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10+ Best LED Grow Lights of 2019 – Detailed Review

I’ve researched dozens of LED grow lights and the list below is the best of the best. It contains grow lights in every price range, starting at high-end (top of the list), mid-range (middle) and low-cost (bottom of the list). 

The best LED grow lights emit a full spectrum, sufficient light intensity (PPFD), and cover your entire grow space with that intense light. When selecting the best LED grow light, you need to ensure each of these criteria are met in order to grow the highest yielding plants.

The first criteria, full spectrum light, can be achieved preferably with a white light spectrum, although a red and blue spectrum can suffice as well.

The second criteria, sufficient light intensity, is also known as your plants’ Daily Light Integral (DLI) requirement. You can read my whole article about DLI here.

The third criteria, the grow light coverage area, can be determined by checking that the light intensity is sufficient enough at every point on your grow space. Again I refer you to my article on spectrum, PPFD and DLI.

Before I get to the detailed list below, I put together a comparison table for your convenience:

 

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Now here’s the list of the top 10+ best LED grow lights on the market:

Best High-End Grow Lights:

#1. Scynce LED Raging Kush

The Scynce LED Raging Kush is a white spectrum LED grow light. The benefit of having a white spectrum can be read here, but in short, it’s better than having only blue and red.

This 690 watt LED grow light is, simply put, the best on the market.

The 120 degree lenses spread the intense LED light widely so it doesn’t burn your plants from being too focused on one area.

This grow light is equipped with top bin Osram LED chips.

The Scynce Raging Kush LED Grow Light delivers a full 12 spectrum light band. The spectrum is also fully customizable with a mobile phone app, in case you want extra blue for veg, or extra red during flowering.

It’ll also help you save on your electric bill. The Scynce Raging Kush LED grow light utilizes a low 690w from your outlet due to efficient 2.4 uMol/J energy use rate. Anything over 2.0 uMol/J is considered efficient, but 2.4 is among the highest grow light efficiency I’ve seen.

With this low power draw, it can still replace a 1000W MH or HPS light system with ease.

With this, you’ll notice more large flowers obtained under the effect of this grow light compared to other cheap LED panels.

Spectrum, PPFD and Coverage:

As mentioned earlier, this grow light emits a full white light spectrum, which has shown to be more beneficial compared to only red and blue wavelengths. It contains a balance of red and blue as well as green yellow and orange. Together these all make up a white spectrum. This spectrum will get you through all phases of plant growth.

Scynce LED says PPFD for this model is ~1300 uMol at 18″ hang height. That’s more than enough to maximize your plants’ yield according to a 20-40 mole of light per day requirement.

One factor that makes the Scynce LED Raging Kush the best LED grow light is the even light intensity even at the edges of the coverage area. Most other grow lights fade intensity a lot more once you move out of the center of coverage. But not the Raging Kush.

Scynce LED says this grow light will cover 5’x5′ during the vegetative phase, and 4’x4′ during the flowering phase. Depending on what you’re growing and what intensity level you prefer, you can adjust the hanging height to your needs.

Based on my estimations, you’ll only need one of these grow lights to get a maximum yield from your cannabis plants in a 4×4 grow tent.

Cooling:

The Synce Raging Kush LED grow light is passively cooled with heat sinks. That means no loud cooling fans in your grow space.

Grow light manufacturers seem to have mastered passive cooling designs because we’re seeing them on more and more of the high-end grow light models these days. Ultimately it means more energy efficient and quiet grow lights.

Synce Raging Kush Specifications:

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Scynce Raging Kush on Amazon.com

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Pros And Cons Of Scynce LED Raging Kush LED Grow Light:

Do People Recommend It To Others?

I’ve noticed people really love this grow light – which should be expected for the best LED grow light on the market. I found one owner’s review that sums it up pretty well:

“These lights are incredible. Spectrum and time control with the theia app. 5 stars, I’ll be buying more!”

Look what people are growing with this light:

Do I recommend this LED grow light?

If your budget is flexible and you want the best of the best then you do not need to look any further. After countless hours of grow light research I chose this grow light based on it’s 10/10 performance for EVERY factor, not just one or two factors.

Considering it has the best specifications compared to all other grow lights, I’d definitely recommend you buy the Scynce LED Raging Kush Grow Light for the best results.

 

Click here to see reviews and prices for the Scynce Raging Kush on Amazon.com

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#2. HLG 550 V2 Quantum Board LED Grow Light:

The HLG 550 V2 R-Spec is the original “quantum board” LED grow light, and it’s still one of the best LED grow lights around. It was designed by Horticulture Lighting Group, the grow light company that disrupted the industry with this innovative light design a few years ago.

Quantum Board Design:

The quantum board design is bare-bones. You’ll notice there are no fans on the design. There’s also no “reflector” or glass magnifying lens on this design. It’s simply a few rows of LEDs slapped onto a thin panel with an adjustable Mean Well driver on the rear.

The HLG 550 V2 R-Spec quantum board LED grow light will draw 480 watts from your wall at maximum power.

The Meanwell driver has a rubber stopper on the “Output” side, you can remove the rubber stopper and adjust the light intensity with a Philips screw driver. You can dim the HLG 550 V2 down by 50%, bringing it down to 240 watts of power consumption.

Spectrum:

The R-Spec has a 3500K color temperature white spectrum. Many people appreciate this feature because it’s easier on the eyes (That doesn’t mean it’s safe to look directly at the light board. Don’t stare directly at the LED light board).

White spectrum is being used on the best LED grow lights today, as it’s been proven to be more effective for plant growth. There have been at least two studies showing white spectrum results in increased growth compared to blue + red wavelengths alone. You can read my article on white spectrum here  if you’re interested in more details.

PPFD & Coverage Area:

You’ll see above the HLG 550 puts out pretty decent coverage up to 3×3 feet. If you put it inside a reflective grow tent, you can probably get 4×4 feet of coverage with it due to increased light reflection.

Difference Between R-Spec and Regular HLG 550 V2 4000K model?

The difference between the HLG 550 V2 R-Spec and the HLG 550 V2 with 4000K spectrum is the spectrum. The 3500K color temperature on the R-Spec is more balanced with blue/red color, where the 4000K has more blue and less red. The 4000k is better geared as a vegetative phase grow light spectrum.

User Comments:

Aside from the general positive comments, many people commented on the strong brightness of the light. Someone who’s tight on space appreciated the fact they didn’t need to waste space with cooling equipment.

Another person said they’ve been running the HLG 550 V2 at full power from seed phase and they’re loving the results. A third person said “buds came out big and dense , and the trichome production under this light was crazy.”

Other Specifications:

Video:

What quality plants are people growing with the HLG 550 R-Spec Grow light?

Keep in mind there are many factors aside from grow lights used to grow plants shown below. Your results may vary:

You can see why this is an incredible grow light and one of the best LED grow lights currently available.

 

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the HLG 550 V2 R-Spec on Amazon

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#3. Advanced Platinum Series P900 LED Grow Light

Why is the Advanced Platinum Series P900 selected as an editor’s choice? The Advanced Platinum P900 has tons of reasons to be recognized. 

