Led vs Fluorescent Grow Light: Which Is Best For Indoor Marijuana?
The supplementation often comes through the artificial light that allows you to grow cannabis plants throughout the year. It also provides you an opportunity to start your seeds earlier to enjoy multiple cannabis crops within the same facility.
When it comes to selecting an artificial light source, Cannabis growers see numerous lights option of varying capacity and prices that often confuses them to choose the right light that could meet the entire planting need of cannabis plants.
While choosing a grow light for cannabis, the energy efficiency factor could determine the success of your cannabis as the selected grow lights sometimes need to operate more than 16 hours a day. Costs and efficacy come next since initial investment could put you on the right farming path.
However, the selected lights maybe your longtime partner in the cannabis growing business. The debate continues for marijuana Fluorescent Grow lights in the cannabis industry. At priority, we want to inform our readers about the pros and cons of fluorescent vs led grow lights.
Compare Led vs Fluorescent Grow Light
Energy Efficiency
The energy efficacy of a grow light is dependent on the extent of the light on behalf of every watt of energy used in the process. Energy efficiency in both LED and fluorescent lights varies depending on the type and built. Usually, straight tube fluorescent lights and LEDs with cool white light are more efficient.
In contrast, Circular or spiral fluorescents and LEDs with warm light are less efficient. The lifespan of LED lights is longer than fluorescent tubes or bulbs, whereas the light quality of fluorescent lamps declines much earlier before a bulb retires.
Fluorescent bulbs often need replacement every year when both ends of the tube light become dark. Overall, the energy efficiency of an LED grows light is much higher than a fluorescent light per watt of energy consumed. Both LED vs fluorescent grow lights could provide a quality source of light depending on the type and setting of your indoor marijuana grow room.
Brightness
Both LED, and fluorescent grow lights come installed with brightness variations that could produce a cool or warm light. Cannabis plants need cool to grow at the seedling and vegetative stages and warm light at the flowering stage to grow, properly.
Installation of only warm light could produce wild cannabis plants without the flowers, and only cool light could produce cannabis plants having long spindle stems. This needs a balance that only could maintain if both cool and warm lights are in proportion to meet the entire needs of cannabis plants.
Some indoor growers install one warm, and one cool light in the fluorescent light fixture to achieve this balance. Apart from that, LEDs bypass this step, and the manufacturers use both cool and warm diodes in an individual LED to overcome this problem.
This sort of combination in LED grow lights emits a balanced light that cannabis plants love to thrive. Recently, the majority of LED manufacturers are providing lights that use this technique. A fluorescent vs led grow light source is weaker as analyzed by the experts in the cannabis farming industry.
Efficacy
Fluorescent grow lights are tested for years, while some gardeners claim for the early maturity of cannabis under them. Moreover, these lights have been an individual source for several indoor vegetable farming practices before the intervention of LED grows lights in the market.
The only problem with fluorescent lights is heat production, and several steps apply to reduce this effect in the greenhouse and hydroponic farming. LED grow lights are newer to indoor gardening concepts. But with their authoritative control and tight grip over the heat and variable wavelengths, they dominate the entire indoor cannabis farming industry.
With the help of precision methods to control blue, green, red, and IR wavelengths for cannabis, these are gaining popularity among cannabis farmers throughout the World. Considering the efficacy of LED grow lights vs fluorescent, LEDs could prove more valuable than traditional ones may be better suited to some plants over others; trial and error only can help make that determination.
Cost-effectiveness
Fluorescent lights are among the cheapest options for using them as grow lights. Warm tubes may slightly expensive than the cooler ones. But to create a balance between warm and cool light, the installation of costlier warm lights is mandatory.
The fixtures where gardeners install fluorescent light are often more costly. But this is a one-time investment, and in the long run, they replace only the bulbs. T-5 is considered a special light for growing indoor cannabis plants that provides a full spectrum of light. In contrast, both LED grow light, and their fixtures are a bit pricy.
But, they could go a long way with indoor cannabis farming culture. The life span of diodes and cost-effectiveness features make LED grow lights the number one candidate for growing cannabis in hydroponics, greenhouse, or environmentally-controlled grow room.
LED Grow light vs fluorescent is an amazing topic. But, the recent market trends push back the old fluorescent technology. However, some commercial cannabis growers still use fluorescent grow lights in combination with LED grow lights in their farming facilities.
Which Grow Light Is Best For Indoor Marijuana?
Both LED grow light and Fluorescent Grow Light have their own pros and cons. And each will be tailored to the specific circumstances and settings in your growing region. Therefore, the debate between LED vs Fluorescent Grow Light will almost never end.
