The wonderful world of grow lights. It’s fun, it’s complex, and there’s a lot to understand.

For starters, learning about the different types of grow lights, their effects on your plants (not to mention your energy bills), and how to get your crops to do what you want can be overwhelming.

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be. All those acronyms that don’t seem to fit you will quickly become your second language; allowing you to manipulate your planting space for the most beautiful and tasty plants.

To help those who are just starting out, or those looking to brush up on their knowledge, we’ve created The Ultimate Guide to Grow Lights.

How do I know if my lights are the right fit?

In case you didn’t know, light comes in different colors. For example, daylight consists of all the colors in the rainbow spectrum, which are needed for plant growth. However, for maximum indoor growing, you want to reproduce mostly blue and red, with an ideal ratio of five parts red to one part blue. However, you do want some of these other colors too.

So when you’re shopping for indoor grow lights, look out for those that are full-spectrum or mostly red and blue.

ECO Farm ECO Z Lite 750W LED Grow Light

Features:

This ECO Farm LED grow light features an 8-bar design for more even and complete canopy coverage. Equipped with high efficiency diodes with extremely low thermal resistance. Grow lights are flicker-free and dim, with a lifespan of 50,000 hours. LED grow lights consume 750 watts at 2069 µmol/s for a satisfactory PPE of 2.8 µmol/J, ideal for 6 x 6 ft. plant areas or 5 x 5 ft. flowering areas. Each full spectrum LED grow light uses a custom made 2100 diodes. The abundance of wavelength types is consistent with the spectral range of plant photosynthesis. It concentrates specific wavelengths of light to illuminate crops evenly, controlling plant height and plant nutrients.

EYE HORTILUX Ascend LED 700-ES Grow Light

Features:

EYE HORTILUX LED uses upgraded SMD LED technology, which can save energy up to 50% compared to other HPS grow lights. It can provide strong light output and uniform penetration to achieve higher output. It is with incredible power and light that can cultivate healthier plants from beginning to end. Compared with other ordinary lighting equipment, LED grow lights are gentler and will not scorch seedlings. Use plant growth lights to improve productivity. The shell is made of sturdy aluminum alloy, fast heat dissipation, high performance. Built-in dimmer switch, simple and convenient. The nine-position dial will allow you to set the level you want for the stage of growing you are in. Adjust to a suitable position to adapt to the different growth cycles of plants. This full-spectrum lamp is infinitely close to natural sunlight, very suitable for the entire stage of indoor plant growth.

Spectrum King Phoenix 680W LED Grow Light

Features:

The Spectrum King LED grow light is the new LED standard for a 1:1 1000W DE HPS replacement that consumes 36% less power while offering the highest reliability in the industry. SK Cryo-Therm cooling technology enables an ultra-thin profile that maximizes airflow and minimizes microclimates. This grow light is optimized for single or multi-level planting close to the canopy. Many growers are switching from heat-generating HPS lights to ultra-high performance LED strip lights. SonoFarm LED grow lights utilize the latest technologies on the market — from intensive research for optimum performance, to customising the spectrum for the highest possible yield.

What to Look for When Buying LED Grow Lights

With so many different LED grow lights on the market, it can be difficult to know which one is best for your needs. Here are all the things to look at and consider when buying LED grow lights:

Light Spectrum
All colors of the electromagnetic spectrum are present in natural sunlight. Some LED lights can only reproduce specific color frequencies, whereas full-spectrum white LED lights produce all the hues required for each stage of the plant growth process.

For example, blue light stimulates plant growth in its early stages. It is the first color that plants can absorb when they are in their vegetative state.

Next, purple light is used in the vegetative state as well, but it is less effective for photosynthesis than blue light.

Red light is important for flowering and helps plants grow in their last stages. While white light encompasses the entire color spectrum. It can help at every stage of development when used on its own.

Light Intensity
When it comes to light intensity, there are two approaches. The first is photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), also known as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) (PPFD).

This is important because it indicates the amount of light absorbed by plants from the LED grow lamp. When looking for a grow light, compare how much light your plant requires to the intensity of the PPF or PPFD.

The other way to look at grow lights is through lumens, which measure how much visible light they give off.

Coverage
Grow lights typically provide measurements for the amount of vegetative and flowering coverage they provide. Make sure the light you choose gives off the right amount of light and covers the area you want to grow in, like an indoor garden space or grow tent.

Adjustability
Several aspects of your LED grow light should be adjustable. The first consideration is color. Many of today’s LED grow lights are equipped with programmable settings that allow them to emit light of varying color wavelengths. This allows you to regulate the types of lights at various ratios for plants at various stages of their life cycles.

In addition to being able to change the color of their lights, LED growers usually have knobs that let them change the brightness of their bulbs for the best intensity of light.

You can also adjust how close the lights are to your plants by adjusting the length of the rope or chain that they are hanging from. This allows you to move the lights closer or further away from your plants.

Other Factors
Other factors to consider as you look for the best led grow light is the length of the power cord, whether or not it has a built-in timer and the lifespan of the lights.

Conclusion

Full-spectrum LED grow lights are one of the most exciting breakthroughs in lighting technology.

From photosynthetically active radiation-rich light to dramatically lower electricity bills — full-spectrum LED systems are the perfect solution for beginners and professional indoor growers alike.