Along with the legalization and regulation of cannabis in many states has come an increased desire among enthusiasts to grow their own marijuana. It can be expensive to set up a new system, especially a completely indoor grow, because you have to buy seeds, lights, fans, timers, grow trays, growing medium, fertilizers and more. It is possible to start a grow op on a budget, though and this list is here to help.
LED grow lights are awesome for novice growers because they are so efficient with energy and can save you a lot of money in the long run. Traditional HID lighting creates a ton of heat and so you have to invest in high powered fans, which can be noisy and use up a lot of energy. HID also uses much more energy overall than LED because the light diodes are not as efficient. LED grow lights to not wear out or decrease brightness over time so they do not have to be replaced like traditional lights do. It’s clear that LED lights are the best option for new growers, because they can be bought for cheap, are easily upgraded when necessary and they save you costs on cooling and energy.
The LED grow lights in this list range from very small lights for one plant only, to professional quality LEDs that can be used for small gardens. If you do not see anything that would work for your garden, click here to browse more budget-friendly LEDs.
1. LVJING 10w Grow Light Bars Light Strip
LVJING 10w strips are good beginner lights because they are fully customizable. You can buy as many or as little as you need for your specific grow area, no matter how much or how little coverage you need. Each pack comes with 10W of advanced spectrum dual band LEDs. With wavelengths of 660nm and 445nm, these lights are suitable for both flowering and vegetative states.
Price: $16 to 426 depending on size and wattage for a set of five
Buy the LVJING 10w Grow Light Bars Light Strip here.
Pros:
- Customizable to any size grow op
- Easy to move and upgrade
- Inexpensive to start and to add more lights
Cons:
- Less powerful than full set ups
- You have to buy the power supply separate
- Some reviewers mentioned cheap construction
Find more LVJING 10w Grow Light Bars Light Strip information and reviews here.
2. TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse
This TaoTronics light is a best seller on Amazon seller for LED grow lights. It is very small and would be perfect for anyone who is just getting started and have one or two plants. The bulb has 12 LEDs, three blue and nine red, which emit wavelengths of 660nm and 430nm as well as 630nm and 460nm for all phases of the crowing cycle. You may not get as great of a yield with this bulb as you would with a full LED unit designed for hydroponics, but for a beginner it is an excellent starter bulb. The bulb comes with a one year warranty from the manufacturer, but make sure that you buy this light from an authorized dealer such as amazon.com because otherwise your warranty will be void.
Price: $20
Buy the TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse here.
Watch a review video here.
Pros:
- Very inexpensive
- Many spectrums for the full life cycle
- Fits in a 12W socket
Cons:
- Not full spectrum
- Best for shorter plants
- Not very powerful
Find more TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse information and reviews here.
3. Miracle LED Absolute Spectrum Bulb
Miracle LED’s Absolute Spectrum bulb is another cheap option for small grow ops. This bulb comes in three sizes: the two watt bulb pictured fits into any standard lightbulb socket. Miracle LED also sells a 9.5 watt bulb, which is larger and produces as much light as a standard 75W bulb. They also sell a clamp fixture lamp that is a perfect fit with the 9.5w bulb. The lamp has a standard clamp on it so that you can easily attach it to your grow tent or suspend it above your garden. These bulbs are based on NASA Color Spectrum technology and emit a white light that emulates daylight with a 5000K color temperature. These lights can outrun traditional incandescent bulbs by 30 times or more.
Price: $17
Buy the Miracle LED Absolute Spectrum Bulb here.
Pros:
- Fits a standard socket
- Very inexpensive
- Does not create heat
Cons:
- Reviewers mention LED intensity diminishing over time
- Must buy fixture separate
- Very small
Find more Miracle LED information and reviews here.
4. Roleadro 45W LED
This 45W light from Roleadro is closer in size and style to the larger LED lights you will find on mid and large sized set ups. It includes 165 red and 60 blue colored LED lights to produce a light spectrum that will helpyour plants grow in all stages of life. The 45W system is very small and would be best for under 3 plants. This unit runs cool to the touch and does not require any expensive fans or cooling systems. Since it is such a small unit, it is best for shorter plants and should be placed close to the top of your plants. This may mean you need to adjust the height multiple times during your growing season.
Price: $25 (58% off MSRP)
Buy the Roleadro 45W LED here.
Pros:
- Very affordable and more powerful than other options on the list
- Puts out a lot of light for the wattage
- Very low heat generation
Cons:
- Not recommended for multiple plants
- Some reviewers mentioned lower wattage than advertised
- No warranty
Find more Roleadro 45W LED information and reviews here.
5. Apollo Horticulture UFO LED Grow Light
The Apollo Horticulture UFO Light is the most powerful light on this list at 75 watts. This light comes with a built in power supply and does not require any reflector or ballast. It generates far less heat than traditional 90W lights and reliably produces yields that match 400W-600W HPS systems. The color produced is a mix of red (70 LEDs), blue (10 LEDs), orange (5 LEDs) and white (5 LEDs), making this unit suitable for all stages of plant growth.
Price: $40
Buy the Apollo Horticulture UFO LED Grow Light here.
Pros:
- Most powerful light on the list
- Full life cycle lighting for cannabis plants
- Small built in fans included
Cons:
- Reviewers mentioned slow shipping or units that never arrived
- Lower output than some other UFO setups
- Reviewers mentioned some electronic problems requiring multiple exchanges