However, as true growers, we can make our own decisions on this controversial issue. We’ve both used both of these grow lights to support indoor cannabis growing, and have found that we’re actually a little skewed towards LED grow lights.
It’s not that we are denying the performance and outstanding advantages of Fluorescent Grow Light, but we are just a little bit more in favor of LED grow light after actually using both of these lights.
If growers have a not too tight budget then we think you should use LED grow light for your crop.
Top 10 LED and Fluorescent Grow Lights Review 2023
Let’s have some honest reviews on the most advanced features and capabilities of LED grow lights base on customer’s reviews after evaluating their performance personally.
#1 VIPARSPECTRA-Dimmable PAR700 700W LED Grow Lights
VIPARSPECTRA offers its upgraded PAR700 Grow Light that is logically planned for keeping steadiness between the Lumen output, PAR, and for providing extended coverage. It also installs a spectrum controller that allows cannabis growers to adjust the light to the Blue, Red, and white modes.
Maximum power consumption is 326 watts while running at a full-throttle makes it ideal for hanging at 36 inches above the canopy of Marijuana plants to give an effective footprint of 9 square feet during the vegetative growth and approximately 6 square feet during the flowering period.
While it could install 36 and 28 inches above marijuana plants canopy during the vegetative and flowering stages, respectively. Besides, up-gradation involves installing a 3.2 inches’ fan on the front fixture, along with an increase in the height of aluminum heat sinks up to 0.8 inches that, together, make heat dissipation more effective.
VIPARSPECTRA is also famous for its extended product warranties for up to 3-years along with a product return guarantee within 30 days from the purchase date.
#2 HLG 300L Rspec 270w 120 Volt- Quantum Board LED Grow Light
Horticulture Lighting Group is the pioneer in inventing “Quantum Board” terminology in LED grows lights industry. The concept of dissemination of diodes on a larger board becomes widespread among the cannabis growers very speedily.
Cannabis growers got extraordinary vegetative growth supported by higher yield in cannabis. Its diffused light pattern makes maximum light to penetrate the canopy of cannabis plants. It could give an active footprint of 16 square feet during vegetative and 9 square feet during the flowering phase.
HLG uses a passive cooling system along with installing the LM301H diodes made by Samsung that make it one of the highly efficient white lights in Quantum Series.
Moreover, HLG installs an automated power supply to judge the power source that could allow it to run on both 120VAC and 240 VAC. Power consumption variates between 90-270 watts depending on the stages of the plants and the modes, it operates. Cannabis growers could install this light 28 and 20 inches during vegetative and flowering phases, respectively.
#3 Advanced Platinum Series P300 300w 12-band LED Grow Light
An optimal 12 bands grow light with UV, and upper ranges of IV is the secret of this light that plants feel hungry to absorb to complete photosynthesis and related physiological processes. Additionally, installed focusing lens at a 90-degree angle allows the entire wavelengths to penetrate the canopy of cannabis plants.
Besides, Advance Platinum install both bloom and vegetative switches where growers could manage bluer at vegetative and trigger both switches during the flowering stage.
The growers don’t need to look towards any light supplementation after they have a P900 grow light. By maintaining 18 inches distance above the cannabis canopy, it could effectively target 24 square feet for the veg growth and development, and 16 square for the blooming period.
Power consumption varies depends on the number of switches operate at a time.
#4 SPIDER FARMER SF-1000 LED Grow Light
SF-1000 uses quality Samsung diodes LM301B that would provide the intensity and wavelengths that cannabis plants require from seedlings to flowering stages of growth. It ranks higher in quality as SF-1000 installs 4-bulbs of varying wavelengths that meet cannabis light for growth and development as it passes from the germination to blooming periods.
Moreover, it’s the type of design that would go further for many years due to its durability and safety features. Besides Samsung diodes discharge more amount of useable light allowing it to penetrate down to the canopy of the plants that ensures more than 40% extra yield while operating on the only 100w.
Installed Meanwell drivers are durable, and the overall fixture is waterproof. It could better give an effective footprint of 9 square feet for vegetative and 4 square feet for flowering development.
#5 King Plus-1000w LED Grow Light
King Plus mixes bright white light with both blue and red wavelengths to trigger vegetative and flowering functions when desired. The combination of either blue or red with a white light ensures a boosted harvest. They also made it easy to use a selective light by the installation of separate switches, while both switches could operate at once if your cannabis plants are under different growth stages.
