Are you looking for the best led grow lights on the market 2024?
After the 12 weeks of continuous monitoring of 21 top-rated led grow lights, our experts come with this detailed review.
These LED grow lights are expensive and not everyone will want to pay this much. So be sure that you are not buying the low-quality lights.
This list contains the powerful full spectrum LED grow lights that are suitable for all indoor plants, hydroponic, marijuana growers, weed and cannabis plants. If you need the best grow light with a high wattage, without further ado go for this market-leading Advanced Platinum Series P900 grow light.
2 Best LED Grow Lights Reviews
I agree that these lights are much more expensive than the traditional light, though, with the faster growth, energy, high yield, heat, and lifetime, they will definitely pay for themselves.
Don’t buy the cheaper versions, there are many less powerful versions out there. But they are not powerful and you cannot expect the quality. Remember that you can get what you pay for.
1. PlatinumLED Advanced Platinum Series P900
The Advanced Platinum is a huge brand in LED lighting. The Advanced Platinum Series P900 is the most powerful and the best led grow lights available on the market. The plants were attracted and grew greater under the Advanced Platinum.
If you’re looking for the best grow light with a high wattage, this one might be for you. The light is built like a tank, and heavy-duty beyond what you would expect! You can get a solid and extremely bright light for your indoor growing plants.
This 1000 watt LED grow light covers enough area to grow any indoor plants. Your plants love this new LED light.
The Internodal growth was super tight resulting in very healthy, bushy and beautiful plants. Very little heat given off by this LED light so no burn and it makes it easier to maintain the temperature.
With this platinum LED, you can get a faster growth rate. i.e twice the normal growing time. Also, it reduces the power draw to a greater extent. We noticed approximately 200+ watts power consumption in veg mode and 600+ watts in flower mode. Further, the upgraded aluminum cooling heat sinks reduce your need for fans.
While growing indoors, the main problem is the heat. Most of the 1000 watt bulbs produce more heat in the surrounding area and thereby not spreading the heat equally to all plants. This PlatinumLED Advanced Platinum Series P900 solves this problem. It produces equal heat all over the growing area with its nice built fans.
Also, it offers the highest lumen output per watt of any LED grow light. From the buyer’s point of view, there is a safe 5 years warranty and 90-day money-back guarantee. So you can try this one without any issues. You can also get these LEDs grow lights in many sizes.
- 2 -3 times the intensity of any other LED grow lights!
- 2-band full spectrum from the depths of UV to the heights of IR
- Selectable switches for VEG/FLOWER
- 4x high-speed fans
- Upgraded aluminum cooling heat sinks
- 6ft x 4.5ft coverage at 18″ height
- 5-year warranty and 90-day satisfaction or return guarantee
- Dimensions – 36″x12″x3″
- 1000w HPS Replacement
- 90 Degree Secondary Focusing Lenses
- Auto-Voltage Sensing and Adjusting Power Drivers.
- Power Draw – 279w Veg / 557w Bloom
- LED Quantity 300x3w US MADE LEDs
- Lifespan – 100,000 Hours/8-10 years
- Secondary LED Focusing Lens 90°
- Voltage – AC85v-260v – All International Cords Available.
- Weight – 35 lbs
Coverage
- Max/Veg Coverage at 18″: 6′ x 4′
- Core/Bloom Coverage at 18″: 5′ x 3’/3.5′
But the long time warranty, power consumption, long life, safer growth makes this LED grow light a good one for your growing plants.
Overall, we are very pleased with the high yielding results! We highly recommend this for a plant lover who likes to grow indoor plants at faster growing rate and with lower power consumption.
2. Advanced Platinum Series P600
This is another Advanced Platinum series LED grow light with 600 watts power. You could get rapid growth, best coverage, more compact, blooms, etc with this professional LED.
Based upon actual measurement with professional digital meters, the Advanced Platinum Series P600 consume less wattage than advertised. Moreover, the coverage area is a little larger than they claimed, as well.
Fantastic! Practically unbelievable growth and yield, although we wish they were more upfront with the coverage area.
The select-able VEG/BLOOM lights are great because you can leave the BLOOM lights off to save power and still get great growth on leafy greens.
