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buyer advice

This website allows you to consider a number of key facts before making a buyer choice. Please review and if you have any questions, please feel free to send to us via our Contact page.

key factors to consider when buying LED grow lights

Actual power consumption

Energy and light output efficiency (efficacy) of the whole light fitting

Light output and intensity

Spectrum

Light spread (area covered) and uniformity

Lifespan of the fixture and quality of components

Price of the fixture

Value for money – are you really getting bang for your buck?

Solstron range best in LED Grow Light Comparison review

be sure to check the technical facts of the lights you plan to buy:

What is the true power consumption of LED lights for growing? If a light claims 1200W but only consumes 198W and has fan cooling you will be buying a 175W LED fixture. Always choose lights that provide honest marketing.

What is the efficacy of the LED lights for growing that you are looking at? This should be stated in the advert of the light in µmol/J. If a manufacturer does not state it then they will generally be poor performing lights

Commercial grade LED grow lights achieve 2.6+ µmol/J. At this efficacy a 650W light will match a 1000W HPS

Is the light waterproof? It is better to play safe and find a splash proof or waterproof light for your grow room or grow tent.

double check the following before you buy

What LED chips are used in LED lights for growing? If the brand is mentioned and the chips are 2835, 3030 or 5630 SMD LED chips then you will be buying a good light. You can check the performance of the chips on the website of the Chip manufacturer where these are readily downloadable. Chips that are 6W and about perform with lower efficacy.

What is the beam angle? An LED grow light with a 60 degree or 90 degree beam angle will have high PPFD below its centre but will have low PPFD on the edges of your grow tent. Choose a 120 degree beam angle light to improve uniformity of light coverage.

Are you getting good bang for your buck? A light claiming to be 1200w but consuming 198w and with fan cooling will be ideal for growing a few daffs on the window sill. If you want to get best bang for your buck go for a commercial grade 330W or 650W bar light that consumes the power it says it does and uses best quality LEDs. Paying £1 per watt is a great value light. in the

how many lights do I need?

The Quantity of LED grow lights required is derived from the total DLI required for a specific crop. This is important to know when selecting your LED lights for growing.

This in turn is derived from the delivered PPFD at the crop level

PPFD is influenced by the efficiency of the lighting system, the power used to generate photons of light, and the spectrum of light

A light system that generates 2.0 µmol/J of light will create 400 µmol/s from a 200W system

A quick calculation of the number of lights required for an installation can be made: Area to be lit (m2) x target PPFD /(LED power x LED PPE) = Quantity of lights required

For example, to light a grow room measuring 10ft x 10ft =100 sqft and we want to buy 600W LED light fixtures with a PPE of 2.7 umol/s. How many do we need to achieve a PPFD of 650 umol/m2/s?

Convert sqft to sqm by diving by 10.764 = 9.29sqm.

Calculation : [9.29 m2 x 650 umol/m2/s] divided by ( 600 W x 2.7 umol/s) = 3.73 lights (round up to 4 lights)

Similarly, if you purchase a 600W LED bar light for your 1.2m x 1.2m grow tent, how much light will the plant receive? 1.2m x 1.2m = 1.44sqm : 600w x 2.7 = 1,620 umol/s : PPFD = 1,620 / 1.44 = average PPFD of 1,125 umol/m2/s with optimal spectrum

Alternatively, a 1000W HPS will generate an average PPFD of 1,285 but with sub-optimal spectrum and with electrical costs and temperature 73% higher which means that after a year of operation, your HPS has cost you more than the extra cost of buying the LED on day 1 and your yield is at least 30% lower. LED is the way to go!

F.A.Q.

if you cannot find the answer to your question then please send via contact page

Follow the advice on this website and if you have any questions then please drop us a message via our contact page.

We have worked in this industry for a long time and recognise that the information advertised by some suppliers is often misleading or exaggerated. We want to ensure you get the best advice. That is why we provide honest, factual information on our website. The choice is therefore yours to make from a wide range of lighting options.

Our lights are commercial grade at an affordable price because we work directly with our manufacturing partners on the design, component selection and build quality. We therefore ensure you get the best deal.

We advertise our lights on Amazon & Ebay and so yes, this is a great place to buy lights.

Send your question to us using our contact page and we will endeavour to answer you as quickly and as fully as we can.

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