Led Grow Light 2015 - 2016 Review

Top 10 LED Grow Lights in the 2015 Market

Here’s our picks for the Top 10 LED grow lights in the 2015 market, to help you get the most value for your money.

• TaoTronics TT-GL05 UFO Led Grow Light 90W For Plant Growing Germinating Flowing Seeding (45*3W, 135W Theoretically)*
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:90W / Not specified
• No. of Bands:3
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:2.7-10 sq ft (depending on height of fixture)
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $149.99
• Our rating

• SUNTech LED 360W LED Grow Light with Optimal Spectrum with Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV)
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:360W / 120 LED lights
• No. of Bands:2 x 6500k (cool white) , 1 x 430nm, 2 x 460nm (blues) : 9 red: (1 x 630nm, 4 x 640nm, 3 x 660nm): 1 infrared (730nm)
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:Not specified
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $499.99
• Our rating

• G8LED 240 Watt LED Grow Light with Optimal 8-Band plus Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV)
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:240W / Not specified
• No. of Bands:8, along with infrared and UV lighting
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:6 sq feet or higher
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $309.99
• Our rating

• G8LED 450 Watt LED Grow Light with Optimal 8-Band plus Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV)
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:450W/ not specified
• No. of Bands:8 plus Infrared and UV lighting
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:12 sq feet or higher
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $599.99
• Our rating

• Apollo Horticulture Purple Sun COB Full Spectrum 300W LED Grow Light for Indoor Plant Growing
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:150W/ not specified
• No. of Bands:4
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:Not specified
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $403.30
• Our rating

• Apollo Horticulture GL60LED Full Spectrum 180W LED Grow Light for Plant Growing
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:180W / 60 pieces
• No. of Bands:6, Spectrum: 430nm, 475nm, 620nm, 630nm, 660nm & 730nm
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:2.5’x2.5’ , 5 sq ft.
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $106.50
• Our rating

• TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:12W / 12 LEDs (3 blue, 9 red)
• No. of Bands:4, 430nm, 460nm, 630nm and 660nm
• Lifespan:50,000 hours or 15 years
• Coverage Area:2.7-10 sq ft
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $32.99
• Our rating

• Advanced Platinum Series P300 300w 11-band LED Grow Light
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:300W/ not specified
• No. of Bands:11 - 380 / 415/ 440/ 460/ 480/ 615/ 630/ 660/ 720/ 740/ 760(IR)nm
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:4'x4'
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $369.00
• Our rating

• GalaxyhydroTM 300w LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Greenhouse and Indoor Plant Flowering Growing
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:300W / not specified
• No. of Bands:9 band: 430~440nm, 450~460nm, 610~615nm, 620~630nm, 650~660nm, white, IR(730nm) , UV 380~400nm, 470nm
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:1m/52.78, 1.5m/78.5, 2m/113.04
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $139.90
• Our rating

• Advanced Platinum Series P450 450w 11-band LED Grow Light – DUAL VEG/FLOWER SPECTRUM
• Power (in W)/ No. of LEDs used:450W/ not specified
• No. of Bands:11 - 380 / 415/ 440/ 460/ 480/ 615/ 630/ 660/ 720/ 740/ 760(IR)nm
• Lifespan:50,000 hours
• Coverage Area:4.5ft x 4ft coverage @ 18" height
• Growth Stages:Vegetative and Flowering
• Price:From $539.00
• Our rating

1. TaoTronics TT-GL05 UFO Led Grow Light 90W For Plant Growing Germinating Flowing Seeding (45*3W, 135W Theoretically)*

A powerful 90W lighting option, this TaoTronics product offers full spectrum lighting with 3 bands of red, blue and orange combined in the optimal ratio of 7:1:1. This ensures that the light suffices for all growing periods, and can provide equal growth opportunities to flowers, blooms and buds. Indeed, many users claim that this light provides the exact wavelengths needed for the plants to grow rapidly.
Additionally, despite LEDs being low-heat lights, TaoTronics keeps all bases covered using three fans which remove any heat produced quickly and efficiently. Coupled with up to 90% more efficient functioning as compared to HIDs or fluorescent lights, this product is a great option for a small to medium grow room.

