Best LED Grow Lights in the Market

Best LED Grow Lights 2024 in the Market – High Times Reviews for Weed/Cannabis

Last Updated on December, 2023 by Rob Wilson

Best LED Grow Lights (2022) in the Market – High Times Reviews for Weed/Cannabis: When it comes to marijuana – there are two types of people in this world. Those who support it and those who are against it. Those who support it can be further divided into those who smoke it and those who don’t smoke it. Those who smoke weed can be divided into those who grow their own weed vs those who buy their weed. Finally, those who grow their weed can choose to either grow it indoors or grow it outdoors. While growing your weed outdoors means you are leaving much to nature, growing it indoors gives you a much higher level of control over the quality of your cannabis, as well as the potency and the strength of your weed! 

In this article, we will explore the role that LED lights play when it comes to growing weed indoors. Over the years, growing lights have proven to be of quite an importance and ever since LED lights have gone popular as a technology, a lot of indoor growers have been switching to these kind of lights!

Over the course of this article, we will first understand what is the purpose of grow lights, then we look at the buyer’s guide: the factors that you need to consider before you buy a LED grow light, and then at the 20 best LED grow lights that you can purchase off Amazon right now! Furthermore, we will also answer some of the most popular FAQs regarding these lights. Let’s begin!

Understanding Grow Lights: Why Are They Important

The most basic thing that one needs to know about growing weed is that it requires some basic elements of nature – air, water, heat, and light! While all four of these are available in the outdoor growing setup and exist freely in nature, the problem with growing weed outdoors is that it does not allow the grower to have any control over these factors. Basically, there might be a day where the sun might be behind the clouds – which means that both light and heat are being cut off – and there might be multiple such days. Furthermore, there might be a dry spell for a really long time and water might become scarce!

Hence, it is essential for any good ‘grower’ of weed to grow their cannabis indoors and under controlled environment which would ensure that they can emulate a ‘best-case scenario’ for their plants by providing heat and light with the help of grow lamps and air and water can also be provided in just the right amount!

Grow lights, in particular, are the most important because essentially what they are doing is that they are emulating the natural light and heat that the sun provides to the plants. Plants need light and heat because they use that to create pigments and energy with processes such as photosynthesis. This is what helps them grow stronger and healthier. Furthermore, especially for cannabis plants, grow lights are of another importance – based on the kind of heat and light you provide at different stages you can somewhat alter the chemical composition of the plants getting a stronger or a lighter flavor in the weed that you are going to smoke! Hence, it is essential to know about grow lights and understand their functions.

Types of LED Grow Lights 

One thing that you need to know before you start growing your weed using LED grow lights is to know how many kinds of LED grow lights there are! Here’s a closer look at the major kinds of these lights.

  • Spread Style LED Grow Lights: Basically, in these kinds of grow lights, several small LEDs are spread out over a large area. There are two further divisions in the Spread Style lights – quantum lights and spider LEDs. Quantum boards, which make use of low wattage LED lights and are highly energy efficient and are good for plants which do not require too much of heat. The other kinds of lights are Spider LEDs, which are also low wattage lights but the way they distribute lights is different. They have a main spine out of which several ‘arms’ are coming out which are fit with LEDs. These are slightly expensive but also offer a good result compared to most other style of LED lights used for growing weed.
  • Traditional Panel: These are the good old trusted forms of LED lights which have been in use since forever! The basic characteristic feature here is that they use medium wattage lights and are slightly more compact compared to the spread style lights which are spread out. Multiple panels need to be used if you are growing a moderate to large quantity of weed.
  • COB Style LED Grow Lights: COB stands for Chip on Board. Instead of having multiple small diodes, COBs usually feature large LED bulbs. They are known for providing intense light and heat and are being preferred by a number of growers of late! These usually come in panels where multiple COBs are put together to provide the best possible light and heat. Then there are also AutoCOBs, which basically are only one bulb. 

Let us now take a closer look at some of the best LED Grow Lights in the markets which you can easily buy off Amazon right now.

Best LED Grow Lights (2022) For Growing Marijuana Indoors

1. BESTVA DC Series 2000W LED Grow Light 

One of the best brands when it comes to buying an LED grow light for growing marijuana indoors, Bestva, true to its name is indeed among the top names in the markets. What you get here is a full-spectrum LED grow light lamp from the company which offers an output similar to 2000 Watts of light. The lamp consists of 200 pieces of 10W dual-chip LEDs, which are significantly brighter compared to the 3W or 5W LEDs that most other lamps use. In order to ensure that the output of light that you are getting is good, this LED lamp provides you a combination of nine different bands of LEDs which make sure that you get a proper full-spectrum coverage. The light comes with two different modes which you can adjust depending on which stage your plant is VEG mode for the vegetative stage and BLOOM mode for the blooming stages. 

One of the best parts about this light is the modest pricing that it offers you. It does not cost you a lot and provides just the perfect amount of heat which isn’t too much! The light also provides a decent amount of light-spread which makes sure that no matter how large the area, a combination of  these lights is going to give you a good output. 4 x 4 is the ideal coverage that these lights offer you. The light is made in China but don’t doubt the credibility even for a second because it is just the perfect solution for those who are looking for a decent price-quality combination on a grow light! 

The light draws an average power of 390W and operates at a temperature ranging from 68 F to 104 F. It offers a lifespan of an incredible 100,000 hours and offers a 3-year warranty period (best in the business) as well as a 90-day return policy. One final pro-tip on this light is that while it is great for all stages of the growth of your plants, it really punches way above its weight and surpasses our expectations when it comes to the flowering stages! 

Pros

Pros
  • Really the best LED grow light you can find in the markets when it comes to the vegetative and the flowering stages, particularly the flowering as users report they are getting the best harvest of their life in this!
  • Keeps it cool: Doesn’t heat much
  • Really bright and provides a large amount of light which is great for the plants

Cons

Cons
  • Some people have reported that the lights grow a little dull after a really long time of usage.

2. King Plus 1200W Double Chips 

A popular option for those looking forward to buying the best LED grow lights for their marijuana growing needs, this is a large panel for those who are planning to grow a large number of lights. This features double-chip 10W LEDs which provide a bright light enough to replace a traditional 800W High Pressure Sodium grow lights and it consumes lesser electricity than them. This is a full-spectrum grow light which provides all the wavelengths of light that your plant requires for ideal growth. There is also a switch on the panel which allows the growers to switch from ‘vegetative’ to ‘bloom’ stage any time they need to. 

What really makes this one of the best LED grow lights in the market is that it ensures that there is no overheating as the light comes with fans built into its body. There are upgraded aluminum radiators which ensure that the light operates within the temperatures of 50F to 60F, and there is no excess heat which might burn out the plants. There are multiple heat sinks on the panel as well.

Moreover, this grow light comes with an average lifespan of 100,000 hours – which is more than enough for all your growing needs! It weighs 6.61 pounds and offers a great experience for the users. This grow light also comes with 3 years of professional service in case the lights go bad and there’s also a 90 day free return policy! The customer service is also pretty good and has a fast turn-around-time. 

Pros

Pros
  • Amazing heat dissipation system
  • Full-spectrum light, good for all growth phases
  • Easy to set up
  • Really long lifespan (100,000 hours)

Cons

Cons
  • Not waterproof

3. Advanced Platinum Series P300 300w 12-band LED Grow Light

Manufactured by Platinum LED Grow Lights, this is essentially a 300 watt 12-band LED grow light that will help your marijuana plants grow well. One of the claims that the company makes on their Amazon page is that this grow light offers upto 2 to 3 times the intensity that most other grow lights offer. PlatinumLED P300 offers the growers with the highest lumen output per watt, which is really impressive. 