The P600 LED grow lights are well built, feel sturdy and easy to hang. For hydroponic growers, this provides more light coverage for less electricity and less heat output. The full spectrum design and large coverage area make it ideal for larger indoor garden setups. The fans run cool and make little noise.
The coverage area and the density of the buds these LED lights can grow are insane! As like the above LED grow light, this one also spreads the heat equally. So no issues with the heat and burn problem.
Don’t be nervous about spending this much money. There is a 90 days money-back guarantee and 5 years warranty for the LED lights.
- Highest par/lumen output per watt of any led grow light!
- 12-band full spectrum from the depths of UV to the heights of IR
- Selectable VEG/FLOWER switches.
- 4x high speed really quieter fans.
- Upgraded aluminum cooling heat sinks
- 800w HPS replacement
- 6ft x 4ft coverage at 18″ height
- 5-year warranty and 90-day satisfaction or return guarantee
- 2-3 times the intensity of any other LED grow lights!
- 800w HPS Replacement.
- 90 Degree Secondary Focusing Lenses.
- Auto-Voltage Sensing and Adjusting Power Drivers.
- Power Draw – 184w Veg / 368w Bloom.
- Power Draw 184w Veg / 368w Bloom
- Dimensions -36″x8″x3″
- LED Quantity – 200x3w US MADE LEDs.
- Lifespan – 100,000 Hours/8-10 years.
- Secondary LED Focusing Lens 90°
- Voltage – AC85v-260v – All International Cords Available.
- Voltage AC85V-260V
- Weight – 24 lbs
Coverage
- Max/Veg Coverage at 18 inch: 6 x 3.75 feet.
- Core/Bloom Coverage at 18 inch: 5 x 2/2.5 feet.
Here is the 10 powerful full spectrum best LED grow lights on the market for indoor plants, hydroponic, marijuana growers, weed and cannabis plants review. These lights are expensive and not everyone will want to pay this much. So make sure that you get
Best LED Grow Lights for Cannabis
1. Spider Farmer SF-4000 LED Grow Light
Overview: Harness the power of intense LED light using highly-efficient Samsung LM301B LEDs, some of the best LEDs on the market. The huge Spider Farmer SF-4000 LED grow light contains 1,212 evenly-spaced LEDs powered by a dimmable Meanwell driver. Sunlight spectrum (Blue, White, Red and IR). The aluminum board fixture stays cool without the need for fans which helps for power savings. Rubber coating reduces the risk of water damage. Suitable for the entire growing process from veg to flower. A high-quality, plug-and-play LED grow light for weed at an affordable price.
2. MARS HYDRO TS 3000W LED Grow Light
Overview: A massive 1016 pcs. LED grow light by MARS HYDRO, the TS 3000W is a powerful full spectrum wideband LED grow light made to imitate natural sunlight. Reap the benefits of wideband IR lighting at an economical price. Producing a very high PAR output while only pulling 450 watts from the wall, the TS 3000W is a super bright LED grow light for veg and flowering that runs quiet and cool without any onboard fans. The new SMD LEDs are highly efficient and provide great light spread in the grow room or grow tent. Daisy chain up to 15 units.
3. Electric Sky 300 V3 Wideband LED Grow Light
Overview: One of the top best-selling LED grow lights for marijuana growing is the ES300 (Electric Sky 300). Built with the company’s unique wideband LEDs, the full spectrum light emitted gives full canopy penetration combined with specialized linear optics which allow for wider coverage. Adding new diode tech and more wattage, the version 3 model is brighter than ever before. Fully adjustable, control multiple lights at once with the included daisy chain dimming kit. The Electric Sky 300 V3 stays cool and operates without fans. Plug-in the grow light to see for yourself how this super-bright wideband spectrum works wonders on cannabis plants. Read our full ES300 review for more information.
4. HLG 550 V2 Quantum Board LED Grow Light
Overview: Quantum board LED grow lights, a design made popular by Horticulture Lighting Group, are the latest trend in LED grow light technology for cannabis growers. These highly efficient, full spectrum white light quantum boards include the deep red range for enhanced flowering. Quantum board LED grow lights run cool and spread light uniformly. The HLG 550 V2 contains 1,152 Top-Bin Samsung LM301H LED’s, which produce over 1293 PPF at only 500 watts of power.