2. SUNTech LED 360W LED Grow Light with Optimal Spectrum with Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV)

Optimized for growers specializing in hydroponics, this SunTech competitor can ensure that up to 90% of the light energy it gives out is absorbed by the aquatic plant, thus maximizing its chances of blooming rapidly. This relation between absorption and fruition is ensured by the fact that lighting is provided by high quality 3W lighting sources, there being virtually no degradation in quality for up to 50,000 hours. Further, the lights are emitted through optical lenses, which ensure that they spread and exert energy in the exact region expected of them.
For larger grow rooms, they can be combined together and installed in a short span of time courtesy of their glueless easy-to-install structure. Coupled with the advanced heat dissipation system that ensures rapid removal of heat while reducing noise levels by 50%, this product’s features can revolutionize any grow room.

3. G8LED 240 Watt LED Grow Light with Optimal 8-Band plus Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV)

Meant for large indoor gardening applications, this product uses the 240W lighting power available to it to reach up to 60 inches past the plant canopy, making it ideal for large gardens with a lot of dense vegetation. Considering that this penetration is true for both periods of plant growth, this feature, when used with a 90W red UFO or more of these lights, can increase the growth area remarkably through cross-lighting.
Along with the good penetration comes the equally good parallel configuration and zener protection, ensuring that there are never health hazards involved. Surprisingly, despite providing all of these excellent features, the product never requires the use of a ballast, thus allowing users to “plug and grow green” quickly. Lastly, neither is the light an eyesore, since the infrared diodes used emit light in the invisible part of the spectrum.

4. G8LED 450 Watt LED Grow Light with Optimal 8-Band plus Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV)

The bigger brother of the G8LED 240W led grow light, this product offers a massive 450W of power, making it suitable only for grow rooms of 12 square feet or more. If this space is available though, this light can provide extremely powerful lighting that penetrates thick canopies, accelerates plant growth regardless of the growth stage and most vitally, covers all growth phases. In addition, this is one of the few grow lights that can service extremely large grow areas when coupled with 2-3 other G8LED 450W lights, placed in an arrangement where the central light is 4 feet on center of the arrangement.
Further, the product’s excellent design architecture ensures that the user never has to worry about burning his/her hands when touching the product. Coupled with the facts that the product uses the well-considered 3W LED chips and offers 50,000 hours of 15 years of steady lighting, these features ensure that the G8LED 450W is an excellent long term solution.

5. Purple LED light for plant growing

Coming with patented LED technology meant especially for growing, this Kessil product comes with a penta-band spectrum, meaning that five different arrangements of blue and red LEDs combine to ensure that the plants are well-cared for at all stages of their growth. Further, the product comes with an extremely efficient electricity-to-light energy conversion system that allows the whole unit to run on less than 36W.
Furthermore, the purple light penetrates into the canopy efficiently, even as the light remains cool to the touch even after hours of functioning. Offering a long lifespan without appreciable lighting quality degradation, this product is ideal for small to medium grow rooms housing a variety of plants.

6. Apollo Horticulture GL60LED Full Spectrum 180W LED Grow Light for Plant Growing

Offering no less than 60 pcs of 3W LED grow light chips, this product is capable of offering unmatched lighting while consuming only 180W of electricity. Even better, Apollo Horticulture has provided the GL60LED with 5 grow light bands ranging from 430 to 730nm in wavelength, thus ensuring that no matter the plant growth stage, the plant can get the requisite light energy.
Interestingly, this seemingly low power grow light can cover an astounding 5 square feet, and in doing so, penetrate the canopy to sufficient levels as well. Indeed, Apollo has further facilitated such penetration by providing stainless steel clips that are custom-made for the product. Given that Apollo Horticulture’s products remain cool even when running continuously, this makes the product ideal for small grow rooms capable of accommodating only one grow light.

7. TaoTronics LED Plant Grow Light For Hydroponic Garden Greenhouse

A regular chart-topper in the grow light category, this TaoTronics product comes with 12 LED pieces, each of which use the 3W architecture to produce optimal lighting quality. Further, at its extremely low price, it offers two extremely useful lighting bands, thereby catering to all parts of the plant cycle. Clubbed with a 50,000 hours lifespan and the ability to produce light quantities much greater than those of HID or fluorescent lights, these features make for an extremely versatile product that can improve plant health significantly in only two weeks of regular usage.
Improving this versatility is the internal design architecture, which allows the internal voltage to be kept low at all times, thereby ensuring low chances of short circuiting or overheating. This internal design innovation is combined with a simple all-metal exterior and standard E27 socket that can fit even into a desk lamp holder. When considered alongside the heat sink-like exterior, it becomes clear that this product can be situated extremely close to the plant surface, thus making it useful for small grow rooms or grow tents, which can have low overhead ceilings.