This is a full-spectrum LED grow light ranging all the way from UV to IR, which means it is good for your plants throughout their growth cycle and you can easily switch between the vegetative and the blooming stages based on your needs. When you use this grow light during the Vegetative phase, it will consume only 93W of power. However, when you turn it on to the Bloom phase, it will consume about 180W of power – while giving the lumen output similar to that of a 400 watt HPS bulb. 

Moreover, another great feature about this LED grow light is that it comes with a super quiet fan on the back side, which ensures that any excess heat is dissipated well. There are also aluminum heat sinks located on the side of the grow light’s body. This is one of the best led grow lights for you as it can replace a traditional HPS setup of about 400 watts. The grow light, when hung from 18”, offers a coverage area of 4.5ft x 3.8ft, which is pretty impressive for a light this size. The grow light weighs about 13lbs and also comes with 90-degree focusing lenses which ensure that the light is reflected properly. Last but not the least, the light comes with a 5-year warranty and a 90-day money back guarantee. 

Pros

Pros
  • Great heat dissipation
  • Good value when you look at lumen/PAR output
  • Good 5 year warranty period
  • Full spectrum support for veg/bloom phases

Cons

Cons
  • Some users have complained that the company has issues with honoring their warranty

4. Morsen 2400W Full Spectrum Panel

For growers who want to grow their weed and especially for those who want to grow large volumes of weed, this is one of the best LED grow lights that they can get their hands on! The Morsen 2400W is a powerful, full-spectrum, LED grow light which offers the growers with a diverse range of features and options. First off, this comes with 240 LED lights each of 10W. There are 176 red lights, 40 blue lights, 16 white lights, 4 Infrared and 4 Ultraviolet lights in the panel. 

Essentially, when you put all these lights together, you get a combination which is very close to imitating the natural light of the sun which is great for the growth of the plants. Furthermore, getting a full-spectrum LED grow light ensures that you are not required to change the lighting setup every time your plant’s growth cycle enters a new phase. Basically, this is your one-stop solution right from the vegetative phase all the way to the fruiting stage!

There are three lighting modes of various intensities which you can adjust using switches. What truly makes this one of the best LED grow lights in the markets is the fact that it offers a power output similar to that of a traditional 2400W HPS grow light, but in actual terms it consumes only 450W of power, which is a great plus point for those looking forward to buying energy efficient solutions. To add to that, the makers of this grow light have also ensured that you do not face any troubles when it comes to the cooling system because it comes with 6 fans built-in, and has vents on all sides which allow the heat to pass through rather well. These LED grow lights can last you for 50,000 hours and come with a 3-year after sales service and a 30-day money back guarantee.

Pros

Pros
  • Great for those who have larger growing needs
  • Very energy efficient – saves almost 80% electricity compared to HPS lights
  • Three phases of light intensity
  • Wide 120-degree angle of illumination

Cons

Cons
  • Some users have complained that it generates too much heat

5. Apollo Horticulture GL60LED 180W

While the grow light that we saw above this was meant for those who had needs for a large setup, this grow light from Apollo Horticulture is for those who have smaller growing needs. Apollo Horticulture is a prominent and popular name among the growers and is a brand which has been trusted for several years. This is one of the best LED grow lights made by the company and it offers the growers with a 6-band spectrum. 

What strikes you about the device when you look at it at first is the shape that it comes in. This is a round (UFO-shaped) LED grow light for growing marijuana which has a diameter of 10.5” and a coverage of about 2.5’ x 2.5’. Looking into the exact specifications of the lighting, this grow light comes out into the markets with 60 LED lights of 3W each and can provide the growers with up to 50,000 hours of performance which is pretty impressive for a light its size. The grow light weighs 5.5 pounds and comes with a 2-year warranty. 

Another great thing that stands out about this grow light is the fact that it is light in weight and easy to set up and easy to use. It is a simple plug and play setup and it can also be hung with relative ease compared to other grow lights. For growers who do not have large growing requirements, this is perhaps the perfect option for them as it is just the right size, offers a good range of lights and is easy to use even for the first-time growers. Furthermore, another great thing about this grow light is obviously the price that you can get it for! The light costs under $100 and that is quite a benefit for the growers. 

Pros

Pros
  • Easy to set up and easy to use
  • Good for growers who have smaller setups
  • Not priced too high
  • 2-year warranty

Cons

Cons
  • Some users have reported issues regarding excess heat generation

6. Roleadro’s 1000W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

If you are one of those people who prefers buying ‘high rated’ products on Amazon, this one is just the best LED grow light for your because it has one of the best ratings by the buyers! This is a 1000 Watt LED grow light for growing marijuana indoors and it offers a full-spectrum support for the growers which allows them to grow their plants right from the seedling stage all the way to the flowering and fruiting phase. For those wondering about an exact breakdown, there are a total of 100 LEDs in the panel, each of 10W. Out of these 100, there are 76 Red lights, 18 blue lights, 2 IR lights, 2 UV lights and 2 white lights – making it the perfect setup for all the growth phases of the plant. The company claims to have added more red lights to increase the yield by about 30 to 50%

Another cool feature of this LED grow light from Roleadro is the fact that it supports ‘daisy chaining’. This means that if you have a large setup and want to use multiple grow lights together, you do not have to connect each of these grow lights individually to a socket. You can simply connect one grow light to the power socket while you can plug on other grow lights on to each other. Upto 3 lamps can be interconnected using this which cover a wide enough area. This grow light offers a lighting equivalent of 1000W while actually drawing only about 135W from the power socket.

When it comes to cooling and heat dissipation, you do not have to worry about anything because this LED grow light claims to dissipate 20% more heat than regular grow lights. It comes with 2 fans for cooling and also features a big heat sink that will allow the temperature levels in the room to be maintained. There’s also a built-in temperature controller inside the panels. Lastly, the company is great when it comes with after-sales support and offers a 24 month warranty on the grow lights. 

Pros

Pros
  • Energy efficient
  • Great heat dissipation
  • Full-spectrum light that offers support for all phases of growth
  • 24 month warranty

Cons

Cons
  • While most users praise the performance in the vegetative phase, the flowering performance could be improved

7. California Lightworks SolarSystem 550W

A popular product for the brand-conscious buyer, this LED grow light comes from California Light Works, which is a popular name when it comes to the world of LED grow lights for growing plants indoors. The SolarSystem 550 is a product which the company calls a ‘game-changer’ of sorts. This is a 400W LED grow light and it creates light output similar to that of a traditional 600W HPS grow light. What is great about this grow light is that it allows the growers to program the lights just as per their needs. You can set daily, weekly or even seasonal settings up and ensure that your plants are getting the right kind of light. 

During the bloom phase, this LED grow light can cover up to 3 x 4 area while it covers about 6 x 8 when it comes to the vegetative phase when the light has to be a little far from the plants. The company claims in the product description that this LED grow light is great for growers particularly during the bloom phase. Furthermore, similar to the Roleadro grow light, this panel of grow lights also supports daisy chaining, meaning that you can plug multiple grow lights to each other with only one connected to the power socket. The device weighs about 13 pounds and is rather lightweight. It is also very easy to set up and won’t be a challenging task for first-timers. 

Another great thing about this LED grow light is that it comes with a great heat dissipation system, thanks to the two fans which are present on the back side of the panel. The device also has some amount of water resistance, which is an added benefit because when you are growing plants, there’s bound to be water around you and water is a huge problem when it comes to electric products. Hence, this is a major plus. There’s a 5-year warranty on this grow light. Lastly, like most other LED grow lights, this one too offers up to 50,000 hours of performance. 

