Maybe you’re just starting your first indoor gardening adventure, or maybe you’re a seasoned veteran looking to change or improve your planting system. Lights will be one of the most important investments you will make.

Let’s talk about some of the key factors that could influence your buying decision, and then we’ll show you our reviews of the best full-spectrum LED grow lights for 2022.

What are the benefits of using LED grow lights?

LED grow lights are much better than traditional HPS lights in the following ways:

1) Economical: LED grow lights use less energy and heat to produce more usable light, so they are more economical and convenient than traditional lights, which will cost you a long time in electricity bills.

2) Environmental protection: Since LED lights do not contain toxic gases or substances such as mercury or lead, they are environmentally friendly and recyclable.

3) Longer lifespan: LED lights use less temperature to generate more heat, making them more sustainable. They are designed to last longer, up to 102,000 hours. Their low operating temperature makes them more durable than traditional lamps.

4) Efficiency: LED lights convert energy into usable light, 40–60% more than traditional lights with low heat characteristics. While other traditional lights release most of their energy in the form of heat and are only 20–40% efficient, LED grow lights produce very light heat and use most of their energy for light.

5) Less heat generation: Unlike HID lights, LED grow lights rarely emit a wavelength of 730nm, so only a very small amount of heat is directed to the plants, and the rest is ambient heat from the panel. This makes grow lights suitable for plant growth, as more heat production can burn the plants’ leaves and damage their development.

6) Better Crop Production: One of the biggest advantages of grow lights is that they speed up the growth process of plants by providing sufficient light just like natural sunlight, thus increasing crop yield.

ECO Farm ECOD Samsung UV+ IR 1000W Dimmable LED Grow Light

Features:

The ECO Farm LED Grow Light is powered by Samsung Full Spectrum LEDs that drive a wide spectrum from 395nm to 730nm and produce 144597 Lumens. The full spectrum coverage gives better results. Available in 3000K and 6500K. Full-spectrum light with higher intensity in the 395–730nm spectrum has been shown to perform better than the targeted spectrum for general use. The ECO Farm Samsung LED grow light produces a 1000W PPF output of 2524.5μmol/s and a PAR efficacy of 2.8umol/J making this fixture incredibly efficient compared to other commercial fixtures. LEDs generate far less heat than HPS and other HID lamps making them perfect for horticulture.

Spectrum King Phoenix 1050W LED Grow Light

Features:

Spectrum King’s Phoenix 1050W LED Grow Light is a grow lighting beast that unleashes 1050 watts of sun-like light in areas up to 6′ x 6′, unleashing the ultimate output for your grows. Designed to hang high, the Phoenix 1050 recreates the sunniest summer days for plants that never seem to get enough light. SK Cryo-Therm cooling technology enables an ultra-thin profile that allows maximum airflow and minimizes microclimates. Optimized for single or multi-tier planting near the canopy. For growers who need the biggest, brightest LEDs, the Phoenix 1050W is for you.

Spider Farmer SE1000W Dimmable Full Spectrum CO2 LED Grow Light

Features:

Spider Farmer LED Grow Lights feature a uniquely designed extension of 10 to provide more even and complete canopy coverage, especially in exterior growing areas. With 3710 SAMSUNG LM301B diodes, the SE1000W Led Grow Light consumes 1000 watts at 2955 umol/s, achieving an impressive PPE of 2.9 umol/J, covering a high yield full cycle growth of 4'x4'. The dimmer knob is ideal for growers to adjust light intensity for different growth stages. The SE1000W grow light comes with a detachable driver and long power cord to reduce ambient heat in the grow space and extend its lifespan. The LED diodes are coated with water repellent, so there is no need to worry about wet environment.

What Factors Determine the Size of Led Grow Light?

Several factors determine the size of LED grow lights used in indoor growth. We’ve listed the light requirement, size of the grow tent and type of light. Let’s see them in detail.

Light Requirement
Plants have different light requirements. Some plants have high light requirements, while some have low light requirements.

You need to know this aspect as far as the light requirement for indoor growth is concerned.

You’ll need a high and efficient light system if you grow flowering plants.

This light is essential in the flowering stage of the plant’s lifecycle. Examples of such plants are cannabis plants, tomatoes, orchids, etc.

On the other hand, you need a low light requirement if you have non-flowering plants in your indoor growth system.

Non-flowering plants need low light intensities because they do not produce flowers, which require more light. Such plants may include but are not limited to lettuce and herbs.

Type of Lighting
There are several types of light, ranging from fluorescent to LED lights. All these lights are resourceful in plant growth but with different specifications. However, the best type of light to incorporate in indoor growth is full-spectrum LED grow light.

They have several benefits tailored toward providing the best conditions for the growth of plants. For example, they have a range of colors emitting different wavebands of light. Besides, they generate less heat and last longer than other alternatives.

It is with no surprise that many beginners opt for fluorescent lights. They are affordable, reliable, and need no extra fixtures. However, the only limiting factor is that they have low intensity. Therefore, they are inefficient in large-scale growth, limiting you from using them.

You need to be careful when choosing the light type because wrong grow light science may result in plants growing below their full potential.

Size of Growing Area
The size of your grow tent, or the growth area will dictate the size of the LED grow light. If you have a small growing area, you’ll need a smaller and few LED grow lights.

However, large growing areas call for larger and many LED grow lights to increase the coverage area, allowing the light to reach all plants evenly.

Measure your growing area first if you’re not sure about it. If you have not yet decided on the growing area, first determine the size of the plants you want to grow.

Larger and tall plants need large grow areas, while small and short plants are comfortable in small growing areas.

LED Grow Light Size Vs. Coverage
LED grow lights, like any other light, have a limit on the extent of the light coverage. The extent of how far your LED light will cover depends on its size. For instance, a small 150W LED light only covers 2 x 2 feet, while a large 1000 Watt LED grow light can cover up to 5 x 5 feet.

These figures should guide you in approximating the size and number of LED grow lights you need for your project. For example, say you have a 200sq. Ft growing area and you have the 1000W LED grow lights and 150W LED grow lights.

For the 1000W light, you’ll need eight bulbs (200/25=8), while for the 150W LED grow light, you’ll need fifty bulbs (200/4=50). Thus, opting for the 1000W LED grow lights would be a better option than the 150W one.

However, the accuracy of these settings can be wanting. Despite having the same wattage specifications, Grow lights do have different maximum coverage.

Conclusion

Indoor gardening is slowly gaining popularity, as is the equipment required. Previously, you could only grow plants and fruits in your background that fit your surroundings. But now, technological advancements have brought a number of devices that can help you grow a wide variety of plants even if you don’t have enough light around you.

One such device is an LED grow light, which allows you to build your own grow platform and provide plenty of light. To avoid confusion due to the number of different options and their different properties, we have listed the best options for you. You should also refer to our buying guide to choose the best option for your preferred app.