Light-emitting diodes (LED) have changed the world, especially in the hydroponic sector. The main reason for this is they are that they’re energy-efficient, have an incredible lifespan, emit little to no heat, and cast light over a large area.

Combine all these elements, and you can see precisely why they’ve taken over the grow-light market.

With this massive rise to the top, choosing which LED grow lights to use has become complicated.

If you’re worried about sifting through millions of blog posts, this will be the last one you’ll ever need when selecting the best LED hydroponic grow light.

While you can utilize fluorescent lights, fluorescent tubes, or the high-pressure sodium/high-intensity grow lights (HPS/HID), LEDs are becoming the be-all and end-all to hydroponic grow light solutions.

Just a reminder, LEDs can be pricey and are still early in their development. But so far so good.

Things you know about the LED grow lights

The Color of the Light Is Important
Grow lights come in different colors that provide specific benefits for your indoor garden. Red light and blue light are particularly essential to the lifespan of a plant — red helps plants to flower and produce fruit; blue promotes the production of chlorophyll for stem and leaf health. Some plant hobbyists, however, prefer the aesthetics of white light. White works more like natural sunlight: it provides a full spectrum of colors and, as in nature, the plants absorb the colors they need to fuel their growth.

The Type of Light Is Important
Beyond the light color is the type of bulb the grow light uses. Fluorescent and incandescent grow lights are less expensive than their alternatives, but they are also less energy-efficient and can generate heat that may harm the plants.

HID (high-intensity discharge) grow lights are most like natural sunlight. They are pricier than other types of grow lights and most often are used in commercial grow rooms. This list features LED (light-emitting diodes) grow lights, the best grow lights for plants in the average home. LED glow lights boast a long lifespan, are energy-efficient, and have a low heat output.

The Amount of Light Is Important
In nature, plants are exposed to a daily light-dark cycle: at least eight hours of daylight and eight hours of darkness. The best grow lights for plants mimic this and include a timer that regulates the amount of light your houseplants receive each day.

ECO Farm DBL3000 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light 320W

Features:

The ECO Farm LED Grow Light uses 864 Samsung LM281B diodes, has a market leading efficiency of 2.5 µmol/J, a maximum yield of 2.5g/watt, and an average PPFD increase of 30%, which is more cost-effective than other similar lights. Consuming only 320W, it perfectly covers the 3x3 growth space. The waterproof wide 4-LED light bar provides more even canopy coverage, and the strip light design and aluminum on the back contribute to better airflow and good heat dissipation. This LED grow light is very suitable for commercial LED grow light, DBL3000 dimmable grow light with daisy chain, can connect up to 15 lights, the master light provides great convenience for your planting! With Enhanced High Intensity Spectrum (480pcs 3000K Warm White LED, 188pcs 5000K White LED, 192pcs 660nm Deep Red LED) Ideal for Vegetable Blossom, Light for Density Buds, Widely Applicable for Full Cycle Commercial, Home, Grow Tent, grow room, hydroponics, soil growing.

LEX Grow Mini 300W Commercial LED Grow Light

Features:

The Lex Grow LED grow light puts off a high intensity full spectrum light designed to replace any 600w HPS on the market with a highly efficient alternative. Using only 300 watts, this light is perfect for growers looking to cover larger areas while conserving valuable resources. The Lex Grow Mini 300 Watt Premium Commerical and Home LED Grow Light offers a coverage area of 3' x 3' for flower footprint and a 4' x 4' coverage for veg footprint. The Lex Grow Mini was engineered to meet the needs of dedicated home growers. Lex understands the desire to reduce high power consumption and reduce the need re replace bulbs and lower heat output. The Lex Grow line take care of those issues. Coming in at over 2.5 PPF/Watt, the Lex Grow is the a highly efficient LED grow light.

Viparspectra KS3000 300W LED Grow Light

Features:

The Viparspectra LED Grow Light is a device that benefits both the grower and the plants. These grow lights are a beneficial and reliable option for your plants. Other brands distribute too much light to the centre and too little light to the outer edges. The larger size of the KS3000 ensures enough light for every plant from corner to center. The KS3000 also enables indoor farms to reduce energy usage. The full spectrum of this grow light includes 3000K warm white, 5000K neutral white and 660nm deep red, making it ideal for all stages of plant growth. It also has the industry-leading photon efficiency of 3.10 μmol/J SAMSUNG LM301H and OSRAM 660nm diodes. Finally, a flexible dimmer allows you to adjust the light intensity from 0% to 100%.

What You Have to Consider When Choosing LED Grow Lights

Not all LED grow lights are made equally. There are grow light brands that purposely make lights for warmth and heat; there are those designed for its dimming and light intensity, while there are other lights that consider cool features as a crucial factor, and so on.

I’m going to end that debate by laying out the best and most important considerations you need to factor in when choosing the LED grow light for your plants.

Light Spectrum

Another factor you want to consider would be the light spectrum. The plants require different spectrums in various growth stages; therefore, you need to ensure that the light you’re using fits the particular stage perfectly.

Here’s a quick guide to the light spectrum needed by plants per growth stage of their life cycle:

Seedling Stage — white light (30%), blue light (30), red light (15%)
Vegetative Stage — blue spectrum
Flowering Stage — red and white spectrum
Heat Emission
Heat Emission
Other than the light spectrum emitted by grow lights, plants also need heat that differs from one particular stage to another. Too much heat emitted can be bad for both the texture and quality of the plant; not putting in too much heat, however, is as bad.

So, you need to make sure that the distance and temperature of your grow lights are on point.

Maintenance

You don’t want to buy LED grow lights monthly, right? I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, I try to maximize my grow tent, grow space, and grow lights so that they can last long without me having to replace them.

The most important part about maintaining grow lights would be by looking at their power consumption. Power or electricity is the one that controls the voltage and wattage of the light, and therefore, it’s just right to make the necessary considerations about it.

Plant Growth

As I mentioned above, different stages in the plant’s life cycle require different types of lights. Therefore, you also need to take into consideration how fast or slow the growth and maturity of your plants will be.

TIP: You don’t necessarily have to have different types of LED lights and grow lights inside your grow space. Altering the distance as well as the light intensity will be enough to accommodate the light requirement of your plants.

Price

Let’s not be hypocrites here — the price or the cost is probably the factor that we all look into. And while securing yourself a cheap LED grow light is good, it might be drastically damaging to the conditions of your greens.

Cheap LED grow lights won’t have all the features you’re looking for, not to mention the quality of light and efficiency they can give you. So, don’t be too frugal when it comes to choosing your grow lights.

Today is your lucky day, though; why? — Because I’ll be listing 10 of the best LED grow lights you can use for better energy consumption, higher power, and more efficient usage without the hefty price tag!

Conclusion

Well, there is no doubt that using the best LED grow lights is beneficial in many ways, but there is also a huge market where you can gain access to a whole new world of manufacturing. Buying the perfect one can be a hassle, and you have to face a lot of questions along the way.

But choosing the best one will help you reap the benefits and also help you save a lot of energy and money, for which you need to pass the LED grow light review. The best LED grow light is one of those revolutions that not only helps in growing but also facilitates many people who want to try this kind of indoor farming.