Pros

Pros
  • Programmable spectrum
  • Good heat dissipation
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Good for bloom phase

Cons

Cons
  • Too expensive for most growers
  • Users have complained of faulty parts and bad after-sales service

8. Marshydro Reflector 720W LED Grow Light

There’s no brand in the world of growing plants indoors which is perhaps as well-known and as well-trusted as Mars Hydro! The company has been around for quite a long time and makes a diverse range of products ranging from grow tents to fans to grow lights. The Marshydro Reflector 720W LED Grow Light is one of the best LED grow lights for growers looking forward to grow cannabis indoors. This is a full-spectrum LED grow light lamp which allows the growers to switch between the vegetative and the bloom phase with ease. This LED grow light can effectively replace a HPS/HID grow light of about 350W. This is a grow light which is a great choice for small-scale growers, as it offers a coverage of about 2ft x 4ft during all stages of the growth cycle. 

In this grow light, there are 144 pieces of LED bulbs of 5W each. There are three sections in this panel, each with 48 LED lights. Moreover, this is the ‘reflector’ series and it gains its name from the design of the setup, as it comes with a reflective sheet which allows the maximization of the light’s potential. It provides light in a 90-degree width direction and a 120-degree length direction. There are three heat dissipating fans located on the back – one behind each section of the panel which also offer a low-noise cooling solution. Moreover, this also supports daisy chaining that will allow you to plug lights on to each other rather than to plug each one individually on to a power socket. 

This is one of the best LED grow light for weed growers. The company even claims on their Amazon page that it can allow generation of higher THC in some cases thanks to an effective light irradiation. The grow light can last you anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 hours of usage. It offers 3 years of maintenance service. Another great part about buying this LED grow light is that it has local service centers in the USA which means you do not have to worry about long wait times during service support!

Pros

Pros
  • Great for growing marijuana
  • Great for small-scale growers
  • Good heat dissipation
  • Long lifespan

Cons

Cons
  • Some users claim to have had warranty-related issues

9. G8LED 900 Watt MEGA LED Grow Light

A ‘Mega’ LED grow light from G8LED, this one is just the picture-perfect LED grow light for growers who are looking forward to buying a heavy-duty high-performing LED grow light. This light claims to offer higher yields and better taste and aroma as well. This is an award-winning LED grow light for growing marijuana and has been awarded the best grow light of the year by High Times magazine for three consecutive years (2017, 2018 and 2019). This is a full-spectrum LED grow light from G8LED which can essentially replace an entire 1200-1400 Watt HPS/MH system. 

Another huge benefit of using this grow light is that it covers a large area – 24 square feet (6’ x 4’) The company uses high-quality diodes to ensure that the lights last for long. The device weighs about 10.5kgs and draws 540W of power from the power socket. There’s a switch that allows you to change from the growth phase to the flowering phase. Moreover, the LED grow light also allows growers to get the maximum PPFD PAR value depending on what height you hang it at. You get 1540μMol/m2/s at 18″ and when you hang it at 24” you get 920μMol/m2/s. Both of these are pretty good numbers for growers. 

The device is shipped discreetly in a plain brown box which ensures that it does not raise any suspicions for those who live in places where growing weed is considered a social taboo. Another huge benefit of this grow light, and one of the things that makes this one of the best LED grow lights in the market for growing marijuana is the heat dissipation – the panel comes with eight fans on the back and vents located on all the sides which ensures that any excess heat is dissipated rather well. 

Pros

Pros
  • Really bright and offer the best PPFD PAR values
  • Great heat dissipation
  • Easy to set up
  • Works great with auto-flowering plants

Cons

Cons
  • You need to buy extra booster lights in order to get the maximum possible benefit

10. VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 600W

Anyone who has ever grown anything or plans to grow anything is bound to have come across ‘Viparspectra’ which is the leading brand when it comes to the world of growers and growing marijuana. The reflector series is one of their best LED grow light options and it allows the growers to get the most out of their plants. The grow light comes with a double-channel support and allows the growers to switch between the vegetative and the bloom modes with relative ease. The VEG channel comes with blue and white LED lights while the BLOOM channel comes with mostly red lights. This grow light consumes only about 265W of power from the socket but it can replace a traditional setup featuring High Pressure Sodium lights and Metal Halides of 400W.

When you hang the Viparspectra 600W LED Grow Lights at 32”, you get a coverage of about 3ft x 3ft during the vegetative stage and when you lower it to 22” during the flowering stage, you can get a coverage of about 2.5ft x 2.5ft. Furthermore, with this grow light you need not worry too much about the heating aspect of things as it comes with high-speed cooling fans and features aluminum heat sinks which ensure that the heat does not build-up and is dissipated with ease.

In addition to these features, this grow light also allows you to plug other grow lights on to it – daisy chaining. The feature is great for those growers who want to grow a larger number of plants under these grow lights. The light supports a 12-band full-spectrum and weighs about 9.5lbs. This is one of the best LED grow lights for growing marijuana for both, beginners as well as experienced users. There’s also a 3-year warranty period that you get when you purchase this LED grow light. 

Pros

Pros
  • Easy to set up
  • Wide range of lights – 12-band full-spectrum LED grow light
  • 3-year warranty
  • Good heat dissipation

Cons

Cons
  • Some users found it too intense for small setups

11. VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 300W

This is practically the same grow light as the one above this but there’s one major difference between the two of them: this grow light is a 300W model while the one above it was a 600W model. This is an ideal choice for growers who are looking forward to buying the best LED grow light for growing marjiuana but in a smaller setup. As we have noticed, a number of growers have found the 600W LED grow light to be a bit too intense for their small-scale setup. Hence, this is the ideal grow light for growers who want the best quality but for a smaller sized growing setup, also helping growers get a better yield per square foot.

This grow light is priced in at just $69 at the time of this writing. What makes it special is that it provides the growers with a 12-band full-spectrum support and can replace a traditional 250W High Pressure Sodium/Metal Halide setup. The grow light draws about 130W from the power socket. During the vegetative stage, the grow light should ideally be hung at 24” and offers a 2ft x 2ft grow area. During the flowering stage, the light should be moved closer at about 18 inches and it offers a 1.5” x 1.5” grow area. 

Viparspectra takes extra care when it comes to the look and feel of their products. This is a good-looking LED grow light panel from the company and it is also fire resistant and comes with heat sinks made of upgraded aluminum. There’s one fan at the back which ensures that all the heat is dissipated well and does not hinder the performance of the light. This grow light, too, like the 600W one, comes with a warranty period of 3 years – which is a decent amount of time for grow lights. Moreover, this is a UL certified product and is absolutely safe to use as it has gone through all the testings and safety standards. 

Pros

Pros
  • Great for small-sized growers
  • Safe to use and fire-resistant as well
  • 3-year warranty period
  • Full-spectrum light, good for growth as well as bloom phases

Cons

Cons
  • Some users have pointed out that while the blue spectrum light is high, the red spectrum light is a little lower than what they would prefer.

12. Giixer 1000W LED Grow Light

Featuring 100 pieces of 10W LED grow lights, this is just the perfect price-quality setup for growers. Priced in at under $70, this is one of the best cheap LED grow lights in the markets and allows the growers to get the maximum value for their money. The Giixer 1000W LED grow light consumes only 110 Watts of power from the power socket and is huge on saving electricity! Furthermore, this is a full-spectrum LED grow light that allows the growers to grow their plants during the vegetative/growth stage as well as during the bloom stage well. The vegetative lights feature blue and white lights while bloom lights feature red and white LEDs. There are switches which allow you to switch between the two modes.

Getting a full-spectrum LED grow light for your plants ensures that you are providing them with lights of all the wavelengths which means that they are getting light which is very similar to the natural sunlight that they would get outdoors. Another benefit that growers have when they use Giixer’s LED grow lights is that the company has a strong Research and Development unit where they design and manufacture their own products so it is ensured that everything is of a high-quality and durable build. The panel is made mostly of metal and the LEDs also have a protective glass upon them that ensures they stay protected from any damage.