Advanced Platinum P900 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light is a product from PlatinumLEDs. They sell a full line of top shelf LED grow lights. They’re known for their quality and commitment towards customer satisfaction.

If you want to go all in with this grow light for your next grow, it’s one of the best options that’ll grow you a beautiful cannabis harvest in return. To understand better, let’s explain all of the P900’s features in depth.

Why Advanced Platinum makes some of the Best LED Grow Lights:

1. A Complete Full Spectrum of Light:

Advanced Platinum P900 is built to provide your cannabis plants with a complete full spectrum of light. Its spectrum ranges between the 12 most essential bands of light for any living plant – from infrared to ultraviolet.

In other words, full spectrum light means the bands of light emitted is the same or very close to natural sunlight. That means it’s okay to use the Advanced Platinum Series P900 LED grow light from your cannabis plants’ seedling to flowering phase. That’s the whole lifecycle of your cannabis plant.

Check out the video below to see the unbeatable level of quality this grow light brings:

Providing full spectrum light for your plants means heavy and resinous buds at harvest.

2. An Extra-ordinary PPFD value:

One of the reasons this grow light is famous among weed cultivators is its PPFD abilities.

Before we explain this feature in depth let me throw some light on the term PPFD.

PPFD is an abbreviation used for Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density. It’s the number of photons within the visible spectrum of light falling over a square meter area in 1 second of time.

PPFD results that are tested publicly by PlatinumLED for its 900W variant was around 1615 from the height of 18” and 1250 from the height of 24”.

These sort of results are extraordinary and can be produced by Advanced Platinum LEDs only. Further, the whole point of PPFD is to determine if your grow light will supply 20-40 moles of light required by your cannabis plant to reach full yield.

3. Super Efficient Drivers:

Advanced Platinum P900 LED Grow Light is equipped with auto switching 110v/220v LED Drivers. These drivers are the reason behind its ability to provide you better output and consume less electricity.

You’ll be amazed by its ability to automatically sense voltage. It saves your grow panel from any short circuit and keeps your grow room safe from overheating hazard.

These drivers can handle any global voltage input.

Efficient design with these drivers is proof of it being most efficient grow light on the market.

4. Powerful LEDs made in the USA:

A power-packing performance from a LED grow light is only possible with the right choice of LED chips on its board.

Advanced Platinum P900 LED Grow Light is equipped with top quality LEDs from bridgelux and CREE. These are the only companies which deliver satisfaction to its end users. Yeah, these LEDs are the most efficient, reliable and durable.

It makes Advanced Platinum grow lights a best LED grow light for the money.

In total 300 LED Chips of 3W each is equipped on the Advanced Platinum Series P900 Grow Light board.

5. Remarkable Coverage:

As this grow panel is made with high-quality materials and LEDs, it ensures better coverage than any other grow light available on the market.

During vegetation or as a seedling, this grow light can cover 6’ x 4’ of area from the height of 18” with ease. However, due to the need of remarkably intense light during flowering, this coverage area will be reduced, and it can cover around 5’ X 3.5’ of coverage space from the same height.

In case you have comparatively smaller coverage space, you may want to consider the Advanced Platinum LED P600 Grow Light from this well known brand.

6. Dual Mode for Comfort Of Use:

This grow light comes with vegetation and bloom switches, so that you can balance light intensity in your grow room according to your plant’s life cycle.

You may switch your AdvancedLED Series P900 to bloom mode as soon as your marijuana plants start flowering, and enjoy bigger and better flowers during harvest.

However, you always need regular observation and monitoring to avoid any harm to your plants.

7. Durability For Longer Run:

Advanced Platinum Series Grow Lights are known for their durability and strength as well.

When you bring this panel into your home, you’ll notice premium quality material on its body. The design is remarkably sturdy and can last in your grow room for extended use.

Not only outer body material but inner parts are also manufactured by either PlatinumLEDs or by another reputable manufacturer on the market.

This grow light comes with a lifespan of around 8-10 years, which is fabulous, isn’t it?

8. Less Power Consumption:

The Advanced Platinum P900 is packed with quality drivers as we mentioned earlier, and can perform very well with them.

This 900W Grow Light by PlatinumLED can provide you highly efficient light output at an average power draw of just 280W-560W. It utilizes less power during vegetation.

Moreover, power draw is doubled during flowering as your plants will be hungry for intense light during the flowering phase.

9. After Sale Support:

Once you get this grow light in your grow room you should be worry free for 5 whole years. This full spectrum LED Grow light isn’t just meant to provide efficient light to your marijuana plants, but it is also committed to customer satisfaction.

If any failure happens the manufacturer will cover all the shipping, and they’re also committed to doing anything for minimizing your downtime. Wow!

Specifications:

 

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Advanced Platinum Series P900 on Amazon.com

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Pros And Cons Of Advanced Platinum Series P900

Now, Take a look at its advantages and disadvantages in a brief.

People’s Opinion For Advanced Platinum Series P900

We’ve written each word on this article based on thorough research and comments from existing users. Some of the existing users have recommended the P900 based on their improved experience with the P900 compared to other grow light models.

If you take a look at Advanced Platinum Series P900 LED Grow Light’s reviews on Amazon then also you’ll realize that Platinum LED grow lights are the first choice of a majority of professional cultivators due to its ability to perform perfectly inside their grow room.

We can’t help but notice the reviews mention phrases like “worth the money” and “love this light.” Combine the reviews with feautres and industry leading 5 year warranty, and I believe the AdvancedLED Platinum Series P900 is simply one of the best LED grow lights on the market.

My Opinion

Based on the long warranty, unbeatable spectrum and PPFD, and the impressive coverage area, I’d definitely recommend the Advanced Platinum P900 LED Grow Light before making any other decision.

Excellent spectrum abilities along with dual mode switching comfort and auto voltage sensing drivers make this beast a powerful option.

If you’re planning to replace your traditional HPS system of 1000W and budget isn’t an issue, buying this product will be a simple choice and a great investment.

Keep reading because this is only the first of the best LED grow lights.

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Advanced Platinum Series P900 on Amazon.com

 

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#4.  G8LED 900W LED Grow Light

Winning High Times Magazine’s “Stash Award 2014”, “Best LED Light of the Year 2016” & “Best New LED Grow Light Of 2017” isn’t easy. Right?

This G8 LED 900 watt grow light was awarded multiple times with a High Times Magazine award for its remarkable performance and contributions towards the hydroponic and indoor growing community.

The G8 is a brand known for quality and performance. The achievements by this manufacturer speak for itself.

The intensity of this light can easily replace your old-fashioned HPS or MH system of 1400W.

All this is possible after the hard work of 8 years of research by the manufacturer G8LED.

G8LED utilizes quality US made LED chips on its board, and after assembly, it’s tested in the US as well. So you’re not going to get a cheap LED Grow Light by some low quality manufacturer.

Why the G8LED One of the Best LED Grow Lights:

1. Best Spectral Output and PPFD

G8LED Mega 900W LED grow light performs well with the help of 8 bands full spectrum light output to your plants. It comes with ultraviolet and infrared as well.

You may be wondering why this light only has 8 wavelengths compared to most others with 12. DormGrow, the company behind G8LED actually did the research and believes only 8 wavelengths are needed. Further, they say using 12 is wasteful.

