Reviews and Recommendations
Welcome to the reviews and recommendations section. Below are my current top four LED grow lights. The Penetrator is the best all-around light. The BlackStars are good for those on a budget and the Spectra is great for those looking for a top-of-the-line light.
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The Penetrator X-series line by Hydro Grow LED is the highest quality light on the market in my opinion. For the time being Hydro Grow seems to be just one step ahead in terms of developing their lights. The X-series pro model line that was recently released comes with two developments that changed the industry: x-lens technology and modular design.This is currently the light I use the most for my indoor grows.Sale Price: Starting at $179. Up to $2,000 depending on your light choice.
Safe Coverage Area: Depends on light you buy. My Written Review: Here’s my Penetrator X-Series Pro Review |
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This is the 240 Watt Blackstar/Lighthouse Hydro grow light. This is a very good light and is currently the top-selling LED grow light on Amazon. I’ve read dozens of LED grow journals and the name that showed up the most was Blackstar/Lighthouse Hydro.Sale Price: $290Safe Coverage Area: Four Square Feet
My Written Review: Click here to see my 240W Blackstar Review |
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This is the 500 Watt Blackstar/Lighthouse Hydro. I know it seems odd that my top two choices are Lighthouse Hydro lights. The truth is there are better lights out there, but not for the price. The amount of “bang for your buck” you get from these lights is second to none.Sale Price: $549Safe Coverage Area: Eight Square Feet
My Written Review: Here’s my detailed 500w Blackstar review |
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This is the 180 Watt Spectra LED light. I have yet to come across anyone who has something negative to say about the Spectra line of lights. This light works incredibly well and is built to last. Like most top-of-the-line products, it is a little bit more expensive.Sale Price: $499Safe Coverage Area: Four Square Feet
My Written Review: Here’s my Spectra Grow LED Hydro Review Find out more about the Spectra over at GrowLEDHydro.com |
Methodology for my Recommendations
There is a method to the way I provide these recommendations. That method consists of three parts:
(1). Reading grow journals – I spend a large amount of time reading LED grow light journals each day. I’ve read dozens of journals and some of these journals are over 500 pages. I make it a point to stay up-to-date on all of the latest grows.
(2). Talking with the experts in the field – I have some great contacts in the field who understand a lot more than I do about LED lighting. I take time on a regular basis to form new contacts with other LED experts. In addition, I reach out to LED grow light business owners to ask them questions that my readers want answered.
(3). Conducting user polls and surveys – Within the major grow light forums, I frequently run polls on which LED grow lights are the best. I also have a running poll on the best LED lighting brands on this website. I know these polls are subject to error and bias, but they do provide some insight.
Keep in mind that the technology behind these grow lights is changing extremely rapidly. I try to be consistent with my recommendations, but I reserve the right to change them when the situation warrants it.
Other Reviews
180 Watt Lighthouse Hydro Blackstar LED Review
Review of LED Wholesalers 90 W UFO Grow Light (The 2506RBOW Round Grow)
Sunshine Systems UFO LED Grow Light Review
BloomBoss UFO LED Grow Light Review
Under the 180 spectra review, the website listed is incorrect. It should be http://www.growledhydro.com. The one listed there is for the penetrators.
But if you click it, you go to the correct site.
Thanks for catching that. Those guys need to work on brand-name differentiation!
Nate
I have been reading your info and find it to have more lot’s of good info. I have a small greenhouse and want to grow tomatoes this winter. Would the 240 watt blackstar/lighthouse do the job?
Hey Mike,
Glad you like the site.
The 240w Blackstar can definitely do the job. There are some things you should consider though:
This light covers about 4 square feet (for maximum yield).
LEDs don’t put off a ton of heat, so keep an eye on the temperature in your greenhouse.
I’m thinking about growing some tomatoes this winter with my LEDs too! What type of tomatoes are you growing?
You gotta love fresh vegetables all year long.
Best,
Nate
Is there any rule of thumb for watts/square ft?
What sort iof distance from the plants is optimal?
Hey Steve,
Great questions. Originally, LED manufacturers thought that a 90w UFO would cover 9 square feet. That didn’t turn out so hot and led to many people doubting the LED industry in general. My general rule of thumb is 200 watts will cover four square feet for flowering. It will cover about 6 square feet for the vegetation stage. As the LED lights develop, that number will probably come down. For example a 100 watt light will probably cover four square feet in the future.