5. MARS HYDRO TS 1000W LED Grow Light
Overview: A powerful sunlike LED grow light for a bargain price, the MARS HYDRO TS 1000W model features the newest SMD LEDs to maximize PAR/Lumen output, thereby increasing crop yield and quality. Highly efficient design, pulling only 150 watts with 324 LEDs. The sunlight full spectrum includes 660-665nm Red and IR ranges. Best for plants of all stages. Reflective, noise-free and waterproof, the TS 1000W is built to commercial grade standards. You can daisy chain up to 15 units.
Best LED Grow Lights Under $500
1. Spider Farmer SF-2000 LED Grow Light
Overview: A bit smaller than the big SF-4000, the Spider Farmer SF-2000 LED grow light uses the same high-output Samsung LM301B Diodes to create a highly-penetrating full spectrum “sunlight” light to maximize yields per watt. Super efficient on energy, 2.7 umol/J while only consuming 202 watts of power. Zero noise with no fans, the aluminum heat sink provides the passive heat dissipation. Waterproof LED board and protective covers for cables. Plug and play design.
2. MARS HYDRO TSL 2000W LED Grow Light
Overview: An updated commercial grade LED grow light by MARS HYDRO, the TSL 2000W offers increased yield and crop quality. It features the newest SMD LED technology to provide the highest PAR/Lumen output for your plants. Suitable for all stages of growth, this full spectrum LED grow light with IR imitates natural sunlight. Highly reflective and waterproof, noise-free fan-less design. The MARS HYDRO company is represented around growing forums and produce some of the best cheap LED grow lights for growing weed on a budget.
3. BESTVA 2000W Full Spectrum Dual-Chip LED Grow Light
Overview: Part of the company’s Dual-Chip series of LED grow lights, the BESTVA 2000W Dual-Chip is made using two-hundred 10-watt LEDs, producing a full spectrum that ranges from IR to UV. 4 fans are built into the fixture as well as holes punched into the board for cooling. For the price, the BESTVA 2000W is one of the best grow lights for weed plants.
4. Advanced Platinum Series P300 LED Grow Light
Overview: The best-selling LED grow light from the Advanced Platinum Series catalog, the P300, contains the full 12 band spectrum of extremely bright light from UV to IR. The P300 comes at a cheaper price tag than the bigger models while roughly comparing to the PAR output of a 400W HID. Separate veg and flower settings. LEDs made in the USA. Uses the equipped fans to keep cool.
5. MARS HYDRO SP3000 LED Grow Light
Overview: A major update to last year’s best-selling SP250 model, the new SP3000 LED grow light by Mars Hydro uses cutting-edge SMD LED technology to deliver a the highest possible PAR/Lumen output per watt. Ultraviolet and infrared light bulbs are incorporated alongside the Epistar SMD chips to create the full spectrum sunlight-like light output. The no-fan design keeps the SP3000 cool while conserving energy. The quantum light board is covered by glue for water resistance. Adjustable Meanwell driver. No veg or bloom switch, the sunlight spectrum is suitable for growing cannabis from seed until harvest.
Best LED Grow Lights Under $200
1. Phlizon Newest 1200W LED Plant Grow Light
Overview: Full of positive reviews from happy pot growers, Phlizon’s Newest 1200W LED Plant Grow Light contains 120 10-watt LEDs, which together emit an optimized veg and flowering spectrum at the flip of a switch. Includes blue, red, IR, UV and white LEDs. Quiet fans and aluminum cooling heat sinks help with cooling and heat dissipation. You can buy this model for a very low price, offering considerable savings compared to a 600 watt HPS/MH grow light.
2. King Plus 1500W Double-Chips LED Grow Light
Overview: For just over 100 dollars this LED grow light gives you a full spectrum output with UV and IR, enough light for any grow room area sized up to 12 square feet. The King Plus 1500W Double-Chips LED grow light has one-hundred 10-watt LEDs built in with board holes and fans for cooling. This super bright LED grow light is a good choice for beginner growers short on cash.