Apart from these essential 8 bands, The G8 900w mega LED grow light also delivers UV and IR spectrum to your plants which ensures better growth and safety of your plants.

UV has been shown to increase THC levels while infrared helps accelerate the flowering process and helps to increase flower quality. These are two essential features for cannabis growing.

DormGrow has certainly been recognized for all this, as they’ve won grow light of the year several times. They also have one of the most satisfied customer bases I’ve seen in the LED grow light space.

The G8LED lineup is the best purple spectrum LED grow light around, and many growers agree.

2. PPFD:

Just as important as the spectrum are the PPFD measurements. You can see in the image above, at the normal height of 18″ this light provides you enough intensity to get maximum yield from your plants. That’s according to the 20-40 moles of light DLI needed for most fruit and vegetable bearing plants (cannabis included).

Coverage:

A top of the line grow light like this definitely doesn’t disappoint. It’ll cover 4×4 with ease. 

It won’t reduce coverage space during flowering because of its ability to produce more intense light during flowering.

With this much coverage, you can quickly grow 6-8 cannabis plants inside your grow tent using 3 gallon buckets. You’ll only need one to get max yield from your cannabis plants in a 4×4 grow tent.

3. Bloom Booster for higher yield

G8LED does not provide dual light mode switching like other manufacturers. However, they’ve designed their product this way intentionally. It’s more of a convenience than a necessity.

During vegetation, this grow panel will spread more of blue light which will enable your plants to get better health and grow well. Moreover, during flowering, you may switch on both bloom boosters and help your marijuana plants produce the best quality of buds for you.

Red spectrum provides more efficient and intense light to your plants which is generally required during flowering. This helps make flowers more healthy, resinous and more substantial in weight.

The manufacturer suggests to add a Bloom Booster Grow Light which is manufactured by DormGrow themselves and designed specifically for blooming of marijuana plants.

All in all, this grow panel will perform up to the mark during the entire life cycle of your marijuana plants, and hence it’s known as one of the Best LED grow lights for cannabis plants, providing highest yield at harvest time.

4. Quality that lasts longer

G8LED 900w full spectrum LED Grow Light is made with the highest quality materials for outer body. On the other hand, its inner compartment equipped with high-quality epistar or bridgelux LED chips which are made in the USA.

5. Less Power Draw

When the G8LED 900W model is performing at its best, it only utilizes 540W of electricity.

Yeah, it can replace a 1200W to 1400W MH system from the light intensity point of view.

This grow light is versatile in use and can be operated with the help of 110V-240V input. If you’re ordering the G8 900 watt, one of the best LED grow lights from amazon, then depending upon your shipping location they’ll provide the correct power cord for your grow panel.

6. Quiet And Cool Operation

Here comes the safety of your plants which is the first thing you should consider before making your decision.

The G8LED 900 watt variant comes with multiple cooling fans, and advanced aluminum heat sinks keep the environment inside your grow tent as cool as possible.

7. Stellar Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed For 2 years

G8LED grow lights come with the extended support of 2 years in case of a breakdown, which will happen rarely. You know you won’t need to file a claim for it just by looking at its build and power pack performance abilities.

Looking at all these features we could count this Panel as one of the best LED Grow light for medical marijuana cultivation.

G8LED 900W – Grow Panel At A Glance

Take a look at its specifications

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the G8LED 900W on Amazon.com

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Pros And Cons Of G8LED 900W

Now, take a look at the G8 900 watt benefits and drawbacks in brief.

Existing User’s Advice

You can’t argue with a perfect rating. The growers who picked this light knew they wanted quality and went for it. If you’re in that pool then you should go for it too.

One old school grower of 20 years said they were blown away with this light. Another person hung it in their 8’x4′ grow tent and said their plants are growing like crazy. A third owner of one year said their bud density improved and they’re frostier than ever.

My Advice

If you’re in the market for a high end LED grow light, the G8LED 900W must be one of the first lights you consider. It hits all the marks and you’ll likely be joining the large pool of very happy owners.

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the G8LED 900W on Amazon.com

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Best Mid-Cost Grow Lights:

#5. Green Sunshine Co. Electric Sky ES300 Grow Light – Best Mid-Price Grow Light

 

Looking for the best of both worlds with a grow light? I’ve got a solution for you. The Electric Sky ES300 isn’t the most expensive grow light, but with a little flex in your budget it’ll give you a lot of the same high performance.

The Green Sunshine Company is a small grow light company, but the grow lights are very good. What makes the Electric Sky ES300 one of the best LED grow lights in the mid-price range?

It’s a combination of the most important factors like spectrum, light intensity (PPFD), and coverage ability.

So, without wasting more time, let’s take an in-depth look into this panel.

Build:

The Electric Sky ES300 is 3 feet long, 1 foot wide. It’s designed to be passively cooled, like many of the other best LED grow lights currently on the market. That means no noisy fans, and no electricity wasted powering them.

It’s quite efficient, emitting 2.0 uMol/Joule of power, and only utilizing 300 watts from your wall outlet.

This light is plug and play. Unbox it, hang with the easy hang kit, and turn it on.

Spectrum, PPFD and Coverage:

The Green Sunshine Company custom designed the spectrum for this grow light. They call it a wideband spectrum. The color breakdown is as follows: Approximately 10% blue, 25% green, 55% red, and 10% infrared.

So it differs in that it has less blue, more green and it’s heavy on infrared. Infrared signals tells your plant to grow short stocky stems and also helps the plant grow into specific shapes.

Unique spectrum doesn’t mean bad. There are dozens of owners who swear by the light if you check out the reviews on LED Grow Lights Depot.

A study also showed that some green light was beneficial for cannabis growth, perhaps not ironically, it’s the exact amount of green spectrum that’s in the ES300 spectrum:

A low percentage (≤ 24%) of green light enhanced plant growth, whereas plant growth was inhibited under a higher percentage of green light (Kim et al., 2004a, 2005; Folta and Maruhnich, 2007; Lee et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2017).¹

The importance of PPFD is ensuring your light emits a minimum of 462 uMol and a maximum of 925 uMol based on a daily light requirement of 20-40 moles. If you want to learn more specifics, you can read more about that in my article here.

Taking a look at light intensity, from 18″ height the Electric Sky ES300 emits  around 980 uMol. In short, it meets that daily light requirement standard perfectly.

You can get an effective coverage of 2’x4′ out of this grow light. But what’s great about the ES300’s coverage, is the light remains intense even at the edges of the coverage area. The strong intensity makes the Green Sunshine ES300 the best LED grow light for a 2×4 foot space, in my opinion.

There are plenty of great lights out there, but most of the high performers are designed for 4×4 or larger. If you’re only growing 2 plants in a 2×4 but you still want a high performing LED grow light, the ES300 is the perfect fit, hands down.

Lower quality grow lights tend to drop below usable intensity before even reaching the edge of the manufacturer’s claimed coverage area. So that’s why you have to keep your eyes peeled – but luckily that’s not the case with the Electric Sky ES300.

Green Sunshine Electric Sky ES300 Specifications:

 

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Green Sunshine Electric Sky ES300 Grow Light on LED Grow Lights Depot

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Pros And Cons Of Electric Sky ES300 Grow Light

What’s the Buzz about it in the Cultivator Community?

