LED Grow Lights Review – Getting The Best Results From 2010 Models

LED grow lights came on the market a few years ago to the tune of rejection and controversy. How can they possibly compare to the HID grow light standard and are they able to produce the same results as outlined in all the hype? By doing my homework and some basic comparison, I found that the best LED grow lights are more than capable of outperforming the standard.

The most important concept to understand about LED grow lights is that you are swapping the brute-force tactics used by metal halide and high pressure sodium grow lights for the gentle strength and simplicity of the technological break-through of LED grow lights.

With a typical HID light setup – replete with expensive accessories like fans, ducting, ballasts, etc. – the full spectrum of white light is emitted. From red to blue and all wavelengths between, your plants are bombarded with light and a tremendous amount of heat without regard for its actual effectiveness. HID grow lights have an average of 15% efficiency, the lion’s-share of energy is thrown away in the form of wasted light (un-absorbable) and unnecessary heat. Do you like throwing away money?

The highest quality LED grow lights enjoy a 95% efficiency rating which means that almost all of the light is beneficial to your plants and can directly help them grow. Nearly none of the light is wasted and the heat they produce is negligible. Only with years of research and development can determine which specific wavelengths are targeted to produce energy usable in photosynthesis. Blue and red light are the most important for growing plants while, to a lesser extent, orange is also needed. This makes sense because plants are green. On a scientific level, this means that plants reflect green and yellow light to such an extent that those wavelengths are nearly useless for growing plants. You have to ask yourself, why buy a grow light that wastes energy on producing those wavelengths?

To be sure, choosing the right LED grow light for your indoor garden has its challenges. Just like any other product in existence there is a wide range of quality represented by the various brands available on the market. From the very basic models up to the Mercedes of LED grow lights, styles range in price, shape, light colors, and power output that all play a part in determining your success as an indoor grower. I can tell you from experience that, for the most part, you get what you pay for.

I am not trying to tell you that you will be 100% successful just because you spent the most money possible on your LED grow lights. The more important factor to consider is the quality of components used in construction that really help you get the most out of your growing experience.

What you need to look for in an LED grow light is the power of each individual LED bulb. It is common to find 225 LED grow panels for sale very cheap – around $50-$100, however, you would totally waste your money. Each bulb in such an array typically has only 0.06 Watts. This is severely underpowered – unless of course you only want to grow a 4 inch tall plant. Because of the lack of power, you will get poor results, no canopy penetration, spindly plants, and some plants just wont grow or flower at all. The minimum power output to look for is 1 Watt per bulb – about 16 times more output than “bargain” LED grow lights and you are still saving a ton of money in electricity.

When using high quality LED grow lights you get powerful, highly targeted light to your plants. You will enjoy the success of thick, stocky plants with huge blooms and the biggest yields possible when growing inside.

For more details and an LED Grow Light Review, visit Cora Ladd’s site on how to choose the best LED Grow Lights for your garden.