Top 3 Best Small Grow Tents for Beginners in 2022
Grow tents are a terrific investment for growing plants, but it could get confusing to buy something that suits you with so many options out there.
From experience, we admit that nothing is as frustrating as unboxing a grow tent only to find out that you were better off without one. Money wasted.
So, how do you choose something that provides value? And, hopefully, lasts long as well?
First, you need to make sure that the grow tent you buy to grow your plants suits your space and objectives and, more importantly, provides a healthy environment for your plants to grow.
In this article, we will show you how to choose the best grow tents. And, to make it easier, we will also showcase the best grow tents.
Let’s get started.
Pros of Growing Plants in a Grow Tent
Relatively Cheap — Prices are around $70–150 for your average grow tent. Setting up a grow space to have all the same characteristics (reflective walls, air-tight vents, light proof, a waterproof tray at the bottom to catch spilled water, etc.) can easily cost the same amount or more. Plus it’s difficult to DIY a space so that it works as well as a grow tent (which has been designed for this purpose) and it will often take more time, planning and effort than simply buying a pre-made tent.
Easy & Quick to Set Up — Assembling your grow tent and getting completely set up to start growing will take about an afternoon and can be done by just about anyone.
Stealth — A grow tent prevents smells and light from escaping the tent when set up properly, and can be tucked away in a big closet or the corner of a room without necessarily drawing a whole lot of attention.
Perpetual Harvest — Grow tents work very well if you want to keep two separate grow spaces, for example if you wanted a separate vegetative and flowering chamber for a perpetual harvest. Grow tents create a completely self-enclosed environment that can be managed separately.
Helps Prevent Bugs — The intake holes of most grow tents are covered with mesh, which allow air to pass but stops many insects. This helps prevent incidental bugs like spiders or carpenter beetles from getting to your plants. A grow tent with strong grow lights is also a pretty hot and inhospitable environment for many plants pests!
Keeps Buds Clean — In addition to preventing bugs from getting on your plants, the mesh intake holes help keep out dust and impurities. The sticky trichomes on plants buds are surprisingly good at holding on to fibers, animal hair and anything that floats by. A surprising amount of random debris can get onto your buds even if you keep your grow room pristine. A grow tent helps keep buds clean and looking good!
ECO Farm 2*2FT(24*24*55inch) Hydroponic Indoor Grow Tent
Features:
This ECO farm grow tent uses strictly high-density 600D diamond mylar canvas, the hydroponic mylar grow tent blocks all light from escaping and is lined with 96% reflective mylar to maximize the light source you set up effectively. The smooth and durable zipper allows you to easily open and close the grow tent’s door multiple times. The black-lined zipper design with double stitching makes it more tear-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about light passing through the zipper and fabric seams. The front window is a great addition as it amplifies the plant’s energy store by filtering white light. So you can inspect your plants without affecting yours. You don’t need to open the whole thing to take a peek.
Features:
Coolgrows grow tents block all light from escaping. Inside, the 99% reflective Mylar lining provides an efficient lighting setup for any power configuration, increasing the intensity of your grow lights and keeping the heat in, keeping your grow room at the right temperature for plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables to thrive. The Coolgrows Hydroponic Indoor Grow Tent features heavy-duty zippers and double stitching for lightweight protection, ensuring durability and long-lasting use. They use peva eco-friendly material and do not contain PVC. 600D thick tent material, metal pole reinforcement, to ensure safety and stability. Whether you’re looking to set up an indoor garden in an apartment, condo, or any rental space, this is an excellent hydroponic grow light kit system starter.
Features:
VIVOSUN Hydroponic Mylar Grow Tent is made of high-quality 600D Oxford canvas, lined with a reinforced PE layer and 100% reflective mylar walls, which can effectively block all light leakage and improve the output efficiency of the setup; the zipper part is also upgraded to the black inner lining to prevent light from entering the tent; no additional flaps or tape required, you can simply zip up to create a light-tight, sealed environment. The indoor grow tent is supported by sturdy metal poles, top poles, and tool-less corner connectors to securely lock the structure in place; the top boom can hold up to 100 lbs. Each one can meet your different gear requirements; high-quality 340g high-density fabric is waterproof, tear-resistant and double-stitched to block light effectively, while the inner lining is made of PE material and mylar wall design, which is perfect for your Plants are safer.