There are several dozen positive reviews from owners of the ES300 on LED Grow Lights Depot, but here are a few that stood out to me:

A grower with 10 years of growing experience said the ES300 resulted in the fastest growth they’ve ever seen. They also complimented the great customer service from the Green Sunshine Company.

There are many other reviews from people who switched from cheaper LED grow light models like Viparspectra or Meizhi. They say the difference is night and day.

What are people growing with the ES300?

Keep in mind there are many factors aside from grow lights (like nutrients) that may have affected the plants shown below. Your results may vary:

 

My thoughts why the ES300 is one of the best LED grow lights:

To sum it up briefly, this is one of the best LED grow lights around because of the combination of custom engineered light spectrum, coverage area, light intensity, and the price point. All those factors make this grow light unbeatable for it’s price.

Unboxing Video:

 

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Green Sunshine Electric Sky ES300 Grow Light on LED Grow Lights Depot

 

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#6. Mars Hydro Pro II 1200w CREE

This is the best Mars Hydro grow light model in my opinion, and it also happens to be the best LED grow light at a mid-range price. It costs a little more than the Green Sunshine ES300 above, but it’ll cover a larger grow space.

It’s also known as the Mars Hydro Pro II Cree 256. The CREE LED chips make this light what it is, and you can read more about them below.

Spectrum, PPFD and Coverage:

The spectrum on the Mars Hydro Pro II CREE 1200 watt grow light is pretty nice. It’s a balanced amount of blue and red, exactly what you need for full lifecycle plant growth. The exact spectrum breakdown is as follows: 440nm, 460nm, 630nm, 660nm, 730nm(IR), and 2700k-3000k.

The coverage is one of the most impressive features on this grow light, and you can see why below:

The CREE LEDs fitted to this light are incredibly powerful compared to other brands.

As an example, these 1200w CREE LEDs easily beat out the Bridgelux/Epistar LEDS on the 1600 watt Mars Hydro model.

That’s not a typo. The 1200 watt CREE LEDs beat out the 1600 watt Epistar/bridgelux model on light intensity – by a lot. And it’s one of the main reasons the Mars Hydro Pro II Cree 1200w is one of the best LED grow lights in the mid-price range. The light intensity is on par with the most expensive LED grow lights on the market. There’s a ton of value in this light!

You can use this Mars Hydro 1200w CREE grow light to cover  4.5’ X 4.5’ during the flowering phase and 5’ X 5’ during the vegetative phase.  That’s from the recommended height of 18”.

How many Mars Hydro 1200w CREE do you need for a 4×4 grow tent?

The strong light intensity coming from this grow light means you’ll need only 1 to cover a 4×4 grow space while achieving the maximum yield.

Power consumption & Heat dissipation:

With a solid PPFD reading this light can replace a 1000W HPS or MH system like a boss. In addition it won’t draw much power from your wall.

The actual power draw is 680 watts during full operation. If you’re only utilizing the vegetative light option, the light will use up to 510w. That’s pretty good for a 1200 watt grow light.

To keep your grow room balanced in terms of temperature it makes excellent use of multiple cooling fans along with an advanced heat sink.

I read through dozens of reviews from owners, and they only had good things to say regarding heat.

All said, the Mars Hydro 1200W CREE LED Grow Light comes at a fair price and gives you the best results regarding yield.

Mars Hydro 1200w CREE Specifications:

Pros and Cons Of Mars Hydro 1200w CREE Grow Light:

Warranty and Owner Satisfaction:

One of the most important factors for buying a grow light is knowing you’ll be satisfied. There’s no better way to find out than hearing it from a current owner.

In reading through several dozen comments from people who bought the Mars Hydro 1200w CREE grow light, the overall sentiment is largely positive. One of the many positive reviews really stuck out to me:

Fantastic light. Have used for 3 grows in a 4×4 tent and have been blown away by the increase in yields. Much bigger buds in density. Increased my temps by 10 degrees so not bad at all. It is super quiet for fan noise. It is pricey but a grow light is not what you want to scrimp on when setting up a grow room. Well worth it! You won’t be disappointed.

The best part is you get a full 3 year warranty should anything go wrong. Viparspectra has great customer service. One person recalled their light breaking, and updated their comments saying their light was fixed and back in their grow space in a short amount of time thanks to Viparspectra’s customer service.

I think this product deserves your attention. And, that’s why I also included this model in our review of Best LED Light for 4X4 Grow Tent as well.

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Mars Hydro 1200w CREE on Amazon.com

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#7. Timber LED Model 4VS

The next best LED grow light in the mid-price range is the Timber LED Model 4VS. Timber LED actually makes a whole product line of grow lights so they have models at all price levels, but the model 4vs makes a great mid-range grow light.

The Timber LED grow lights utilize Vero29 Gen 7 COB LEDs that emit white spectrum. These are high end COB LEDs and provide a great value in this mid-price grow light.

Spectrum:

 

These high quality white spectrum grow light fixtures hand built to order in San Diego. It’ll take about 5 days to ship out – not that bad.

White spectrum like this is used in best LED grow lights these days. Studies have shown white light results in 12-18% better growth. You can read my article about white grow light spectrum here.

 

No matter which model you choose, you’ll be able to specify 3000K, 3500K, or 4000 kelvin temperature.

3500K is the most popular option and is ideal for seedling to flower growth phases, as it has a balanced amount of red and blue light. 4000K temperature is more ideal for the vegetative phase only as it has more blue, and 3000K is more ideal for the flowering phase only, featuring more red wavelengths.

Light Intensity & Coverage Area:

The Timber Model 4VS covers 4×4 feet, with peak light intensity reaching around 1080 uMols while hanging 18 inches above the canopy.

The nice thing about Timber LED grow lights is, even if you go with a smaller model like the 2VL, the light intensity is still the same. With other brands lower output models usually have lower light intensity.

 

How many in a 4×4 Grow Tent?

You only need one Model 4VS to efficiently cover a 4×4 grow tent/space. If you go with the smaller 2VL model, you’d need two units.

Power Consumption & Heat Dissipation:

The Timber LED Model 4VS consumes 425 watts from the wall. You’ll notice this light doesn’t feature any cooling fans. Passive cooling is another feature that’s been integrated into the best LED grow lights. The Timber LED grow lights feature large heat sinks on top of the unit for cooling – and that’s it. 

Other Specifications:

Video:

This is a video of the smaller model, the Timber Model 2VL. If you stick two of these units next to each other you get the 4VS, so it’ll still give you a good idea of what you’re getting.

What are people saying about the Timber LED 4VS?

Some owners have left reviews for the Model 4VS on Timber LED’s site, and here’s what they had to say:

Written by Mike Green Grow on Apr 16th 2019

Wow I was blown away coming from a blurple Chinese light. It’s perfect for my 3×4. It’s well built. It’s like staring into the sun and its growing strong plants.

Written by SS on Aug 23rd 2018

Have almost a year using these lights. They procude the same quantity as a 600w HPS but the quality is definitely better! With low heat, energy efficient and rock solid parts/construction, these are the end all lights for indoor growing. Get the 3500K and changing lights will be a thing of the past! Can’t recommend more!!!