You should always read what the seller of the light says the coverage will be with a bit of skepticism. However, I’ve noticed that most of the main players are now much more honest with their coverage areas.
The distance from the plant question is a bit more difficult to answer because it depends on how much light your LED grow light is putting out (and it also depends on the beam angle of the light). When you purchase an LED grow light it should tell you the optimal distance to place it. Usually this distance is somewhere between one and two feet away from the plant. As the plant gets closer to flowering I usually allow it to get closer to the light. If you notice that your plant is stretching too much, try moving the light closer.
One interesting thing about LED grow lights is that you can let them get really close to the plant. They don’t diffuse heat through the lens so they don’t burn plants like HID lights do. I’ve even seen some grows where the LED light is touching the plant without burning it. I don’t recommend this, but I thought it was pretty funny.
Best,
Nate
Nate,
I am so impressed with your site. I am green to the whole growing tomatoes thing but I still feel like I learned a lot here. Enough to grow a boatload, and safe too. I am so concerned of safety as being my determining factor so with information I gained here I will be safe(and happy too : ) Best of luck with your site and hope you make a few bucks through affiliate links, you definitely deserve it. This is a labor of love.
Sean
Hey Sean,
Thanks for your comments. Comments like this really keep me going.
I’ll always be happy to write about something I’m passionate about (plants and growing technology), but it makes me want to go the extra mile when I hear that my site is helping other people.
Thanks again,
Nate
Hi Nate
Great. Resource website with recent info. You mention reading lots of Journals and grow mags. Can you list a few for me? I’m on the steep learning curve. Thanks
Philip
Hey Philip,
Thanks for stopping by. I’ve got a few of the journals spread throughout my website, but it would probably be more helpful if you gave me an idea of what you wanted to read more about. Are you interested in a certain brand of LED? Are you interested to learn more about how they work? Do you want to read pages of people debating back and forth about HID vs LED? hehe
Let me know what you’re looking for and I’ll send you some reading material.
Best,
Nate
I have never grown, so I really don’t know what i’m talking about, but what if you use an LED light that is rated for double your grow area?
Hey Annon,
I’m not sure I understand your question. Are you asking, for example, what will happen if you use a light that can over an 8 square foot area on a 4 square foot area? I think that would be just fine. You’d know that your plants were covered that’s for sure. You’d also have some extra light hitting the area where there are no plants. That’s okay, but it might be a tad inefficient.
Best,
Nate
Hi
Thank you for your reviews. Very informative! I am new to the “growing plant” business and found your site very well written, you have done your homework. I am going with the 500 watt lighthouse, I will let you know how things turn out, lol.
TCabo
Hey Tom,
Thanks for coming by. Let me know how the light works out for you. It’s always nice to hear other people’s experiences.
Best,
Nate
I am wondering why Stealth Grow isn’t covered at all on your site. I am interested in the SG 1250 HO. I understand the price is way out there, but I wanna know if it’s worth it. lots of times you get what you pay for. I have had a lot of interaction with Stealth and they appear to be a solid company. However before I make this kind of investment I would love to see a review from someone that isn’t sponsored by them. any help you can provide on any of there products would be helpful.
I currently have the mag 357 plus as well as 2 Kessil H350 magenta. Both are great. I am currently using 1 400w HPS in my flowering room however to supplement, but this is on an eight foot rail with a light mover to cover a 10 by 6 foot area. I find it helps to fill out the fruiting mass. But it has a lot of drawbacks as well. first being the heat. The main reason to use LED for me has to be heat. power draw is a concern, but I would gladly trade watt for watt for the LED vs. HID for the same coverage simply because of all the extra time, power, money, and hassle I save from dealing with the heat issue. It is by far the most frustrating part of indoor growing and the hardest to control. with LED lights I have found that it is no longer an issue and have actually had to change the way I traditionally did things because the heat changed the plant requirements so much. I use much less water now and a higher nutrient concentration. LED’s changed my grow completely. i don’t think people realize this and still grow as if they were using HID’s still, the stress on the plants under LED’s is greatly reduced. if you don’t change your methods you will not get results.
Hey Brock,
Thanks for your comments. I haven’t had many people ask me to review the Stealth Grow lights (probably due to their cost), but I agree with you that many times you get what you pay for. I’ll add the Stealth Grow to my list of lights to review and I’ll start looking into doing a possible review.
Sweet grow set up by the way!
