2022 Best Cheap LED Grow Lights for Indoor Plants
With regards to putting shrewdly in your indoor grow lights, nothing can beat the most supportable choice — LED Grow Lights. LEDs are not only incredible for the strength of your indoor plants yet, in addition, give your nursery or an indoor grow a totally lively glance at a practical cost.
In any case, with such countless choices accessible in the market going from little size to enormous business LED grow lights, it is not difficult to pick the best LED grow light for the cash that impeccably coordinates with your necessities. This article will cover the best cheap grow lights 2022, suitable for your budget.
Why Plants Need Light to Grow
Unlike humans, most plants don’t eat solid material for energy. There’s no munching on some chips or nibbling on a chocolate bar. Rather, plants use the sun’s energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. This process is known as photosynthesis.
If plants don’t receive enough light, they will become stunted and experience an overall decline in health. If you’ve ever placed a plant in a dark room, you know what we’re talking about.
The wavelength of light relates to the color that humans perceive. Plants absorb light between 400–700 nm for photosynthesis. Therefore, this range of light is known as photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). However, plants absorb blue light (400–500 nm) and red light (600–700 nm) the best.
Plants will absorb both red and blue light throughout their lives, and a balance of both types produces healthy plants. With that said, the types of light can affect the plant’s processes.
Blue light helps form chlorophyll, so it’s especially important for the early vegetative stages. Red light, especially far-red light (700–850 nm), can help induce flowering and fruit set in plants.
How Effective is Grow Light for Indoor Houseplants?
Artificial light can be very effective for indoor houseplants! Of course, all light is not created equal. Just like you may need to move your houseplant around before you find the proper natural light, you may need to adjust your grow light to find a setup that makes your plant happy.
When you’re searching for a light, you need to be concerned about two main factors: intensity and spectrum.
The intensity refers to the brightness of a light and is measured in lumens.
It’s important to note that how you use the lights also impacts how effective they are. Two factors to consider are the distance between the light and the plant as well as the number of hours the lights are on.
Even if you’re using a powerful light, placing it too far away from a plant will lead to weak plants. Not having a light on for enough hours will also lead to problems.
While light distance/intensity and the number of hours the light is on are both important, don’t fall into the trap of thinking one can compensate for the other. For example, you cannot use a high-intensity light for five hours instead of a low-intensity light for ten hours.
ECO Farm DBL5000 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light 480W
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light is equipped with 1296 SAMSUNG LM281B diodes, the light output is up to 2.5 μmol/J, the photons are completely evenly distributed in the 3×3ft coverage area, and the power consumption is reduced while increasing the power, which is more efficient than traditional HPS, More energy efficient. The slim bar design shines with the latest aluminum heatsinks for better airflow and excellent cooling without noise. LED waterproof coating, no fear of wet environment, built-in power supply, no messy wires. It reduces ambient heat in the growing space for longer service life and also expands the heat dissipation area. LED grow lights include 720pcs 3000K LEDs, 282pcs 5000K LEDs, 288pcs 660nm deep red LEDs and 6pcs 730nm LEDs. On the basis of the full spectrum, the absorbable wavelength of the plant is optimized to increase the quality and output of light by 50%, effectively ensuring that the plant obtains sufficient light absorption, speeding up the flowering time and increasing the yield.
HYPHOTONFLUX HPF4000 Full Spectrum Led Grow Lights
Features:
HYPHOTONFLUX 480w LED Grow Light adopts today’s latest high yield LED technology — SAMSUNG LM301B and OSRAM deep red 660nm diode, equivalent to 1000w HPS grow light, high energy efficiency, 2.7 μmol/J, vegetable footprint is 6 x 6 feet, flowering footprint is 5 x 5 feet. The LED grow light features 1224 LM301B LEDs (3000k+4000k) and 48 Osram deep red LEDs (660nm), providing plants with a full spectrum from seeding to flowering. Ideal for all stages of indoor plant growth, fast plant response from seed to flower, faster flowering time and higher yields. The HPF4000 grow light has a six-level dimming knob to provide ideal light for plants in different stages. In addition, you can connect up to 80 lights through the RJ14 port, adjust the light intensity and time through the controller or the app, which is especially beneficial for large-scale indoor and commercial cultivation.
