How to Choose the Best Grow Lights for Your Indoor Setup
If you are growing cannabis, Then you need the right lights. Without those, you will be disappointed by the harvest. Fortunately, with today’s technology, there are tons of options.
Plus, with each passing year, it seems as if they become even more affordable.
- How to Choose the Best Grow Lights for Your Indoor Setup
- Comparing Different Types of Lighting Technology
- The Best Led Grow Lights of 2021
- How Much Light Do You Need?
- What Are the Benefits of Led Grow Lights?
- How to Use Led Grow Lights
Of course, with so many options, finding the right one can be difficult. Luckily, we’ve broken everything down for you. That way, regardless of your circumstances, you can find the perfect solution.
Comparing Different Types of Lighting Technology
When you first start growing, you’ll have to decide which type of lighting technology to use. Depending on your choice, your experience will vary. Each technology brings different benefits to the table. On the other hand, each of them also has its own set of disadvantages as well. Below, we’ve summarized the most popular types of lighting technology. That way, you can find the most suitable choice in no time.
Different Types of Grow Lights
| LED: Nowadays, these are among the most popular lights of all. Compared to other choices, they have a broad range of benefits. You can use them in nearly any environment. Plus, even if it’s cold, they still work at maximum efficiency. On top of that, they are useful for every stage of the plant’s life. In addition, they are both efficient and long-lasting. For that reason, you’ll find they tend to cost less in the long run. |
| Tube Fluorescent: Fluorescent bulbs have been around forever. These tend to be affordable upfront. However, you’ll need more of them for the same size harvest. Besides, with these, you’ll have a lot less spectrum to work with. |
| Compact Fluorescent: While these aren’t as expensive as tube fluorescent bulbs, they don’t last as long either. Therefore, unless you have limited funds, you might want to pick something else. For the most part, their main advantage is their low cost. |
| Metal Halide: Although these are relatively efficient, they are not useful for every plant phase. Without something that emits light in the red spectrum, your plants won’t grow properly. Therefore, if you only have a set of these, your harvest is going to be a disappointment. |
| High-Pressure Sodium: These bulbs are built to produce specific frequencies of light. As a result, you’ll find them in specialized applications. Most of the time, growers tend to place them during the vegetative phase of plant growth. When that happens, the results are magnificent. However, without a broader spectrum of light, you’ll need something else to cover the rest. |
The Best Led Grow Lights of 2021
So far, it seems as if the choice is relatively clear. Compared to the other options, LED lights have the most benefits. Plus, with them, you’ll be prepared for the plant’s entire life. Thankfully, these bulbs produce a broad enough spectrum for everything. However, even among LED bulbs, there are still quite a few differences. Thus, for beginners, finding the best option can still be challenging.
Different Types of Led Grow Lights
Before you move on, let’s look at the different types of LED lights. Of course, all of these use the same basic technology. However, depending on how it’s implemented, the results vary quite dramatically. Thus, purchasing any LED light won’t cut it. Unless you select the right one, you’ll be missing out.
Main Types of LED Grow Lights
| Quantum Board: The pieces spread to the LED lights out across a large area. Generally, spreading out the lights is good for the plants. Since the light covers a larger area, you’ll need fewer bulbs. Plus, the plants will be lit more evenly. |
| Spider Style: Compared to quantum boards, these aren’t as even. However, they still spread the light out relatively well. Usually, you’ll find these are a bit less expensive. Nevertheless, as long as you can afford them, quantum boards might be better. |
| Traditional: Traditional LED lights can produce light to grow plants. However, compared to the other options, your results will be lacking. Since these aren’t meant to grow plants, it’s not their primary purpose. Thus, you’ll want to avoid them. |
Mars Hydro Ts 600w Led Grow Light 2x2ft Coverage
Now, we can start to compare different setups. First, we will examine one of the most popular manufacturers. With this light, you’ll have enough for a four-square-foot canopy. If your plants are larger than that, you’ll need more lighting. Otherwise, they won’t receive enough of it.
| Full Spectrum of Light: Every bit of the spectrum is covered by these. Thus, regardless of your plant’s age, they’ll receive the necessary light. Since cannabis plants require different light at different times, These might be perfect. That way, instead of a bunch of lights, you’ll just have one. |
| Reflective Heat Sink: Not to mention, these don’t produce a ton of heat. Additionally, any heat produced is dissipated by the heat sink. Thus, compared to other lighting technologies, you’ll have far fewer issues with these. Fortunately, your plants won’t have to sweat anymore. |
| Noise Free: Since these don’t have any fans, you can hardly hear them at all. As a result of the heat sink, fans aren’t necessary. Instead of blowing the air away, it simply dissipates. Then, you’ll sleep more soundly than ever. |
Freelicht Fld-1000 Led Grow Light
Perhaps, you’d like lights with a higher wattage. If that happened to be the case, then you would love these. With 1000 W, these produce almost twice the light as our previous example. Thus, if you are growing plants indoors, these should pass the test. Unless you have a massive operation, you shouldn’t need much more light than this.
