With winter just around the corner, many gardeners are considering growing indoors. Unfortunately, the temperatures drop below freezing in most climates, and light is massively reduced to 6-10 hours during the daytime. For most vegetation, this isn’t ideal growing conditions. The only way to save them is to transport them inside and artificially supply sunlight. To achieve this, you’ll need grow lights, and you should consider the below:
| Grow light Name | Specification |
| Roleadro LED Grow Light | Wattage – 45W Number of LEDs – 117 Warranty – 1 Year |
| Shengsite LED Grow Light | Wattage – 50W Number of LEDs – 250 Warranty – 1 Year |
| Ankace 3-Mode Grow Light | Wattage – 40W Number of LEDs – 36 Warranty – N/A |
| Maxsisun Hanging LED Grow Light | Wattage – 100W Number of LEDs – 300 Warranty – 3 Years |
| Grow Light LED Bulb | Wattage – 9w Number of LEDs – Bulb Warranty – Limited |
| GrowLED Umbrella LED Grow Light | Wattage – N/A Number of LEDs – N/A Warranty – N/A |
| LBW LED Grow Lamp with Stand | Wattage – 150W Number of LEDs – 42 Warranty – 1 Year |
| Juhefa Tri-Head Grow Light | Wattage – 60W Number of LEDs – 66 Warranty – 18 Months |
As you can see from the above, there are plenty of options to choose from depending on your requirements. Therefore, I thought I would discuss a comprehensive list. Hence, you’re able to select the best light for your purpose from wattage, led, warranty, convenience, shape, and size. This way, it’s almost impossible not to find your chosen grow light.
If you’re still unsure about the above, we talk about these in further detail below.
What lights are best for growing vegetables indoors?
The above information is great, but I understand that many people want further details before making the initial investment. Because of this, I’ve discussed the above grow lights in detail below. Here you’ll find more information about the products, as well as the pros and cons for each of them. This way, you can decide whether these lights are suitable for your use.
1.Roleadro LED Grow Light
The first one on the list is the Roleadro LED Grow Light, and it’s undoubtedly a marvelous indoor light to enhance the growth of your vegetation. At a small 45 watts shows that this light is affordable and efficient at providing an artificial light source.
You’ll be up and running in minutes with this light. All you need is an external 240v power supply to get this grow light working. So, by far, if you’re looking for an “easy to set-up grow light,” then this LED grow light from Roleadro is your best option.
Something else that intrigued me about this light was its total life span, included with the low wattage and powerful LEDs. So, if you’re looking for a long-term investment, this is certainly something you should consider.
Apart from the above benefits, there are also negatives. The main flaw I can see on this grow light is the size. Unfortunately, it’s only 276mm x 276mm x 14mm. Because of this, if you want to cover a large area, you may need to purchase several of these lights. Failing to do so may result in you providing an insufficient amount of light to your vegetation.
| Pros | Cons |
| With the LED grow light comes included a hanging kit, so you’re able to hand this square grow light above your indoor vegetation successfully. | The size is a real disappointment. If you want to cover a large area, you may want to consider purchasing a few of these lights. |
| Roleadro has been producing grow lights for 11 years. Therefore, they have extensive knowledge about the industry. | After reading some customer reviews, it looks like this light can generate a considerable amount of heat. |
| Included with the light is a professional blue/red spectral ratio, so you’re able to control different parts of the synthesis process. | There isn’t an on or off switch located on the light, meaning you must turn it off by pulling the plug out. |
2.Shengsite LED Grow Light
Next on this list is the Shengsite LED Grow Light, and I believe many people will be excited about this one. This UFO-shaped grow light has a great visual appearance. But apart from that, it also comes equipped with around 250 LEDs that produce a bright, intense light.
Because of its shape, it can efficiently distribute an even amount of light to a designated area, which is ideal for growth. Moreover, apart from the large lighting area, it has excellent heat dissipation, highly efficient chips, and a relatively long life span.
From the sheer light it can produce, these Shengsite LED grow lights get used in industrial greenhouses, indoors, and even grow tents. Because it holds such versatility for its customers, it makes it a perfect option for increasing light.
| Pros | Cons |
| It can produce powerful lighting efficiently, so it doesn’t creep up your electricity bill. | Because of its circular shape and single hanging point, people say it hangs unevenly and tends to move a lot from small vibrations. |
| This light is simple to install, hang, plug and turn on to start receiving the immense benefits this lamp has to offer | From the above and several other features on the light, I must say there are some design flaws you’ll have to workaround. |
| This led light can be feasible for all growing stages, including the seedling, growth, and flowering stages | This light needs to be hung, which in some locations may not be applicable. |
3.Ankace 3-Mode Grow Light
This next light is slightly different from the above, as it includes a connection clip. For people that may be wanting to change locations, this Ankace 3-Mode Grow Light is the perfect solution. Because it has a hook and only requires a single power source, it is entirely portable. This is excellent, as you may want to relocate your indoor plants or vegetables.
