The 7 Best Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights

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Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights

When you grow weed indoors, you need to recreate a number of different elements which otherwise exist outdoors in nature. These elements include light, heat, air, nutrients, etc. and while all of them are very important, plants need high-quality lighting for better growth. Full-spectrum LED grow lights are among the best possible lighting that you can provide to your plants for good growth. 

Over the course of this article, we shall be taking a detailed look at some of the best full spectrum LED grow lights available in the markets. We shall be reviewing each of these grow lights in detail and provide you with the pros and cons of buying them! However, before we begin any of that, we shall first be taking a closer look at what these full-spectrum LED grow lights are and what is the importance of lighting in the process of growing marijuana. Post that, we shall be looking at the 7 best LED grow light options that you have when looking for full-spectrum lighting solutions, followed by some of the factors you need to consider before you buy LED lights for your plants. Post that, we shall look at some commonly asked questions before we conclude! 

We hope that by the time you reach the end of this article, you will be able to make an informed choice about which grow light is the best suited for the needs of your plants and will help you get the best yield! Let us begin by addressing the basics first:

What is a Full Spectrum LED Grow Light?

Growing your marijuana indoors is considered a better option by many growers because while you do this indoors, you are growing your weed in a controlled environment where you can recreate and tweak all the natural elements so that the plant gets an optimal growth. None of these elements, however, is as important as the light that the plant gets. Ideally, a marijuana plant has to grow under sunlight – however, when you grow it indoors, you do it under a grow light. Full-spectrum LED grow lights are the best options you have when it comes to growing marijuana because the kind of light that comes from them is very similar to the natural light of the sun.

Sunlight appears to us as white or yellow. However, it is actually made up of a spectrum of different lights – and this spectrum has two ends, one being the warm red lighting while the other being the cool blue lighting. Plants, in order to get an ideal growth, require both these types of light across different phases of their growth. During the early stages and vegetative growth, plants require more of blue lighting than red and for the flowering/blooming phase, plants need more of red lighting than blue. 

Getting a regular LED light won’t guarantee that you are getting light from all the different wavelengths and spectrums. Hence, you need to make sure you are getting a full-spectrum LED grow light to ensure your plants get a proper growth. Let us now take a detailed look at some benefits of using grow lights, followed by the 7 best lights that you can get in the markets. 

Benefits of using Grow Lights for Growing Marijuana

There are a number of benefits of using LED grow lights for growing marijuana. However, the first and the biggest benefit that you get is that they are much more energy efficient when you compare them with older and traditional forms of lighting. Basically, they consume less power from the socket while offering you lighting which is equivalent to a higher wattage output, allowing you to save a lot on the electricity costs. In addition to that, the lifespan of LED grow lights is much longer (average of about 100,000 hours) when you compare it with older types of grow lights. 

LED grow lights also provide you with full-spectrum lighting solutions in just one panel – and you don’t have to change your lighting setup once your plants mature into the flowering stage. Another huge benefit of using LED grow lights is that they do not heat up as much as some of the previous lighting options such as HPS lamps and Metal Halides. They are also free of any toxic elements and can be easily disposed after their lifespan has expired. Hence, LED grow lights offer a large number of benefits and are the preferred form of lighting for growing weed indoors.

7 Best Full-Spectrum LED Grow Lights for Growing Marijuana

1. VIPARSPECTRA UL Certified 1200W LED Grow Light

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Viparspectra is the leading name when it comes to the world of LED grow lights. The company has been around for a really long time and has been making some of the best products for growers over the years. Their grow lights are priced in at a fair price and they offer a long-lasting product too. This is a 1200W LED grow light from the company, and you can also get it in other variants including 450W, 600W, and 900W. What really stands out about this grow light is that there is a lot of focus on customer safety. This is a UL certified product meaning there’s no fire or shock hazard associated with it! 

