The Best Cheap LED Grow Lights (2024): Reviews, Buyer's Guide & FAQs

Last Updated on December, 2023 by Rob Wilson

Growing your own marijuana plant is quite a thrill and many growers do it for the feel that it gives them. If you can grow your own weed you no longer need to depend on dispensaries or third-party sellers or guys-who-know-a-guy-who-knows-a-guy in order to get it. You can grow your own weed and smoke it. If you have some extra, you might even want to gift it to your friends and get your social scores up. When growing weed indoors, one thing that you need is to ensure that you are getting a good LED grow light – and a good light doesn’t always mean it has to be an expensive one too. In this article, we shall be taking a closer and detailed look at some of the best cheap LED grow lights which can help you grow better marijuana.

Over the course of this article, we shall be giving you a detailed review of the best cheap LED grow lights, as well as quite a bit of information about what grow lights are and why are they important. You must also know what other types of LED lights exist in the markets and why are LED lights better than them. Lastly, we shall also be providing you with a quick buyer’s guide to getting the best LED grow lights for growing marijuana using which you can judge which light you want to order for yourself. Let us begin by first addressing the most basic questions about these lights:

What is a Grow Light?

When you grow your marijuana plant outdoors, it gets its energy from sunlight – which helps it grow as well as helps prepare ‘food’ for the plant. Sunlight also helps in generation of chlorophyll and a number of other pigments, enzymes and compounds that are needed for a healthy growth of the plant. However, there’s no access to sunlight when you are growing your plants indoors. In such a situation you will need to rely upon grow lights as an alternative source of lighting which will recreate the effect of the natural sunlight indoors.

Grow lights are set up inside grow rooms or grow tents and help the plants grow. They are placed closer to the plant – between 18 to 32 inches based on the stage of growth the plant is in as well as the intensity of the light that comes out of them. ‘Light’ is composed of various spectrums – the reds and the blues, each of which is needed by the plants during different phases of its growth. The reds are usually needed during the flowering or the blooming phase while blue spectrum of lighting is needed during the vegetative growth phase. There are some full-spectrum grow lights as well which ensure that both the spectrums are placed in the same lighting panel and you don’t have to change the light every time the plant matures from vegetative stage to the flowering stage.

Different Types of Lighting

Primarily, there are three different types of LED grow lights – High Pressure Sodium Lights and Metal Halides are in the first category, then there’s the Fluorescent grow lights, and lastly, there are LED grow lights. HPS/MH lights and Fluorescent lights are both considered to be older techniques of lighting up the grow tent and consume a higher amount of electricity while producing a greater amount of heat than compared to LED grow lights.

Benefits of Using LED Grow Lights

While there are a number of different types of lighting solutions for grow tents and grow rooms, LED grow lights are the most popular ones. This is because LED lights consume very little power when you compare them with older forms of lighting such as High Pressure Sodium lights and Metal Halides. They are bright and can last you for a much longer period of time too. Unlike the older forms of lighting which have to be fully repaired and are immediately rendered useless if something goes bad, LED lights are basically panels of several LEDs and even if one LED stops working, all the other ones in your panel will continue to work, thereby having a minimal impact on your growth operation.

These grow lights last for much longer compared to older forms of lighting. LED grow lights are also cooler in comparison to other grow lights as they run at much lower temperatures. Since they do not carry any harmful chemicals inside them, these grow lights are also very easy to dispose of too. Lastly, another great thing about LED grow lights is that your power bills will be significantly lower – they offer you an output as bright (or brighter than HPS lights) while consuming about a third of the power.

Why Should I Buy Cheap LED Grow Lights?

Turning our focus from LED lights to ‘cheap’ LED grow lights – many people think that there’s something wrong in buying cheap lighting solutions. To be honest that’s not the truth. Cheap lights are a good option for growers who are first-timers and do not want to spend too much, or for growers who are not so confident about experience yet and want a low-cost lighting need to begin with. This is also a good option for those growers who want to buy a backup lighting solution if the primary light isn’t big enough. This is also useful to keep in case your primary light suddenly stops working and needs repair and you don’t want to spend too much on a backup light. Cheap lighting doesn’t mean bad lighting – this is one thing you need to know before you head into the reviews of some of the best options you can buy off Amazon right now:

Best Cheap LED Grow Lights for Growing Marijuana in 2022

Here are some of the best LED grow lights that you can find in a very affordable price point!