What are people growing with Timber LED grow lights?

Keep in mind there are many factors aside from grow lights (like nutrients) that may have affected the plants shown below. Your results may vary:

 

Considering all the above, I’d definitely say the Timber LED Model 4VS is one of the best LED grow lights available in the mid-price range. It offers many design qualities and performance of the high end lights at a mid-range price.

 

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Timber LED Model 4VS at LED Grow Lights Depot

 

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#8. Optic LED’s Optic 6 COB LED Grow Light

 

Optic LED is a popular COB Grow light brand that’s known for their quality lights. The company offers a full product line of COB LEDs and accessories. The Optic 6 is a mid range 600 watt model with an impressive coverage area and PPFD readings.

If you’re considering lights in the mid-price range, the Optic LED Optic 6 is definitely one of the best LED grow lights.

This Optic 6 uses six 80 watt CREE CXB 2540 COBs, and 96 supplemental 5 watt Bridgestar/EpiLEDs. Secondary lenses are installed over each COB, increasing intensity significantly.

One unique feature I really like about this light is the timer that’s built into the side of the light. You don’t see built in timers in nearly any other brand of light, but it’s a big convenience to be able to set it and forget it.

Optic LED claims you can harvest up to 1.8 grams per watt with this light.

Spectrum & PPFD:

Optic LED offers two versions of this light. One version contains 3000k COBS, the other version contains both 3000k and 5000k COBs.

I’d suggest getting the version with both 3000K and 5000K as you’ll be getting a more balanced mix of red & blue light instead of only one or the other.

The Optic 6 spectrum covers 380nm to 780nm wavelengths which includes UV-A and near infrared – two key wavelengths for boosting THC, CBD, yield, and ensuring your plant physically forms properly.

Most COB LED grow lights put out impressive PPFD measurements, and this light is no different. Average PPFD at 24″ hits 739 umol, and closer to the center you’ll get readings near 1800.

These are the type of readings you want to maximize your yield. You won’t see these readings from a regular 600 watt LED grow light.

Coverage area on this grow light is 4×4 for vegetative and bloom phases.

One important thing to note is that your plants will actually receive usable PPFD intensity at the furthest edges of the Optic 6’s coverage. It’s a real achievement by Optic LED because the PPFD on most other lights just isn’t significant at the furthest edges of coverage.

Power Consumption & Cooling:

You’ll be pulling 600 watts from your wall when using this light. The CREE COBs draw 330 watts and the LEDs pull another 270. The Optic 6 has 20% overbuilt heat sinks, slotted housing, and 6 large cooling fans on the top.

I went through dozens of review for this light and couldn’t find any negative comments about heat.

Video:

Comparatively speaking, this is the second strongest COB I’ve reviewed in this article. It’s one of the most popular and productive COB LED grow lights among serious cultivators.

Warranty & Comments From Current Owners:

The longest duration warranty we’ve seen offered for a grow light is 5 years. Optic LED is one company offering that benefit to their customers. This light is covered for 5 years worry free.

It’s great to hear about all the features from a manufacturer but it’s better to hear about user experiences from users themselves. I read through user reviews from several places. Some of comments that struck me the most were:

A current owner said they used the Optic 6 COB LED grow light for one grow cycle so far. They said it’s the best light they’ve used and worth every penny.

Another person switched over from two Bestva reflector grow lights. They said the difference in vegetative phase is incomparable.

Lastly, a 20 year experienced cannabis cultivator said they’re a proud owner of 3 different Optic LED lights, and they’re “impressed on all levels,” and continues to grow larger than normal buds and trichomes.

The enthusiastic owner reviews go on and on, and I think when you pair that with a 5 year warranty you really can’t go wrong.

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Click here to see the Optic 6 COB LED Grow Light on Amazon

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Optic LED Optic 6 Grow Light Specifications:

 

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Pros And Cons Of Optic 6 Gen 3 Grow Light

One of the Best Mid-price LED Grow Lights:

Growers love the Optic 6 Gen 3 for a good reason. The intense spectrum and large coverage area make it one of the best mid-price LED grow lights available. This LED grow light will make a solid addition to your grow tent, and your cannabis plants will love you for it!

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Click here to see the Optic 6 COB LED Grow Light on Amazon

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Best Low-Cost Grow Lights:

#9. ParfactWorks 1000w BM4 CREE COB LED Grow Light

CREE is the best of the best when it comes to LEDs. That’s why several models on my Best LED grow lights list feature CREE COBs. The Parfactworks is one of the best LED grow lights at a lower mid-price range.

Features:

The Parfactworks 1000W features twenty 3000K white CREE COBs and 52 SMD LEDs on its panel.

Centralized COBs improve uniformity, and luminous efficiency of this grow panel. You might have noticed that luminous efficiency and spectral uniformity is the main factor behind boosting the growth and health of your plants during vegetation as well as during blooming.

There are two switches on this light – one to turn on/off the COBs and the other for the SMD LEDs.

It also features a daisy chaining port where you can attach another grow light without the need of an extra socket in your power outlet.

Parfactworks puts these lights through extensive quality control and durability testing the during manufacturing process. These are quality grow lights at a great price. I named this light as one of my best COB LED grow lights as well.

Spectrum:

Parfactworks BM4 COB is a true full spectrum COB LED Grow light. Too many lights these days claim full spectrum without containing all the necessary wavelengths.

The Parfactworks grow light has every wavelength from ultraviolet (UV) up to infrared (IR). The spectrum ranges from 380nm to 780nm – deep blue to far red. A well-balanced ratio of blue and red color makes the Parfactworks grow light an easy buy in my books.

This light is suitable for all kind of plants and all the phases of a plant’s lifecycle. You can control the spectrum using the two switches. One switch controls the COB LEDs, the other controls the supplemental 5 watt SMD LEDs.

Coverage:

Parfactworks says the 1000w model will cover 4×4. They don’t provide a PPFD coverage chart so I can’t confirm, although I know the CREEs put out serious light intensity so I wouldn’t doubt this light is good for at least 3×3.

If you need more or less coverage area, Parfactworks makes a 500w and 1500w version as well.

Power Consumption, Heat & Warranty:

This light consumes only 380 watts from you wall which is pretty impressive for a 1000 watt light.

Well managed heat dissipation system in the Parfactworks 1000w COB ensures safety and stability of your marijuana plants throughout its lifecycle. The 1000 watt model comes with 4 cooling fans. All the reviews are perfect rating and nobody has complained of heat issues so far.

To provide their customers with a hassle-free and worry less experience of indoor weed cultivation Parfactworks offers 3 years warranty and 30 days money back.

Customer Comments:

Reading through the reviews I found that existing owners are quite pleased with this light, which makes it a great bargain. There are only a handful of reviews so far, but they’re all near perfect ratings and the owners seem pretty enthusiastic about these Parfactworks lights.

If you’re concerned with features and budget but don’t want to compromise on either of them, then the Parfactworks 1000W CREE COB LED Grow Light is for you.

