Best Grow Light

Discover all about the Best Grow Lights available in 2022. We assess their design, features, performance, and value. 

Green-fingered enthusiasts of all manner have aided a sharp rise in the demand and popularity of growing one's own food.

People are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and become self-sufficient, yet for a lot of people, this is difficult. 

Many don't have the luxury of a garden or suitable outdoor space, such as a community allotment, in which to grow their own produce.

This has seen a boom in the popularity of both individuals and commercial entities growing food indoors. 

Without sunlight, there is no life, so grow lights have become an essential part of food production.

Whether growing your own food or growing other kinds of herbal remedies (legally permitting, of course), grow lights can make all the difference when it comes to harvesting time. 

There's a huge range of lights available from a deep stock of reputable manufacturers, which is great news for potential farmers.

This does however make it a most complicated task to find the perfect lights for your needs.  

Which kind of light should I use, LED or HPS? 

How much room do I really need? 

What wattage do I need for my crop?

Nobody wants to spend money on the wrong product, and going through the technical jargon can be frustrating.

To help you out, we’ve prepared a Buyer's Guide and included reviews of what we think are the best grow lights in 2022. 

Buyer’s Guide 

Types Of Bulbs

Grow lights typically feature one of three kinds of light bulbs, which we explore below. 

LED

LED stands for Light-emitting Diodes and these lights often operate at a lower energy capacity than their counterparts.

They are efficient, compact, and a good energy saver, whilst they last for years of use. 

HPS

HPS stands for High-pressure Sodium Vapor, and these bulbs are often used in situations requiring large amounts of light, including street lighting and security lighting.

A narrow arc tube is kept under high pressure, as metals and gasses combine inside the bulb to create a notable orange-white light. 

MH

MH stands for Metal-halide, referring to the compounds of metals with bromine or iodine that combine with vaporized mercury to create light.

These lights have a very high color temperature, and they are efficient at producing high quality light. 

LED vs HPS 

As the most commonly used light bulbs with grow lights, we thought we would offer a brief breakdown of the strengths of each.

LED

Pros

• More energy efficient 
• Long life span of up to 50,000 hours 
• Full Light Spectrum 
• Compact
• Operate at a lower heat - Pro or Con depending on the temperature requirement of the crops being grown

Cons

• More expensive 
• More difficult to repair 

HPS 

Pros

• Cheaper to buy 
• Red light is great for plant growth 
• Produce more heat than LED - Pro or Con depending on the temperature requirement of the crops being grown

Cons

• Don't last as long 
• Not as energy-efficient 

Types Of Lights

Grow Light Panels 

Panels offer the biggest coverage and due to their size they are able to include many more bulbs than other designs.

These are an essential choice for commercial or larger scale growers, though even casual farmers will find strong results with panels.

Covering a full spectrum light range, they are loaded with features, including growth-stage specific settings. 

Grow Light Bars

Bars don’t offer the scale of coverage of panels, but they are a fantastic addition to any setup. These can allow a farmer to introduce light of a different spectrum to enhance certain stages or characteristics of the produce. 

Grow Light Bulbs 

Single LED bulbs that emit a fixed amount of light are often used similarly to light bars.  These can supplement an existing grow setup to enable specialized and focused light settings during various stages of growth.

Farmers often use them in the early stages of growing new crops, as at this point, the seeds and pot require little coverage of light.

They may not be as powerful an addition as light bars, but they are small enough to easily add multiple bulbs as needed. 

What To Consider Before Buying A Grow Light

Power Consumption 

Be sure to consider the power consumption of your light kit. Opting for LEDs will use significantly less energy over a longer period of time, though the usage depends on what your crops are.  

Some crops require a great deal more light, and you may find that the lights are on most hours of the day and night. Even with cheaper LED bulbs, this amount of use could send your bills skyrocketing.  

Be sure to monitor the energy rates when possible to see how much the lights are using on average. Dimming knobs and programmable schedules can help you stay on top of the power consumption. 

Spectrum 

Check out the listed Light spectrum before making any purchase. The actual range needed will again depend on the kind of crops you are growing.