I agree that HPS’s have their issues. I wish that more people realized what you realized; that when you switch to LEDs there is going to be a bit of a learning curve (this is a different way of growing and it requires some adjustments).
“If you don’t change your methods, you will not get results.”
Well said my friend, well said indeed. I’m thinking about coming out with a mini-series of articles about switching from HIDs to LEDs and how you have to change your growing style.
Best,
Nate
Hello Nate, I’m looking for a grow light (in the 150w-200w range) and was wondering if the jumbo illuminator from prosource was still a valid choice. Looking at LED review websites has led me to believe that the technology they use is outdated. Is the Illuminator from prosource still a good option or should i be looking more towards what spectra and blackstar are offering? thanks!
Hey Farmer,
I’d say that the Illuminator is probably on par with the blackstar but a bit behind the Spectra in terms of technological advancement. Prosource is still a great place to get an LED grow light in my opinion (you could do far worse!).
Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.
Nate
I don’t think I can get behind the 3w-3chip diodes, just seems like a bad idea to me from what I’ve been reading. I’m torn between the Blackstar and the Illuminator, but leaning more towards the Illuminator because of the solid company, and have seen more favorable results in journals and whatnot. The HGL X-Lens lights look pretty nice, but way too pricey.
Hey Farmer,
I’m not a personal fan of the 3w-3chip diodes myself as you can read here: http://growtutor.com/1w-vs-3w-vs-3w-3chip-in-led-growing-lights/. You’ve got a tough decision to make. If you are looking at the lights as equals then I’d go with the one that has the better warranty and trial period (ProSource). I’ve interacted with both companies and come to the same conclusions as you. I love Gotham Hydroponics (the people who make the Blackstar), but Prosource offers a little better customer service.
My two cents.
Nate
P.S. The HGL X-Lens is a dream. I love my 126X-Pro. I haven’t announced this yet, but I’ll be giving it away on my site as soon as I finish this grow in a month or two.
Thanks alot for the great info, you’ve been a tremendous help. I’ll have to look into the x-lens lights later on when they go down in price(or when prosource makes their own version!). Thanks again!
Great info. I am a hydroponic veggie (greens & herbs) grower and have the chance to expand into the commercial world. I am planning to do it inside a building due to bugs and too many hot/cold season issues. Due to energy costs it looks like LED’s are the way to go. I saw these lights and was wondering if they are any good http://www.accesshydroponic.com/900-LED-Ultra-Thin-White-Grow-Light-Panels-9p49.htm . The price seems to good to be true. Have you ever heard of these? I’m wondering if they are some cheap Chinese crud. Other than the price they seem to be a second generation version, but it still makes me wonder. Thanks again.
Hey Uncle Musty,
Cool name by the way! Unfortunately your intuition is right on this one I’m afraid. That light only pulls 45 watts of power. It might be okay for the germination/vegetation stage, but I’d call it a miracle if you could flower or fruit anything with that light (other than maybe dandelions or small shrubs.
If I only had $300 I’d probably spend the money on a Blackstar. They aren’t the highest quality lights on the market, but they tend to get the job done most people are happy with them (especially for the price).
Keep us updated.
Nate
Hey Nate,
I read your interview with the California Lightworks fellow. I know a review is in the works, but I need to know now! I’ve got a couple plants sprouting, (coz I never can keep my ADD in check and went ahead and planted them before the grow area was 100% complete) and I need a light. Area is 4′ x 2′ and will be growing with simple hydroponic system. Would one SolarFlare be enough (probably not, right?) Cost is a factor, but so is quality. Should I just get 2 of the Blackstar 240s? What is your opinion on what George had to say about the diode quality of his LEDs vs Blackstar et al?
Thanks a bunch!
Hey Dr. Soup,
I seriously laughed out loud when I read about your ADD problem with planting before your grow area was set up. Let’s just say that I’ve had that problem in the past as well and we’ll leave it at that.
Anyways, to answer your questions:
(1). You will need two SolarFlares for a 4’X2′ area unless you are only using them for the early germination/vegetation stage (or if you are growing some really short plants that don’t flower at all).
(2). I think that George’s lights are higher quality than the Blackstars. I think his diodes are better, but I also think his cooling and wiring systems are better. Obviously he thinks that as well or he wouldn’t be offering a 3 year warranty. That being said you are paying quite a bit more for the quality. If you’ve got $900 then I’d go with the SolarFlares. However, the Blackstars are good lights. I’ve seen grow after grow where they have produced quite well. The Blackstar is a perfect light for those on a budget who still want a powerful LED light that can grow flowering plants. The only question is the light’s durability.