Other Specifications:

 

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Parfactworks 1000W COB on Amazon.com

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Pros and Cons of Parfactworks 1000W CREE COB Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

Click here to see reviews and prices for the Parfactworks 1000W COB on Amazon.com

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My opinion on Parfactworks COB LED grow lights:

The Parfactworks grow light lineup offers a great amount of value and exactly the type of light you need to grow healthy cannabis plants. I decided Parfactworks offer some of the best LED grow lights after comparing their lineup to other similarly priced grow lights. I haven’t heard of a disappointed owner of these lights yet!

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#10. VIPARSPECTRA Reflector Series V600 –Kingmaker for a 3’ X 3’ Grow Space

Here’s another great LED grow light in my best LED grow light buyer’s guide. It’s the Viparspectra Reflector V600 LED grow light. Maybe you don’t need the more powerful V1200 I reviewed earlier. That’s fine because the V600 is the younger sibling with a mean bite.

Features:

The Viparspectra V600 Grow Light is equipped with 120 5 watt diodes and reflectors which produces a well balanced and a complete spectrum for any green plant.

The Viparspectra reflector V600 comes with dual light modes so you have the convenience of only using blue spectrum during the vegetative phase.

High tech and advanced heat sink with quietly running cooling fans make your grow space a beautiful and comfortable home for your plants.

PPFD & Spectrum:

As far as PPFD is concerned, it’s 456 uMol from 24″ height. Hang it at 18 inches and you’ll get even better intensity. Just make sure initially that it’s not too close for your plants. Most grow lights are able to hang safely at 18″.

Efficiency and brightness can easily replace a traditional 600W lightning system, and still, it won’t increase your recurring utility cost as it only draws 269W from the wall.

The Viparspectra spectrum tends to lean more towards the blue side. It’s definitely enough to carry your plants to harvest, but it’s worth mentioning in case you’re looking for a heavy-red light, you can choose another one from our list.

Along with the most efficient full spectrum rays, this panel is capable of delivering infrared (IR) as well, to produce more resin on your flowers during blooming.

Coverage:

With all this ability the Viparspectra V600 can cover an area of 3’ X 3’ during veg and 2.5’ X 2.5’ during flowering. However that’s from a recommended 22 inches. Hang it at 18″ and you’ll get a bit more intensity, but you’ll sacrifice a bit of coverage. That’s what I’d do. 

If you still want more coverage, then this grow panel is daisy-chainable hence you can expand your grow space at any time as per your need.

3 years manufacturer’s warranty is a cherry on top.

How many Viparspectra V600 grow lights do you need for a 4×4 grow tent?

Based on my estimations,

For Average Cannabis Yield: 2 Viparspectra V600

For Maximum Cannabis Yield: 3-4 Viparspectra V600

Viparspectra V600 Fullspectrum LED Grow Light – Specifications

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Viparspectra V600 Grow Light on Amazon.com

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Pros And Cons Of Viparspectra V600 Grow Light

Owner commentary:

We looked around at some of the V600’s reviews. Aside from the high rating, some of the most popular phrases were “bang for your buck,” “runs cool,” “well built,” and “super bright.” How can you argue with that?

Reliability and efficiency make this grow light a real masterpiece by viparspectra, and hence the majority of experienced cultivators are recommending it to everyone.

My Advice

The Viparspectra V600 is one of the best LED grow lights because of the value it offers. At this price range you’ll cover a small space but you’ll get a full spectrum light that’s been used successfully by hundreds of cannabis growers. This is one of the best cheap LED grow lights money can buy.

While recommending Viparspectra V600 to you, we concern reliability, ease of use and quality of light which matters a lot.

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#11. Bestva 1200W Reflector LED Grow Light

The Bestva 1200w reflector is one of the best LED grow lights that sell at a low cost. Combine Bestva’s light spectrum design, strong intensity, and the low cost, and that’s what makes it a big winner if you’re looking for a low cost grow light.

This is the full spectrum reflector series light that has considerably higher light intensity than the regular, less expensive double chip (DC) Bestva lights.

Why do I recommend the reflector over the double chip series? They both work, but the difference is the light on the double chip series is only intense enough to grow a mediocre yielding plant, and you really need the stronger intensity of the reflector series if you want to grow a high yielding plant.

Spectrum:

I’ve researched a ton of grow lights and I always recommend Bestva as one of the best choices spectrum-wise among low cost grow light options. The spectrum provides the full range of blue, red and even some 3500K & 6500K white!

There are a ton of cheap LED grow lights out there that can’t even touch this spectrum. Too many focus on pinching every last penny, then supply you with a heavy blue or heavy red spectrum that only gets you through one phase of plant growth.

PPFD and Coverage:

The Bestva 1200w LED grow light emits an impressive 1680 uMol at an 18-inch hang height. It’s pretty decent for a grow light in this range. That’s why I didnt hesitate to list it as one of the best LED grow lights.

This grow panel is a perfect fit for your 2.5’ X 2.5’ grow space or grow tent. All you have to do is hang it and plug it in!

How many Bestva 1200w grow lights do you need for a 4×4 grow tent?

In terms of light intensity, one of the reflector series will efficiently cover 2×2 foot area. If you need to cover a whole 4×4 foot grow tent, I’d recommend:

For Average Cannabis Yield: 2 Bestva 1200w reflector grow lights

For Maximum Cannabis Yield: 4 Bestva 1200w reflector grow lights

It’s not just easy to install, but it’s also easy to use because the Bestva 1200w reflector grow light comes with a dual mode which makes it convenient to operate during various phases of the cannabis’ life cycle.

State of the art technology and high-quality aluminum heat sink with cooling fans ensures the safety of your plants and the cold temperature of your grow room.

This product comes with 3 year warranty along with a 30 day guarantee.

Bestva 1200W Reflector Grow Light Specs:

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Bestva 1200W Reflector Grow Light on Amazon.com

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Pros And Cons Of Bestva 1200w Grow Light

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Bestva 1200 watt LED Grow Light – Bottom line:

The Bestva 1200w is definitely one of the best LED grow lights if you need to keep a tight budget and don’t mind a smaller grow area.

It’ll beat out so many other options out there for this price. When you’re searching low-price grow lights it’s too easy to get fooled, so when you see quality like the Bestva provides, you can be sure you’ve got a good light.

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Bestva 1200W Reflector Grow Light on Amazon.com

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#12. Phlizon 1000w COB LED Grow Light:

Phlizon is another well known LED grow light manufacturer. You may know them from their other cheap LED grow light models. The Phlizon CREE COB series seen above is one of the best LED grow lights for the price.  This is the 1000 watt model, but they’re produced in variants up to 3000 watts of output.

One unusual feature on a high output light like this is the daisy chain capability. Typically that feature only comes on lower output lights as you can only run so much current through the daisy chain outlet. But with this light you’ll have that daisy chain option.

PPFD and Coverage Area:

At 24″ hang height you’ll get a good coverage for a 2×2 area as shown above.

You can try lowering the light to 18-20 inches and get a bit more intensity in that 2×2 area and completely sacrifice that space beyond 2×2 which is useless anyway because that intensity is too low.

The Phlizon 1000w COB is the best LED grow light in the Phlizon COB lineup, because once you consider that intense 2×2 coverage area, you can get 2 of these units for less than the 3000 watt model, and get a larger effective coverage space than the 3000 watt model. 