8. Advanced Platinum Series P300 300w 11-band LED Grow Light

Boasting of an unprecedented 11 band spectrum, this product can literally handle every plant type possible. When combined with the power of the 3W LED lamps, refracted through the 60 degrees primary lens and the 90 degrees secondary lens, this ensures that the plants receive the greatest amount of light for every watt of power invested, going up to 2x-3x the light offered by other products in the same market. Finally, the product has a 4.5’x8’ light coverage area, thus making it a great option for professional growers.
Benefits accruing from this product to professionals also includes the upgraded aluminum coated heat sinks, which allow the heat to be removed quickly, thereby ensuring complete safety. With extremely quiet fans contributing to this cooling system and there being VEG/FLOWER light switching options for those unfamiliar with multiple bands, this product can also work wonders for those new to commercial indoor growing.

9. Galaxy hydro LED Grow Light Full Spectrum 300w for Greenhouse and Indoor Plant Flowering Growing

Not to be left behind, this Galaxyhydro product comes with a 9 band spectrum that even includes infrared and ultraviolet LEDs for purposes of catalysing cell division and sterilizing the plant surfaces of bacteria, etc. On the other hand, the product avoids the common pitfall of providing too much white light (which is useless for the plants) at the cost of useful red and blue light. Further, the product comes with a revolutionary PCB system that allows the fan to run 80% cooler compared to other products, thus ensuring that the product can run for long periods without overheating.
Additionally, the product comes with a Zener protection system, which allows the capacitive circuits to continue working even when one LED stops working. When combined with the excellent design and the thoughtfully included stainless steel rope hanger – evidence of the company’s six years of experience – this product comes across as a great medium grow room option.

10. Advanced Platinum Series P450 450w 11-band LED Grow Light – DUAL VEG/FLOWER SPECTRUM

Coming with 150 Bridgelux LEDs clocked at 3W each, this product can provide one of the highest lumen/watt output among LED grow lights. In addition, this product comes with a highly respectable 11 band spectrum, matched only by another Advanced Platinum product. With the product capable of working well for 50,000 hours even under heavy usage, these features allow this product to replace a 600W HPS light with ease.
Furthermore, the product comes with two lenses – a primary one that allows 60 degrees refraction, and a secondary one that allows for 90 degrees light deviation. Coupled with the 274W power capacity of the product, this light spread ensures that the product can provide excellent lighting even to areas as large as 4.5′ x 4′.

Best LED Grow Lights UK

LED Grow Lights Background

As the LED grow light reviews above show quite clearly, the market in 2015 does indeed offer a wide range of lighting options. While it is true that more specialized options are indeed available, the above grow light solutions should provide sufficient choices for the average grower. Before making the final purchase though, it is important to remember to study the exact needs of your grow room and plants you are growing or intend to grow.
For instance, if you desire is to cultivate a small number of plants, the G8LED lights mentioned above may prove to be overkill. Further, it is vital to check whether you require lights which offer specialized dimming, rapid or scheduled spectrum change or other options that may be needed in exceptional circumstances. Once you have carefully chosen the criteria, you can proceed with shortlisting products from the above list, thereby assuring yourself and your plants of an excellent growing season in 2015.
LED grow lights may not have been an indoor horticulture lighting option for your parents, and if you ask them, they’d probably suggest the inefficient incandescent or fluorescent lights, and add a warning that these are electricity guzzlers, overheaters and tend to have short lifetimes.
Thankfully, in the past couple of decades, a new type of technology called Light Emitting Diode, has rapidly gained prevalence. Today we use LEDs in everything from TVs to car lamps, praising them for their excellent lighting quality, longevity, consistent lighting, low heating and low power consumption.
Interestingly, when applied to the field of indoor growing, LED lights offer the additional advantages of full spectrum lighting, gradual dimming and excellent flexibility. No wonder then, that our parents’ generation of unwieldy incandescent, fluorescent and HID lamps are rapidly giving way to LED grow lights.
However, given their recent evolution from the terrain of scientific research, and the wide range of companies that are dipping their hands in this expanding market, it is easy to become lost in a maze of LED brands and jargon. To help you navigate your wallet to the most value for money proposition, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 LED grow lights in the market today, along with a short list of points to mull over before making the final purchase.


And if you don’t have the time or the inclination to do all the research yourself, you could instead get a combo kit that has everything you need to get up and running fast. So check out my reviews of some great Gorilla grow tent combo kits (with included LED lights). These kits are amazing!
Also, be sure to check out the great article on light metering, another important tool every serious grower needs in their tool chest, the light meter, and learn about the importance of measuring LED lumens.