3. HLG 100 Quantum Board LED Grow Light
Overview: Experience the power of Quantum Boards cheap with the HLG 100 Quantum Board LED grow light. Incredibly efficient, the 192 Samsung LM561C S6 LEDs connected only use a total of 96 watts while producing over 15K Lumens of PAR. Horticulture Lighting Group is on the cutting edge of LED technology with their quantum board technology, prevalent in the cannabis growing community this year for the high efficiency and high yields the lights produce.
4. BESTVA 1000W Full Spectrum Dual-Chip LED Grow Light
Overview: BESTVA LED grow lights are popular with weed growers for their high lumen PAR optimized output and super affordable price. On top of this, the BESTVA company is highly-reviewed for their excellent customer support. The BESTVA 1000W Full Spectrum Dual-Chip LED Grow Light is built with one-hundred 10W double-chip LEDs that give a wide spread of core coverage area of full spectrum light, all for just over a hundred dollars.
| True Power Draw | 185 watts |
|---|---|
| LED Type | 100pcs Dual-Chip 10W Bridgelux/Epileds LEDs |
| PAR Test (PPFD) | 958 µmol/m²/s at 12 inches |
| Light Coverage | 1x BESTVA 1000W per 13.8 ft² (1.3 m²) |
5. Exlenvce 1500W LED Grow Light
Overview: A great deal for the money, the Exlenvce 1500W LED Grow Light gives you the most PAR light for a large growing area compared to other cheap LED grow lights. The grow light contains 150pcs of triple-chip LEDs—that’s three 5-watt Bridgelux LEDs in every bulb. The daisy-chain design allows you to hook together multiple lights on to the same system. Veg and Bloom switch for changing the spectrum, or just turn both switches on for maximum power. With tons of good reviews from satisfied growers, the Exlenvce 1500W may be the best LED grow light you can get in the low-price range.
Cheapest LED Grow Lights (Under $100)
1. MARS HYDRO TS 600W LED Grow Light
Overview: A best selling LED grow light in the fifty-dollar to one-hundred dollar range is the new MARS HYDRO TS 600W LED Grow Light. This compact but powerful LED grow light uses the state-of-the-art Epistar SMD LED chips that gives supreme PAR/LUMEN output to maximize the yield per wattage. The TS 600W uses the new popular “sunlight” spectrum that includes warm white, blue, red and IR light. Tons of good reviews from growers back up this budget LED grow light by MARS HYDRO.
2. Roleadro 1000W Galaxyhydro LED Grow Light
Overview: Priced right under $100 at the time of writing, the Roleadro 1000W Galaxyhydro LED grow light is a very low-price LED grow light which uses Epileds 10-watt chips. Full spectrum including infrared and ultraviolet. The Roleadro 1000W Galaxyhydro LED Grow Light shines differently than its competitors, producing a higher ratio of red light for increasing yields. High PAR value (453umol at 18 in.) and Lumen output makes this grow light a full spectrum solution from seed to harvest.
| True Power Draw | 132 watts ±5% |
|---|---|
| LED Type | 100pcs 10W LEDs |
| PAR Test (PPFD) | 950 µmol/m²/s at 12 inches |
| Light Coverage | 1x Roleandro 1000W per 9 ft² (0.8 m²) max |
3. HLG 65 V2 Quantum Board LED Grow Light
Overview: The HLG 65 V2 is the second version of the entry-level quantum board LED grow light sold by Horticulture Lighting Group. Featuring a 4000K daylight full spectrum light produced by high-quality LM301B LED’s, this fixture is ideal for veg and flowering in compact areas. Diffused light for better canopy penetration. Passive-cooled design without fans. The HLG 65 V2 puts out 10,000 Lumens while only using 65 watts of power. Comparable to a 150W metal halide grow light.
