Marijuana is easy to grow at home from seeds to buds if you have the right equipment. Hydroponics and soil are both great options for home growers, depending on your skill level and experience, your preference for organic vs. synthetic fertilizers, and how much time and money you have to set up a quality grow op.
One thing that all indoor gardeners need is good lighting. Even outdoor grow operations can benefit from supplemental lighting during winter months, or for starting seeds or clones.
LED lighting is the most advanced tech in grow lighting today, and can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run. In years past, weed was grown indoors using High Pressure Sodium or HPS lighting. HPS or HID lighting is expensive to maintain because bulbs must be replaced yearly and burn out very quickly.
HID also emits a lot of heat so you pay more money in both electricity to power the lights and in Cooling your grow room with fans or air conditioners. LED grow lights use less than half of the electricity of HPS, and they do not emit very much heat at all. They are much more light weight and user friendly, and you can daisy-chain multiple lights together as your grow op expands with more plants.
In this article I am going to go over the best inexpensive LED lights for growing cannabis, including lights for cloning and germinating seedlings, growing one or a few plants, or even growing a medium sized garden with three to five plants.
If your budget is slightly larger you can check out my Top 5 Best LED Grow Lights Under $500 post, or if you are looking for the cheapest LEDs of all check out my article on the Top 5 Best LED Grow Lights Under $100.
1. Professional Level LED Lights Under $200: Morsen LED Grow Lights
Morsen is a trusted brand in LED lighting that is known for high quality and durable grow lights. Their entire line linked above is available for under $200 per light, making them very affordable as well. These lights are extra large and powerful, ranging in wattage from 600W to 1600W.
These are the perfect lights for larger grow ops whether you are a beginner or an experienced grower. I have personally used Morsen LED grow lights and found them to be very powerful and reliable. These grow lights consist of 10W LEDs instead of 1W or 3W that you usually see, making them brighter and more powerful without using extra electricity. .
Price: $99 to $156.99 with free shipping
Buy the Morsen LED Grow Lights here.
Pros:
- Full spectrum
- 10W individual LEDs for higher output
- Well known and trusted brand
Cons:
- No easy on/off switch for veg and flowering
- Large and bulky
- No smaller sizes for supplemental lighting or small grow ops
Find more Morsen LED Grow Lights information and reviews here.
2. Best Mid Sized Light: Galaxyhydro 300W LED Grow Light
300W LED lights are the perfect size for small or medium grows, and this light from Roleadro is the best and least expensive one on the market today. It is a best seller and has a loyal following of customers who use this light for every grow.
This is a wide spectrum, professional level light that can be used for both veg and flowering. This light comes with a two year warranty and is backed by some of the best customer service in the business.
Price: $75.99 with free shipping
Buy the Galaxyhydro 300W LED Grow Light here.
Pros:
- Best seller
- 2 year warranty
- Well made and durable
Cons:
- Not great for large grow ops
- Not dimmable
- No reflector
Find more Galaxyhydro 300W LED Grow Light information and reviews here.
3. Best Bar Light: Galaxyhydro 81W LED Grow Light Bar
Here is another great LED grow light from GalaxyHydro. This light has a unique bar configuration that makes it awesome for supplemental lighting in larger grow ops. It can of course also be used as a light fixture on its own for one or two plants. Large grow ops often have the problem of not getting full canopy coverage along the periphery of their grow tents or grow rooms.
Reflective sheeting helps this by reflecting the light back at the plants along the edge, but it does not solve the problem completely. This narrow bar light is perfect for placing along the edges of your grow op to ensure even coverage for all of your plants. It is inexpensive enough that you can get multiples to put all around the edges of your grow room, and it is bright enough that it will surely increase your yield and the health of your plants.
Price: $57.99 with free shipping
Buy the Galaxyhydro 81W LED Grow Light Bar here.
Pros:
- Brackets can rotate 180 degrees
- More coverage than 54W bulbs
- Very efficient energy usage
Cons:
- Not very powerful
- Can be challenging to hang
- No warranty
Find more Galaxyhydro 81W LED Grow Light Bar information and reviews here.
4. Best UFO Light: Apollo Horticulture GL-Series 180W LED Grow Light
Apollo is a well known and very trusted name in hydroponics. They have grow lights of all sizes ranging from 75W to 1200W, including this small but powerful 180W UFO light. UFO LEDs are an excellent choice for smaller grow rooms. They are very compact but do not be fooled by the small size, because this 180W light is very powerful compared to regular LED bulbs or even comparable HID lighting.
This grow light is lightweight and efficient, and comes with a built in quiet running fan for ventilation. This light also comes with a standard two year warranty. If you are just starting out, it is great to go with a well established brand like Apollo for your grow lights.
Price: $69.99 with free shipping
Buy the Apollo Horticulture GL-Series LED Grow Lights here.
Pros:
- Built in fan
- Well known brand
- Two year warranty
Cons:
- Wide band spectrum, not full spectrum
- Some customers have had diode burn out issues
- May be slow to ship
Find more Apollo Horticulture information and reviews here.