| Full-spectrum: Besides, your plants receive everything they need from it. Since it produces light in every part of the spectrum, you won’t need everything else. With one of these, everything is taken care of for you. Plus, you don’t have to worry about replacing the bulbs anytime soon. |
| No Fans: These are also among the quietest lights on the market. When you are growing plants indoors, sound production can be a big deal. If your lights make quite the ruckus, sleep can be a challenge. For us, that would be a dealbreaker. If we had to guess, it might be for you as well. Thankfully, these are totally silent. |
| Five-year Warranty: Suppose you have been growing for a little while. However, after you plant the seeds, you noticed the light has broken. If that happens to be the case, then you would be in great hands. With such a long warranty, you’ll never have to worry. Even if they break a few years down the road, you’ll get a replacement for free. |
Mars Hydro Ts 1000w
Here, we got another high wattage grow light. Plus, your plants won’t cost a fortune for you to raise. Besides, with such a long shelf life, replacements want to be seen all that often. Instead, these should last you long enough for plenty of harvests. By the time they die, you’ll be an expert grower.
| 1000 W: On most occasions, you can expect to grow about 1 g per watt of light. However, with these, you might get an even more efficient harvest. Thus, by the time you weigh everything, don’t be surprised if you’ve got over a thousand grams. As long as you did everything else correctly, these bulbs do the job quite well. |
| High-efficiency: For most growers, the utility bill becomes quite the headache. However, by using high-efficiency bulbs, you’ll fear the utility company a lot less. Thankfully, if you happen to choose these, you’ll be impressed by their efficiency. In fact, compared to traditional lighting, they tend to use half as much electricity. |
| Long-lasting: Even better, these have an incredible lifespan. Unless you plan on growing for decades, you’ll have a hard time burning them out. Even if that does happen, you’ll have a great warranty. That way, when it’s time for replacement, it doesn’t break the bank. |
Spider Farmer Sf-1000 Led Grow Light
Now, we’ve got a different type of lighting to examine. With these, you will have the benefits of a spider-style light. Compared to quantum boards, these tend to be a bit more affordable. Therefore, if you are tight on funding, you might want to take a look at them. Since they don’t cost as much, you might not find them as oppressive. Plus, at the end of the day, they perform the job just as well.
| Hi Power: For the largest growing operations, you’ll need a ton of watts. Without enough of them, your plans will wilt. Fortunately, under those circumstances, you can get by with one of these. As long as you aren’t growing an entire warehouse, one of these should suffice. However, even in those circumstances, it’s not like you couldn’t get another one. Then, your plants would really thrive. |
| Low Energy Consumption: Above all, these bulbs are efficient. Compared to your other options, you should expect a tiny utility bill. If you want the best bang for your buck, it’ll be hard to top these. Besides, when it comes to efficiency, what more could you want? |
| Built in Dimmer: Not to mention, if you’d like to adjust the lighting, just use the dimmer. With that piece of equipment, you’ll have complete control over everything. Instead of burning at maximum brightness, try turning down the lights. That way, if your plans are photosensitive, they all receive just what they need. |
Viparspectra Newest Pro Series P2000 Led
Suppose you are new to growing. If that happened to be the case, then purchasing a bunch of different lights might not be attainable. In those circumstances, you will want lights that are suitable for all stages of growth.
Otherwise, once your plants enter a new phase, you’ll need an entirely new set of lights. Luckily, with these lights, you’ll never have to worry about that. Since they provide such a broad spectrum, they suffice for all phases.
| Perfect for All Stages of Growth: Cannabis requires different spectrums of light depending on its phase of life. At a certain phase, it’ll need shorter spectrums. Then, once it enters the next phase, it only longer spectrums. Fortunately, with a light like this, all your bases are covered. Regardless of your plant’s needs, these lights will meet them. |
| Comparable to a 500 W Hps Bulb: Plus, compared to a high-pressure sodium bulb, These consume far less energy. Therefore, once you receive the utility bill in the mail, it’ll be a lot lower. If you’d like to save money on utilities, it’ll be hard to find a better option than this. To us, that seems as if it would be a pretty sweet benefit. |
Mieemclux C1000 Led Grow Light With Wide Footprint
Finally, we will cover a light that’s built for the largest growing operations. Although it produces 1000 W, it covers a rather large area. If you have been struggling to find something large enough, you might want to take a look at this. When you compare them to the other options, you’ll notice one thing in particular. These lights have an incredibly large footprint. Therefore, when you have a large canopy, it’ll perform to your expectations.