4. Bloom Plus BP1000 LED Grow Light
Overview: A sunlike LED grow light at a rock-bottom selling price, the Bloom Plus BP1000 uses the newest high-yield LED technology: 336pcs Samsung 2835 diodes. Highly energy efficient, this model only consumes 90W of power, which is considerably less than most other LED grow lights on the market. Working silently and reliably, the BP1000 stays cool without fans. Its optimal full spectrum includes Warm White, Blue, Red and IR light to provide everything plants need during all stages of growth.
| True Power Draw | 90 watts |
|---|---|
| LED Type | 336pcs Samsung 2835 diodes |
| PAR Test (PPFD) | 441 µmol/m²/s at 18 inches |
| Light Coverage | 1x Bloom Plus BP1000 per 4 ft² (0.3 m²) |
5. UFO Led Grow Light, Growstar 150W Full Spectrum
Overview: UFO LED grow lights were some of the first LED grow lights we saw in the High Times magazines years ago. Back then a small UFO grow light would cost around 400 dollars! Nowadays you can get them much cheaper and this model even comes built with a CREE COB chip set right in the middle for extra juice. The COB provides high PAR value 3000K output combined with LED’s 380-760nm full spectrum light, UV & IR included. A nice cheap LED grow light great for growing in small spaces.
Best COB LED Grow Lights
1. Phlizon 2000W CREE COB LED Grow Light
Overview: COB (Chips-on-Board) LED Grow Lights are made of multiple LED chips put together as one to produce powerful concentrated light. The Phlizon CREE Cob Series 2000W LED Plant Grow Light uses PAR optimized 6000K and 3000K CREE LED chips along with red, blue, IR and UV bulbs to provide a full spectrum, deep penetrating light for plants. You can buy this COB grow light design at multiple size configurations from 1000W up to 3000W.
2. COB LED Grow Light, Hipargero 800W
Overview: Combining the effectiveness of traditional LEDs and COBs together, this affordable COB light is setup with four high power 3000K Epileds COB chips and sixteen 3 watt Osram LEDs. One of the best low-price COB LED grow lights, the Hipargero 800W sells for under 150 dollars and comes standard with daisy chain connections, bloom and veg switches for the best spectrum to match plant growing cycles. Full spectrum from IR to UV. Compared to other COB lights, this one stays exceptionally cool.
3. VIVOSUN 1200W Cree COB LED Grow Light
Overview: The VIVOSUN 1200W Cree COB LED grow light contains 6 high lux Cree COBs (3x 5000K & 3x 3000K) surrounded by 88 3W LEDs ranging from 410 to 730nm to produce a full spectrum mixed light. The fixture is made from aluminum and poly-carbonate materials. Heat is dissipated by a powerful cooling system using 2 large heat sinks and cooling fans. Switchable veg, bloom and full output settings. This hybrid COB LED grow light is sold at a good low price.
4. CREE COB LED Grow Light, Growstar 600W
Overview: This COB LED grow light by Growstar combines two 3000K high PAR value CREE COBs with fifty-six dual 10W LED chips for an optimum full spectrum light, specifically designed for plants. The high light intensity of COB LED grow lights help penetrate through the canopy of bushy herbs, while the 90-degree glass lenses aid in light distribution. Energy saving and simple to use, its powerful fan system and heatsink keep the grow light cool. Large coverage area. Daisy chain capability. For sale at under one-hundred dollars.
5. COB LED Grow Light, Niello 600W
Overview: The Niello COB D-series 600W has three powerful 200W COB Bridgelux/Epileds LEDs which produce a bright 3000K high PAR full spectrum wavelength, suitable for all stages of plant growth. A lightweight unit, weighing less than 5lbs. Built-in aluminum heat sink and 3 fans for cooling. Priced under $150, this COB LED Grow Light by Niello is just about the best COB LED grow light you can buy for the money.
Full Spectrum & Light Wavelength Explained
1. Absorption of Light
Just like how we can see only a certain range of light spectrum with our eyes, plants use a certain range of light spectrum to grow.
When cannabis grows outdoors, the sun provides the full spectrum of light that the plant needs to grow naturally. Sunlight gets absorbed by the plant’s pigment molecules for photosynthesis (plant growth).
LED grow lights are designed to provide the optimum light wavelengths most beneficial to plant growth. We call this optimal range PAR, short for photosynthetically-active radiation. The PAR spectrum includes the light wavelengths of approximately 400nm to 720nm, illustrated below:
By looking at the PAR spectrum graph we can see that plants use some colors more than others. A plant uses blue light (400nm – 500nm) and red light (620nm – 700nm) wavelengths in the greatest concentrations. This is why we measure the performance of LED grow lights in relation to PAR output rather than Lumens.