1. BESTVA DC Series 600W LED Grow Light

Bestva is among the finest names when it comes to manufacturing high quality LED grow lights at cheap prices. This is the speciality of the company and their 600W LED grow light costs you just a few bucks over $100, making this one of the cheapest and the best LED grow lights. There are a total of 60 LED lights in this panel, each of which featuring a dual-chip LED of 10W each. There are separate switches for the VEG and BLOOM mode – helping the growers ensure that their plants are getting the right kind of wavelength during different phases of their growth. This is a full-spectrum grow light which provides nine different bands of LEDs to help the growers get an almost ‘natural’ lighting experience that helps their plants grow better.

Unlike other cheap LED grow lights, this one actually has a good and powerful cooling system, thanks to the 3mm aluminum plate radiator that Bestva uses. This helps dissipate heat faster and better and also makes sure it does not accumulate and damage the plants or the equipment. This also makes it a safe device to use. When you hang it from about 24”, the coverage you get is 4′ x 3.6′. This number will reduce if you lower it down. The coverage is decent for a small-scale grower who is growing weed for personal consumption. Lastly, there’s an incredible 3-year warranty along with a 90-day money back guarantee on this grow light!

Pros

Safe to use
Quite bright uses good quality LEDs
Long three-year warranty
Full-spectrum lighting

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Cons

More red lighting than blue

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2. Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED Grow Light

Those looking for somewhat of a brighter product must consider this 1000W lighting solution – one of the best cheap LED grow lights from Spider Farmer. This is the SF-1000 which comes out into the markets with a very sleek and unique look to it when you compare it with many other grow lights. While it offers you a near-1000W output, the actual power draw it needs is somewhere around just 100W, which makes it one of the best and the most economical lighting solutions. Another really good thing about this grow light is that it is VERY bright, thanks in particular to the LM301B Diodes, which are 40% brighter than regular LEDs.

For heat dissipation, there are large heat sinks – however, there is no fan. This ensures that there is absolutely no noise that comes out from this grow light. Removing the fans from the lighting also allows the growers to cut down on the bulk and slim down their grow light. Cables used in this grow light have special protective layers. It is also very easy and convenient to use as it allows you to have a direct plug-and-play operation! This grow light costs under $165 and comes with 3 years of after-sales service.

Pros

Lightweight
Easy to operate
Very bright, high quality LEDs
Very power efficient

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Cons

No fans – might cause some heating issues in hot areas

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3. VIPARSPECTRA 2020 Pro Series P1000 LED Grow Light

This is really cool. Not only is this one of the best cheap LED grow lights that you can find in the markets, but this is also among the newest of these lights. The Viparspectra P1000 is a part of the company’s 2020 model of lights which are as latest as they come! This is a 1000W LED grow light which makes use of the SMD LED technology and is very slim in comparison to other viparspectra lights. This light also features dimmers, which is another great thing about it – getting dimmers for such a low price point is always a bonus. The light costs under $140.

The energy consumption is also pretty low – as the grow light consumes only about 100W while giving a 1000W output. It is also much, much brighter compared to older lighting solutions from Viparspectra, thanks to the SMD LEDs. There are a number of built-in aluminum sinks in the light, but there are no fans which make it possible for the growers to ensure they are getting a really silent product. The light offers a 2.5’x2.5’ vegetative coverage at 18”and 2’x2’ flowering coverage at 14”. Lastly, Viparspectra offers you a 3-year warranty on this grow lgiht, which is always a huge plus point to have.

Pros

Slim and sleek – looks good and fits in well without having a lot of weight
Comes with dimmers – the biggest advantage
Very bright new-generation SMD LED lighting
3-year warranty

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Cons

Coverage too small for many growers

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4. King Plus 1000w LED Grow Light with Double Chips

KingLED is another prominent name when it comes to getting hold of some of the best LED grow lights at a really cheap rate. The company’s 1000W LED grow lights are all nice and bright and help your plants grow really well. This is a great product for beginners who are looking for the best cheap LED grow light in the markets. This is a typical bulky grow light setup, similar to the first product on our list. It comes with the VEG and BLOOM switches and offers the growers with a full-spectrum lighting experience from 380nm to 780nm along with UV and IR lighting. It is priced in at $129 and is a decent product that can stand the test of time too.

This grow light can easily replace a 600W HPS grow light while consuming almost half (and sometimes even lesser) the amount of electricity from the wall socket. There are multiple fans present inside the grow light which make sure that all the heat is thrown out and does not damage the product or the plants. The light constantly operates at a temperature of 50°F to 60°F which is very stable and quite cool when compared to other grow lights. Lastly, you get a three-year service warranty on buying this grow light which is another added benefit for growers.