Another great thing which makes it one of the best LED grow lights for growing marijuana indoors is the fact that this grow light panel comes with a good and powerful cooling system which ensures strong heat dissipation and also does not create a lot of noise! The light can last you for about 50,000 hours of use and it comes with a 24-months quality guarantee as well as a 30-day refund policy!

Pros

Pros
  • Durable
  • Great value for money
  • 2 year warranty
  • Full-spectrum lighting

Cons

Cons
  • Some users have pointed out that the performance doesn’t ‘feel’ like 1000W.

13. WILLS Newest Reflector Series 600W LED Grow Light

When you look through Amazon, this is one of the most popular products that you can find out there if you are looking for the best LED grow lights for growing marijuana indoors in 2021. The WILLS reflector series grow light offers a high PAR value thanks to its reflective design. The company claims that it offers upto 30% more light and ensures that the plant grows in efficient lighting conditions. Moreover, this is a full-spectrum LED grow light which mimics the natural light of the sun, which is great for plants, especially while growing indoors. The light is suitable for all phases of the plant’s growth cycle. It also comes with a VEG and BLOOM switch which allows you to easily switch between various phases of growth.

While it produces a light output equivalent to about 600W, the actual power draw for this grow light is that of just 102W. This is a grow light which is perfect for growing small plants as it offers a growing area of 2ft x 2ft when hung from a height of 24 inches. It is also suitable for using in a 3x3ft growing tent. 

The grow light from WILLS comes with an upgraded aluminum heat sink along with cooling fans that ensure the speeding up of heat dissipation. There are two cooling fans on the back side of the panel. There is also an option for daisy chaining, which allows you to hook up multiple panels to each other with only one of them being plugged onto the main socket making it quite easy to set up and use. There is also a 2-year warranty along with these grow lights. 

Pros

Pros
  • High PAR Value
  • Supports full-spectrum wavelength
  • Value for Money product
  • Good heat dissipation

Cons

Cons
  • Some users have found the fan to rattle a little

14. VIPARSPECTRA Dimmable Series PAR450

We are back with another grow light from Viparspectra and this is the third light from the company on this list. This is simply a testament to how amazing they’ve been over the years in coming out with grow lights! The ones that we saw above belonged to the ‘reflector’ series of grow lights from the company, but this one comes  from a different series – the ‘dimmable’ series of LED grow lights from Viparspectra. The model name is PAR450 and this one comes out into the markets with a 12-band full spectrum wavelength along with individually adjustable dimmers (Red, White and Blue) meaning you can customize your light in the exact and precise manner that you want it to be for the perfect growth of your plants. The dimmers allow you to adjust lights to 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% brightness.

There are 90 LED bulbs inside the panel, each producing light equivalent to 5W. This is one of the best LED grow lights in the markets not only because it allows you to customize the lights based on your needs, but also because it consumes only 213 Watts of power from the power socket but can replace a traditional 300 Watt setup of a High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide lamp. You can use this grow light from Viparspectra by hanging it at a height of 32” during the vegetative stages and it can cover about 2.5’ x 2.5’ and during the flowering stage you can lower it to 24” and it can then cover 2’ x 2’.

The fans on this grow light are located on the front and they do a great job in dissipating the heat that comes when you use the lights. The fans along with the heat sinks ensure that the setup remains cool. In addition to that, another great part about this grow light is that it comes out with a 3-year warranty period as well as a 30-day return guarantee! The company claims that the lights can last you for up to 100,000 hours which is pretty impressive and almost double that of the average LED grow light’s lifespan!

Pros

Pros
  • Value for Money
  • Long warranty period of 3 years
  • Can adjust brightness of lights of each color individually
  • Long life span

Cons

Cons
  • Some users complain of durability related issues

15. VIVOSUN 600W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

VIVOSUN is another popular name in the markets when you look at grow lights. The company is similar to Viparspectra as it has been coming out with a large number of products over the years for growers including but not limited to LED grow lights! VIVOSUN has become one of the biggest names in the grow lights markets over the past few years and this 600W full spectrum light is one of the best LED grow lights that you can buy for growing marijuana indoors. This grow light is one of the best options for buyers who want to use it in grow tents and grow houses as it offers a large coverage are a of 3’ x 3’ at the height of 32” and 2.5’ x 2.5’ at the height of 24”.

The light features a 12-band full spectrum of wavelengths which is great for the growth of the plants at all stages, ensuring they get the perfect light – almost similar to the natural light of the sun! Another thing that this VIVOSUN grow light has perfected is the art of heat dissipation. The grow light comes with 2 5-inch exhaust fans that function at 2000 RPM and features vents on the side which allow the heat to be dissipated. The company claims their unique design helps it dissipate heat in a manner which is 26% more efficient than most other grow lights. The fans are rather quiet in functioning. 

The panel comes with 4 infrared radiation LED diodes which ensures that the flowering stage goes really well. Users need to note that the infrared bulbs produce a very dim sort of a light but that is how they are and that does not mean that the bulbs are not functioning. This grow light can substitute a 600W traditional High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide system while consuming only 270W in actual usage from the power socket. The light weighs about 11lbs and has a lifespan of 100,000 hours.

Pros

Pros
  • Great for the flowering phase
  • Wide coverage area of the light
  • Good heat dissipation
  • Long lifespan

Cons

Cons
  • Lack of a veg/bloom setting switch

16. BLOOMSPECT Upgraded 600W LED Grow Light

For those of you who are looking forward to buying a cheap LED grow light, especially for those who are either starting out into the world of growing marijuana or are looking forward for a small sized setup, this is just the perfect choice for you, primarily because of the cost! While LED grow lights tend to cost a lot for those who have a big setup, this is just the best LED Grow Light for those who are starting off with their growing journey. This is a 600W LED grow light featuring 60 diodes of 10W. In actual terms, the grow light consumes only 132W of electricity from the power socket. 

The light is great for a small setup. For growers whose plants are in the vegetative/growth stage, the light can cover an area of about 2.5’ x 2.5’, and for growers whose plants are already at the flowering stage, the grow light can cover about 2’ x 2’ of area. There’s also a planned effort into the way the panel has been crafted which ensures that all the heat is dissipated well with the help of multiple vent holes and large aluminum heat sinks along with cooling fans which ensures that heat does not build up and does not damage the lights or the plants. 

The light is not so heavy as it weighs only about 5.8lbs and comes with a lifespan of about 50,000 hours. There’s only one switch on the device which is the on/off switch, ensuring the operation is pretty simple and it can be used by practically anyone – making it easy for the first-time growers. The light also has a high PPFD value which ensures it is good for the better growth of plants. The light comes with a warranty period of 2 years along with a 30-day money back guarantee. 

Pros

Pros
  • Good value for money when you look at actual power draw vs output
  • High PPFD value
  • Easy to use

Cons

Cons
  • No switch between veg/bloom
  • Small coverage area

17. Phlizon CREE COB 3000W LED Plant Grow Light Full Spectrum

Now this is one of the best LED grow lights for growing marijuana indoors for those who are looking forward to buying a high-power system! This features the famous USA CREE COB lights, operating at 3000 Watts while consuming actual power of 629 Watts from the socket. The panel has a lifespan of about 50,000 hours and features a very high PPFD which is one of its key features. Much brighter than the traditional LED lights, COB LEDs have a high PPFD output, in this case – when you hang the panel from 18”, the PPFD is 2522.8 umol/m2s.