It also comes equipped with a combination of red and blue lights, which ensure optimum efficiency in germination and photosynthesis. Due to this, your vegetation can expect an ideal light source that can aid their growth.
Included in the light are also flexible stems. This is brilliant for creating the right angle of light for your vegetation. Here you can mold your lamp into various shapes to guarantee you’re evenly distributing the right amount of light.
For maximum efficiency, it also comes with multiple different modes and a timer. On the market, it’s sporadic to find grow lights that have timers already built into them. To achieve this, you’d typically need a timer switch. However, you don’t need to as you can select from three different times with this light. These are 3, 6, or 12 hours.
| Pros | Cons |
| The timer feature that’s included in this grow light did it for me. This way, you can almost automate the lighting process and reduce money spent on electricity. | Due to the price, the build quality isn’t as good as some other options on this list, and the bulbs themselves have a shorter lifespan. |
| As this operates from just a clip, you’re able to connect it to any surface, making it portable. | The grow light would be better if it were on a solid stand rather than an adjustable clip. |
| For the features you have, the price is pretty good, making this grow light extremely affordable. | The lamp includes two long and thin led strips, so it’ll only cover a small amount of area. |
4.Maxsisun Hanging LED Grow Light
If you’re serious about investing in a real piece of equipment, then this Maxsisun Grow Light may be of interest. This commercially built grow light can provide a complete cycle of horticultural light to vegetation.
The price of this grow light is much more substantial than the others on this list, but it may be worth it. Although it’s pricey, it could save you money in the long run because it uses high photon efficacy. This can help adjust the amount of light produced onto your vegetation and minimise your electricity bill.
| Pros | Cons |
| Some grow lights make noise, and although this may be okay for some, it isn’t for others. However, this light is entirely silent, and you won’t hear anything when it’s switched on. | For some gardeners who want to bring their plants indoors throughout the winter, it’s too expensive. |
| Because Maxsisun is so confident in their product, they have a colossal warranty of three whole years. | The only way to operate this light is through hanging it. Although this is effective, some people may not have the room. |
| Although it’s more expensive, you pay for what you get. This light is constructed from high-quality materials to ensure you get your money’s worth. | This light is known to become increasingly hot after extended usage. |
5.Grow Light LED Bulb
If you have a spare lamp dotted around the house, you may only need a Grow Light LED Bulb. By far, this is the most cost-effective way of achieving LED lighting indoors for your vegetation. Here you’re able to screw this bulb into an existing light, and it’ll produce grow light that’ll provide your plants or vegetables vitamins.
Although this is a great and cheap way of achieving artificial light, the coverage area is tiny compared to the others found on the market. However, if you’re able to operate around this, it could be the perfect solution for you.
| Pros | Cons |
| If you’re unsure about artificial lighting, this is a great place to start because it’s inexpensive. | It is only recommended to cover a single plant or several small herb-type containers. |
| Is able to be used in any lamps, lights, or even torches to provide light that produces synthesis | Compared to other lights on this list, this bulb has a short lifespan of around 25,000 hours (3 years) |
| Unlike other bulb LED lights that produce red-colored light, this shines a white light that can look like ordinary household lighting. | To operate this light, you’ll need to buy or acquire a spare lamp. Because of this, the price can steadily start increasing. |
6.GrowLED Umbrella LED Grow Light
Something that caught my eye was this stylish umbrella LED grow light from GrowLED. From first sight, it looks great and somewhat unique. Personally, if you’ve only got a small selection or only one plant you’ll want to supply indoor lighting to, then this option is perfect.
For the price and the way it looks, you’re able to offer your vegetation direct and enough lighting. It also runs on 5Vs, meaning it requires a meager amount of voltage. This is a “Must” requirement for many avid gardeners to ensure their electricity bill doesn’t skyrocket.
The only major downside to this type of lamp is that the stand requires you to insert it into the soil. If you’ve already potted your plant, this can disturb the roots causing the growth stage to slow down.
| Pros | Cons |
| This light uses a meager amount of energy, so you’re guaranteed it won’t increase your household bills. | The stand can cause havoc to the development of a plant if inserted into a pre-planted pot. |
| Its shape allows you to provide direct lighting to a single plant or vegetable. | Realistically, you’re only able to provide adequate light to one plant at a time. |
| The lamp can be set up in a matter of minutes, just simply probe the spike into the soil and plug it in. | For the price, it’s good but doesn’t supply a large area of light compared to the others mentioned on this list. |
7.LBW LED Grow Lamp with Stand
Another lamp that looks excellent for indoor growing is the Grow Lamp with Stand from LBW. Without a doubt, having a stand on your grow light increases its compatibility. By having this, you’re able to take it anywhere you like, whenever you want.
