Are you a grower looking to adopt LED grow lights for the first time? Or do you want to upgrade to better and more efficient grow lights? Then, you are at the right place. This article discusses all you need to know about what to look for when buying LED grow lights in the current market.
Why Choose LED Grow Lights?
LED Grow lights are becoming increasingly popular among growers for the right reasons. These lights represent newer and more efficient technologies – a considerable upgrade from what the traditional incandescent, high-intensity discharge (HID), and fluorescent lights offer. For instance, traditional grow lights consume more energy and dissipate more heat than LED grow lights. But that’s not all – LED grow lights, although newer, have more valuable benefits than their older counterparts. They do a better job stimulating growth, thanks to their broad spectrum of red and blue light. These lights are also fitted with different types of LED chips. The differences in LED chips contribute to the brightness levels a brand or model of LED grow light can offer.
Overall, a grower will be right to buy LED grow lights if they want more lighting options and capabilities to choose from to suit their needs. These interesting pieces of technology are also cost-efficient in the long run. Although it looks like an expensive investment initially, buying the right LED grow lights will save you tons of money in the long run. You are also not buying any additional fixtures that may cost more money – most LED grow lights are plug-and-play devices. And with the prices of these devices dropping by the day due to the increasing number of manufacturers, you should get a great deal without breaking the bank.
What Factors Should You Consider When Buying LED Grow Lights?
Having a wide array of LED grow light models from different manufacturers is a welcomed development. It means growers have a lot of options to choose from. However, it also makes it tricky to make the right choice. This section outlines the important factors, and features you should look out for when shopping for your next set of LED grow lights.
1. Price
The truth is the quality of LED grow lights you can get depends on how much money you have to spend. While these devices are not exactly cheap, growers should set a realistic budget and work with the same while shopping. The goal here is to get lights that offer the best value for their price. A good LED grow light may cost between less than 100 USD and up to 1,000 USD, depending on the specifications. For example, a full spectrum LED grow light will cost more than models without UV lighting. Other factors like the diode brand, light intensity, and warranty length may also contribute to the overall cost of any grow light model. However, you will most likely find cost-effective options that fall within that price range irrespective of what you are looking for.
2. Light Intensity
Light intensity simply means the amount of power you get from a grow light. Growers tend to assess the light intensity of a grow light by its wattage. But this is not entirely accurate. Other specifications like the Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD), Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF), and efficacy all contribute to the overall light intensity a LED grow light delivers. The Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) of a grow light is the amount of light it produces per second and is measured in umol/s. It is the official unmanipulated measurement of the full amount of light any LED grow light can produce. The Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) is slightly different. It estimates the number of photons that reaches a square meter of the grow area per second. Measured in umol/m2/s, this metric shows how well the plants use the photons from the light source. Various plant types have their own recommended PPFD. For example, cannabis in the vegetative stage will require 300-600 umol/m2/s, while cannabis in the flowering stage performs best at 900-100+ umol/m2/s. It is best to go for grow lights that efficiently and equally distribute light across the grow area. The last contributory factor – efficacy – describes how many photons you derive on the same power consumption.
3. Spectrum
The spectrum is another essential factor to watch out for when you want to buy grow lights. Not all LED grow lights are full spectrum, but it is best to go for full spectrum models. Full-spectrum light comprises five different sections – the UV light, blue light, visible PAR light, red light, and the far-red light. Having all wavelengths of light means a single full spectrum LED grow light can contribute to all the stages and aspects of plant growth. In addition to their efficiency, adopting full spectrum LED grow light makes the plant appear more natural, making it easier to discover and monitor plant diseases and pests. The higher amount of green light in a full spectrum grow light translates to higher PPFD, which is great for light-hungry medical plants like cannabis. That way, they can absorb more green light and increase yield.
Spider Farmer offers efficient full spectrum LED grow lights with adjustable output spectrum settings. You can always adjust the output to meet your plants’ light needs, depending on their growth stage. These LED grow lights are also equipped with constant current driver circuits that ensure direct current is always supplied.
4. Diode Brand
The diode brand in a LED grow light is another thing to consider because it contributes to the efficiency of the light. The diodes used in a panel also determine the spectral quality and intensity of the grow light. Spider Farmer is one of the few grow light manufacturers in the market that adopts the best quality diodes. The Samsung diodes in Spider Farmer LED grow lights are the best available at the moment. They are known to deliver powerful light outputs and uniform canopy penetration, ensuring optimal plant performance in every growth phase. They are also energy-efficient, more reliable, and offer the best value for money.
5. Coverage Area
Knowing the precise dimensions of your growing space before shopping for a LED grow light is important. For example, hobbyist growers grow in 5 square meters or smaller areas, while commercial growers can go several hundred square meters or even thousands in some cases. The smaller growing areas can rely on less powerful lights. Still, anything larger than 5 square meters will require multiple large, powerful lights to cover all the edges and corners and ensure an even light intensity over the canopy.
6. Warranty
The warranty a manufacturer provides can get you to buy LED grow lights from them or not. While most LED grow lights will serve as expected without issues, a good warranty can protect you from unexpected expenses. Spider Farmer full-spectrum LED grow lights all come with extended warranty periods, ranging from one to five years. There is also a free return or replacement arrangement within 30 days of delivery in the case of non-artificial damage. If anything happens within the warranty period, you can trust Spider Farmer to send a replacement part or light at no additional cost or undertake the repairs and services for free. In addition, all LED grow lights from Spider Farmer are backed by CE and RoHS certifications, ensuring maximum buyers’ confidence in all purchases.
You Can Never Go Wrong With Spider Farmers LED Grow Lights.
You will agree that any grower’s ideal LED grow light must be full-spectrum, equipped with high-quality diodes that deliver maximum intensity, cover large areas, and, most importantly, be affordable. Spider Farmer LED grow lights tick all these major boxes. They are specially made for every grower that wants to grow the best plants. From maximizing yield to increasing quality at every growth cycle stage, the premium Spider Farmers LED grow lights are perfect for multiple indoor growing options. The best part? They are backed with CE and RoHS certifications and a five-year quality guarantee.
You can check out the best Spider Farmers LED Grow Lights here.
Looking to try something new. Recently shattered three vertebrae‘s in my heel looking for a used or sample light definitely do promotion of the light. Anything to pass the time till I can get back moving around. Anything would be an upgrade. Got a 3’x3’ flood and drain table. Working with 4 Samsung 350’s. Not happy with them. Gladly trade them in. Well thank you for your time. My bro Mel Hooks has a nice quad he’s sampling from you now. Saw what they do. The dimmers are wicked cool!!!