This is a full-spectrum LED light which ensures that plants get all the wavelengths that are required for a healthy growth. When hung from the height of 24” it can cover an area of 48” x 48” (4ft x 4ft). There are switches on the back which allow you to switch between the germination and early stages to the later stages of the plant’s growth cycle. In addition that, it takes care of all the other things as well, most importantly heating-related issues as it comes with six fans on the back and with heat vents and exit routes for dissipated air on the sides which ensures that there is no heat build-up inside the light and neither the panel nor does it damage the plants. 

This grow light is rather large and heavy – and it weighs about 22.6lbs. The dimensions of this LED panel are 23.2” x 20.5” x 6.3” making it a pretty large device (hence also the large coverage area). It is made of a metal frame along with a fire-proof PC cover. The grow light can last you for about 50,000 hours and comes with a 2-year warranty period as well as  30-day money back guarantee. Phlizon is a trusted brand which is known for its research and development team and this is indeed one of the best LED grow lights that you can buy for growing marijuana indoors in 2022.

Pros

Pros
  • Very high PPFD
  • Large coverage area
  • Good heat dissipation

Cons

Cons
  • Lifespan could have been a little longer considering it is a bigger investment

18. iPlantop Triple-Chips Full Spectrum 1000W LED Grow Light

This is a triple-chip LED grow light from iPlantop, which the company claims to be much brighter compared to dual-chip and single-chip LED lights. This grow light provides light output equivalent to about 1000W. There are two settings on the back of the panel that allows the growers to switch between the VEG and the BLOOM mode ensuring that the plant is getting the best kind of light during the different phases of growth. Power consumption during the veg mode is 125W while actual power consumed during the bloom mode is 55W totalling to around 180W drawn from the power socket in all. 

This grow light also supports daisy chaining which is a great feature for those growers who are planning on having a larger setup. Daisy chaining allows you to plug grow lights on to each other instead of plugging all of them to wall sockets. In addition to this, there’s another feature of the way this grow light panel has been designed that stands out – the heat dissipation system. It comes with two fans on the back which ensures all the hot air is taken out while it also has vents located on the sides which make sure that the heat is properly dissipated and does not damage the plants or the light.

There are 70pcs of Red light, 17 of Blue light, 5 of white light, 5 of warm white, 1 IR and 2 UV lights present in the grow light panel. The grow light comes out into the markets along with a f feet US plug power cord and a hanging kit with an adjustable hanger. Hanging and setting up this grow light is an easy task and even a first-time grower can easily figure out how to do that. In addition to that, the device comes with a 36 month warranty period and a 90-day money back guarantee! One of the best LED grow lights in the markets, it weighs about 5 pounds and can last you for up to 100,000 hours depending on the usage. 

Pros

Pros
  • Long warranty period and money-back period
  • Uses triple-chip LEDs
  • Energy efficient
  • Easy to set up and use

Cons

Cons
  • Lack of waterproofing
  • Pulley system could be a little better

 19. Spider Farmer SF 4000 LED Grow Light with Samsung Chips

A grow light for those growers and farmers who are looking forward to grow their marijuana indoors and require a light which can cover a large area. The footprint of the light that comes out of this grow light during the vegetative phase is 6ft x 6ft while during the flowering stage, when you move the light closer to the plants, it is 5ft x 5ft. Some growers find this grow light to be a little too expensive but when you look at what you get in return, the price is somewhat justified. The grow light makes use of high-quality LED lights from Samsung – the Samsung LM301B diodes. The company claims you can get up to 50% higher yeilds with less energy consumption!

While the heat dissipation system of this grow light is pretty good, one thing about this is that this grow light works without a fan and dissipates the heat using a large aluminium heat sink. Safety has been kept in mind while this was being designed as it features waterproof LEDs along with protective covers for cables. Another feature of this grow light which makes it one of the best LED grow lights for advanced growers as well as for new growers is the fact that it comes with a simple plug-and-play setup and there is no assembly required! 

There’s a full-spectrum of light that this grow light provides and ensures that the plants get lights of all the wavelengths that are required by them during the different phases of their growth cycle. It comes with the mean well driver, at the bottom of which is a button which you can use to dim the brightness of the lights. This grow light allows you a maximum yield of about 2.5g/watt, which is quite impressive. The lifespan of these lights is about 50,000 hours and it draws actual power of about 456 Watts from the power socket. The grow light comes with after-sales service of 3 years. 

Pros

Pros
  • No fan = no noise!
  • High quality Samsung LED lights are used
  • Large coverage area
  • Good after sales support

Cons

Cons
  • Very bright light – you might have to wear sunglasses while operating it

20. Exlenvce 2000W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum

A great option for those people who are looking forward to grow their marijuana indoors and are looking for a grow light which can cover a large area! This is one of the best LED grow lights when you look at the price vs the output that you get. This grow light from Exlenvce features a triple-chip LED design, meaning there are three 5W chips per LED. This ensures that the light produced by the diodes is bright while energy consumption is limited. There are double channels for the vegetative as well as the bloom mode, about 210W of actual power is consumed during the vegetative stage while 130W of power is consumed during the flowering stage – when both the modes are used together 340W of actual power is consumed from the power socket but this light can replace a HPS/MH setup of 2000W.

The grow light also supports daisy chaining and also comes with a daisy chain power cord which is included along with the purchase! The company recommends that up to 2 units can be daisy chained together. Daisy chaining basically allows you to plug grow lights on to each other rather than plugging them to power sockets individually. This grow light provides a maximum coverage of about 7.8 ft x 7.8 ft while offering a core coverage of 6.8 ft x 6.8 ft. 

There are 200 diodes of 10W each, which also include 2 UV lights 4 IR lights. This is a full-spectrum setup that ensures your plants are getting almost a ‘natural sunlight’ feel from the grow lights. This grow light comes with a large 4-year warranty period along with a 90-day money back guarantee!

Pros

Pros
  • Uses triple-chip LED lights
  • Supports daisy chaining
  • Large coverage area
  • Long warranty of 4 years

Cons

Cons
  • Some users have complained about the noise it generates

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Buying Guide – Factors to Consider Before Buying

Now that you know what the different types of LED grow lights are and which are some of the best LED lights in the markets, let us take a closer look at some of the things that you must always keep in mind before you buy your grow lights. These are important because grow lights are quite an investment and one needs to ensure that they are getting what they pay for! 

Here are some of the factors that you need to look at before you make the purchase:

