While indoor growers in previous decades had to settle for shop lights and extra hot sodium lamps, today's grow lights are lightyears ahead. There are many options for an indoor light source that is truly bright enough and full spectrum for optimal plant growth. There's no one grow light that's right for everyone either. The African violet lover who has only a few growing plants will need different lighting than some trying to maximize marijuana production per square foot. No matter your type of grow, amount of lighting needed, or budget, you can find the right option on this roundup of the best grow lights of 2020.
HLG 650R ($1099.00)
The HLG 650R Commercial Indoor Horticulture LED grow light is a great option as it replaces the need for a double-ended 1000 watt HID lamp. Equipped with a reliable passive-cooled design and Samsung's Quantum Board, it truly makes for a great LED grow light if it's within your budget.
Sun System LEC315 ($579.95)
Ceramic metal halide lights are popular among home and commercial indoor growers alike for providing a full light spectrum experience. The Sun System LEC315 line is one of the most popular CMH lights on the market and has earned a best selling ranking here at Taproot Hydroponics. The sturdy yet compact fixture is lined with 98% reflective German aluminum, providing optimal reflection and diffusion to ensure light reaches every leaf and sepal.
A high amount of UV and far red light production ensures full spectrum lighting for healthy growth for fruiting and flowering plants of all kinds. Choose from a wide range of total wattage and voltages to match your power supply and output needs.
Sun Blaze T5 HO Fluorescent Lights ($269.95)
If you're looking for an energy efficient light fixture for your indoor garden, check out Sun Blaze's T5 HO fluorescent light options. Models like the 4' x 8' 240 volt panel are a great option for extensive lighting with minimal heat output and moderate electrical use.
Blue lamps are included, but red lamps optimized for the flowering stage are also available to allow you to customize the exact light spectrum supplied to your plants. With Smart Volt® electronic 120 to 277 volt ballasts, wire hangers, and 12 foot long power cords included, these grow light fixtures are ready to install anywhere from the greenhouse to your guest room.
Fluence Spyder 2X ($999.00)
There are plenty of hobby and introduction level LED grow lights on the market today, but only the Fluence Spyder 2X truly tops the list for both home and professional-level fixtures. It manages to deliver an average of 550 µmol/m2/s to a 4' by 4' area, providing an intensive grow space for dozens of small plants or quite a few larger ones.
Unlike many other HID grow lights, this LED panel is safe to hang as low as six inches above foliage while still getting good diffusion and no sunburn or heat damage. With an input power draw of just 345 watts, it's easy to add more than one of these light fixtures even on a normal home power supply.
K5 XL1000 ($1,695.00)
If you love the customizable LED panel style of light fixture, you'll be over the moon for the K5 XL1000. These 1000w HID equivalent LED lamps are compact enough to fit into small growing spaces, but they pump out large amounts of full spectrum lighting for flavor and terpene development in marijuana and other crops.
Other LED fixtures can't produce UV rays, but this model offers more than just bright light. It's designed for a lifetime of 50,000 hours or more so you can expect many crop cycles and harvests to come. It may require quite an investment, but you'll also enjoy the built-in wifi control features that make adjustments and timing easy through your computer or smartphone.
Total Grow Mult-HI
For commercial level production, try Total Grow's Mult-HI lamps that have outperformed other LED, metal halide, and other high intensity lights in tests from West Virginia University. These high intensity LED fixtures are far beyond the budget of most homeowners and require commercial wiring, but they're worth the investment for large-scale growers.
Bulbs and smaller light bars are also available for growers with limited space. The Total Grow design offers a wider spectrum of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which is the part of the light spectrum that plants need the most for lush growth and productive cropping. With smaller light bars like the Mezzo costing double or more what many other top rated LED panels cost today, you'll need a profit margin to drive your choice to invest in these lights. If you're looking for a smaller investment to get started with, any of the options listed above will work just as well.
We carry all but one of these top rated, best selling grow lights here at Taproot Hydroponics and Organics. All of our grow lights were chosen for their energy efficiency and good value for the price. No matter which light or bulb you choose from our selection, you're sure to get good growth and affordable energy costs. You can also ask our staff, in the store or over the phone, for help with your selection to ensure you're choosing the right light source for your indoor garden. We ship our products across the country, so we're happy to advise you on outfitting your growing space wherever it's located.
