With the importance of light, and, more specifically, grow lights outlined for cannabis cultivation, it’s time to move on to the best important—the different types of grow lights available.
All of the lights listed below are fully capable of growing great cannabis, but it’s important you match the grow light to your setup and overall experience. To find the best grow lights for your setup, you’ll need to know how each one measures up.
LED LIGHTS FOR GROWING CANNABIS
The newest kid on the block, LED grow lights are making waves in the cannabis scene for their low running cost and consistent results.
WHAT ARE LED GROW LIGHTS? LED, or light-emitting diode, grow lights have become increasingly popular for growing weed. Early iterations of LED grow lights couldn’t match the intensity of traditional options, but the technology is continually improving, and LEDs are proving a formidable option.
It’s worth noting that many LED panels include a daisy chain system, allowing you to link units together for improved control, coverage, and efficiency. It’s also common to find veg and bloom settings on LED panels (full-spectrum LEDs), making them a versatile pick for novice and experienced growers.
Spread-Style LED Grow Lights Spread-style LED grow lights include a few notable models, including spider-style, rack, and quantum boards. The most popular option remains the quantum board, which, in essence, is a large light panel with LEDs spread out over its surface. Quantum boards provide excellent coverage due to their large size, but tend to be lower in wattage than other styles.
COB-Style LED Lights COB lights still use a series of smaller LEDs, but this time they’re clustered closer together to give the impression a panel is only 4–6 bulbs. COB lights have the greatest intensity of all LED panels, but at the cost of power efficiency. The deep light penetration from COB panels is ideal for several large plants, but any more than that and coverage can become an issue.
Pros of LED Grow Lights
• Energy efficient (lower overall running costs) • Run significantly cooler than traditional grow lights • Less heat out means less cooling and heat-related plant problems • Many models have a veg and bloom setting for a full-spectrum lighting solution • Plug and play
Cons of LED Grow Lights
• The initial cost of LED lights is more significant than other grow lights • The quality of LED panels varies significantly • Not the greatest yield potential (yet) • The wattage advertised is not always the true power draw
WHAT ARE THE BEST LIGHTS FOR GROWING CANNABIS?
With the importance of light, and, more specifically, grow lights outlined for cannabis cultivation, it’s time to move on to the best important—the different types of grow lights available.
All of the lights listed below are fully capable of growing great cannabis, but it’s important you match the grow light to your setup and overall experience. To find the best grow lights for your setup, you’ll need to know how each one measures up.
LED LIGHTS FOR GROWING CANNABIS
The newest kid on the block, LED grow lights are making waves in the cannabis scene for their low running cost and consistent results.
WHAT ARE LED GROW LIGHTS?
LED, or light-emitting diode, grow lights have become increasingly popular for growing weed. Early iterations of LED grow lights couldn’t match the intensity of traditional options, but the technology is continually improving, and LEDs are proving a formidable option.
It’s worth noting that many LED panels include a daisy chain system, allowing you to link units together for improved control, coverage, and efficiency. It’s also common to find veg and bloom settings on LED panels (full-spectrum LEDs), making them a versatile pick for novice and experienced growers.
Spread-Style LED Grow Lights
Spread-style LED grow lights include a few notable models, including spider-style, rack, and quantum boards. The most popular option remains the quantum board, which, in essence, is a large light panel with LEDs spread out over its surface. Quantum boards provide excellent coverage due to their large size, but tend to be lower in wattage than other styles.
COB-Style LED Lights
COB lights still use a series of smaller LEDs, but this time they’re clustered closer together to give the impression a panel is only 4–6 bulbs. COB lights have the greatest intensity of all LED panels, but at the cost of power efficiency. The deep light penetration from COB panels is ideal for several large plants, but any more than that and coverage can become an issue.
Pros of LED Grow Lights
• Energy efficient (lower overall running costs)
• Run significantly cooler than traditional grow lights
• Less heat out means less cooling and heat-related plant problems
• Many models have a veg and bloom setting for a full-spectrum lighting solution
• Plug and play
Cons of LED Grow Lights
• The initial cost of LED lights is more significant than other grow lights
• The quality of LED panels varies significantly
• Not the greatest yield potential (yet)
• The wattage advertised is not always the true power draw