Best Quantum Board LED Grow Lights for 4x2 Grow Tents
Maybe you’re just starting out on your first indoor gardening adventure or maybe you’re a seasoned veteran looking to change or improve your growing system. Lights will be one of the most important investments you make.
Let’s talk about some key factors that might influence your purchasing decision and then we’ll show you our review of the best full spectrum LED grow lights for 2022.
How can I tell if my plants need more light?
If your plants thrive during the spring and summer but struggle the rest of the year, it may be time to bring supplemental light to your living space. Adding a few hours of light in wintertime can reinvigorate houseplants and sustain overwintering outdoor pots until the next growing season. It can also help certain plants flower and make fruit.
Since stressed plants develop problems, here are some signs your plants need more light:
Dying or yellowing leaves.
Smaller than normal leaves.
New pests and diseases.
Tall and leggy growth.
Variegated plants losing variegation.
herbal grow jars on kitchen counter
Indoor herbs like these culinary grow kits need bright or supplemental light to flourish.
To address any of the following problems, do an inventory of your plants and find out how much direct and indirect sunlight they need each day. Use a sunlight calculator or app to find out if your space provides enough light for optimal growth. If not, it’s time to consider grow lights.
ECO Farm 240W LM301B Classic Quantum Board
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light has high Energy Efficiency with 2.7 umol/J, only consuming 240w. The veg footprint is 3 x 4 ft, Flower is 2 x 4 ft. It is equipped with Samsung LM301B Diodes — the highest light output LED available at present, create better canopy light penetration, get 40% higher yields with less energy compared with other red-blue lights. No Fan ZERO Noise, large areas of the solid aluminium heat sink, high safety performance with MEAN WELL Driver. 50% longer lifespan compared with other brand lights. Allowing you to grow with confidence. 4000K, provide everything plants desired in the natural sunlight, turn your seeds into your own supply, produce beautiful high yielding plants. Easy to see the true colour of your plants.
VIPARSPECTRA XS2000 LED Grow Light
Features:
The Viparspectra LED grow light is equipped with industry-leading Samsung diodes to deliver your plants an almost sun-like spectrum, boosting growth at all stages and increasing yields by up to 50% compared to standard blurble style lighting. The XS2000’s 3000k warm white, 5000k white, 660nm deep red, and 730nm IR light give your plants the full spectrum light they desire. The red and IR light is especially useful during the flowering stage, which can speed up bloom time and increase yields so you get the best harvest you can. The added dimmer knob lets the grower adjust the light intensity to accommodate plants in all stages of growth — from veg to flower.
AC Infinity IONBOARD S33 240W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
This dimmable LED grow light is designed with an optimized spectrum and diode positioning to maximize plant yields. Grow lights are specially formulated with full spectrum Samsung LM301B white, red and infrared LEDs optimized for all growth stages. The dimmer enables 0 to 100% brightness. Can connect with our smart controllers to access growth cycles, scheduling and applications. All components are sealed to IP-65 standards for optimum performance even in high temperature and humidity growth environments. Includes a pair of metal rod hangers and rope hangers. This LED grow light is specially designed for grow tents with internal reflective mylar lining for growing a variety of plants, fruits and vegetables.
What makes the best LED grow light?
The best LED grow lights all have a few things in common — uniform spectrum, light intensity, efficiency, high-quality components, and safety and reliability.
Spectrum
A proper, well-constructed LED grow light will have a uniform spectrum. So if you have 4 plants under your light, they all get the same spectrum.
We’ve already touched on the spectrum a bit, but it’s important to reiterate that the best spectrum consists of not just red and blue light, but also infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV).
Full-spectrum LEDs allow you to grow from seed to harvest with the same light, as opposed to having to replace bulbs or use different grow lights for veg and flower.
Is the spectrum constructed of single-wavelength ‘mono’ diodes, full-spectrum white diodes, COBs, or combinations of these? Do you prefer one over the other?
Spectrums constructed of targeted single-wavelength diodes are becoming less common since they are not as energetically efficient, have lower PPFD, lack canopy penetration, and plants can appear purple underneath them. This is more common with budget lights.
White light full-spectrums (white diodes or COBs) commonly range from 3000K to 4000K. 3000K is best for flower, 3500K is best for full-cycle, and 4000K is best for veg. Less common.