Pros

Full spectrum lighting
Fan for better heat dissipation
3-year warranty
Easy to set up and use

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Cons

Fans tend to make noise, making the light noisier than the two grow lights above it.

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Buyer’s Guide for Buying the Best Cheap LED Grow Lights

When buying a cheap LED light, you still have to consider the same factors as you would when you buy a regular grow light – but the way you look at these factors changes. Here’s what we mean:

Your Use – Are you going to use this light for a secondary purpose? Then go ahead and buy cheap lights. Is this a backup light in case your main one goes bad? Is this a temporary measure? Or lastly, are you a beginner and don’t want to invest too much – if the answer to any of these questions is yes, then cheap LED lights are definitely for you!
Price – If you have read any of our reviews in the past, we usually have price as the last factor and call it ‘last but not the least’. However this time price is of prime importance. Since you are looking for a cheap LED light, make sure you stick to ‘cheap’ lights and don’t end up paying more because the objective here is to save on money!
Coverage – While we are compromising on the money we pay – coverage has to be at least enough to the size of your pots and plants. If your light isn’t enough to cover enough of your plants then what’s the point even! Make sure you’re getting sufficient lighting panels to cover your entire growth setup or at least a desired area! When we say cheap LEDs we don’t mean you go for something which doesn’t cover your plants satisfactorily.
Lifetime – Expect the lifetime of these LED lights to be much lower compared to regular LED lights. Regular LED lights can last you between 50,000 to 100,000 hours while these lights will last you between 30,000 – 60,000 hours on an average. There are some which go beyond that too but certainly don’t buy anything that offfers less than 30,000 hours!
Warranty – Compared to regular LED lights, these grow lights are bound to have a smaller warranty period. Make sure you know how long it is covered for before you make a final purchase decision. At least one year of warranty is expected even from cheap LED grow lights.
Cooling and Safety Standards – Buying cheap lighting does not mean you buy simply anything and put yourself and your family in a risky position! Cheap LED lights, too, must be bought in a way that they allow growers to ensure that they are not going to overheat and cause electric mishaps! Make sure your lights are safe and have a decent system of cooling before you buy them.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Cheap LED Grow Light:

Here are the answers to some questions about LED grow lights which are often asked. Do go through them because you too might have similar queries:

1. Are there any drawbacks of buying cheap LED grow lights rather than expensive ones?

To be honest there would be some drawbacks but knowing that these are cheaper and most likely backup lights which are a temporary measure, most growers tend to buy them willingly knowing that the quality they offer will not be as good as expensive lights.

2. Who are cheap LED grow lights the best option for?

If you are a newbie who doesn’t know how exactly to grow weed and just want to try your hands at it – it is meant for you. Rather than spending a lot of money on costly lighting, you can get cheap LED grow lights which help you learn as well as grow your weed. Once you’ve become an experienced grower then you can buy expensive lights to work with.

3. Is it legal to use LED grow lights to grow marijuana?

Using the lights is legal but growing marijuana using the might be illegal based on your local laws and jurisdictions. Some places totally disallow it, some places allow it with some limitations to the number of plants and then there are some places where there are no restrictions at all. Make sure to always check your local laws before you start growing marijuana – be it indoors or outdoors!

4. How long can these grow lights last me?

These grow lights can last you anywhere between 30,000 hours to 100,000 hours depending on the quality and the company. On an average don’t expect most of them to last you anywhere beyond 50,000 hours – which is still a lot more compared to other types of lighting solutions.

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Conclusion

We hope that this article on the best cheap LED grow lights helped you select just the perfect light for growing your weed – and at the perfect price point too. Many growers get confused when it comes to buying grow lights, especially when buying cheap LED grow lights. This is because differentiating factors are very few in cheap lights compared to the expensive ones. Nonetheless, our list of the best cheap LED grow lights for growing marijuana will help you make just the right choice! If there’s something more that you’d like to know, or if you feel we’ve missed out on something, drop us an email or let us know in the comments section and we shall get back to you as soon as we can. Till then…

…Happy Growing!

Author

Rob Wilson

Rob Wilson is a maverick horticulturist and alchemist of the herbal world. With an uncanny green thumb and a passion for unlocking the secrets of cannabis cultivation and processing, he blends science and artistry to orchestrate nature's most intricate symphony. Rob's journey is an odyssey of coaxing delicate trichomes and potent terpenes into harmonious existence. When not lost in his garden, he's a devoted educator, guiding fellow enthusiasts through the verdant realms of cannabis cultivation.

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