50,000 hours.
STAFF
BestReviews
Wattage
Wattage is one of the primary concerns when selecting an LED grow light. Plants need plenty of light to grow, but too much light can cause issues with nutrient deficiency, and result in browning or yellowing leaves.
The amount of watts you need from a grow light depends on the type of plant you're growing, and the area you need the light to cover.
High-light flowering plants (like tomatoes) may need up to 32 watts of light per square foot of growing area, whereas low-light plants (like salad leaves or herbs) need more like 10 to 20 watts per square foot of growing area.
If you're not sure about the size of your growing area, get out that measuring tape!
"Consider the PAR efficiency of your LED grow lights. Anything over 1.5 umol/j is reasonably efficient (thus saving you money and providing your plants with more light). Anything over 2.0 umol/j is very efficient."
STAFF
BestReviews
Type of plant
Think about the types of plant you'll grow, and their light requirements. Some require full sun, whereas others may need lower light conditions.
If you're likely to raise a range of plants at different times, with different light requirements, dimmable LED grow lights are a good option, so you can turn down the juice when you're growing plants that need less light.
Blue spectrum light is important for strong plant growth, especially in non-flowering plants (or plants that aren't yet in their flowering phase). Red spectrum light can help to encourage flowering.
Did you know?
Some LED grow lights have separate "veg" and "bloom" settings to support plants in both the vegetative part and the flowering part of their growth cycle.
STAFF
BestReviews
Full spectrum lights
Until relatively recently, LED grow lights had limited spectrums, usually offering red, blue, and white light.
Nowadays, you can find full spectrum LED lights, which provide all the colors in the light spectrum.
Since full spectrum lights are the most similar to natural sunlight, they can support plants throughout the full growth cycle, from seed right through to fruiting, flowering, or producing vegetables.
Did you know?
LED lights don't produce much heat, but high-power units still need some kind of cooling system, such as fans or a heat sink.
STAFF
BestReviews
Semiconductor chip
The semiconductor chip is the core of your LED grow light and is what converts electricity into light.
Lights with a good quality semiconductor chip are likely to be long lasting.The chip itself has a wattage — we recommend purchasing LED grow lights with a semiconductor chip of at least three watts in order to provide an adequate amount of light.
How much should you spend on LED grow lights?
LED grow lights aren't the cheapest out there, but they do last a long time, and if you're growing your own vegetables, it will save you money on grocery bills.
Here's what you can expect to pay.
Budget LED grow lights start around $10 to $30. These tend to have low wattage, usually under 50 watts, and may not provide full spectrum light.
Mid-range LED grow lights cost roughly $50 to $75. You can find plenty of higher wattage models in this price range (up to 300 watts) with full spectrum light.
High-end LED grow lights start around $80 and go up to $500 and higher, though you can find some very good models around the $100 mark, which should suffice for the average home gardener.
"LED grow light are cheap to run compared to other kinds of lighting. So, even if there's a greater purchasing price for them, you'll still save money over time."
STAFF
BestReviews
Tips
Plants don't need light 24 hours a day; they need darkness, too. Different plants have different light requirements, but if in doubt, 16 hours on and 8 hours off produces a reasonable day/night cycle.
If you're switching from older HID or incandescent grow lights, you'll find your plants require significantly less water, since LED light run cool and don't dry out the soil so much. Be careful not to overwater your plants.
If your LED lights only point in one direction, you may benefit from a reflector to help disperse the light more evenly, particularly in larger growing areas.
Some budget LED grow lights might look like a bargain, but if they aren't very durable, they'll break quicker, and cost you more money in the long run.
You can purchase LED grow lights that come with built-in timers, which is handy if you might not be home at the right time everyday to switch your lights on or off.
Some high-end LED grow lights subtly change the spectrum of light produced throughout the day to replicate the way real daylight changes from sunrise to sunset.
Look for LED grow lights that come with fixtures or hanging hooks for easy positioning.
FAQ
Q. How long will my LED grow lights last?
A. Assuming a normal amount of usage, quality LED grow lights should last for at least ten years.
Q. Will LED grow lights increase my electricity bill?
A. This depends — if you're used to running other kinds of grow lights, the LED version will actually reduce your electricity bill. If you're new to the world of grow lights then, yes, you will find a slight increase in power consumption. LED lights are, however, extremely energy efficient, so you'll probably find your electricity bill increases less than you might expect.
Q. What are double chip LED grow lights?
A. Double chip grow lights have two semiconductor chips per LED instead of one. This means they're twice as bright as a standard LED. If you only have a small growing space, double chip LED grow lights are probably overkill, but they're excellent for large growing spaces, as you get a more powerful unit without it being huge and unwieldy.
