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Whether you don’t have a yard or it doesn’t receive much sunlight, you can use one or more grow lights to grow plants indoors. The light from a grow light replaces or supplements sunlight to help your plants stay healthy. To help you select a light, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best grow lights on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.
Compare Top Grow Lights
| Product | Included Items | Watt Rating | Light colors |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE Lighting Grow Light Bulb | One bulb | 9 watts | Red and blue |
| Barrina Grow Lights | Eight tubes and their accessories for power and mounting | 80 watts | Blue, red, and green |
| AeroGarden Indoor Garden With Grow Light | One container and six plants | 20 watts | Red and blue |
| GHodec Four-Head Grow Light | One floor light | 80 watts | Red |
| SnapFresh 360-Degree Grow Light | One table light and three gardening tools | 85 watts | Red and blue |
| Product | Included Items | Watt Rating | Light colors |
Best Bulb Light: GE Lighting Grow Light Bulb
GE Lighting Grow Light Bulb
- $9.88
- $12.83
- 23% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with one bulb
- Has a nine-watt rating
- Uses red and blue light
What Customers Are Saying
Customers appreciated how bright this bulb was given its low energy consumption. They also said that it effectively grew a variety of plants. However, frustrated customers said that it died quickly and made an irritating buzzing noise when it was on.
Best Linkable Light: Barrina Grow Lights
Barrina Grow Lights
- $59.99
- $69.99
- 15% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with eight tubes and their accessories for power and mounting
- Has an 80-watt rating
- Uses blue, red, and green light
What Customers Are Saying
When they were installed together, these lights provided bright light for customers’ gardens. Users also liked that they could grow practically any plant with them. Negative reviews said that the light skewed pink rather than the advertised white. Other users claimed that the wiring shocked them.
Best Garden Light: AeroGarden Indoor Garden With Grow Light
AeroGarden Indoor Garden With Grow Light
- $205.95
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with a container and six plant pods
- Has a 20-watt rating
- Uses red and blue light
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who left positive reviews for this indoor garden said that it was both decorative and functional, as it had a sleek, stylish design and grew healthy plants quickly. However, customers who left negative reviews struggled with the digital display. They also didn’t like that the built-in light limited how tall the plants could grow.
Best Floor Light: GHodec Four-Head Grow Light
GHodec Four-Head Grow Light
- $37.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with a floor light
- Has an 80-watt rating
- Uses red light
What Customers Are Saying
Customers thought that this light was easy to use, especially with the built-in control panel on the power cord. They also liked that it was lightweight in case they needed to adjust its placement. Meanwhile, some customers didn’t like this light, stating that it wasn’t bright enough.
Best Table Light: SnapFresh 360-Degree Grow Light
SnapFresh 360-Degree Grow Light
- $32.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with a table light and three gardening tools
- Has an 85-watt rating
- Uses red and blue light
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who were satisfied with this grow light liked its multiple settings and simple setup. Unsatisfied customers warned about its lack of durability, saying that its clamp broke and its light randomly shut off.
Buying Guide for Grow Lights
To make an informed purchase about what grow light works best for your gardening needs, consider the following factors.
Size/Number
Choose a light that’s large enough to cover all of the plants in your indoor garden. For one plant, you can get a small light that can move from room to room with your plant. On the other hand, you need a large overhead light if you have rows of plants. You can also purchase several lights if one isn’t enough.
Light
Different plant species and growth stages require different colors and temperatures of light. Warm light helps with fruit and flower production. Cool light, meanwhile, helps seeds grow stems and leaves and greens expand their foliage.
If you have both flowering and leafy plants or don’t know which type of light your plants need, you can find full-spectrum grow lights. These provide a balance of warm and cool lighting to resemble natural sunlight.
Bulb
Most grow lights on the market today use LED bulbs. LED lights are long-lasting and energy-efficient. They also come in different colors and temperatures to suit your lighting needs. These bulbs have almost entirely replaced fluorescent and HID ones.
Fluorescent bulbs are useful for growing plants that require a modest amount of light. However, because their output is fairly weak, you have to put them a few inches from your plants. Though HID bulbs are powerful, even more so than LED ones, they are expensive and energy-inefficient and require special fixtures.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far should my grow lights be from my plants?
It depends on the type of bulb, plant, and light, but a general rule of thumb is two feet away. If you’re using fluorescent bulbs, you can put them a little closer.
Do grow lights work as effectively as natural sunlight?
Grow lights are not as effective as direct sunlight. Plants get the same amount of energy from six hours of sunlight as they do from 13 hours under grow lights. However, for those who don’t have a yard or enough sunlight, grow lights can be a viable alternative. To replicate sunlight as closely as possible, look for a full-spectrum grow light.
How long should I leave my grow lights on?
Grow lights should stay on for eight to 16 hours a day to mimic natural sunlight. The exact number of hours depends on a variety of factors, including what plant you’re growing, how much natural sunlight your plant is getting through a window, and what type of bulb your light is using.
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