LED grow lights are a hot topic among hydroponic gardening enthusiasts. LEDs are an efficient and effective solution for hydroponic lighting, and can end up saving growers hundreds or even thousands of dollars in energy costs over the years. This article includes our favorite LED light brands and their products, including individual bulbs as well as larger panels. #1 is my personal favorite, and I’ve added potential uses for each light next to the title. Whether you are a hobbyist with a small vegetable garden, or a professional grower with an entire greenhouse, you will find LEDs in this list to meet your needs.
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1. Best Overall Brand: Apollo Horticulture GL-Series LED Grow Lights
Pros:- Comes in three sizes for different sized gardens
- Covers a relatively large area for such a small bulb
- Very inexpensive
- 1 year warranty
Cons:- The lights are not a true full spectrum
- May be difficult to install if you have a large garden
- Light is not bright enough to be mounted more than a couple of feet above your plants
Apollo Horticulture is a well known brand in hydroponics, and they definitely live up to their reputation as one of the top LED manufactures. Apollo offers LED grow lights in nine different sizes, ranging from as small as 75W to as large as 1200W. You can use one or more of their lights for your home garden depending on how many pants you have and the size of you growing area. Their smaller lights are UFO shaped, while the larger lights – 300W and up – are rectangular. Every light can be daisy chained for a custom system. These lights also come with built in fans, which run very quietly. Each LED light also comes with a hanging kit and two year warranty. Apollo LEDs are suitable for both vegetative and flowering/fruiting growth. Click the link below for more information or to buy any of the following light sizes: 180W, 300W, 400W, 600W, 700W
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2. Best Mid to Large Sized LED Lights: Galaxyhydro LED Grow Lights
Pros:- Two year warranty
- Comes with two internal fans for cooling
- Wide spectrum, good for vegetative and flowering
Cons:- Fans can be loud
- Does not come with hangers
- Some reviewers mentioned a lower output than 300w
GalaxyHydro manufactures high quality LED lights that are suitable for home or professional applications. Their lights range from 54W to 600W, so if you have a small to medium sized hydroponic garden they would be a great choice. These lights provide the full light spectrum that plants need for all stages of growth – vegetative as well as fruiting or flowering. They are easy to hang, lightweight and modular so you can daisy chain them together if you need to expand your lighting. They also use the latest technology in heat dissipation, reducing the need for extra fans. Each light has a lifespan of 50,000 hours and comes with a two year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee.
GalaxyHydro manufactures LED grow lights in three sizes: 54W (available individually or in packs of two), which consists of a line of 14 red and four blue LEDs on an adjustable bracket. This size perfect for a small garden of herbs and/or greens. Next they have a 300W model. They also sell a 600W model for larger gardens.
Find more Galaxyhydro LED Grow Lightsinformation and reviews here.
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3. Best Professional LED Lights: Morsen LED Grow Lights
Pros:- Light output is full spectrum
- Morsen uses higher output LEDs than other brands (6W and 10W
- Extremely energy efficient
- Comes in larger sizes for big grow ops
- Relatively inexpensive for such high quality and power level
Cons:- Does not have an easy switch for vegetative and flowering stages
- Larger and bulkier than other options
- Does not come in smaller sizes
If you have a larger than average hydroponic garden and you need professional quality lights, Morsen is a top brand. Their lights are bigger and more powerful than most other LEDs, coming in extra large sizes including 900W, 1000W, 1200W, 1600W, 1800W, 2000W and 2400W. The 2400W light is definitely one of the most powerful lights on the market today. These lights are full spectrum, and perfect for bigger gardens.
Find more Morsen LED Grow Lights information and reviews here.
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4. Customer Favorite: G8LED LED Grow Lights
Pros:- Two year warranty
- Modular design prevents system wide outages
- Greater square foot covergae than other brands
- Award winning LED grow lights won High Times Magazine’s “Best LED Grow Light” in 2014 and 2016
Cons:- More expensive than some other options
- Very popular so they go out of stock quickly
- Does not have as many sizes of lights as other brands
G8LED has been in the business of making LED lights for almost a decade, and the quality shows in the great results these lights produce. Their LED lights come in four sizes – 240W (six square feet coverage), 450W (twelve square feet coverage), 600W (eighteen square feet coverage) and 900W (twenty four square feet coverage). Each light has a 50,000 hour life span, enough to last about 15 years with no issues. They are also configured in parallel with modular parts, meaning a single diode outage will not affect the whole system. You also get a two year warranty with each light. You can choose from four sizes – 240W, 450W, 600W, 900W.