Enhanced white light spectrums (base of white light enhanced with UV, blue, red, and/or far-red diodes) are a good option since they provide all of the useful wavelengths that plants absorb and utilize. 3500K with added 660nm red is a popular spectrum. Increasingly common and ideal.
Is the spectrum sufficient for your plant’s growth stage?
Increased blue = ideal for veg (4000K white light spectrum)
Increased red = ideal for flower (3000K or 3500K white light spectrum)
Does the fixture offer spectrum tuning between the growth and flower stage? While not entirely necessary, this can help save energy while delivering an ideal spectrum during veg and flower.
Light Intensity
The more light your LED actually gives off, the bigger your yields (for the most part). So, any high end led grow lights need to be incredibly powerful.
What is the PPF of the fixture? Is this a sufficient amount of light considering the wattage draw and efficacy?
~1700–2400 umol/s per 5’x5’+ area
~1300–1700 umol/s per 4’x4′ to 5’x5′ area
~600–1300 umol/s per 3’x3′ to 4’x4′ area
~300–600 umol/s per 2’x2′ to 3’x3′ area
Is there a PAR map available of the fixture? Are the PPFD readings sufficient for your stage of growing? How uniform are the readings across the footprint (spotlight vs even footprint)?
Can you calculate the average PPFD using the PAR chart? Average PPFD = Sum of PPFD readings/number of PPFD readings.
Is the average PPFD sufficient for your plant’s stages of growth? Veg: 300–600 umol/m2/s, Flower: 600–1000 umol/m2/s or more.
Efficiency
In general, LED grow lights are very efficient. But, the best LED grow lights will maximize your efficiency. Most importantly, they operate at a high level, produce higher power, and maintain a low cost to run.
How many watts does the fixture draw from the wall? To determine this, view the fixture specifications. Be aware that the number in the title or name of the light likely doesn’t represent actual wattage. It may be a model number, total LED wattage, or an HPS wattage equivalent.
Consider about 35 watts per square foot of growing space for planning purposes. 30 watts to 44 watts is a common range. More efficient fixtures may use fewer watts per square foot. Higher intensities per square foot are possible with more efficient fixtures and a higher overall wattage draw. Wattage does not equate to light output so do not use the wattage draw to determine how ‘powerful’ a fixture might be.
PAR Efficacy
What is the efficacy of the fixture in umol/j? This is the amount of light the fixture exudes per watt. If it is not reported, you can estimate using this equation: PPF/wattage draw. Does efficacy matter to you? If so, look for fixtures above ~2.4 umol/j (Fixtures are up to 2.8 to 2.9 umol/J in 2020). If not, at least know how much light (PPF or average PPFD) you are getting for the wattage being drawn from the wall by the fixture. Less expensive, budget lights, are typically very inefficient since they use inferior parts. Knowing the cost per photon ($/PPF) can help you decide which is the best light for your budget. Everyone wants the most light for their dollar, but it is not always attainable.
Quality Components
Given the cost of LED grow lights, they need to be seen as an investment. Obviously, your investment needs to last you a long time for it to show a return.
Therefore, the best LED grow lights are reliable and durable, standing the test of time.
All of the lights we will be listing are from the most reputable brands and include some sort of warranty. This will give you peace of mind when you purchase, knowing you are protected.
Safety and Reliability
Do you require any particular certifications or markings (UL/ETL/CSA/CE, etc)? Most home growers do not need to consider these special certifications. However, commercial growers in the U.S. are required to equip their facilities with UL listed or ETL certified grow lights. Of course, that is if they are to comply with their state’s electrical regulations. If you are in the European Union or Canada, you might require a fixture with a CE mark and a CSA mark, respectively.
Conclusion
One crucial consideration to make when choosing a lighting system for the seedling phase is the amount of light that the plants will require. When planting in a grow tent, you need to provide your seedlings with a light intensity of about 20 to 30 watts per square feet. You should remember that a high light intensity at this stage can hinder growth in your plants. The seedling stage is the foundation of the entire plant life. When the plants become stressed or unhealthy during this stage, it will affect all the other growth stages. If you want your plants to have excellent growth potential, you need to provide them with a good start.