Mieemclux C1000 Led Grow Light With Wide Footprint
Finally, we will cover a light that’s built for the largest growing operations. Although it produces 1000 W, it covers a rather large area. If you have been struggling to find something large enough, you might want to take a look at this. When you compare them to the other options, you’ll notice one thing in particular. These lights have an incredibly large footprint. Therefore, when you have a large canopy, it’ll perform to your expectations.
| Covers a Large Area: Most importantly, you’ll have enough light for the entire canopy. When you use other bulbs, some of those buds won’t receive enough light. Ultimately, in the end, your harvest will be what suffers. However, by using a set of these, you won’t have to go through that. Instead, once the harvest arrives, the buds will be impressive. Since they all received enough light, each of them will reach maturity. Then, it’ll be time for you to harvest them. |
| Inexpensive to Use: Even though these covers such a large area, they still don’t use all that much electricity. Thus, for larger growing operations, these might help reduce expenses. If your utility bill has been sky-high, then you need to use another type of ball. Otherwise, at the end of each month, you’ll receive a similar bill. Luckily, since these are so efficient, that doesn’t have to be the case. In those circumstances, you could just replace your bulbs with this. Then, you’ll be surprised at how low your utility bill drops. |
How Much Light Do You Need?
With all these options to consider, making a decision might still seem complicated. For the most part, it’s not as tough as it appears. First, you should consider how much like will be necessary. To do that, think about how large of a harvest you would like to produce. Then, with a bit of mental math, we can extrapolate the rest. At that point, finding the right light bulbs is much less difficult. Since you will need a certain number of watts, many of the options will be off the table.
Generally, You Can Produce up to 1 G Per Watt:
So, how large would you like your harvest to be? Let’s say that you would like to harvest 1000 g at the end of the season. For you to reach that goal, you’ll need at least a thousand watts of light. If you had to ask an experienced grower, they would recommend that much, at least. In fact, if they were honest, they might recommend even more. Since you are a beginner, you may not produce the maximum results. However, if that happened, you shouldn’t feel discouraged. Since everyone who grows had to start somewhere, most of them would have gone through something similar. Thus, when you are in those moments, you do not have to feel alone. In fact, you’ll be in great company. Since so many others have been in those circumstances, it’s not hard to find camaraderie.
What Are the Benefits of Led Grow Lights?
So, with so many options available, what makes LED grow lights better than the rest? Well, depending on who you ask, you will receive a few different answers. Generally, they tend to be broadly applicable. In other words, regardless of your circumstances, they should meet your needs. With other types of light, your plants will suffer once they enter particular phases. For example, with a metal halide light, your plant’s vegetative phase would be the victim. However, with an LED light, this isn’t the case. Instead, during each phase of the plant life, they receive the appropriate light. That way, after you install them, you don’t have to worry about lighting anymore. Instead, you can focus on other aspects of the harvest. That way, once it is time for you to reap the rewards, you will be amply rewarded.
More Efficient:
Plus, on top of that, you’ll spend less on electricity. When growing plants indoors, electricity is the common denominator. Ultimately, those lights will be the largest source of expense for the entire project. Of course, you’ll have to purchase fertilizer and soil. However, compared to the cost of electricity, these will be negligible. When you use any efficient light bulbs, the electricity costs can truly soar. Fortunately, with a bunch of LED lights, those bills won’t be as high. Instead, you can grow an even larger harvest without using as much electricity. That way, you’ll spend less on the lights in the end. Then, you’ll have more leftover for everything else.
Lower Heat Production:
Often, when using other lights, heat can become an issue. If cannabis plants overheat, they will begin to die. Unless you can cool them off, you’ll lose the entire harvest. Fortunately, with LED grow lights, heat production isn’t a huge problem. In fact, for the most part, fans won’t even be necessary. Thus, by running the lights without fans, you’ll use even less electricity. Additionally, your entire operation should run much more silently. That way, if you are growing indoors, your setup doesn’t disturb your sleep.
Incredible Lifespan:
After all, the longer these last, the fewer replacements will have to purchase. If we had to guess, you’d like to purchase fewer replacements if possible. As long as it doesn’t hurt the harvest, why would you want to buy more of them? Thankfully, since LED lights tend to last for so long, replacements are uncommon. Thus, once you purchase these, You won’t have to spend anything else for a long time. By taking good care of them, they should last for even longer. In the end, compared to other lights, it’s just one more reason these are more affordable.
How to Use Led Grow Lights
So, you bit the bullet and purchased a few grow lights. Now, you are just wondering how you would use them after they arrive. Luckily, for those purposes, we got the answer. When using LED grow lights, setting them up is critical. Unless you set them up properly, your plants won’t grow as well. For the most part, you’ll have to look at them to see how things are going. Since there isn’t a hard rule, visual guides tend to be the measure. When your plants look healthy, things should be going well. On the other hand, if they don’t look so good, you might want to change things.
Place Them Far Enough Away From Your Plants:
In general, you should place your lights about a foot away from the plants. However, don’t place them too far away. Otherwise, the light won’t reach the leaves in sufficient quantities. At that point, you are wasting light. Not to mention, the plants will be suffering. To avoid such a catastrophe, place the lights appropriately. When lights are too close, they can burn the leaves. You will not notice this until the leaves begin to wilt. When that begins to happen, pull the lights away. Then, within a few days, the leaves should start looking better.
Ensure There Is Sufficient Wattage:
Finally, before placing a purchase, review the number of watts. Unless your lights produce enough of them, the plants will want to grow as well. The more lights you provide them, the larger they will become. Thus, by ensuring sufficient wattage, your harvest should be even more abundant. The best LED grow lights will more than meet your expectations.