July 06, 2021 1 Comment
LED grow lights are an excellent investment that will benefit the growth of your plants and crops. But, you’re shopping in 2021, when the market is overwhelmed with so many products. The chances are you need help in making the right decision.
LED bulbs produce light due to electricity flowing through them, but some energy is not being permitted to leave. Diodes allow current to only flow in one direction, and so the resistance is shed as light. The chemical makeup of the LED’s material determines the type of light they shed.
Some light is easy to produce with a little chemistry, others took a lot of work. A full spectrum LED is actually a tricky thing. Some produce it with clusters of single-color LEDs to emit some or all of the spectra you want. Others have a complex chemistry feat, managing to emit all of them from a single component. This is done based on voltages fed into them.
Some of these broad-spectrum LED panels only emit white and UV light. LEDs can produce white light as actual white light, rather than combining component sources to produce it. Others are more advanced, capable of individual colors as well.
Adjustable Light Spectrum
Unlike other light sources, you can adjust the spectrum for the different plant stages (clone, vegetative & flowering). For cloning and vegetative plant growth stages they require light in the blue range (400–500nm) spectrum. Once you switch your marijuana plants into the flowering stage it is highly recommended that you include a 600–700nm red spectrum.
Since we all want huge marijuana buds, the red spectrum is the most important spectrum. In a traditional indoor garden, you would use a metal hydride for growing and then switch out to a High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulb. Using a switchable led grow light can be done with the flip of a switch, making it extremely easy to switch growth stages.
Energy Efficient
The average led grow light uses approximately 40% less energy to produce the same output compared to HPS bulbs. In a small closet or grow tent indoor garden using a conventional HPS bulb you would need to have an inline ventilation fan to control the temperature. panels run so much cooler so no additional fans are required. Total energy saving can be as much as 60%.
Lifespan
The average lifespan is 50,000–100,000 hours for grow lights. HPS bulbs are rated up to 20,000 hours but their output drops dramatically after 5,000 hours. It is recommended that you switch out your HPS bulbs every 12–18 months to get the maximum output. LED grow panels on the other hand continue to provide the same output during their entire lifespan.
Size
LED grow lights are much thinner and have the reflector built-in. A standard HPS uses 1–2 feet for the bulb and reflector and an additional 1–2 feet between the bulb and plant tops. The average 300 watts LED panel is only 4 inches thick and can be placed within inches of the plant tops. For a very small closet or grow tents indoor marijuana gardens where space is at a premium, LED panels are your best choice.
Here are two great LED grow lights for you, including theirs. Hope it can help you.
AGLEX M240 LED Grow Light Bar for Indoor Plants
Features:
AGLEX led grow light comes with upgraded SMD 3030 chips and 4 efficient aluminum bars, ensuring higher efficacy PPE 2.8umol/J and better heat dissipation, longer lifespan. Max 2.8g yield per wattage with 30% higher average PPFD and 50% greater yield & quality compared with the old plant lights. Only consumes 240w with 448 LEDs, perfect coverage for 4x4.5ft, The 240w led grow light M240 will help you achieve maximum quality and quantity. The 240w led grow light is equipped with an external driver and dimmer, power cord length 76.5 inches. This plant grow light is with special dimmer, can be adjusted at accurate brightness. 0–10 levels available. That means you could see clearly brightness level and record it when you adjust it. Consists of full-spectrum White 3000K 5000K, Red 660nm, and IR 740nm, infinitely close to natural sunlight. Excellent spectrum applies to the whole stages of indoor growing plants. The full spectrum led grow light is with 4 efficient aluminum bars. No fans zero noise design, very quiet. The led grow light 240w is ideal for greenhouses, grow tents, stand racks, vertical farming, etc.
Model Number: AGL-240W-M01
Actual Power: 240W±5%
LED Quantity: 448 LEDs
Perfect Coverage: 4x4.5ft@12”
LED Lumen: 56822 LM
PPFD: 1226muol/㎡/s
PPE: 2.8 umol/J
Input Voltage: AC100–277V
Frequency: 50–60Hz
Dimensions: 23.64” x 21.28” x 1.69”/ 600 x 540 x 43 mm
Item Weight: 9.02lbs (4.1KG)
Lifespan: >50000 Hours
Materials: Aluminum
Working Environment: -20~40℃,45%RH~90%RH
Advance Spectrum 240W Sun Series Model E 4-Bar Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
Advanced Spectrum 240W Sun Series Model E 4-Bar Full Spectrum LED Grow Light comes with a full spectrum design closer to the natural light. Plant exposure to the grow light bar boosts the terpene level. It ensures better and complete plant growth — from seedling to harvest. This high-performance LED grow light works well with plants grown in water and soil. The plug-and-play system is easy to implement with minimal cost. All die-casting aluminum bodies offer great heat dissipation for the long life span of the light. It ensures that the system stays cool and consumers get high output. The grow light comes with a manual dimmer that helps you manually set the right spectrum for the plants at different growing stages. It offers you complete control over the output. This highly efficient LED grow light offers more than 50% energy savings. By replacing your fluorescent tubes and other conventional lights, you can save a significant amount of money. It is also foldable and light. This makes this full-spectrum LED light easy to set up and move from one place to another. The model performs silently. So, it ensures no disturbance to you and others at all when it’s running.