Thanks for stopping by the site. Come back and let all the readers know what you purchased and why. We’d also love to know how your grows turn out.
Best,
Nate
Hi Nate
We got accepted to George’s Grower feedback program, and went with the SolarStorm for $999 (half price for participation in the feedback program) – basically the same price as going with 2 SolarFlares!
The cabinet is set up but we are having cooling issues. We have what we thought was a pretty powerful rig – 400 CFM 6″ inline fan (Hydrofarm Active – green enamel) but we may have ducting/intake issues. We just got the plants moved in last night, and so far we’ve burned the leaves a little bit. I’ll check back later but so far we love the light output of the SolarStorm, but are concerned it might be too much light for our little area. Custom built cabinet has inside dimensions of 21.5″D, 32.5″W, 72″H. The SolarStorm unit is 18″x23″ so not a lot of room on the front and back in our area. The 4 heat sinks are on the front and back, and there is only less than 2″ of airspace on those faces so I think the heat is bunching up below… going to add another 4″ intake and a small circular fan inside to try to push more air up and around the light to the filter and ductwork. Wish us luck!
Hey Dr. Soup,
Thanks for your initial thoughts. The SolarStorm packs a punch; that’s for sure. The more I think about the combination of 5w diodes with the wider beam angle, the more excited I get about the light. I think the addition of California Lightworks to the industry is going to force all the other manufacturers to elevate their game.
Keep us updated on your grow! Would it be helpful if I created a small forum where we could document our grows on the site? I know there are many forums that already exist, but this one would be specifically for LED grows only.
Best,
Nate J.
LEDGrowLightsReview.org
Hello,
Im not sure if this is the right area to post but I thought I would take a chance. I am looking for technical advice on building an LED array. The reason for this as opposed to purchasing panels is that my grow is a bit unique to the design of a flat panel and if I incorporate them I would be exceeding the draw of my 1000w HID system that I currently have.
I need to erect a cylindrical array that is 40″ in diameter and 5′ tall. I am doing a round, vertical SOG so I need the light to cast in all horizontal directions. My single 1000w HID is doing an amazing job within this configuration, however I would like to reduce my energy and heat signatures and I believe that LED will help me accomplish this but I have only topical knowledge when it comes to LEDs; Definitely not enough to make educated purchases on the components that I would need to build this unit. I am hoping that I may find an expert or two that can point me in the right direction. My questions are as follows:
*For this configuration, what wattage LED’s should I use, how many and what dispersion angle in order to rival the HID.
*What diode manufacturer to you recommend (ie cree, epilux, bridgelux, epiled, red dragon etc.)
*Can you give me an idea of power consumption and amp draw for your suggested configuration.
*Any input of wavelength and ratio. (plan on 440,470,640,660,715,740,3000k,6500k,9000k)
Although cost of production is a factor in the overall decision I am willing to weigh all costs, present and future when considering this project so I do not have an issue to reaching fairly deep into my pockets to build the right system (which could realistically run one to two thousand dollars). Priority for me is to maintain fast growing, healthy plants with high quality yields.
Here is a bit about my setup so you may have a better idea of exactly what I am after. I have a cylindrical vertical SOG that is 6′ in diameter and 6′ tall. All sites are within 30″ of the single 1K MH or HPS (depending on phase). Each site receives no less than 21,400lum but I have not had the benefit of finding exact PAR for this setup. I figure a 4′ diameter cylindrical light panel would provide me with optimal distance of 12″ from light to site. My plants grow to less than 18″ tall.
Any advice would be useful and appreciated in this matter. Thank you for your time to both read and consider.
To clarify the main question in my last post, I am looking to build (8) panels that are 16″wide by 54″ tall. Each panel would cast on an area that is 36″ wide and 60″ tall. I am wondering how many leds, what wattage, brands, angles, wavelengths, color ratio and spacing would you recomment. Also, if you have any input on the recommend driver voltage to run 8 of these panels I would apprecaite it. The driver will be ran from 240v input. The diodes will be placed on vented aluminum panels with passive heatsinks. Please keep in mind that these leds will have to penetrate up to 16″. Thank you again for any consideration and input that you may have on this.