This is excellent, as you may want to relocate your plants to another location, depending on the time of year or because you’ve outgrown your original spot. Either way, with this light, you’ll be able to take it wherever your plants go, assuming you have a power source nearby.
Included with the stand is a telescopic pole with an adjustment between 15 and 63 inches. This is a great feature, as you’re able to change the light source depending on the development stages of your vegetation.
| Pros | Cons |
| A great feature about this LED is that you’re able to adjust both the height and the lighting angle to ensure you’re providing enough light. | It’s a bulky stand-like design, and some people may not have the room to place this near their vegetation. |
| Includes a full spectrum of light to ensure maximum growth from your chosen vegetation | Limited additional features that aid lighting, such as timers, total light output, etc. |
| Because of its stand, it can be used anywhere, including balconies, basements, kitchens, living rooms, you name it, anywhere. | It doesn’t cover a large surface area, so you may need to invest more than one to supply a big vegetation area with enough sunlight. |
8.Juhefa Tri-Head Grow Light
This last lamp Juhefa produces is genuinely remarkable. Again, it’s another floor standing grow light meaning it’s completely portable. However, apart from the overhead light, which only has one light source, this one has three.
By offering this, you’re able to cover more surface area with artificial lighting. This light from Juhefa practically has the same features as the above. The only real difference is that it offers three light sources instead of one.
| Pros | Cons |
| This tri-light system can offer three focused areas of lighting to your vegetation | Like all LED lighting solutions with a stand, they require a lot of room to be set up. |
| All light outputs have flexible gooseneck stems, so you’re able to angle them sufficiently | Because of the tri-light system, it’s not the most visually appealing light. If you’re looking for a stylish lamp, I would avoid this |
| Included with this light, you’ll receive a telescopic stand, so you’re able to adjust the height of the lamp depending on your plant’s development stages. | It also only targets three focused areas rather than a large multi-put indoor garden |
As you can see from the above, there is an abundance of different grow lights you can select from to start growing indoors successfully. When choosing a light, consider space, light output, total area coverage, and efficiency. This way, you’re ensuring yourself you’ll have an adequate lighting system that’ll suit your needs.
What kind of light do vegetables need?
Vegetables are very easy-going and don’t require you to supply any unique kind of light. Of course, natural would be the best. Still, people also tend to use LED, HPS, or Fluorescent lighting systems to help aid photosynthesis.
Either lighting solution you choose comes down to how much you want to spend on your indoor garden. For a good, reliable, and cost-effective light, you’ll probably like to opt-in for an LED light, and It is because they are readily available and mostly always have a long lifespan.
In some cases, you’ll want to use a couple of different lights to enhance the growing stages of your vegetation. However, most grow lights include full-spectrum light, so you don’t have to purchase other lights to aid different parts of the synthesis process.
To better understand these three primary light sources, LED, HPS, and fluorescent, I suggest you read the below as we discuss these in further detail.
Types of grow lights
As mentioned, grow lights can be operated with three different types of bulbs. Because of this, they widely range in their capabilities and the benefits they can offer you. To help you better understand this, read below.
LED
One of the newer lighting solutions for growing indoors is LED. When this light was introduced to the market, many people believed it wasn’t going to be suitable for its purpose. However, people recently discovered that LEDs can produce a full spectrum of light that can help vegetation grow into something spectacular.
Because of this, you can angle the LED light close to a seedling to help it sprout without burning it. Then, as the plant grows, you can move it further away to enhance its development stages.
HPS
Another popular choice for grow lighting is HPS. HPS is very similar to LED, but the only difference is that the HPS produces a warmer light. Unfortunately, in some cases, the warmth of this light isn’t suitable for seedling growth as it can burn it.
If you’re going to opt-in for HPS, you need to remember that they produce an excessive amount of heat. Because of this, you’ll need a well-ventilated room to ensure your plants don’t dry out. Apart from this, they’re a well-rounded light that many gardeners use. But, they’re known to be non-efficient and a lighting solution that can certainly rack up your electricity bill.
Fluorescent
The next lighting solution is prevalent within the indoor gardening industry. This is because they have a considerable lifespan of around 20,000 hours and are affordable to replace. However, if you’re going to opt-in for fluorescent lighting, they lean more towards vegetable plants. But, they can still provide plants with light, just not as much as you’re probably expecting.
Conclusion
After reading the above, you should have a solidified idea of what type of grow lights are available on the market. Of course, there are many bad and good lighting solutions within the industry, but it comes down to preferences most of the time. For example, you need to answer these questions, do you have room to hang light, do you need a stand, how many plants do you need to supply light to, etc.?
You need to find a light that is suitable for your application. But, of course, everyone will be different, so you need to consider what will work for you.
Now you understand more about grow lights, why not leap into investing in one? This way, you can shelter your vegetation from the cold, blistering winter and continue its development all year round.