Another great thing about the Viparspectra grow light is that it offers you a full spectrum (like all the other grow lights on our list) and it will ensure that you don’t need to change the light while your plants grow from a seedling all the way to their harvest phase! There’s a double VEG and BLOOM channel and the lighting can be easily adjusted as per the needs of the growers. For those wondering about the coverage, this grow light covers about 4.5 x 4.5 ft of vegetative growth from 32 inches and about 3.5 x 3.5 ft of flowering growth when you lower it to 24 inches. 

This grow light offers a lifespan of about 100,000 hours which is sufficient for almost all growers as that’s a really long time. There are 240 LED bulbs in this, each of 5W. This grow light can easily replace an 800W HPS or Metal Halide light and consumes only about 520W of power from the main socket (possible variance of about 3 to 5%). You get a three year warranty along with the Viparspectra 1200W full spectrum LED grow light, making it one of the best options for growers in the market.

Pros

Pros
  • Decent coverage
  • Full spectrum lighting helps faster and bigger growth
  • Consumes very little power vs the output you get
  • 3 year warranty

Cons

Cons
  • Some growers have reported that the fan is a little too noisy for their preference

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2. Advanced Platinum Series P900 900w 12-band LED Grow Light

Advanced Platinum Series P900 900w 12-band LED Grow Light - DUAL VEG/FLOWER FULL SPECTRUM
  • Platinum LED lights have the HIGHEST PAR/LUMEN OUTPUT PER WATT of any LED grow light! 2x-3x the intensity of any other lights!
  • SUPERIOR 12-band full spectrum from the depths of UV to the heights of IR - The most complete and efficient spectral output available

Perhaps the best option when it comes to getting an LED grow light for growing marijuana indoors, this grow light from Advanced Platinum is a premium product which offers you almost everything that you would wish from an LED grow light. First of all, this is an excellent lighting solution for those who have needs which are a little larger than the usual growers – these grow lights offer you with a coverage of 6′ x 4′ which is sufficient for most small-scale growers. The light weighs only 35lbs and can easily be hung on to the grow tent without worrying too much about the weight. 

This is a 900W LED grow light – there are 300 LEDs of 3W each which function together to give you the final output. However, having a 900W LED does not mean it draws 900W from the power socket – it draws only about 279W during the VEG stage and about 557W during the BLOOM phase. The LEDs are high-quality and made in the US. There are secondary focusing lenses, angled in at 90 degrees which help ensure that the plants are getting effective lighting. There are auto voltage sensors in the grow light which make sure that there’s no risk of power overdrive causing damage to the lights.

This is a little expensive compared to other comparable names on the list, however, the kind of service and the kind of lighting that you get when you use the Advance Platinum P900 900W full spectrum LED grow light is significantly better and brighter. This grow light comes with a lifespan of about 100,000 hours which is about 8 to 10 years with ease. There’s also a 5 year warranty period – the longest on the list. This also offers some of the highest PAR per watt numbers when it comes to the grow lights. 

Pros

Pros
  • Among the best lighting solutions – very bright lights
  • High quality US made LEDs
  • The long warranty period of 5 years, 100,000 hours of lifetime
  • Large coverage

Cons

Cons
  • Expensive

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3. Roleadro LED Grow Light, 600W

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Roleadro might not be a name as prominent as some other brands on this list, but the company sure does know how to create impactful products which are great for growing weed indoors. They make among some of the best full spectrum LED grow lights in the markets and this is a 600W light from the company. A 600W light is great for small-scale growers who are just growing a few plants. These are inexpensive as well as help ensure that all the basic lighting needs are properly met.

One of the first things that strikes you about this LED grow light is that it offers a very simple and minimalist design. It is a very neat looking grow light which is easy to use and great for beginners. This is a full spectrum light which comes with a color temperature of 3500K, which makes it the perfect fit for all phases of growth ranging from vegetative growth all the way to flowering. This is a 600W LED grow light which features 60 pieces of LEDs of 10W each. However, it draws only about 132W of power from the socket – making it really great and affordable when it comes to efficiency. 

There’s also a 1200W variant of this grow light for those growers who might have slightly larger needs. Another thing that one should know about this grow light from Roleadro is that it also supports daisy chaining, which means you can plug another grow light on to this one – and it would easily connect to it and won’t have to be connected with the power socket. There are two fans located on the back of the grow light panel which make sure that the heat is properly dissipated. There’s also a two-year warranty on this grow light.