King Plus install double chip LEDs (10 watts each) that could exhibit a broad spectrum range between 380-780nm with additional features to deliver both UV and IR that make it a sun-like light supporting the entire growth and development of cannabis plants indoor.
The average power draw is about 185w, while the unit could remain inactive in working between 68-104°F due to speedy mute fans. It is recommended to install this light 30 inches above the canopy for vegetative and 24 inches during the flowering stage.
#6 Durolux DL822N T5 HO 2Ft 2 Fluorescent Lamps Grow Lighting
This Fluorescent Lamps Grow Lighting from Durolux is an ideal choice for you if you are looking to invest in a Fluorescent grow light. Not only does it have a beautiful appearance and design, but the light it produces is also amazing.
This model is designed to be safe so as not to harm the plants or growers. It uses fluorescent lamps with stable brightness and low heat generation, so it is unlikely to affect the plants below.
Even so, growers should not subjectively set up this fluorescent grow light at too close a distance. Growers should keep a safe distance of 3-4 inches between the plant and this fluorescent grow light.
This model comes with 2x2Ft T5 Lamps with 6500K. It will help your plants grow strong and healthy at every vegetative stage. Setting up this fluorescent grow light also becomes a lot simpler with hanging chains and daisy chaining.
#7 MARS HYDRO TS 1000W Led Grow Light
Another full spectrum LED grow light that supports the entire plant processes from planting to maturity of cannabis under it. It draws hardly 150w with a variation of /-5% and could establish its footprint in 9 square feet for the vegetative and 4 square feet for flowering phases.
New emerged SMDs guarantee high PAR that boosts photosynthetic activity to the highest level. It considerably increases cannabis yield up to 30% compared with ordinary light. It also exhibits a spectrum close to sunlight that could meet cannabis planting needs from the start to the end.
Heat dissipation is made easy with aluminum heat sinks that make it a noise-free choice for your grow room. It is an exceptional light for commercial facilities and large grow room, while the majority of commercial growers love it for its extended-spectrum.
#8 Roleadro-Grow Light 1000W-Galaxyhydro Series
Roleadro Blurples Light is with added IR and enhanced range of red light that is responsible for the increased flowering resulting in much higher yields, ultimately.
Roleadro uses Taiwan’s Epileds technology (10w Chip) and 90-degree photosensitive lens to increase PAR value to the highest level (453 micromoles per joule) at 18 inches’ distance above the canopy of marijuana plants.
This technique offers an effective light forfeiture by ensuring that it penetrates the canopy of plants with more than 90% utility. For this feature, you could use it for growing cannabis in even snow-capped areas, under controlled conditions.
Heat dissipation is made easy with 2-additional fans, Aluminum heat sinks, and precision temperature control that keeps the entire fixture cool during long operational hours. It draws only 135 watts from the power source. After-sales services and warranties are equally good, while support services are perfect and professional.
#9 Phlizon-CREE COB 1000W LED Plant Grow Light
Phlizon CREE COB is the combination of two different technologies. i.e., Chip on Board is a new era of hope in LEDs that tightly packs several chips together, giving the appearance of one module. On the other hand, CREE’s are highly energy-efficient lights that give less glaring but crisp light.
Both CREE and COB, together offer an extra bright and stable light with higher Photon density, ensuring maximum photosynthesis that assimilates food for marijuana plants. No other LED light could give your PPFD equivalent to 941 micromoles per joule hanging at 18 inches above the plants’ canopy other than a CREE-COB combination.
Besides a CREE-COB combination, they also mix several conventional LEDs to bid higher wavelengths including UV and IR. It draws only 245 watts, while the coverage at 24” is 12 square feet.
#10 BESTVA 1000W LED Grow Light
Another cheapest grow light compared to the famous brands on the market palace that performs superbly for any of your indoor marijuana needs, especially in hydroponic culture.
By drawing hardly 185Watts, it could give a PPDF of 2.7 micromoles per joule with excellent vegetative coverage in 12 square feet and approximately 10 square feet during the blooming period. BESTVA Classic Series install 10W chips for the specialized photosynthesis features that trigger vegetative growth followed the increased yield potential in cannabis growing.
The efficiency is superb due to booted photosynthesis and related plants’ physiological processes. It’s the type of light that commercial cannabis growers trust for completing the entire cannabis growth mechanism under them. Best product for the price BESTVA offers its lights for selling across multiple markets worldwide.
They are a player in resolving customer’s queries very quickly. Besides, they also extend a 3-Years warranty on each grow light they sell in any market place. Here is a link to see customer’s reviews on Amazon.