How many Phlizon 1000w COB grow lights do you need for a 4×4 grow tent?

Due to the 1000w being the smallest of the Phlizon COB lineup, the effective coverage is 2×2, but it’s intense light within that 2×2 area. Based on my estimations, you’d need 2 of the 1000w models for a 4×4 grow tent.

For Maximum Cannabis Yield: 2 Phlizon 1000w COB grow lights.

Spectrum:

The Phlizon 1000w COB provides a full spectrum of absorbable light to your plants. It includes 630-660nm, 470nm, 6500k, 3000K, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR).

The ultraviolet has been shown to increase THC levels, and infrared benefits plant formation as well as flower quality. These are two really important wavelengths for good quality cannabis.

Cooling & Heat Dissipation:

Two large cooling fans with heat sink help keep this light running cool. One user who uploaded a video of his Phlizon 1000w said it runs cool. Other owners who’ve reviewed this light also said heat was not an issue.

Phlizon 1000w COB Specifications:

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Phlizon 1000W COB Grow Light on Amazon.com

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Pros and cons of Phlizon 1000W Grow Light

What people are saying:

The Phlizon 1000w COB has a high rating from dozens of owners. One long time grower said after growing for 15 years this light was the best bang for his buck that he’s seen. Others have left general positive comments about the intensity and positive plant response.

My opinion

I’m in total agreement that this is one of the best LED grow lights for the price. Sure there are other grow lights for even less, but they won’t touch this light on intensity (PPFD) or complete spectrum.

I always say you get what you pay for when it comes to grow lights. If you need something entry level, the Phlizon 1000w CREE COB is the way to go.

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the 

Phlizon 1000W COB Grow Light on Amazon.com

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For Small Plants Or As A Booster Light:

The last grow light in my review is known as a “booster” light. It’s great for growing succulents, or if you want to add a few of these to your grow space to boost the overall light intensity.

#13. Sansi 36w Grow Light– Perfectly Crafted For Small Plants

The Sansi LED 36 watt grow light bulb is a full white spectrum LED grow light. It’s a great grow light for small spaces, a great grow light for small plants, and a great grow light for succulents.

My Time with the Sansi 36w Grow Light:

Sansi was kind enough to send me one to experience first hand:

This grow light is perfect for the small space in my house where I grow a few succulents.

I already had a cheap 12w grow light with a red/blue spectrum, and the succulents weren’t responding to that grow light. The succulents weren’t dying but they weren’t thriving either.

The difference in the succulents after the first 1-2 days of installing the Sansi 36w grow light bulb was impressive. The succulents with leaves sort of “lifted up” like they were standing at attention, or as if they were awoken.

I continued to notice faster than normal growth in my succulents over the following month. It’s clear to me the Sansi 36w LED Grow Light bulb made a difference to those succulents.

If you know much about succulents you know they’re among the least demanding plants. So I picked a small plant from my yard to see if I could grow it successfully under the Sansi 36W LED grow light. I ended up with a Marigold seedling. 

Marigolds are a bit more demanding than succulents. They expect a lot of light and a lot of water to sustain their rapid growth. They go from seedling to flower in 40-50 days.

After ~30 days the marigold is doing very well under the Sansi 36w grow light bulb. I’ve kept it in a small grow cup to save space, but considering the environment it’s been given, the flower is doing very well.

I kept the Sansi bulb 18″ above at all times, and run the light for 8 to 9 hours per day.

Update: I transferred the marigold to a larger bucket and it continued growing and bloomed beautifully under the Sansi bulb:

Why the Sansi 36w grow light bulb performs well:

This is a great grow light for small plants, or even if you want to combine it with other grow lights to boost light intensity.

The spectrum of this grow light really separates it from other low wattage grow lights:

No matter what size plants you’re growing or what size grow space you have, spectrum is one of the most important features in a grow light. White spectrum has been shown to result in 12-16% higher tomato yields compared to red/blue spectrum alone (you can read more about white spectrum here).

Most of the small grow light bulbs on the market today still feature red and blue spectrum, so the Sansi 36w Grow Light bulb provides you an advantage on that front. If you read any of my reviews about larger grow lights for cannabis, you’ll see I always prefer the white spectrum over red and blue alone.

Another nice feature on the Sansi 36w LED grow light is the 120 degree lens. That lens helps spread the light out more evenly across the plant canopy, instead of focusing the light all in one direction, which can result in burned leaves.

Other Specifications:

Read my full article about the Sansi 36w grow light bulb here

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Click here to see reviews and prices for the Sansi 36W LED Grow Light Bulb on Amazon.com

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Now, we’re presenting you an update buyer’s guide that’ll give you sneak peak of entire LED Grow Light fundamentals. Then we’ll close this guide with our verdict on Best LED Grow Lights on the market.

Buyer’s Guide For Selecting Top Rated LED Grow Light

Before we review any of the LED Grow Light, It’s essential to understand why we need it? and what are the factors which we should consider before selecting a good LED Grow Light for your weed plants ?

Why Is Best Quality Light Essential For Plants?

Let me explain.

Plants turn the energy of light into their essential nutrition and building materials with the help of a process called photosynthesis.

And they need carbon dioxide and water as well to turn this energy into most essential sugars like glucose.

This whole process is the only secret behind well-sustained plants. It’s the base of their lifecycle.

Fact is that only sunlight can provide this light, But, there are several artificial grow lights as well which can mimic the real sunlight. Thank to advanced technologies.

If you aim to get best possible yield from your marijuana plants, then it’s only possible if you can provide your cannabis plants with best possible full spectrum light.

What Are The Different Types of Grow Light Available On The Market?

There are several types of light available on the market. Let’s take a brief look at each one.

1. Fluorescent Grow Light

These type of grow lights are widely known as CFLs, T5s, and T8s. These lighting panels are popular for propagation, vegetative growth and small plants.

Different kind of spectrum distribution panels are available, Daylight panels and Bloom panels. The main use of these panels is for two distinct growth phases of your weed plants.

Daylight panels are used for vegetation and small weed plants. Bloom panels are used as sidelights during the Flowering phase of your marijuana plants in your Best grow tent.

2. High Pressure Sodium

You’ll notice this kind of grow light in many of indoor cultivator’s growing space because these light panels are capable of producing highly efficient and extremely intense light indoor.

However, it results in extreme heat generation and needs an external cooling mechanism inside your grow space to keep temperature balanced.

This panels are also known as HPS panels.

3. Plasma Grow Lights

These widely known as solar genesis and sulphur plasma. These sort of grow lights are more efficient than HPS, and less depreciation cost is involved in this grow lights.

However, this grow light is not suitable for the flowering phase because of several cons attached to it.

4. LED Grow Lights

LED technology is much better when it comes to indoor growing.

These panels are best for providing top-notch quality of light to your marijuana plants.

Why? Let me explain.

Because, the generated spectrum doesn’t produce too much heat and saves plants from usual harm, As this kind of lights provides all the required efficiency and intensity of light.

It works for the entire life cycle of any of the plants.

On the market of indoor lights, these are the main types of lights which are usually used by professional as well as beginner growers depending on implementation strategy.