Pros

Pros
  • Inexpensive – doesn’t cost a lot of money
  • Dissipates heat really well with the help of fans and vents
  • High quality and high power LEDs
  • Full-spectrum LED light helps the plants grow bigger and better
  • Supports daisy-chaining

Cons

Cons
  • Fans tend to make a little noise
  • Coverage might be small for the taste of some growers

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4. BLOOMSPECT Upgraded 1000W LED Grow Lights

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Bloomspect is a prominent name in the markets when it comes to the world of LED grow lights. The company has a loyal set of buyers and they are very reliable when it comes to providing a decent quality lighting which will help nurture your plants and ensure that they grow big and healthy and bloom better. This is a 1000W grow light but you can also get variants of 600W and 1500W depending upon your needs. In this grow light, you get 100 LED lights of 10W each. There are three modes in which you can use this grow light – the VEG mode, the BLOOM mode and the VEG+BLOOM mode. This is a full-spectrum LED grow light, and growers can easily switch between the modes depending on the phase of growth the plant is in. 

The PAR scores of this grow light are pretty impressive considering the price that you pay for it. In addition to that, this is a 1000W LED grow light in terms of the output, but the actual power that it draws from the socket is just 180W with a variance of about 3%. During the vegetative phase of the plant’s growth cycle, this can help you cover an area of about 3ft x 3ft while it can cover about 2.5ft x 2.5ft of area during the flowering phase. 

The quality of the chips used in this grow light from Bloomspect is also pretty good as the company uses high-quality dual-chip LEDs. There’s a 2 year warranty on the product, along with a 30-day money back guarantee if you are dissatisfied with the performance. In addition to that, the cooling system is also pretty efficient as it allows easy dissipation of heat with the help of large heat vents. The lighting is extremely bright and it is recommended not to look directly at the LEDs else you might damage your vision.

Pros

Pros
  • Very bright
  • Consumes very little power
  • Decent warranty and money-back guarantee
  • High quality LED chips
  • Long lifespan

Cons

Cons
  • Coverage is lesser compared to other 1000W LED lights
  • Not waterproof

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5. BESTVA DC Series 2000W LED Grow Light

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BESTVA DC Series 2000W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum Grow Lamp for Greenhouse Hydroponic Indoor Plants Veg and Flower
  • 【BESTVA Newest Technology】Dual-chip(10W) LEDs which is much brighter and more efficient than traditional 3W and 5W LEDs. It is the HIGHEST PAR/LUMEN OUTPUT...
  • 【VEG & BLOOM Switches】Nine different bands of LEDs make up our true full spectrum light, which helps plants, vegetables and flower indoor growing at all...

BESTVA is another major player when it comes to the world of LED grow lights. This is one of the best full spectrum LED grow lights for growing marijuana – especially for those who require a bigger growing area. This is a 2000W LED grow light and the largest on our list. However, if you have even larger needs, BESTVA also offers 3000W and 4000W variants! However, the 2000W variant is perfect for the needs of a big sized grow tent – you can use this grow light to cover an area of about 7.8′ x 7.5′ from 24” – making it ideal for an 8×8 grow tent. 

There are separate VEG and BLOOM switches on this grow light, allowing you to easily switch between modes as your plant matures from being in the vegetative stage to being in the flowering stage. The grow light features Nine different bands of LEDs to ensure you are getting a lighting which is very similar to the natural light of the sun. There are 200 pieces of LED chips attached to this grow light, each operating at 10W to provide a total wattage of 2000W. However, the actual power draw from the electric socket is just 390W on an average – there can be some variance based on your usage. The grow light has a lifespan of 100,000 hours making it one of the best options for growers looking for large grow lights which can last them a long time.

When you look at cooling, this grow light from BESTVA provides a 3mm aluminium plate radiator, along with numerous vents and ducts which help the heat flow out with the help of the fans located on the back side. Furthermore, priced in at less than $250, this grow light is just perfectly priced – it is not too costly and can last you for a long time. There’s also a 3-year warranty period that the light comes with, and a 90 day money back guarantee period. All in all, one of the best options in the markets.

