The 10 Best Grow Lights of 2023

HID is a kind of bulb that passes electricity through a gas-filled tube. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes. All claims noted assume proper lighting practices and compliance with industry standards. Bios is focused on developing LED lighting technology that is backed by true grow science – not bro science. Our website is for anyone looking for success with indoor gardening.

HIDs are made of gas-filled bulbs and electrodes; as electricity goes from one electrode to the other, it reacts with the gas to produce bright light. These are the most commonly found, least expensive light bulbs; you can find these at a hardware or grocery store. It converts light energy into chemical energy that the plant can then use to grow. This means that plants sometimes require different wavelengths of light to grow. Made of LED lights, this panel promotes growth for a variety of plants including seedlings, succulents, orchids, lettuce, and more.

• Grow lights can also be used to expand the growing areas within your house.
• Plasma grow lights are the newest type of grow light on the market.
• Green light (500–600 nm) prompts some scientific debate regarding its usefulness but, as a general rule, it isn’t actually needed by plants.
• LED grow lights come in a spectrum of colors and a wider range of wattages than regular white LEDs.

Unlike HID lights, CFLs fit in a standard mogul light socket and don’t need a separate ballast. The IKEA Vaxer cultivation bulb below was a firm favourite amongst our houseplant fans, however these are SOLD OUT currently. It is worth keeping an eye out for these coming back into stock as they were highly recommended. Perk up your patio or indoor space no matter your budget with these stylish planters and pots. Foster an interest in both indoor and outdoor gardening with these educational hands-on kits and kid-sized tools.

Thank you to our wonderful house plant fans for their tried and tested grow light methods and recommendations.

The following grow lights performed well in our tests, although each is designed for a slightly different growing situation. Today’s options range in price from under $20 to $150, or more, depending on quality and light range. When all things are kept equal, the rate of photosynthesis changes with light, increasing as more red light is available.

The T8 and T12 are less powerful and are more suited to plants with lower light needs. High-output fluorescent lights produce twice as much light as standard fluorescent lights. A high-output fluorescent fixture has a very thin profile, making it useful in vertically limited areas.

Medium light

From the beginner to the more experienced, there’s something for everyone. Both can be used as “plant lights”, but it’s the grow light that would give the best results. The grow light also draws considerably more power than the conventional LED bulb and has more chips. It’s more powerful, brighter and generally a better tool for its purpose in all ways. The light output from this grow bulb is high compared to the previous two types of lights. Sometimes known as T5 bulbs, these are a step up from the last two.

There are many types of artificial lights in different styles and sizes to fit your needs and budget. Select a plant with requirements that match the light environment in your home or office. The photon-weighted curve is for converting PPFD to YPF; the energy-weighted curve is for weighting PAR expressed in watts or joules. Plants that flower in response to photoperiod may have a facultative or obligate response. A facultative response means that a plant will eventually flower regardless of photoperiod, but will flower faster if grown under a particular photoperiod. An obligate response means that the plant will only flower if grown under a certain photoperiod.

A single fixture can provide the illumination for multiple plants, dispersing the lighting evenly throughout the space. Because these fixtures are specifically designed for grow light purposes, they tend to provide a fuller light spectrum range than cheaper light bulbs. Yes, you can use most regular light bulbs to help grow your indoor plants. But they’re nowhere near the best source of light for plant growth and using them is unlikely to produce a healthy houseplant in the long term. Therefore, it’s more common for a metal halide to be used when the plants are on display in the home and natural color is preferred. Metal halide bulbs need to be replaced about once a year, compared to HPS lights which last twice as long.

Red light is easily absorbed by chlorophyll, and it’s absorbed mostly in the upper layers of plant tissue. Red light encourages cell expansion, and without blue light to balance it, vertical growth can stress or damage the plant and diminish its potential harvest. Although it’s countered with enough blue light, red light is essential for cannabis growth in early and mature stages as well as in its flowering stage. Because LED lighting comes in a wide range of colors, it can mimic sunlight more accurately than other artificial lights. You can also adjust the color to enhance growth during specific stages, which may result in bigger and healthier plants. These plants grow well indoors in areas that are well-lit such as in east-facing windows or near a west-facing window, but out of direct sunlight.