Find more G8LED information and reviews here.
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5. Best Dimmable LED Light: Maxisun Dimmable 450W LED Grow Light
Pros:- Dimmable feature for greater flexibility
- Offers full spectrum light coverage
- Three year warranty
Cons:- Only comes in two sizes
- Not powerful enough for large gardens
- Not able to be daisy chained
This light from Maxisun is unlike any others on this list, because instead of having only an on/off switch it is also dimmable. Sometimes you may not need the light to be at full intensity, such as if you remove a few plants from your garden and do not require as much light. The dimmer makes this light much more versatile than other similar models. The Maxisun Dimmable LED has a strong, durable and compact reflector included that magnifies the lights’ PAR output and increases canopy penetration in your garden. This light also comes with a three year warranty. I have one of these lights in my own grow room and it has worked great for many months. It is clearly one of the brightest LED lights in my garden.
Find more Maxisun Dimmable 450W LED Grow Light information and reviews here.
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6. Best High-End LED Grow Lights: Advanced Platinum P-Series LED Grow Lights
Pros:- Wide 12 band spectrum
- Greater PAR value than other LED grow lights
- Five year warranty
- Newest model with recent updates
Cons:- Not truly full spectrum
- Some reviewers cited low coverage
- Does not come with hangers
Advanced Platinum LED grow lights are incredibly popular in hydroponics, due to their high quality construction and convenient features. These lights are powerful, ranging from 150W to 1200W, and each offers a complete 12 band light spectrum for your plants. Advanced Platinum lights offer two to three times the lumen intensity of other LED grow lights, including both Infared and Ultraviolet. There are two easy to use switches on these lights that allow you to change the LED configuration from vegetative to flowering as needed. They can easily be daisy chained together for a custom lighting solution in your garden.
Advanced Platinum grow lights come in six sizes: 150W, 300W, 450W, 600W, 900W or 1200W.
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7. Best Innovative Powerful LEDs: Roleadro Chip On Board (COB) LED Grow Lights
Pros:- Innovative Chip On Board LEDS have a higher lumen output than regular LEDs
- COB panels are surrounded by individual reflective hoods for greater lighting area and heat dissipation
- Innovative design allows for daisy chaining and custom lighting solutions
Cons:- Not truly full spectrum
- Larger sizes are hard to find
- No warranty
Roleadro’s Chip On Board (COB) LED lights are one of a kind and very effective for large sized gardens. This innovative new technology consists of multiple LEDs connected in one light module. This gives the appearance of a panel of light instead of individual diodes. COB lights are able to increase lighting area by as much as 10x, and they decrease glare as well. This means more light coverage, less electricity costs and less heat output. COB lights also have a reflective cup around each panel, increasing heat radiation and lumen output. These lights are modular, with each COB emitting the equivalent of 200W.
Find more Roleadro LED Grow Lights information and reviews here.
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8. Best Powerful LED Grow Light: Phlizon 600W LED Plant Grow Light
Pros:- Best selling LED grow light
- Full spectrum lighting
- No reflectors to prevent fire hazards
- Comes in three sizes
- Easy to install
Cons:- Not discreet packaging
- Some reviewers did not like the configuration for the double switch
- Some reviewers found customer service to be unresponsive
Philzon is another high-quality brand offering some of the most powerful LED grow lights for hydroponics. Philzon lights come in the following sizes: 600W, 1200W or 900W. This brand is a best seller and is known for their high quality, bright and efficient lights. These lights do not use a spotlight reflector, preventing fire hazards. They are full spectrum including UV light and have a double switch for vegetative and flowering growth stages. Philzon lights come with a two year warranty plus a 30 day money back guarantee.
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9. Best Reflector LEDs: Mars Hydro Reflector Series LED Grow Lights
Pros:- Modular, lights can be combined in any combination you want
- Constructed of the best quality LEDs
- Innovative reflectors provide more coverage
- Reviewers noted this light is much brighter than the competitiion
Cons:- Does not include UV or IR lights
- More expensive than some other options
- Only a 90 day warranty
Mars Hydro Reflector Series LEDs are very unique and have a design unlike others on this list. These lights are full spectrum and have individual reflector cups around each individual diode, increasing the light output significantly and saving you even more electricity than most LED panels. The lights in this series are named in terms of the number of LEDs in the panel, and their true wattage. This is unlike most LEDs that are named for the wattage of the HPS lights that they replace (for example, LEDs called 300W because they are equivalent to 300W HPS although the LEDs use less wattage).