How To Choose Grow Tents?
How do you even choose a grow tent that fits your room with so many options out there? Plus, how do you determine the size? Imagine purchasing a 10 x 10 grow tent for a 10 x 6 room — makes no sense, right?
So, you should consider a few factors before clicking that buy button.
Size
The primary factor when choosing a grow tent, as you may have known by now, is the size. So before you decide something, make sure you measure your room where you intend to place the grow tent.
Remember, the size of the grow tent should be smaller than the room. This seems very obvious, but many growers simply purchase large or small grow tents before measuring their room. Whether it happens due to over-excitement or a gross miscalculation, the result is that the grow tent is of no use to you.
In addition, set aside some space that allows you to tend to your garden freely. For example, many growers use training techniques including LST and ScrOG that can be only possible if you have the space to walk around. Typically, growers keep their grow tents in the corner of the room to have enough space to do anything, including watering the plants.
In addition, you should consider the size of your plants before purchasing a grow tent. Why? For example, if you plan to grow tall plants like Sativas but purchase a grow tent measuring 5' in height, you’ll have issues soon.
Needless to say, the amount of plants you want to grow also needs to be considered. For example, some grow tents are perfect for growing just one to two plants, whereas bigger grow tents allow you to grow more plants.
The type and size of your containers also matter when you ponder over the size of the grow tent. For example, you can grow several plants in small containers or just a few plants in big containers.
However, don’t choose a grow tent depending on that alone. For instance, a company may advertise that the grow tent holds five plants, but how do you know the size? Are they big or small plants? What about the size of the containers? These factors are all subjective, so you’ll have to look at the size of the grow tent to conclude.
When a company advertises that a grow tent can hold five plants, you can’t depend on it because container types and sizes are subjective.
Last but not least, think about how you want to harvest the plants. Are you the type of grower who wants to grow vegetative and flowering plants separately? Do you want to clone your plants and keep them away from the mother plant? Are you looking for perpetual harvests?
Growers looking for perpetual harvests will want two grow tents for their projects. In addition, if you are the type of grower who occasionally experiments with his plants, you’ll need at least two grow tents. Finally, some like to keep a separate grow tent for drying and curing purposes.
For these reasons, it is tough for anyone to determine the kind of grow tent you should choose. In addition, your room may be very different from others, so grow tents that work for other growers may not work for you and vice versa. Therefore, you should consider all recommendations with a pinch of salt. Ultimately, only you will be able to measure your room after considering the factors mentioned above to purchase a grow tent that suits you.
Capacity
Another factor you should keep in mind while purchasing a grow tent is its capacity or limit to hold the equipment. Pay attention to the type of frames the manufacturer uses. Do not go for cheap plastic frames that break frequently. You need grow tents with frames that have fasteners to secure everything under one big structure.
Typically, you need steel frames to hold your lights hanging from the top. Some grow lights weigh about 2 pounds, whereas others may even weigh 4 pounds, so make sure you consider the weight of the lighting equipment before choosing a grow tent.
Grow tent manufacturers offer this information as the “weight rating” — go check it out! If you have a grow tent that struggles to hold weight, it’s best to add additional bars to support the weight. Or you will have to find alternative methods to hang some equipment like the carbon filters.
Thickness
Strong tents usually come up with thick fabric or canvas to enclose the tent. The fabric’s thread count also indicates the strength, meaning the higher the count, the better the fabric.
In addition, the stronger the fabric, the more durable it is. Finally, you want a grow tent that lasts a few years. Sure, they may be slightly more expensive but imagine investing in a grow tent every two years — you won’t appreciate it. Therefore, look for grow tents with thick material to resist wear and tear. Plus, thick fabric prevents light leaks.
Conclusion
There are hundreds of grow tents available in the market, and these are just a few of the top-rated ones. Look at which one suits your space, preferences, and grow objectives, and choose that.
Whichever you choose, just make sure the grow tent can handle your equipment, offer a light-tight seal, and last you at least a few years.
Lastly, we recommend staying clear of generic grow tents — they are full of problems. High-quality grow tents are worth the money and you will get excellent yields that will make up for your investment.