You can check the PAR output of a grow light using a PAR meter (also called a PPF meter). This handy device measures per second how many photons of light hit the sensor.
- PPF short for Photosynthetic Photon Flux, is the amount of light photons that make contact with your plants every second. Only light in the ranges of 400nm to 700nm are measured. The unit of measurement is µmol/s.
- PPFD stands for Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density. PPFD, measured per second and square meter (µmol/(m -2 m -1 simply written as µmol/m²/s) which we call micromoles or “uMoles” as slang. PPFD shows the density of PAR light in a given area, such as the density of PAR light at 12″ away from the LED grow light. We use PPFD to measure the PAR output of LED grow lights.
Testing the PAR output of a LED grow light may give you an idea of how far away to hang your lights from the plant canopy for optimum growth.
- 600-1000 µmol/m²/s: High strength light, the best range for developing growth and flowering.
- 400-600 µmol/m²/s: Medium strength light, for early veg and stretching.
- 200-400 µmol/m²/s: Low strength light, good for delicate seedlings and clones.
2. Red Light vs. Blue Light
When designing full spectrum LED panels, manufacturers dial in on the color wavelengths that plants absorb the most of, while also providing other colors for a balanced light exposure. Most importantly, red light and blue light.
A balanced full spectrum LED grow light will have not just one red and one blue color frequency, but a whole range of light available to plants. This provides plants will get a similar spectrum of light from that they would expect from the sun.
Red (620nm – 720nm):
Red light in nature helps to promote all-around growth and the flowering process. In nature red light comes out from the sun during late summer and fall, which can explain part of the reason buds form up fat then (the other part is light hours). Red-heavy grow lights do promote heavy budding and flowering, but this doesn’t mean that you should only use red light for your plants.
Balanced with blue light, red light can be used during the whole course of a plant’s life – from seed to harvest. Red color light is needed by plants need to grow healthy. Interestingly enough, plants make the most amount of energy during photosynthesis from red light.
Don’t be fooled by the color you see – even MH (metal halide) grow lights that don’t look very red provide a fair amount of red light to plants. Many LED grow lights also are red-heavy.
Although plants can be grown with pure red light, too much of only red light will not help early vegetative growth. Blue light is also required in good quantity for happy plants!
Blue (400 nm – 500nm):
Blue light is so important that plants literally don’t know where to aim their leaves for light absorption without it.
Plants thrive in their early stages with sufficient levels of blue spectrum light. In the outdoors, blue light is most present during the spring and long-day summer, as plants are in a similar “vegetative” process of growth, naturally.
Without blue light, vegetating plants seem to stay small and stunted – resulting in short stems and a squat stature. Many LED grow light users even add blue light heavy fluorescent lights into the grow room during a plants early stages to get an extra boost of blue light.
If you want tall and leafy plants, crank up the volume of blue light and you’ll get just that. Certain LED grow lights are designed with adjustable blue light and red light dials.
However, you probably just want to run them full blast red and blue for the whole growth cycle, unless you have specific plant size and grow space goals. Too much blue light during flowering will result in stretchier buds, so if you see that be sure to cut some blue and pump up more red light.
3. Ultraviolet(UV) Light
Ultraviolet(UV) light under 400nm consist of three main rays:
- UVA (315–400nm)
- UVB (280–315nm)
- UVC (180–280nm)
The newest LED grow lights usually have a few bulbs in the UV range for a few reasons.
In nature, plants are exposed to the sun and are naturally exposed to the ultraviolet radiation that sunlight contains. When humans absorb UV radiation, we produce melanin to defend against the sun’s rays.
Cannabis on the other hand produces trichomes filled with cannabinoids, including the favored Δ 9THC and CBD to protect the plant from UV radiation. In essence, UV can be used to stimulate THC production.
Outdoors, the sunlight at higher elevations gives plants more UV exposure. The growers who live up in the mountains swear their stuff is more potent due to the increased UV exposure, which makes the plant produce more cannabinoids.