  • Electricity Consumption: One of the best reasons as to why you should be purchasing an LED lights is that they do not consume electricity as much as the older types of lights do. Most non-LED grow lights consume as much as 30% more electricity than their LED counterparts. However, you must always take a closer look at the electricity consumption and the wattage of the light that you are buying! Given that the LED grow lights that you are going to buy have to run for about 8 to 10 hours every day, you need to make sure they don’t cost you a bomb in electricity costs.
  • Spectrum: Plants need ‘light’ to grow. This light can be of any type and can come from any source. However, there’s a difference between just light and optimal light. In order for the process of photosynthesis to happen at an ideal pace and rate, one needs to ensure that the lights that they are using are full spectrum LED grow lights, which can actually replicate the natural light of the sun. Plants need not only the red and blue spectrum lights, but also infrared and ultraviolet rays. Hence, it is essential that for a good growth of your plants, you get a full-spectrum LED grow light.
  • Heat Output: A pro-tip for those looking forward to buying new LED lights for growing marijuana indoors is that you must always look for lights which provide a low heat output. While heat is critical for the growth of your plants, you must not forget that too much of heat is the easiest way to kill your plant too! Even lights which have a low heat output need to be placed at an appropriate distance from the plants so that they do not provide too much heat. Lastly, a low heat output is good because lights with a higher heat output have a smaller lifetime as they ‘burn out’ rather quickly.
  • The Semiconductor Chips: Semiconductor chips form a critical part of LED grow lights. While their basic job is to convert electricity into light, they form the core of what provides the light to the plants and hence you need to ensure that the semiconductor chips that your LED panel is using is of a good quality. Brands such as Samsung can always be trusted to provide a long-lasting product which will not be easily burnt-out. Light panels that feature a chipset of at least 3 watts should be the minimum that you must aim for otherwise the light will be too weak for a suitable growth.
  • Growing Space: Another thing that you need to keep in mind before you purchase  your LED grow lights is the actual grow space that you are going to make use of. If your grow space is large and your plants are well spread out, you would require a larger number of lights, or you would need lights which can cover a larger area – you also need to keep in mind that the larger the area a light covers, the lesser the heat it will provide to the plants – hence, all three things including the area your plants are spread in, the amount of light that the LED can provide and the heat need to be considered. A basic mathematical calculation here is that you require 32 watts of power per square foot of growing area for high-light plants.
  • Ease of Use: One of the most important things that people often do not consider is the ease of use! Especially the first-time growers need to ensure that the lights that they are buying are simple and easy to use. First-timers don’t need much more than a light which is as basic as plug-and-play and offers essential features like daisy chaining where you can plug one light on to another. You also need to ensure that your lights are flexible in terms of use and you can adjust the intensity of the lights so that it is easy for you to manage the different growth stages.
  • Durability: One of the biggest problems with older types of lights is that of durability. For those who have grown in the older setup, it used to be a common problem that the lights (especially the cheaper ones) would tend to burn out and sometimes even the glass would just burst because of voltage related fluctuations causing the chemical vapors to go unstable. However, an LED lamp built using good quality materials can last you for as many as 10 years! Another important thing that we need to talk about here is the lifespan of the lights – a good quality LED light can offer you anywhere between 40,000 to 50,000 hours of light. 50,000 hours is basically continuous usage for 5.7 years – and considering that most growers don’t need more than 12 hours a day, it would mean the lights can last your for as many as 10 years! This is a huge benefit over the older types of lights which used to burn out in as few as 8,000 to 15,000 hours.
  • Brand: While there’s an old adage in the markets that ‘the brand doesn’t matter’, that is actually incorrect because the brand does matter. It is not just the quality and durability of the lights but also the after-sales service and supports and companies which have a good reputation in the markets are usually better when it comes to repairing your lights in time and offering you proper refunds and replacements as opposed to a random company which you’ve seen off Amazon with like 2 good reviews!
  • Price: The money that you are going to invest is obviously important. A good LED grow light can set you back by a couple of hundred dollars but when you look at the fact that you need multiple such lights in order to cover your entire growing operation, you need to give it a serious thought that are the lights worth it – or would you rather work on traditional old-fashioned lights. However, the one thing that comes in the favor of these LED grow lights is the fact that they basically pay for themselves in terms of the savings that they make you when it comes to electricity costs when compared to older lights.
  • Warranty: Last but not the least, warranty services are pretty important and they are something that you must keep in mind before you purchase an LED grow light for growing marijuana indoors. The warranty is an essential element of after sales services and you need to ensure you get the most out of your brand with regards to this!

How do LED Grow Lights Help You Succeed In Growing Marijuana Indoors

LED lights are useful in helping you succeed in growing marijuana indoors because of the fact that they are basically acting as a replacement to the sun! While this sounds like a rather difficult thing in theory, but in practice, when you consider this, it is actually quite simple. The sun acts as a source of two basic things that your weed plants need to grow: light and heat. 

LED lights help make growing marijuana indoors quite easy for you by providing light and heat to your plants. The more concentrated the light is, the higher the heat is – basically, the closer the lights are to your plants, the hotter the heat levels are. Hence, depending on the stage of growth your plants are, you can actually adjust your lights to provide appropriate light and heat for them. For those wondering what the plants do with the light and heat – they generate energy and pigments which help them with their growth. 

Furthermore, there’s another great benefit of these LED lights – they do not produce so much heat that can be adverse to the growth of your plant. Unlike traditional lights, which can often end up burning your plants, that risk is much lower when it comes to LED grow lights. In addition to that, using them is more economical as well because they do not consume as much electricity and can provide the same output as those of traditional lights with a higher wattage! LED lights are also simple to set up and non-toxic in nature as they do not contain chemicals which can harm you or your plants in case there’s a breakage. 

Why Choose Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights

Here, let us take a closer look at what full spectrum LED grow lights are and the reasons as to why they are great for you if you plan to grow marijuana indoors. We also take a closer look at some of the advantages of making use of full spectrum LED grow lights. 

A common grow light is basically made up of lights of two spectrums – red and blue. You can figure that out by looking at these lights as they emit a reddish-blueish hue and while many of them offer a fair mix of the two, you can figure out the dominant color in these lights if you look long enough. The process of photosynthesis happens perfectly between these two light spectrums and this is why most lights come with reds and blues. However, there’s more to plants than just photosynthesis and there’s more to grow lights than just the reds and blues. This is where full spectrum LED grow lights come into the picture! A full-spectrum LED grow light consists of all wavelengths including infrared and ultraviolet lights. Basically, the final output of the light here would be a white light. 

In the simplest of terms, using a full spectrum LED light allow you to imitate the light of the sun in the closest possible manner which is good for the growth of your plant allows photosynthesis to happen in the best possible manner as well as boosts the generation of all the various types of pigments that the plant needs for a healthy growth. Furthermore, the concentration of light and heat can allow you to tweak the flavor of your plant as well which is something that weed growers love to do! Let us now take a look at what are some of the advantages of using a full spectrum LED grow light as opposed to a regular LED grow light.

  • Compared to the LED grow lights that function only on  a mix of red and blue lights, full spectrum lights tend to generate more quantity of photons which are great for the growth of the plants.
  • This is the closest you can get to replicating natural sunlight in a controlled environment and the plants can benefit a lot from the various wavelengths.
  • These lights are cooler in comparison to traditional lights and you do not require to set up extra heat dissipation systems such as additional fans.
  • Reds and Blues are for specific phases of growth but a full spectrum grow light is basically your one-stop solution to all growth phases of your cannabis plant.
  • These lights neither flicker nor do they require a stabilizer and are hence a great option for anyone looking forward to grow weed indoors as they provide a consistent and constant light.

Get Your Grow Room Kit Ready

As we have mentioned above, there are two major ways in which you can grow your marijuana. The first way is to grow your weed outdoors, in the open nature under the sky and leaving it at the mercy of nature. The weed that you grow outdoors is often a risky business because it leaves it in the public eye for anyone to see. While marijuana has gotten legal in several parts of the US over the years – for medicinal purposes in some regions and even for recreational purposes in the other regions, it still continues to be a major social taboo and people continue to look down upon weed growers. This is one big reason why farmers are preferring the second method of growing weed: growing it indoors.

Growing your weed indoors gives you not only privacy, but most importantly, it gives you a much better control over the crop that you are growing. You can be assured that you are providing the optimum quality of light, heat, water, and air to your marijuana plants. When you grow your weed outside, there is no guarantee that weather conditions will be optimum at all times. However, indoor growing ensures that. For getting a good growth in indoor growing, you would need to ensure that your grow room kit is just perfect. Let us take a closer look at what we mean when we say a ‘grow room kit’.

  • What is a Grow Room Kit?