Phlizon PH Bar LED Grow Lights Bars
Features:
This grow light has branded and high quality parts to ensure stable and high efficiency and output. Aluminum passively cooled LED strips provide strong light coverage without fans or moving parts, significantly improving heat dissipation. Reliably sourced components include UL-certified drivers, Samsung white LEDs and Osram deep red LEDs for enhanced performance. The Phlizon LED grow light bar series gently drives LEDs to optimize lamp life and increase spectral output, providing full-spectrum, broad-coverage light for long-term growth. The LED Grow Light bar series has a variety of dimmable options, you can adjust the light from 0% to 100% or set a lighting timer by dimmer / 0–10V / PWM signal control / WiFi App control according to the growth stage and needs plants and crops.
Things To Consider
Coverage
Another essential consideration is growing space coverage. You need to be able to calculate the amount of growing space that your fixture can support. This number varies from grower to grower. After all, some people are managing large warehouses, while others boast 4-by-4 grow tents.
Generally speaking, lights with higher wattages are capable of covering larger areas. You will need to consider a light’s wattage, coverage area, and distance from plants before you can determine how many lights you need for your growing space.
Take into account that you may need to raise or lower your lights during different growing spaces. Raising and lowering plants alters a light’s overall PAR per square foot.
Cooling
While LED grows lights do not get nearly as hot as traditional light fixtures, they still produce excess heat. Most lights have a combination of onboard heat sinks, radiators, and fans that help them to maintain a reasonable temperature.
Without a reliable grow system, you risk exposing your plants to excess heat and dryness. The heat that is produced by LEDs has nowhere to go inside a grow room or tent. As such, it is automatically absorbed by the plants and other objects in a growing area. Grow rooms should be well ventilated. The temperature inside the room should fall somewhere between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit when the lights are on.
You can calculate a grow light’s estimated heat production by multiplying the number of watts used by 3.41. This gives you the fixture’s heat production in BTUs (British thermal units.) You can also check out this online calculator to determine the total BTUs of cooling needed for an LED light.
Controls
Lights with built-in or remote controls give you the freedom of programming. You may be able to set a timer, adjust the red, blue ratio of your light, or alter a light’s intensity to better suit your growing needs at any given time.
Included Accessories
If you’re setting up a grow room for the first time, you’re going to need a good amount of accessories to complete your installation. Consider it a bonus if a manufacturer includes ratchets, hooks, and/or other hardware with their grow lights.
Warranty
Most LEDs have promising lifespans, with many ranging between 20,000 and 100,000 hours of estimated runtime. While most LEDs live up to their promises, we still like to see companies stand behind their claims. Three-year warranties are commonplace for LED grow lights. A lengthy protection plan guarantees that you are covered even in the rare chance something goes from with your fixture.
Price
The cost of LED lights is yet another essential consideration. Most fixtures average in the hundreds, but professional models can cost much as $2,000 per unit. When you purchase an LED light, you’re making an upfront investment. You’ll reap the benefits of your investment so long as the fixture’s lifespan and light intensity live up to the manufacturer’s promise. Hopefully, you’ll opt for a model that also boasts a lengthy and worry-free warranty.
If you’re shopping with a limited budget, you’ll want to pay careful attention to the light intensity, spectrum, and coverage offered by your chosen light. The right light should present energy savings alongside healthy plant growth.
Conclusion
Ultimately, LED grow lights are the perfect choice for stepping up your growing game.
LED grow lights provide beginner and professional plants cultivators with serious firepower. From sky-high PAR output to insane coverage, nothing beats the efficiency of a LED system.
Once you buy a LED system, don’t forget to look at our Grow Guide to produce the best buds possible.