Pros

Pros
  • Very bright – helps your plants grow really fast and really big
  • Inexpensive compared to other 2000W LED lights
  • Does not consume a lot of power
  • 3-year warranty and 90-day money-back period

Cons

Cons
  • Tends to heat up a lot
  • No daisy-chaining

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6. King Plus 600W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum

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King Plus is a brand that many growers associate with larger grow lights, but this is a 600W offering from them. This grow light is perfect for beginners. In fact it is one of the best full spectrum LED grow lights for marijuana growers who are just starting out their growing operations. This is a compact device which comes with two different switches for VEG and BLOOM stages which can be turned on or off depending on the phase of growth that your cannabis plant is in. The former gives you the blue and white lights while the latter gives you the red and white lights. Both switches can be on during the flowering phase.

This grow light panel comes along with Ultraviolet and Infrared lights, and covers a spectrum ranging from 380nm to 780nm, ensuring you get a near-natural sunlight experience. There are 100 pieces of dual-chip LED lights of 6W each, providing you with a total of 600W of output. However, the power that this grow light really consumes from the wall socket is just about 125W on an average. Interestingly, even for a device which is so inexpensive, this one will last you for a really long time – over 100,000 hours as claimed by King Plus. All in all, it functions on an energy saving technology which is great for the light’s long life. The light covers an area of around 3×3 ft on an average.

The cooling system of the King Plus 600W LED grow light is also something that stands out. The light produces quite a bit of heat but it can easily be dissipated with the help of the aluminum radiators and the heat vents located in the sides. There’s a 3 year professional service warranty, as well as a 90-day money back period, which is great considering how inexpensive the grow light otherwise is. 

Pros

Pros
  • Inexpensive
  • Decent coverage
  • Long warranty period of 3 years
  • Cooling system is decent

Cons

Cons
  • Not suitable for big tents

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7. Phlizon Newest 600W LED Plant Grow Light

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A relatively lesser-known brand in this list, Phlizon has also been around for a while and is particularly known for their inexpensive and cheap LED grow lights. This is a 600W LED grow light from the company. However, there are also 900W and 1200W variants if you wish to buy them. This one costs around $85 and is one of the cheapest and the most basic options you’ve got in the markets. This is a product for entry level growers who are just learning and don’t really want to spend too much or for someone who is looking to buy a backup LED grow light. 

However, getting a full-spectrum grow light at this price point is indeed a great deal. There are separate switches for the VEG and BLOOM mode which will make sure you can provide your plants with a great growing experience during each phase of their growth. You also get IR and UV lights in this panel. However, the coverage area here is really small. You only get about 2×2 ft of coverage and will probably need multiple such lights for even a 4×4 tent. 

The lifespan of this grow light is 50,000 hours, which is OK considering the extremely low price it comes in at. While it offers a 600W output, the actual power draw is about 100W (with a variance of about 3%). Fireproofing has also been covered here and this device is extremely safe to use. There are 60LEDs of 10W each in this grow light panel. Lastly, the warranty period that you get when you buy the Phlizon 600W LED plant grow light is that of 2 years along with a 30 day money-back guarantee which is an added benefit. 

Pros

Pros
  • Very inexpensive, really affordable for everyone
  • Good warranty period for a cheap light
  • Full-spectrum lighting
  • Designed keeping fire safety in mind

Cons

Cons
  • PAR output not so good
  • Coverage area is very little
  • Cooling is average at best

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Buyer’s Guide: What To Look For in an LED Grow Light?