Usually, LEDs are the most favorable type of lights for professional cultivators, and hence we’d be focusing on LED grow lights for cannabis cultivation in this review and buyer’s guide.

COB LED Grow Lights:

A more advanced and efficient version of regular LED grow lights, the COB LED utilizes several LEDs bunched together on a single chip. The result is higher intensity and lower power use. These lights typically cost a little bit more but the cost is worth it when you consider the increased light your plants receive.

Many of the best COB LED grow lights also feature an intensifying lens that increases intensity even further, and makes these type of grow lights even more of a value compared to regular LED grow lights. I wrote about the best COB LED grow lights Here and Here

Quantum Board LED Grow Lights:

This is the most modern type of LED grow light to date. You can read my reviews for the most popular models, the HLG 300 V2 or HLG 550 V2. The difference between these LED grow lights and other types is that they emit a great spectrum, are more efficient, and they have stronger PPFD intensity further from the center of the light.

They sell at a premium cost but many dedicated growers have found the cost to be worthwhile. Like I said earlier, you get what you pay for!

Factors To Look For In An LED Grow Light

In this section, we’re going to cover the essential question that most of the beginners forget to ask themselves before making the selection. There are several factors which need to be considered before making your final decision to buy an LED grow light for your weed plant.

1. Coverage Area

Make sure you pick a LED grow light that covers your whole grow space. It’s worth picking quality over cost as much as possible in this situation.

2. Build Quality

A Professional grower will not look at anything apart from build quality of the grow light. Yeah, excellent build quality means more durability, and that means higher lifespan.

If the great quality of LED Chips is used in a grow light panel, then it won’t generate much heat, and it’ll keep your grow space as well as grow light safe from a breakdown.

If an LED Grow Light is equipped with a durable outer body, certified LEDs, a good quality heatsink and multiple cooling fans, then you can say it’s good to go product for your grow space.

3. Heat Generation

It’s an essential factor to consider because of two reasons. First, Lights which generated extreme heat are less durable. And Second, Minimal heat generation protects your plants from getting damaged.

Low heat output ensures safety during flowering phase as during this stage your weed plants would be needed extremely intense light and lesser heat.

4. PPFD Intensity And Color of light

Yeah, Lumens are the measure of the intensity of any grow light. This measure is for human visibility and not for plants.

If you’re growing cannabis indoor then going with higher wattage would be a good choice instead of focusing on lumens. You want to focus on PPFD readings which are the intensity of light rays measured at the surface of your plant.

Another important factor apart from its brightness is colour spectrum. As a rule of thumb “Red” and “Blue” spectra are ideal for your marijuana plants growth. But if you can afford a higher quality light, research has shown white spectrum increases yield when mixed with red and blue spectrum.

The higher quality LED grow lights like COB LEDs and Quantum Board LED grow lights offer white spectrum mixed in. You want to make sure the red & blue intensity are balanced so the light works equally well for the vegetative phase and the flowering phase.

Wavelength measures this spectra, and that will be specified on the grow light box as well as on user’s manual if you in most cases. Generally, “Blue” is most essential during Vegetation while “Red” is essential during Flowering.

5. Lifespan

Rated life of your light is an essential factor to consider, because it’ll decide for how long you’re gonna use that particular grow light in your grow room.

It’s an excellent way to divide the lifespan of your grow light by the factor of 2 because the actual lifespan would majorly depend on your use.

6. Budget

It’s yet another critical factor to keep in mind before browsing through various grow light reviews. The saying goes “you get what you pay for,” and it couldn’t hold more true than when you’re picking an LED grow light.

There are many premium grow lights are available with comparatively more features than other ordinary grow lights. Go for an ordinary light like the Bestva 2000 watt if you’re low on budget. If you have more to spend, check out the HLG 550 Quantum Board or a COB LED grow light.

7. Manufacturer

It’s a major mistake that many growers make initially – picking a low quality manufacturer.

The LED Grow Light sector is flooded with low-quality manufacturers. So, it’s safe to deal with one who has established themselves as a brand on the market.

Make sure to check my many reviews, or at least ensure you get a lasting warranty included before you buy.

8. Warranty and Maintenance

Customer support is crucial while buying anything online. Isn’t it?

An authentic grow light comes with premium and genuine customer support. Your purchase should be risk-free.

How to Choose The Best LED Grow Light For My Grow Space?

Before answering this question of yours, I’d like to ask several questions.

1. Is it your first indoor growing experience?
2. How much grow space you wants to get covered?
3. Do you know current phase of your plants? If Yes, then which is it?
4. What is your primary concern? Budget or Quality and Yield?

Yeah, if it’s your first growing experience, then we’d suggest you to start with something small in comparatively smaller space.

But, if you’re already familiar with indoor growing, then you should select one which meets your expectation regarding coverage area.

Once you find multiple LED Grow Lights you can consider the current phase of your plant’s life cycle. If it’s seedling or vegetative, then go with one which either has Blue shade or have purple shade. And for plants in the flowering phase going with Red or Pink light effect would be a good move.

Now, you’ll have sorted Grow lights based on your experience, Grow Space, and phase of your plant’s life cycle.

Now, go with cheap, and budget-friendly LED if Budget is your primary concern.

However, Budget Friendly LEDs can’t provide you with resinous and high-quality yield.

Because, generally, this kind of LEDs are built with low-quality light emitting diodes and would not be equipped with the proper cooling mechanism. Eventually, these chips would fail to provide the required intensity of light for your plants.

It’s important to note here that there’s nothing wrong to go with budget-friendly grow lights for the shorter run.

Now, it’s time to move forward and to take a look at some of the Best LED Grow Lights Available on the market.

Before we start, let me throw some light on a few tips to use it for the more extended run and to get maximum out of it.

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Tips for getting the most out of any full spectrum LED grow light:

My Final Verdict:

Finding the best LED grow lights on the market doesn’t come easy. It takes countless hours of research and comparison – which I’ve painstakingly, but happily completed at your convenience!

If you’re wondering why you didn’t see other LED grow light brands or models on my list of the best LED grow lights – it’s not necessarily because they’re terrible, but because they were beaten out by the grow lights I did include.

If there’s a light that’s good but wasn’t included, it may not have fit into the total picture framework of the article. For example maybe the spectrum and coverage were great, but the light was beaten out when you compare its price to a different light that I included above.

In short, I have zero doubt the grow lights I listed above are the best of the best. Cycle through, find one that works for you, and feel confident that you’re making a solid purchasing choice.

Let me know how everything works out – feel free to reach out via the contact page.

Good luck and Happy Growing!

FAQ:

References:

1. Chandra, Suman, Hemant Lata, Ikhlas Khan, and Mahmoud Elsohly. “Photosynthetic response of Cannabis sativa L. to variations in photosynthetic photon flux densities, temperature and CO2 conditions.” Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants 14.4 (2009): 299-306.

2. Sharakshane, Anton. “White LED Lighting for Plants.” bioRxiv (2017).
3. Eichhorn Bilodeau, Samuel et al. “An Update On Plant Photobiology And Implications For Cannabis Production”. Frontiers In Plant Science, vol 10, 2019. Frontiers Media SA, doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.00296. Accessed 14 Oct 2019.
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