LEDs have been around for quite some time now, and they keep getting better every year. The invention of the white LED has been hailed as the ultimate solution to lighting. It is gradually replacing many of the conventional lights and bulbs that are much less efficient.
A new bustling industry nowadays is the massive LED vertical farms, where farmers are growing a huge amount of basil and other leafy vegetables by LED lights. Also, growing cannabis with LED lights is immensely popular nowadays.
The miniature, handy version of those lights are called grow lights, which are small fixtures that can be used for indoor gardening and also for growing cannabis plants inside your home. However, like everything else, LED grow lights have their pros and cons. But what if you can’t decide which light system to use?
Let’s take a closer look at how well the LED grow lights do for your cannabis plant and whether they are a good substitute for the standard high-pressure sodium and CFL lamps.
Led Grow Light Reviews
The pros of LED Grow Lights
Energy efficient
This is the most outstanding feature of LED grow lights. They consume as little as half of the energy HPS or CFL lamps take up. A 10W LED can easily replace a 60W incandescent light bulb.
The energy amount depends on the stage of your cannabis plant. Usually, grow lights need to stay switched on for 9 to 18 hours so that the plant can photosynthesize and grow healthily.
Having LED grow lights will markedly reduce your electricity bill, so they are light on the pocket in the long run.
Tailored light spectrum
LED grow lights have room for adjustment to produce just the right kind of light that the plant needs. Plants absorb red and blue light the most, and LED grow lights have the capacity to shine out a precise blend of red and blue wavelength of light right down to the nanometer.
Most high-quality LED grow lights also have a dual lighting mode: one perfect for the vegetative phase and the other for the flowering phase.
Long life
High-quality LEDs can last for 100,000 hours! That’s almost 11 and a half years! A good quality LED grow light will function excellently even after using it for years.
No air conditioning
Due to the highly efficient heat dissipation system of the LED grow lights, you don’t need to worry about excess heat that can ruin your sensitive plants.
The design of LEDs is such that they efficiently convert electrical energy into light energy. Therefore, there is very little wastage of energy in the form of heat that is extremely common in other kinds of lamps.
You may also don’t need to install big exhaust or intake fans, further saving you money.
HLG 550 V2 Quantum Board LED Grow Light Review
Hassle-free installation
The installation of LED grow lights takes only a matter of minutes. Moreover, you don’t need a lot of equipment to hang your grow light, and all the necessary accessories are already present in the LED grow light box. Moreover, there is no need for ballast.
The cons of LED Grow Lights
Expensive
There is some drawback of LED grow lights. They may initially cost you slightly more than a conventional grow light setup.
However, you can recover the extra money you spend within a year due to the lower electricity bills.
Heavy
LED grow lights are a bit on the bulky side. You can’t carry them around for long. A large 2000W LED grow light can weigh around 11 pounds.
But the good thing is, you don’t need to hold it over your plant with your hands. The strong hanging cable that comes with the light does the job just fine.
Variegation
There are reports of variegated – patchy and light – leaves and stems if the plant is kept too close to the light.
Since the light is so intense yet the heat so low, the leaves turn white instead of burning, as is common with HPS lamps. However, if you follow the instructions carefully, you can easily avoid this kind of damage.
Too cool
It can get cold in the winter, which can affect plant growth substantially. You may need to install heaters to keep the environment warm and pleasant for the cannabis plant to grow healthy. This may increase the initial cost as well as the electrical bill during winters.
The Best Grow Light Movers
Conclusion on LED Grow Lights
To sum it all up, the pros definitely outweigh the cons of getting a LED grow light for your plant instead of HPS or CFL.
LED grow lights are far more efficient, reliable, long lasting, and precise than their counterparts. They are your best bet for producing premium and high-quality weed with very little downside.
If you can afford it, we will highly recommend that you go for LED!
Are you looking for a LED grow light? Then definitely check out our reviews and complete guides on the best LED grow lights in all sizes and varieties. We are expert in the best LED grow lights and tell you all you need to know about every light.
Table of contents