SKU/Model No.: LED-AS-240W
Full Spectrum LED Model E 240W
Full spectrum led grow light and designed for commercial horticulture
Driver Box in Middle
China Driver,Input Voltage: 110–277V
0–10V Dim & Manual Dimmer
Size: 24 24INCH/ 60 60CM
2*2 FT/ 4 Light Bars/ L7009–240W
184pcs LEDs per bar/ 736pcs in total
Mid Version (China 3V 3030)
LED Efficacy: 2.7μmol/J, Total PPF: 648μmol/s
Lightweight
Everyone prefers a product that is lightweight and easy to carry. If you ever want to move the led grow light panels from one place to another, you’ll appreciate ones that are lightweight. Also, they are much easier to install. The most recent LED grow lights panels are designed to look pleasant to the eye and not take too much space. That’s what also makes them light. When you see the panels, you’ll notice that they are thin, which is very handy when you have many of these over a larger area.
Since there is a good and a bad side to everything, we wanted to mention the cons of a lightweight product. If you have a LED light that doesn’t weigh too much and hangs above plants, it’s effortless to move if you touch it or if something touches the cords. That’s why sometimes these lights are hard to stay put, which takes away from the quality of the light over your plants.
Brightness
Light intensity is one of the essential features of LED grow lights. It’s measured with PPFD, which is short for Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density. This measurement describes how many protons fall on one square meter per second. It’s actually the light that plants will absorb. If there is a high PPFD, the light is considered more effective.
People see this phenomenon through their eyes and describe it as brightness. Brightness is the sensation, while PPFD or light intensity is a measurement.
Not all plants are the same, and that’s a fact. That’s why you should educate yourself about the intensity of brightness your plants require during different stages of their growth. For example, many flowering plants require between 300 and 600 umols during their vegetative growth, while they require between 800 and 1,000 umols during their flowering stage. You don’t want the LED grow lights to be too close to the plants or too far away from them. It’s best if you follow the instructions of each manufacturer.
Energy Efficiency
LED lights are efficient in so many ways compared to other traditional types of lights. They use the same amount of electricity but use it sparingly and smartly. They preserve this energy, and while they’re plugged in, there is no energy waste.
These days, there is a high competition rate between manufacturers, so each one tries to create a more energy-efficient product. Although having grow lights turned on for long periods of time sounds scary and expensive, that’s not quite the case. LED lights are a thing of the future, and they get better each year. They use electricity, but they store it and use it more efficiently than other types of lights.
These latest LED grow lights feature an auto-shutoff feature that will help you schedule when they go off and save electricity. If you had to do that yourself, the chances are sometimes you’ll forget and end up getting a much higher bill.
Another pro of these lights is that they generate less heat, saving you money on the cooling costs in the room.
Temperature
LED lights can overheat, so that’s why it’s essential that they don’t generate too much heat and that they have a specific cooling system. Most of the LED grow light panels that you’ll see don’t have a fan, but they don’t overheat either. That’s thanks to their advanced designs. However, there are also ones that heat a lot and can negatively impact your plants’ growth.
One of the reasons brands don’t install fans is because they’ve found a way to create a design that gets rid of heat through heat sinks and doesn’t generate noise. These sinks are usually located in the back of the unit and get rid of the heat before it gets to the plants. Fans can be noisy but also do a fantastic job of keeping the device from overheating.
Value for Money
Value for money is a feature you have to consider for every product you’ll buy, not only for LED grow lights. When reading reviews, make sure that the lights that you’re buying are exactly what you’re looking for. That’s how they’ll fulfill their purpose and will be worth every dollar that you’ll pay.
Also, try finding a product that is durable and lasts for a long time. Scroll through reviews to see how other customers describe the durability of the LED light you’re interested in. It’s beneficial to offer a warranty that will cover refunds if something happens to the LED grow light. That’s the safest way to know that you’ll be getting what you paid for.
LED grow lights have a high initial cost, but they will justify the cost by lowering your electricity bills. That’s another reason why these lights bring value to your home and indoor garden. They have a long life span, which leads to the fact that they are environmentally friendly and durable.
Trying to find the best LED grow lights may seem like a challenging task. But once you figure out what factors really deserve your attention, you will easily narrow down the options and pick what would work for you. Just make sure you get the suitable wattage and light intensity for your plants and tent size. Plus, don’t forget to always check the warranty and what it covers.
June 27, 2024
When choosing Best LED Grow Lights, you should also consider the durability of the lamp, energy efficiency and whether it can meet the light needs of specific plants. For example, the LED plant growth lights provided by Philips Lighting are designed for specific crops to promote uniform growth and improve quality and yield.
June 20, 2024
June 15, 2024
On Amazon, hot growth light types include LED Growing Lights, which have a variety of functions and features such as automatic on/off timing, red and blue LED light combinations, multiple dimmable modes, and flexibility for indoor potted plants or indoor gardens.
Jrozine
February 16, 2024
I’ve got the anglex 240w I’m using it in a 2×2 tent. This is my first grow with this light so far so good. I bought for wattage but I was looking for wall to wall coverage and I got it. We’ll see how it goes. I’m very optimistic