The use of LED grow lights for indoor gardening has seen a recent explosion of interest over the years. From people who live in small spaces such as apartment buildings to folks who live in environments where all year round plant growth would be impossible. Many have enjoyed the advantages of being able to raise their own vegetation in practically any pocket of space.  LED grow lights not only use less energy to run, but they also emit almost little to none heat compared to other methods. But in order to find the best LED grow lights, it is important to know what to look for in terms of quality.

One of the best reasons for using LED grow lights is there incredible lifespan. They can save you money in the long-run from expensive bulb replacements every year.  If you want to get the best LED grow lights for your buck, it’s important to find one’s that exceed the hourly lifespan from 50,000 to the highest amount of 100,000.  Anything  that doesn’t state the hourly amount or is below those amounts just mentioned are not even worth looking at.

Most brands of LED grow lights have varying degrees of power wattage that are important to keep a notice of.  Plants all need a certain amount of light in order for it to trigger photosynthesis.  That is why many expert indoor gardeners look for hydroponic LED grow lights that are more than 1 watts.  in addition to the wattage, electric power voltage must be constant so power levels won’t go in and out. Be sure to find the lights labeled “constant current” which have evenly flowing converters that will always put out the right amount of energy for your greenery.

Also be sure to do your research on the plants you are considering raising before making your final LED grow lights purchase to insure that you buy the amount of bulbs needed for healthy and happy growth.

The best LED grow lights have some characteristics you need to be aware of when shopping for grow lights.  You must be careful not just buy the cheapest grow lights you can find.   These will not serve you well and will only disappoint.

The first thing to look for is the wattage of the individual bulbs that make up the array.  You want 1 watt bulbs.  Some cheap Led grow lights have wattage as low as 0.06 watts per bulb.  These are essentially useless.  They will not emit a sufficient number of lumens (a measure of the quantity of light) to enable photosynthesis to take place, and therefore the plants will starve to death.  There are LED bulbs in higher wattage available, but the number of lumens per watt drops off, meaning that efficiency drops.   The bottom line is that for LED grow lights, 1 watt bulbs are best.

Another thing to be aware of is the viewing angle.  LEDs can vary from 8 degrees, to as much as 120 degrees.  This viewing angle means the size of the cone of light emitted by the LEDs.  Conventional grow lights emit light in all directions.  This is why you need reflectors (an accessory involving additional expense) to lessen the losses from light going off in directions other than toward the plants.  LEDs on the other hand have lenses as an integral part of their construction.  The 65 degree viewing angle lenses seem to be the most efficient for grow lights.

The third factor to consider when choosing LED grow lights is the color. Or colors. This can vary depending upon what purpose you have in mind.  For simple growth of the roots, stems, and leaves, blue-violet light is needed.  For reproduction, that is to stimulate flowering, red-orange light is best.  Most LED grow lights will have a combination of the two colors, and some will have even more.  Choose according to your main purpose.  Choose the best LED grow light you can find that emphasizes red-orange light if you’re interested in propagating your plants.  But remember that they will still need some blue-violet to make food for themselves and grow.

These are the main factors to consider when buying the best LED grow lights you can.  Choosing according to the needs of the plants and your main purpose in growing them, whether it is to propagate them or to grow them, will result in a bountiful harvest and great satisfaction.