The four sizes of lights in this series are: 48 LEDs, 102W(equal to 150W HID), 96 LEDs, 207W (equal to 250W HPS), 144 LEDs, 317W (equal to 350W HPS), and 192 LEDs, 410W (equal to 450W HPS).
Find more Mars Hydro Reflector Series information and reviews here.
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10. Best Single Plant LED: TaoTronics LED Grow Light Bulb
Pros:- Very inexpensive
- 12 month warranty
- 24 hour email customer support
- Fits in standard 12W socket
- Good for growing seedlings
Cons:- Warranty only covers bulbs sold directly by the manufacturer
- Small coverage area
- Some reviewers had problems with bulbs that stopped working after a few months
The TaoTronics LED light is the perfect size for a small home garden, provides the perfect spectrum of light needed for flowers and vegetables, and lasts far longer than traditional light bulbs. This light fits in a standard 12W socket, making set up super easy and quick because you will not have to buy any additional materials. Due to the small size, it is best for plants under 16′ to 18.’ However, if you want to increase the range of your light, you may wish to purchase a reflective hood instead of using a regular socket.
This light is good from seedlings all the way to full grown single plants, and comes with a one year warranty from the authorized retailer, Sunvalleytek. If you purchase it from an unauthorized retailer, this warranty is voided.
Find more TaoTronics LED Grow Light Bulb information and reviews here.
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11. Best LED Light Strip: Lvjing 10w Grow Light Strip
Pros:- More flexible applications
- Modular
- Lightweight, easily portable
- Inexpensive
Cons:- Not as powerful as full LED systems
- Does not come with a power supply or water proof cover
- Cheaper construction
The Lvjing 10w light strip takes a different approach than heavy-duty lighting systems, providing full spectrum coverage in a small, flexible and versatile package. Each kit comes with 10W worth of lights, and you can buy as many kits as you need to get the best coverage for your garden. These lights are advanced spectrum LED dual band lights much like larger LED grow lights, but are much easier to customize to odd sized systems or supplemental lighting on existing systems. It uses a wavelength of 660nm and 445nm light, which works for the entire lifecycle of the plant. Each light strip has over 20,000 hours of lifespan.
These lights have an input voltage of 12 volts DC, and requires a 12V adapter to use. This power supply is not included in the package, but you can click here to purchase it separately. If you purchase multiple lights, you can use this adapter cable to hook them up in a continuous line.
Find more LVJING 10w Grow Light Bars Light Strip information and reviews here.
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12. Best Stand Alone LED Light: iGloEZ High Efficiency Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Pros:- Comes with an easy set up foldable stand
- Can stand on its own or be hung from above
- Full spectrum
- Low energy consumption
Cons:- No warranty
- Full output wattage not listed
- Not powerful enough for more than a few plants
The iGloEZ Full Spectrum Grow Light is different than any other LED grow light out there. This light is perfect for small herb or lettuce gardens, or even a small potted plant such as a tomato or cucumber. The mail feature is it’s adjustable stand. The light is mounted right into this stand, which can either place over one single plant or small garden, or can be folded up so that the light can be hung from above. This gives you greater flexibility than almost any other light on the market.
The iGloEZ grow light is full spectrum and works for all stages of plant growth, even though it only uses 20w of electricity.The joints on the light’s stand have convenient locking buttons that can be set in a full 360 degree angle to fit any lighting position. The stand is adjustable to a full height of over 18″. Whether you use the hanging brackets or the stand, you should place the light within 2″ to 4″ from your plant. This light is specifically recommended for plants that require full sun to grow, such as lettuce.
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13. Best Supplemental LED Light: OxyLED 7W Grow Light With Clip
Pros:- Perfect for one or two plants
- 360 degree adjustable
- Removable clip for easy installation
Cons:- Not enough light for large set ups
- Does not come with materials needed to hang the light
- Not very powerful
This 7W LED grow light from OxyLED may be small, but it is effective and comes with a lot of great features. If you are growing a few small plants such as succulents, herbs, or even something like a small hot pepper plant, this could be the perfect light for you. It also works great as a supplemental light if you have a slightly larger garden and need some extra light in the evenings, on the sides of the plants, or any other situation where a few extra watts would help out. This light comes with two blue and five red LEDs, supplying exactly the right wavelength to enhance plant growth. It is easy to install with its built in clip, which can be hung vertical, horizontal, on the wall or on the ceiling. The clip is detachable as well if you want to mount it permanently in one location.