When we talk about a grow room kit, we are basically talking about all the elements that go into ensuring that your ‘grow room’ will provide optimum growing environment for your cannabis plants. This involves a number of things such as grow lights, grow tents, inline duct fans for air circulation, water sources, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, heaters, air conditioners, air purifiers, etc. All of these put together result in a good grow room kit. Let us now take a closer look at all these elements individually and see how they matter when it comes to growing healthy weed:

  • Elements of the Best Grow Room Kits

    • Grow Tents: First and foremost, the most important aspect of a grow room is the multiple grow tents that you will be keeping in the room. These grow tents are important because this is where you actually store your weed for growth. They have a reflective surface on the inside and a thick exterior on the outside, which ensures that the light that you provide to the plants is received by them in full and there is no loss of light. These grow tents are also important because they play a crucial role in keeping your weed discreet from people as they resemble a cabinet from the outside and often have a carbon filter inside them to trap the odor.
    • Grow Lights: After grow tents, grow lights are the most important part of a grow room kit. This is because grow lights are the primary source of light (and often heat as well) for marijuana plants that you are growing. There are different types of grow lights that are available in the markets – and depending upon your requirement and the growth cycle of your plant, you can choose the ideal grow light. They are important because light is required by plants as they convert light into energy via photosynthesis. Grow lights also provide heat and help in the generation of pigments such as chlorophyll which are essential for the healthy growth of a plant.
    • Grow Tent Fans: Fans are an important part of grow tents and form a core part of a grow room kit. Using inline duct fans that are attached to the tents, growers can do multiple things – first off, these fans provide fresh air to the plants and they take out the stale air. Up next, these fans are also responsible for ensuring that any excess heat is dissipated. Most grow tent fans also come with a carbon filter purifier that ensures that the strong and pungent odor that marijuana tends to give off is captured by them. 
    • Water Sources: The ideal grow room kit has to have a water source in it as well. A water source could be a barrel which has a pipe along with a nozzle attached to it so that water can be easily sprayed on and provided to the plants when needed. Water is essential for the growth of the plant and more importantly, water is necessary because it is in water that the nutrients are mixed and are then absorbed by the roots of the plant. 
    • Sources of Humidity: Humidity is also very important to plants based on which stage of growth they are at and every grow room kit must account for that. Marijuana plants which are at an early stage of growth (all stages before flowering) require a humid condition for favourable growth so that water can be provided to them via the leaves. This is a situation which changes once the plant reaches the flowering stage and this is where growers reduce the humidity levels. This is because when humidity is high, plants absorb more water from the leaves via stomata and less water from the roots. However, during the flowering stage, the plants need more nutrients which are provided to them via the roots and hence when humidity is low they will take in more water from their roots. This is a reason as to why every good grow room kit needs to have a humidifier/dehumidifier to provide ideal conditions to the plants.
    • Heater/Air Conditioner: As important as light is, heat is also a critical part of a plant’s healthy growth. Heat can be provided either directly via grow light, or with the help of heaters for those growers who are planning to grow large volumes of cannabis. The right amount of heat helps promote the process of generation of various pigments inside the plant and helps them thrive. Some growers also put in an air conditioner to generate temperatures which are ideal for the plants during night hours.

Using LED Grow Lights by Understanding the Growth Cycle of Marijuana Plants 

By this point in the article, we hope to have covered everything that is essential for you to get hold of the best LED grow lights in 2022 for growing your marijuana indoors. However, there’s one last thing that we consider important for all growers to be aware about – the growth cycle of the marijuana plant. This is something that plays a huge part when you look at using LED grow lights. Based on the phase of growth your plant is in, you need to use lights in a different mode or you will need to adjust the lights to a different wavelength/colour. Let us take a closer look at all the phases of growth that the cannabis/marijuana plant has to go through so that you can understand how to use the LED grow lights in a better manner to get the most out of your plant!

The growth cycle of the marijuana plant is divided into seven stages:

  • Seed: Like every plant, the marijuana plant also begins its journey in the form of a seed. When you look at a seed there is no way to identify whether it is a male seed or a female seed. However, this is something that can be known when the seed is produced – if the seed is labeled and separated at the right time you can be sure of the sex of the seed. You can find packages of seeds available from various sellers which will ensure that only female seeds are being sold to you. When you talk about the growth cycle of the marijuana plant and the relation of light, there is absolutely no relationship between the seed and the source of light! Female seeds are important because only female seeds can bear flowers!
  • Germination: The next step in the process of the marijuana plant’s growth cycle is that of germination. Once you get hold of the female seeds, you need to soak them in water or put them wrapped around a wet paper towel. If you plan to soak them in water, know that they are going to float at first and sink as they absorb enough water after which they will begin to germinate and begin to sprout. In case of using the wet paper towel, you’ll know they’re germinating when they begin to sprout and the taproot begins to emerge. Make sure the place is also warm where you are germinating the seeds.
  • Seedling: The seedling stage is achieved when you plant the germinated seed in soil and dirt, the taproot facing downwards. It is then that the shoot will break the casing and start growing upwards and embryonic leaves will begin to emerge from the plant. The seedling phase is where you need to begin providing appropriate amounts of light to the marijuana plant. The plant in the seedling and the growth stages requires a lot of light – about 18 hours during the seedling phase. You’ll know that the seedling phase is ending when about six to eight leaves have grown. The seedling phase of the marijuana plant can last for 1 to 3 weeks.
  • Growth/Vegetative Stage: Now this is the phase of rapid growth. You will need to provide about 16 to 18 hours of sunlight and about 6 to 8 hours of darkness during the vegetative phase of the marijuana plant’s growth cycle. This is the phase where the height of the plant begins to grow and the stem begins to thicken and new nodes begin to develop. It is on these nodes that leaves and new branches begin to emerge. This phase will have a lot of growth and you will need to provide warm water, dry air as well as organic nutrients such as liquid fish or seaweed, which are essentially high on Nitrogen. This is a phase which can last between four to six weeks and will see the plant grow to a height of up to 3 ft. To halt the growth of the plant and to enter the pre-flowering stage, you’ll need to reduce the light to about 12 hours when you think the time is right.
  • Pre-Flowering: By the time you hit the pre-flowering stage, your plant would be somewhere about 5 months old. If sac-like structures begin to appear around the nodes of any of those plants, you will need to seperate those plants from the rest because they are male plants and if the sac opens the pollens will be released and the psychoactive properties of the female plant will be hindered. Hence, you will need to remove the male plants and then the female plants will produce resin and fake seedpods which contain THC which is the psychoactive substance in cannabis! You can then begin to decrease the light even more to enter the flowering stage. Up to 10 hours of light would be sufficient here.
  • Flowering: This is the phase in which the buds begin to emerge and you need to move the lights closer to the plants by about six inches than earlier. The light will be closer but the time of the lights would be reduced too! The plants will require phosphorus and potassium based nutrients at this phase of their growth cycle. This phase will last for eight to ten weeks. It is now that we move into the last stage.
  • Harvest: The final stage of the marijuana plant’s growth cycle is harvesting – the pistils that come out of the bud will develop a deep orangish look and feel and this is the time that you should begin harvesting your plant. Make sure the trichromes don’t fall off while harvesting. Cut the plant according to how you want it, and then hang it to dry in a room with humidity levels of about 50% – hang it to dry for about 5 days and your weed should then be ready!

Now that you understand the different cycles in the growth of the marijuana plant, it will be easier for you to ensure that you are able to give it the right type of light and from the right distance. Let us now move into our next category, which is about some of the most Frequently Asked Questions about growing marijuana using LED grow lights.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Regarding LED Grow Lights 

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about growing marijuana indoors using LED grow lights. If there are any more questions that you need to be answered, kindly let us know in the comments below or drop us a mail! 

1. Why Do You Need a Grow Light?

The first and foremost question that many growers tend to ask is – why do you need an LED grow light? When you are growing your marijuana indoors, you do need an LED grow light because this is what will replace the natural light of the sun indoors! Since sunlight is the most essential thing required to grow a plant and since it cannot be provided naturally indoors, you would require to buy a grow light.

