If the user grows hemp plants to obtain flowers for the first time, he may want to know how to choose the best LED grow lights. After all, having a high-quality light source is the first step to successful indoor harvesting.
The question is: What makes LED grow lights better than other lights? Between the technical parameters and the many options to choose from, it is not easy how to buy the right LED grow lights with confidence.
Different types of LED plant grow lights
Distributed type: Distributed plant growth light is a panel dotted with small LEDs on a large area. Can get the advantages of many factories, higher output and built-in cooling system. Subcategories include quantum board, spider and folding plant lights.
Traditional panels: For small spaces, traditional panels are compact in size and usually include full-spectrum plant lighting. They are “hybrid” styles between COB styles.
COB plant lights provide powerful lighting from a single light source, emitting full-spectrum frequencies.
How to choose the right LED plant growth light
Before making a selection, users need to have a basic understanding of the basic requirements of LED plant growth lights:
Spectrum: LED plant growth lights imitate natural light, but unless they are full-spectrum LED lights, they may not have all the colors on the electromagnetic spectrum (for example, a special ratio of red and blue). If users grow cannabis plants from seeds to flowers, they should look for a combination of blue, purple (UV), red, and infrared (IR) LEDs.
Heat output: In order to prevent the leaves from being burned, the best LED plant lights have cooling systems, such as radiators or rely on fans to dissipate heat. These systems can also prevent the lamps from overheating.
Footprint map: Footprint map refers to the growth space covered by plant lights at different heights. This is measured in feet and usually falls between 2’✕2′ and 4’✕4′.
WINLIGHT 240W LED grow light
Power: Contrary to mainstream belief, higher wattage is not the best way to evaluate how much power LED lights consume. The design of LED is cost-effective, so higher wattage may put more economic pressure on growers. The real measurement of power comes down to how much light the plant itself needs to absorb, which is classified as a 400-700nm PAR level. PAR stands for photosynthetically active radiation, in other words, it is the amount of visible light that plants use for photosynthesis.
Light intensity: The standard for measuring light intensity is micromole per joule. In the product list, you will see it written as umol/j or PPF (photosynthetic photon flux). The best LED grow lights have a high PPF because they produce more photons per second. Look for lamps with 1.5 umol/j and above.
In addition to PPF, users may also see μmol/m2/s or PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) measurements. This sounds very professional, but as a grower, you only need to know that PPFD measures the number of photons that hit the surface of the plant per second. You need to measure PPF and PPFD on the same plane at different heights to understand the intensity of light at different heights.
Voltage: It is often overlooked by home growers to ensure that the user’s power socket can accept the voltage range of the LED plant growth lamp, especially if the lamp itself contains a series function. This allows you to connect multiple lights in a certain space, but it consumes more power and requires wires to be installed in the home.
Warranty/Lifetime: Since LED grow lights are a product investment, having a warranty can effectively eliminate users’ worries and ensure that defective parts can be returned and replaced. In addition, it is best to choose a product with a longer life (more hours).
The best LED grow light for indoor planting of hemp plants
If the user grows hemp plants to obtain flowers for the first time, he may want to know how to choose the best LED grow lights. After all, having a high-quality light source is the first step to successful indoor harvesting.
The question is: What makes LED grow lights better than other lights? Between the technical parameters and the many options to choose from, it is not easy how to buy the right LED grow lights with confidence.
Different types of LED plant grow lights
Distributed type: Distributed plant growth light is a panel dotted with small LEDs on a large area. Can get the advantages of many factories, higher output and built-in cooling system. Subcategories include quantum board, spider and folding plant lights.
Traditional panels: For small spaces, traditional panels are compact in size and usually include full-spectrum plant lighting. They are “hybrid” styles between COB styles.
COB plant lights provide powerful lighting from a single light source, emitting full-spectrum frequencies.
How to choose the right LED plant growth light
Before making a selection, users need to have a basic understanding of the basic requirements of LED plant growth lights:
Spectrum: LED plant growth lights imitate natural light, but unless they are full-spectrum LED lights, they may not have all the colors on the electromagnetic spectrum (for example, a special ratio of red and blue). If users grow cannabis plants from seeds to flowers, they should look for a combination of blue, purple (UV), red, and infrared (IR) LEDs.
Heat output: In order to prevent the leaves from being burned, the best LED plant lights have cooling systems, such as radiators or rely on fans to dissipate heat. These systems can also prevent the lamps from overheating.
Footprint map: Footprint map refers to the growth space covered by plant lights at different heights. This is measured in feet and usually falls between 2’✕2′ and 4’✕4′.
Power: Contrary to mainstream belief, higher wattage is not the best way to evaluate how much power LED lights consume. The design of LED is cost-effective, so higher wattage may put more economic pressure on growers. The real measurement of power comes down to how much light the plant itself needs to absorb, which is classified as a 400-700nm PAR level. PAR stands for photosynthetically active radiation, in other words, it is the amount of visible light that plants use for photosynthesis.
Light intensity: The standard for measuring light intensity is micromole per joule. In the product list, you will see it written as umol/j or PPF (photosynthetic photon flux). The best LED grow lights have a high PPF because they produce more photons per second. Look for lamps with 1.5 umol/j and above.
In addition to PPF, users may also see μmol/m2/s or PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) measurements. This sounds very professional, but as a grower, you only need to know that PPFD measures the number of photons that hit the surface of the plant per second. You need to measure PPF and PPFD on the same plane at different heights to understand the intensity of light at different heights.
Voltage: It is often overlooked by home growers to ensure that the user’s power socket can accept the voltage range of the LED plant growth lamp, especially if the lamp itself contains a series function. This allows you to connect multiple lights in a certain space, but it consumes more power and requires wires to be installed in the home.
Warranty/Lifetime: Since LED grow lights are a product investment, having a warranty can effectively eliminate users’ worries and ensure that defective parts can be returned and replaced. In addition, it is best to choose a product with a longer life (more hours).