Now that you know which are the seven best options that you have when it comes to buying an LED grow light for growing marijuana indoors, you need to look out for some of these factors that have to be considered when you buy the light:

  • Coverage – You must make sure that the light you are buying is big enough to cover the number of plants that you have. If the light isn’t big enough you might even consider buying multiple panels of the light which can then be placed inside the same grow tent to cover a larger area. You must know how your plants are placed and how much space they occupy in order to know what grow light will suit your needs.
  • Electricity Consumption – You must check two things – the wattage as well as the electricity consumption. The simplest way to understand this is that ‘wattage’ means the amount of light output you’d be getting and the electric consumption is – how much electricity will it be consuming from the wall socket. Thankfully in case of LED grow lights the electricity consumption is always lower when you compare it to the wattage. However, you must still need to check how much electricity your grow light consumes before you buy it.
  • PAR ScorePAR score, in very simple terms, is the amount of light that is absorbed by the plants from when it leaves the grow light. The simplest way to understand this is – the higher your PAR score, the better it is. Getting grow lights with a higher PAR score will mean it will help your plants grow bigger and faster and ensure higher yields compared to grow lights with lower PAR scores.
  • Quality of LEDsQuality of the LED lights matters a lot. Check the reviews to see if they are saying anything about the quality of the LEDs attached to the panel. Sometimes, in poor quality grow lights some LEDs stop functioning after a while and there are blind spots on your grow light. In our list, we have ensured that no such grow lights are included. However this is something that you must know! Getting a full spectrum LED grow light which provides dimmable LED lights is always a good option for indoor marijuana growers.
  • DurabilityYour grow lights also need to be durable. In case of any bumps, falls or the odd event of the grow tent collapsing, the grow light must not be affected and it must continue to function. You must also look for a grow light which is waterproof or water resistant. Since you work with a lot of water while growing plants, this is something that needs to be taken care of.
  • CoolingLED grow lights don’t emit a lot of heat compared to older forms of lighting but you still need to ensure that your grow light has enough fans and vents to ensure that heat does not accumulate inside it and damage the light. An ideal grow light has multiple fans and openings to dissipate the heat.
  • Lifespan, Warranty, and CostThese are three of the last factors on our list but they must never be the least on your priorities! Always check what lifespan the company is promising, see the reviews if it lives up to the promise. Moreover, the longer the warranty period the better it is for you! Lastly, cost must also be a factor. Set up a budget and make sure that you are sticking to it when it comes to buying the grow light of your choice. 

Frequently Asked Questions about LED Grow Lights

Before we conclude, let us take one last look at some frequently asked questions about LED grow lights that every grower must know. These are commonly asked questions and it would be beneficial for you too, to go through them, as these might help solve some of your doubts and queries as well.

1. Is it legal to buy LED grow lights?

Yes – it is perfectly legal to buy LED grow lights. These lights are important not just for growing marijuana but a large number of plants and vegetables which are grown indoors. These are very commonly bought indoor horticultural objects and there won’t be any restrictions on buying them. However, if you plan on growing weed – always make sure to know what the local laws say about that because growing weed might land you into trouble. Even in places where growing weed is allowed make sure you have checked how many plants are you allowed to grow.

2. What other types of grow lights are there?

While full spectrum LED grow lights are the most popular of the lot, there are some other grow lights in the markets as well. Older types of grow lights include CFL lights, High Pressure Sodium (HPS) grow lights and Metal Halides, among others. These grow lights also have their own pros and cons but LED lights are the latest and considered the best.

3. Can I grow plants without using LED grow lights?

Yes, you can use older forms of lighting, or you can choose to grow your weed outdoors under the open sun. The very purpose of using any grow lights is to recreate the sunlight in an indoors setting. You could instead choose to use the natural light to grow your plants in your balcony/window/garden.

4. Which is the best LED grow light for growing marijuana?

The answer to this question varies from person to person as everyone has their own unique preferences when it comes to buying LED grow lights for growing marijuana. We request you to go through the list of factors that you must consider (the buyer’s guide) which will help you understand which product is the best suited for your needs.

Conclusion

To conclude, we hope that this comprehensive article on LED grow lights helped you understand what these lights are and what to look for before you buy them. We have provided a review of some of the best full spectrum LED grow lights in the markets which will make it easy for you to make a decision. If there are any more questions that you’d like to have answered or if you feel we’ve missed out on something, do let us know in the comments section or drop us an email and we shall get back to you soon. Till then…

….Happy Growing! 🙂

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