The unique feature of this light is that it is fully adjustable in 360 degrees, so even in the most awkward installation situations you can point it in just the right direction to hit your plants exactly where they need light. This grow light has a lifespan of 35,000 hours.
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14. Best LED Light for Microgreens: Roleadro 45W Panel Grow Light
Pros:- Very light weight and easy to hang
- Perfect size for small tabletop gardens
- Very inexpensive
Cons:- Not large enough for more than a few plants set ups
- Does not have built in fans
- Cannot be daisy chained
Here is a nice and simple LED light panel from Roleadro that is the perfect size for a small garden. The panel consists of 117 red and and 52 blue LED diodes, providing the best light spectrum for plants. The light ratio of 2.25:1 red to blue is ideal for fast and efficient growth. The actual power of this light is 25.2W, higher than most similar sized LED panels. This light is the perfect size for growing microgreens, and its compact design is easy to hang. It also comes with a one year warranty.
Find more Roleadro 45W Panel Grow Light information and reviews here.
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15. Best Extra Long Light Strip: SJP Light LED Grow Light Strip
Pros:- Comes in three sizes for different sized gardens
- Covers a relatively large area for such a small bulb
- Very inexpensive
- 1 year warranty
Cons:- The lights are not a true full spectrum
- May be difficult to install if you have a large garden
- Light is not bright enough to be mounted more than a couple of feet above your plants
Here is another option for LED grow light strips offered from SJP Light. These grow lights are sold in a roll ranging from 100cm to 500cm, so they are perfect for very long gardens such as when you may use PVC tubing as your growing container. The five sizes available are 100cm, 200cm, 300cm, 400cm or 500cm. These LED light strips are built using super bright 5050 SMD LED lights. These lights have a high intensity and are incredibly reliable. Most of the time you will need to purchase multiple rolls in order to create enough light coverage for a medium or large sized garden. If you need to connect multiple strips together you can purchase separately a pack of connectors that make the job quick and easy.
Why Switch to LED Lighting?
In the past, hydroponic gardeners depended mostly on High Intensity Discharge or HID lights, including both Metal Halide (MH), and High Pressure Sodium (HPS). HID lights are incredibly effective for growing all types of plants because they emit light in the right spectrum for plants in both flowering/fruiting and vegetative stages of growth, and they are powerful enough to provide light for large gardens.
HID lighting costs a lot of money up front and to maintain. HIDs require a separate ballast, which regulates the voltage to the light bulb. They also put out a significant amount of heat, so reflectors and ventilation from inline fans are an added cost, not to mention the extra electricity usage that is wasted in the form of heat.
Some growers also choose to use fluorescent or CFL lighting in their grow ops. CFL is much more efficient than HID, but the lights are not very powerful. This kind of lighting is best for very small gardens, or for short term use such as growing seedlings or clones.
The Benefits of LED Lighting
LED lights are relatively new on the market, having been around for just over a decade, but they are quickly becoming the industry standard for hobbyists as well as professional growers. LEDs are super efficient when compared to HID and even CFL lights. They emit almost no heat, which means no wasted energy, even though they are as powerful as the competition in terms of light output. This means that your grow room stays much cooler, reducing the need for inline fans or other ventilation.
Less heat also reduces the amount of water evaporation. This of course reduces the cost and frequency of watering, but also makes it much easier to regulate humidity levels in your garden.
Usually you will find LED grow lights that have a combination of red and blue lights, sometimes yellow as well as Ultraviolet and Infared depending on the size and cost of the light. Flowering and fruiting plants require a slightly different light spectrum for their flowering vs. vegetative stages of growth.
Some of the more sophisticated LED panels have an easy access switch that allows you to select the color ratio depending on what stage your plants are in. If you are growing herbs or lettuces, this added feature is not necessary.
Choosing the Right Full Spectrum LED Lights For Your Garden
Overall, we find LEDs to be a cost effective solution to hydroponic gardens of all sizes. They are much more efficient in their electricity use and the bulbs last two to four times longer than other kinds of lighting, so even though LED lights may cost more upfront they can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.
When choosing an LED grow light, you have to consider a lot of factors, including the size of the plants you are growing, how much room you have for your indoor garden and how much you are willing to spend.
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