We’ve noticed in Hawaii the weed in high-elevations gets super frosty and stony, although it doesn’t yield as much as the low-elevation buds. More anecdotal evidence can be found in this hashish book written in 1965 about the finest quality hash being obtained from plants at high altitudes.
This is why many growers swear that it’s beneficial to use a little UV light – for increasing the plant’s production of THC. You tend see the best LED grow lights have UV bulbs added standard.
However be aware that UV radiation overexposure has been known to degrade different plant processes, including damage to DNA and damage to physiological processes. Too much UV radiation has shown to induce plant mutations. and is harmful to humans.
Outdoor growers don’t need to worry about UV overexposure, the only real danger of UV radiation to plants is from using artificial germicidal lamps to provide short wavelength(UVC) radiation to plants. In other words, you can burn up the plants with too much artificial UV light.
Most of the best LED grow lights on this list feature a small number of LEDs in the UV spectrum, at a safe level for plants and humans.
4. Infrared(IR) Light
Infrared (IR) and near infrared light consists of wavelengths over 700nm. Invisible to the human eye, infrared light is felt as heat.
PAR would tell us that deep red (short-wavelength, 680nm), far red(>680nm) infrared would be at large unused by plants for photosynthesis. Only one photoreceptor, phytochrome, is known to respond to far red wavelengths. Phytrochrome helps plants regulate photo-sensitive changes, such as when to start the bloom process.
As we learned from the Emerson Effect, research performed by Robert Emerson showed that plants simultaneously given these wavelengths grew at far higher rate than the sum of the red light and far red light alone.
This gave reason to believe that plants may have two photosystems – one for utilizing short-wavelength light and another for using long-wavelength light.
Infrared LEDs can be found in a lot of the LED grow lights above. The Electric Sky 300 has gained a massive following among cannabis growers for integrating these red “wideband” wavelengths into their lights.
Advantages of LED Grow Lights
There are many benefits to using LED Grow lights in your indoor grow room or even in a protected outdoor environment like a greenhouse.
1. Simplicity is Cool
LED grow lights run cooler than MH/HPS HID grow lights and the bulbs last much longer.
Compared to a HID indoor grow setup which requires a lot of electricity, cooling and ventilation efforts, LED grow lights can be setup effortlessly in a closet, grow tent or similar space without needing to completely renovate it.
The beauty of LED grow light technology is that they are as easy as plug & play for most situations. The fans and/or built-in heat sink will keep the grow light at a comfortable operating temperature.
This means that you do not need to spend the money or effort into building a super deluxe indoor grow room in order to grow a healthy cannabis crop. Just buy a grow light, crack some seeds and get growing.
2. Low Wattage + High Efficiency
As opposed to HPS and MH lights, LED grow lights run at a much lower wattage while producing more PAR light-per-watt for plants to absorb and grow with.
This high efficiency and low power draw opens up the door for alternative energy sources, such as solar powered grows. For a few hundred bucks you can buy a solar panel, deep cycle marine batteries and an inverter to make your own solar powered indoor grow room. To do it the cheapest way you can just run the light during the nighttime and move plants outside to grow with the sun during the day.
A big step up from fluorescent lights, LED lights have enough penetration to stack even the inside of cannabis plants dense with fat nuggets. Whether they’re in vegetative or flowering cycle, LED lights can do the whole job well done. The “blurple”, pink or white glow emanated from these grow lights is strong and bright enough to give you a dizzy feeling. Remember to wear eye protection when operating LED grow lights.
3. High Yields
Modern LED grow lights of today surpass the earlier models of years ago in available spectrum, durability and light strength.
Yields for indoor growers finishing cannabis under full spectrum LED lighting average 1/2 gram per watt among growers in the United States. This is considering the true power draw watt not the rated equivalent advertised.
The ballpark 1/2 gram per watt figure takes into account that your grow room will follow the proper space guidelines of the grow light, and that the plants will be optimized for growth e.g. soil, water, nutrients and care.
Of course yields vary from strain to strain. That’s part of what makes growing new strains so fun. Check out these top ranked best sativa and top ranked best indica strains for some good cannabis strains to grow under LEDs.