It’s no secret that plants need light to grow. Even low-light plants, like ZZ or snake plants, still need indirect light to thrive. When growing plants indoors, you have to take advantage of the brightest windows, but even then, you sometimes need more.

Whether you’ve started growing indoor lettuce during the dark days of winter, or you’ve run out of room in your plant paradise, every plant lover eventually needs more light. To help you in your search, here’s a guide to choosing the best grow lights for your plants.

What are Grow Lights and Why Do You Need Grow Lights?

Grow lights are artificial light sources designed to mimic natural sunlight and help promote plant growth. Plants need light to thrive, and grow lights give them the energy they need to grow leaves, flowers and fruit.

Additionally, many houseplants can only thrive with artificial lighting, since natural sunlight is often not enough to provide the energy they need.

Herbs need about 6–8 hours of light per day to grow best. If you want to grow herbs indoors, grow lights are the must-have tool you need. Not only will it give your plants the energy they need, but it will also help them stay warm and hydrated.

If you’re an avid gardener, you probably already know that proper lighting is essential for healthy plant growth. Grow lights are an absolute must if you want to grow your favorite herbs indoors.

Whether you’re just getting started with indoor gardening or you’re experienced, grow lights are something every indoor gardener should have. So if you’re looking for ways to promote healthy and vibrant plant growth, consider investing in high-quality grow lights today!

ECO Farm ECOZ PRO 1000W Samsung 301H Chips LED Grow Light

Features:

The ECO Farm LED Grow Light delivers growers and indoor gardeners the ability to stimulate pre-visibility, boost yields and increase quality all season long. The grow light utilizes uses the best parts, Top Bin Samsung LM301H & Os-ram chips, and brand drivers, To achieve higher efficiency and longer service life; The light intensity is higher, the light attenuation is smaller, and the lumen and PAR value are better than ordinary LED. It enables you to obtain a 30% higher output than HPS. The number of ECOZ PRO 1000W chips is 3480PCS. ECOZ PRO industry’s top light efficiency -2.9 μmol/j; This durably constructed LED grow light delivers smooth, even light over the canopy. This kind of growth lamp is a full-period lighting solution suitable for all growth environments (including humid environments), and is an ideal choice for greenhouse or indoor lighting.

Fohse F1V 1000W (277–480V) LED Grow Light

Features:

This Fohse LED grow light is designed to master cultivation in vertical environments of all sizes. Uniform photon density is key to predictable crop performance. Every F1V is custom made to order, which means it is built to suit the specific parameters of your cultivation environment. The F1V 1000W performs best in flowering vertical environments. The F1V form factor is a dual-purpose design. It utilizes passive cooling to keep the diodes operating at peak efficiency. It also disperses heat so efficiently that you’ll be able to bring your ambient room temperatures up, driving critical RuBisCO reactions closer to their full potential for increased carbon assimilation. Installation is simple and the learning curve with high-intensity LED is short.

Mars Hydro FC-E1000 Bridgelux 1000W LED Grow Light

Features:

The Mars Hydro LED Grow Light has a full spectrum for full cycle plant growth. FC-E1000W is specially designed for high PPFD culture (such as high concentration CO2 growth). It is by far the most powerful grow light with a high PPF of 2,766 umol/s and an average PPFD of over 1,300 umol/m2/s. The FC-E1000W is slightly different from other FC-E LEDs because of its scalable flexibility, allowing for customization and configuration. Typically, 10 light bars are arranged on 2 support bars to provide an unusually high amount of power for an area of 4x4 feet.

Key Factors When Buying LED Grow Lights

Location (if in a greenhouse)
A big benefit of a greenhouse is the ability to successfully manage crop production anywhere you desire and do so year-round. However, the location of your facility determines how much sunlight your greenhouse receives throughout a 24-hour period. This can also be referred to as the daily light integral (DLI).

Less natural light increases the need for supplemental lighting within your operation. Adding supplemental lighting can help maximize yields by simply assisting and encouraging crop photosynthesis.

Crop and growing facility
Your type of growing facility is one of the greatest influences when selecting proper LED lighting. Traditional greenhouses, vertical farms, indoor facilities, and a variety of other grow operations require different light supplementation on fixtures that fit accustomed to the production area.

Keep in mind, certain crops need specific amounts of micromoles (light) throughout the day for optimal results. For example, a fruiting crop typically requires more light than a leafy green.

Your growing facility also determines how much space you have for crops. This area, as well as how you set it up, dictates the size and number of LED grow lights you need.

Coverage area
Coverage area is the square footage of plants that fall under a light’s beam. This “footprint” is key to knowing which LEDs you need, as well as the quantity for optimal growing conditions. For example, if you grow within a tomato greenhouse and your toplighting coverage area is 4’ x 4’, you could properly expose the plants in that area by using one L1000 (see lights below).

The distance your light hangs away from your crop also impacts your coverage area or, more specifically, the intensity of the light. Farther away means less intense light and, as a result, slower growth. So you can gain greater coverage area with your LED grow lights hanging higher, but this can come with drawbacks.

Spectrum
The goal with supplemental LED lighting is to mimic the same energy source plants receive from the sun. This includes giving them the exact hues of the light spectrum they need to grow efficiently and consistently.

Visible light ranges from blue to far-red light and can be measured in wavelengths. Each wavelength in the lighting spectrum impacts growth in different ways and can have specific benefits for different crops. Generally, red light assists in developing flowers/fruits, while blue light assists in creating strong, healthy stems and leaves.

Light color strongly determines plant development. So when your crop has the proper lights, you can increase performance, quality of product and overall yield.

Voltage
LED grow lights operate at different voltages. The electrical outlets in your growing facility determine what type of lighting you can use. A typical wall outlet allows for 120V or 240V. Of course, you can change your voltage capacity if you’re building a new growing structure.

Conclusion

Whether you’re just getting started with indoor gardening or you’re looking for an upgrade to your current setup, one of the grow lights we’ve featured in this review is sure to meet your needs. Don’t miss out on all the benefits of growing your own plants — get your own grow lights and start enjoying the best plants around!