The grow lights are needed by growers to grow marijuana indoors because it is in the direction of these grow lights that the stem of the plants will grow and it is with the help of these grow lights that the process of photosynthesis will be able to take place. Photosynthesis is really important for the healthy growth of any plant as that is the process via which plants convert sunlight into energy! Hence, if there are no grow lights the plant will not be able to survive as it will not be able to generate energy! This is primarily why grow lights are important. 

2. What is an LED Grow Light?

An LED grow light is a modern grow light which is used to provide light and heat to the plants. These grow lights make use of electricity to produce light using light emitting diodes placed on circuit boards. LED grow lights fare special because they can provide lights of a large spectrum of wavelength, and users can simply hit a switch to change from vegetative mode to blooming mode. LED grow lights also have a longer lifespan compared to practically all other grow lights in the markets and are being preferred by a large number of modern day growers. 

3. Difference Between LED Grow Light and Fluorescent Lights?

Fluorescent grow lights have been in use for a really long time. They include two major types of lights – the T-lights and the CFL lights. CFL lights, as we know them to be, are the household lights and bulbs that we use for providing lighting in our homes. T-lights are lights of varying intensities which come along with a complete reflector setup and provide a fairly bright amount of light to the plants. One major difference between fluorescent grow lights vs LED grow lights is that of the fact that fluorescent grow lights make use of mercury vapor to convert electricity into light. However, in case of LED grow lights, there is no such toxic chemical involved. 

Another major difference between these two lights is that LED lights are way more energy efficient when compared to fluorescent grow lights. LED lights can even last for much longer than CFL or T-lights. When you compare the cost, however, fluorescent grow lights might appear cheaper – but when you do an overall analysis, LED grow lights are the clear cut winner here!

4. How do LED Grow Lights Work?

To understand how LED grow lights work, you essentially need to see these grow lights as semiconductors that allow the passage of electricity through a circuit. To further simplify it, there is a small piece of silicon with a Positive side and a Negative side to it and between the two sides there’s a small gap. When electric current is passed through the circuit, electrons tend to jump between the two sides – thereby resulting in producing light. This is the simplest explanation as to how LED grow lights work by converting electric current into light. 

5. What are the Benefits of Using LED Grow Lights?

There are a number of benefits of using LED grow lights. First of all, they are the most electricity and energy efficient option that growers have. Grow lights tend to consume a lot of electricity, especially if you use primitive forms of lights such as High Pressure Sodium lights or Metal Halides. However, these modern-day lights are much more energy efficient and provide a much higher output of light by converting a lesser amount of electricity. 

Apart from that, another huge benefit of using LED grow lights over other types of grow lights is that LED grow lights can last much, much, longer compared to them. LED grow lights have an average life span of 40,000 hours – which is massive. Furthermore, if they go bad, they are easy to dispose as well and you can be assured that they will not cause you or the nature any harm because they do not have any toxic chemicals powering them. 

6. How To Know If Your Plants Are Getting Enough Light?

If your plants are showing all the signs of a healthy growth, you can be assured that they are getting enough light. While there are no signs of plants getting ‘enough light’, there sure are signs that tell you that your plant is not getting enough light! These signs or identifiers are:

  • The leafs of your plant will get yellowish and start dropping
  • The growth of your plant’s leafs will get stunted
  • The stem will start drooping

Sometimes, when your plants are getting excess light, you will begin to notice that the tips are getting burnt and that there will be random patches on the leafs. You need to watch out for them as well.

7. How to Choose The Best LED Grow Lights in 2022?

Earlier in this article we explained some of the key factors that you need to keep in mind before you buy the LED grow lights. In order to get the best LED grow lights for your need, you must start by first planning out a budget – then looking at all the grow lights that you can find in your price range. Then, you must also consider the size of your plant – and consider it against the coverage area of your grow light. Lastly, you must also see if the grow light that you are planning to grow is offering the right kind of spectrum. Most grow lights today are full spectrum LED grow lights so make sure you are going for a full-spectrum light and not for one which has a partial spectrum. 

While these are the primary considerations, you must also look at certain secondary things such as if the light you are planning to buy water-proof? How is the heat dissipation system of the grow light you are considering to buy? Also check out the warranty period and whether you can return the product if you are dissatisfied with it. The lifetime of the product is also something that buyers must consider. Most LED lights today come with an average lifespan of about 50,000 hours. Keeping all these things in mind would help you choose the best LED grow light in 2022.

8. How far should LED Grow Lights be from plants?

LED grow lights need to be kept at an appropriate distance from the plants – keep them too near the plant and you risk burning it and keep it too near and then you would risk not providing adequate light to the plant (particularly the lower portions). Hence you need to ensure that you keep the lights hung at just the right distance. The most basic way to do this is known as ‘back of the hand test’. Place your hand on top of the plant and keep moving the light slowly downwards till you begin to feel hot and then move it significantly upwards. The light, as a rule of thumb, needs to be farther from the plant during the growth phase buy nearer during the flowering phase. The distance should be adjusted till you come to the perfect position. 

9. Will LED Grow lights grow plants?

LED grow lights are designed to provide your plants with lights similar to the sunlight spectrum required for growth. The LED mimics the sunlight spectrum needed for every and different stages of growth. These lights provide your plants with systematic daylight for hours needed and can be switched on and off for users to regulate. They have bloom and vegetative mode, wherein specific light is provided to trigger bloom and vegetative stage in the plants. These lights are designed to help you grow indoors, just like you can grow in sunlight outdoors or way simpler.

10. How many watts per square foot for LED Grow Lights?

Grow lights need to perform with efficiency and power to mimic sunlight, and there should be enough power required to do so. Therefore, grow light with 50 to 80 watts per square foot of operation will be needed for the desired result. Lights with below the stated watts will be able to perform for your plants but will not be as efficient. Heat and light will be ideal with 50 watts and above of watts per square foot.

11. Are LED Grow Lights bad for your eyes?

LED grow lights are certainly not bad for eyes unless a user stares at them directly for a prolonged time. The regular use or normal exposure to grow lights and its light is not harmful to eyes and other parts of the body. However, the UV light present may prove harmful for your eyes if you stare for an extended period of time.

12. What size LED Grow Light do I need?

Your grow light must be in accordance with your grow area and spread of your plants. You need a size that covers your grow area with its efficiency with wattage output. Like a 250 watts of grow light is ideal for grow space of about 3 x 3 feet of area, a 400 watts will cover 4×4, a 600 watts will cover 6×6 feet and likewise. You will need coverage the most when your plants begin to grow and spread along with enough output. So, measure your grow area and order a size close to it or order in multiples. You can check out amazing grow lights in our article above.

13. How many plants can I grow with a 1000w LED light?

A 1000 watt LED light is ideal for a growing area of about 7×7 feet and more, and with that, a user will be able to grow 1 to 20 plants. The number of plants will be dependent on the strain, size of plants, and to the extent, they grow. Also, the efficiency of the light and output will determine the number of plants you can grow below it.

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Conclusion

We hope that by reading this article you have gained an insight into all the basics of growing marijuana as well as obtained a better understanding of all that needs to be taken care of while buying an LED grow light. Grow lights are very important for the well being of your marijuana, or any plant for that matter. They replicate the light of the sun and thereby help the plants in growing towards their direction and also help in generation of energy via photosynthesis. By varying the levels of light and heat that you provide the plant you can also play with the chemical composition of the plants and ensure the weed is as strong as you need it to be. 

Buying a grow light might seem like a daunting task if you are a first-time buyer but we hope that by the time you have finished reading this, it becomes much simpler and much easier for you to purchase marijuana. 

Happy Growing! 🙂 

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  • 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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