5. Best Grow Light Strip: LVJING 10w Grow Light Bars Light Strip
Light strips are an awesome way to DIY your own LED grow light for cheap. These light strips come fully equipped with both red and blue LEDs for optimal plant growth. Each kit comes with 10W worth of LEDs, about half a meter in length. They come with an adhesive backing so that you can stick them anywhere.
Many growers will simply attach them to the walls of their grow tent or cabinet, but you can also attach them to a piece of wood backing or even to the floor of your grow room if you want 360 degree coverage for your plants. You can add or take away portions at any time using connector kits, so your grow room lighting can grow with the number of plants you have at any given time.
Price: $26.99
Buy the LVJING 10w Grow Light Bars Light Strip here.
Pros:
- Completely customizable
- Very easy to move and add or remove lights
- Very inexpensive
Cons:
- Less powerful than typical LED grow lights
- Power supply sold separately
- Relatively cheap construction
Find more LVJING 10w Grow Light Bars Light Strip information and reviews here.
6. Best Single Bulb: TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse
This bulb from Taotronics is a best seller as a single plant or supplemental lighting. This is a small yet powerful light that has 12 individual LEDs and a broad spectrum of blue and red lighting.
This light is not going to give you all the power you need to grow cannabis from veg to flowering and get great yields, but as a supplemental light it is perfect. It also works great for cloning and seedlings, which do not need extremely powerful light to thrive. This bulb also comes with a limited one year warranty.
Price: $19.99
Buy the TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse here.
Pros:
- One year warranty
- Broad spectrum
- Fits in standard 12W socket
Cons:
- Not truly full spectrum
- Not very powerful
- Warranty is limited
Find more TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse information and reviews here.
7. Best 300W Light: BLOOMSPECT 300W LED Grow Light
Bloomspect is a new brand on the hydroponics scene, but their light has become a quick favorite. This inexpensive light is just as powerful as any other 300W grow light at half the price. It has a unique design with built in reflectors for each individual LED. this increases the PAR output and canopy penetration by up to 150%.
This light is recommended for a 3’x3′ veg are or a 2’x2′ flowering area, perfect for a home grow tent or cabinet. This grow light also has a built in aluminum heatsink and cooling fans. It also comes with a three year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee, which is pretty rare!
Price: $59 with free shipping
Buy the BLOOMSPECT 300W LED Grow Light here.
Pros:
- Three year warranty
- Built in reflectors around each LED
- Less expensive than other 300W lights
Cons:
- New brand with not much industry experience
- More white light than other brands
- Not may sizes available
Find more BLOOMSPECT 300W LED Grow Light information and reviews here.
8. Best Supplemental Light: SolarxiaDual Head LED Grow Light Lamp 18W
Here is a very small light that is really nice for supplemental lighting in your grow op. This light is only 18W and comes with two separate movable bars that can be positioned any way you need. It even has its own built in clip so that it can reach the darkest corners of your grow space.
18W may not seem like a lot, but in the right placement this light can help to increase your canopy penetration and overall light coverage significantly. This small yet mighty light is alsi nice for clones, germination, or seedlings.
Price: $24.99
Buy the SolarxiaDual Head LED Grow Light Lamp 18W here.
Pros:
- Built in clip for hanging
- Two separate movable arms
- Wide band specturm
Cons:
- Not very powerful
- Not full spectrum
- No warranty
Find more Chip On Board (COB) LED Grow Light Kit information and reviews here.
9. Best DIY Grow Light: Chip On Board (COB) LED Grow Light Kit
Chip On Board or COB grow lights are the latest technology in LED grow lights. COB consists of multiple LED diodes mounted to a board made of copper or ceramic. These diodes form one module that looks like a single light when turned on.
These lights put out a full UV spectrum but it looks like white light to our eyes instead of red and blue like typical LED lights. This is much less harsh on your eyes when you are working in your grow room because it is closer to real sun light. With this grow light kit, you can put together your own custom COB light using simple instructions.
Price: $19.99 per 50W kit
Buy the Chip On Board (COB) LED Grow Light Kit here.
Pros:
- No red and blue lights, closer to sunlight
- Easy to use kit
- Less expensive than pre-made COB grow lights
Cons:
- Housing not included
- No warranty
- No fan or heatsink included
Find more Chip On Board (COB) LED Grow Light Kit information and reviews here.
10. Best Small LED Panel: HNHCLED 45W LED Grow Light Panel
Sometimes all you need is a small panel of LEDs to keep your plants happy. This is especially true for young plants, clones or seedlings. Light panels like this one provide a wider rage of coverage than bulbs or light bars, so you can be sure that your young cannabis plants are getting a full coverage of broad spectrum lighting for maximum growth.
This inexpensive LED grow light is super thin and light weight, making it easy to hang and easy to move whenever you need to. It has an aluminum casing and is so low in energy consumption that it does not require a fan or large heat sinks.
Price: $36.99 with free shipping
Buy the HNHCLED 45W LED Grow Light Panel here.
Pros:
- No fan needed
- Very light weight
- Wide spectrum and wide range of coverage
Cons:
- No warranty
- Not true full spectrum
- Not very powerful
Find more HNHCLED 45W LED Grow Light Panel information and reviews here.