Some require only a small range of light, whilst others will greatly benefit from a fully loaded light spectrum. 

Full Spectrum light should include white, red, blue, orange, and infrared lights. Use light bars or light bulbs to increase the range of light if your main lights are lacking. 

Wattage

Look at a grow light's wattage for an indication of its power and how much light it is capable of producing. Be sure to find out what lighting power works best with the different crops you intend to grow.

This will ensure you have enough power for your needs and don't end up spending more money on a more powerful kit that you don't need. 

Coverage

Consider the intended size of your grow setup before committing to a purchase. If you have the good fortune to have significant space, then creating a larger setup will allow for growing a greater variety of products, as well as encouraging greater yields. 

If you are lacking the space or appropriate structures to hand panel lights, consider investing in a grow tent. These offer fantastic light retention as well as all kinds of additional features including improved ventilation. 

Adjustable Settings

Many kits will allow for adjustable settings and hands-on programming.

Being able to set the time and intensity of the light is essential in ensuring a well-managed and productive harvest.

Self-timers and dimmers make this far easier and reduce the risk of any mismanagement of crops. 

For those using light panels, adjustable ropes and cables will allow the light to move with the crop's progress, ensuring balanced coverage through all stages.

It also makes the process a little less hands on, which can be great when you're short on time. 

Installation 

Light bulbs and light bars take up little space, so these are a popular choice for those with smaller growing areas.

They are also simple to install and use, as they only require plugging in. They can be either freestanding or clip onto a table or similar surface, as well as onto bars inside grow tents.

Those aiming to use panels will be aware of the considerable task this could be.

As these require fixing securely to the ceiling, be sure to follow advice from a knowledgeable friend or bring in outside assistance for the installation to go smoothly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Bulbs Are Best For Flowering?

Many experienced growers favor using a combination of both HPS and MH Bulbs within their grow set-ups.

Typically, farmers find that MH grow lights are especially effective with vegetable growth, and HPS grow lights work particularly well with the flowering stage. 

How Much Space Do I Need To Grow My Crops?

This depends entirely on the kind of farming you intend to do. As you will see from exploring the growing lights, they come in a vast range of sizes.

It’s possible to start growing with only some seeds and a plant pot, whilst using light bulbs or light bars can give your crops a much-needed light boost.

Not everyone will have the space to hang panel lights from a ceiling or inside a grow tent, so don't let that put you off starting.

Many start out with a small bulb or bar set up and then progress to panels once they have elevated their farming knowledge.

Can Plants Get Too Much Artificial Light?

In their natural environment, plants don’t receive round-the-clock light, simply due to the cycle of the sun and the moon.

The ability to give them more light is a huge advantage when growing, allowing for more impressive yields and shorter growing times. 

Despite these advantages, it is possible to give your crops too much light. So how much is too much?

This depends entirely on what crops you are growing, so it's important to know the properties of anything you intend to grow. 

Many light kits will feature programmable schedules and dimmer switches, as well as various settings to easily manage the amount of light the crops receive.

Do I Need To Invest In A Grow Tent?

Whilst it's entirely feasible to grow produce inside without a grow tent, they are an absolutely incredible purchase if you have the option.

These are designed to vastly improve the whole growing experience, as they are loaded with all kinds of useful features.  

They offer a greatly improved level of light retention as well as improving ventilation.

The improved ventilation is great for allowing air to circulate around your crops and also helps in the management of more aromatically potent herbal aromas. 

Can I Grow Marijuana In My State?

For those seeking to use the grow lights for more fruity and spiritual experience inducing herbs, it's always essential to be clued up on the legality.  

Check local and state laws regarding purchasing seeds and growing plants to ensure you stay on the right side of the law.

Different areas can have vastly different rules, though each of them categorizes marijuana into a set category.   They may regard marijuana as one of the following:

• Legalized
• Medical and decriminalized
• Medical
• Decriminalized
• CBD only
• Illegal  

Final Thoughts

And that’s your lot! We’ve seen some truly epic grow lights here today, of all different shapes and sizes, so no matter what the scale of your cultivation operation, there’s almost certainly something here for you! Stay green, folks… in the thumb I mean (or do I?)