Where to Buy Grow Lights & Buying Guide for Beginners (Best)

With the rise of indoor gardening, no doubt grow lights are becoming more popular every day. But with so many types, quality, misleading wattage, manufacturers, complex terminology & grow space calculations, it’s definitely hard to find & buy the perfect grow light that suits your needs. Even more so if you are a beginner.

If you are wondering where to buy grow lights and which grow lights will be perfect for your needs, this article simplifies everything including true wattage, coverage calculations, type of grow lights, efficiency, warranty, and best place to buy grow lights from. 

The goal is to help you choose the right grow light that meets you need. Plus, I have added links from where you can purchase them.

If you are an experienced grow light user and just need the best grow light recommendations, click here to jump to our top grow light comparison table.

If you are a beginner, then I advise you to continue reading the complete grow light buying guide and then check our best grow light comparison table to pick yours.

Best Grow Lights Comparison Table

LED Grow Light Comparison Table

LED Grow Light	Watts (Actual)	Coverage	Warranty	Verdict	Price
Advanced Platinum Series P450 (Top Pick)	255W	4.5′ x 4′ (at 18 inch height)	5 years	Cheapest USA made	Check on Amazon
Black Dog LED PhytoMAX-2 200	210W	3′ X 3′ flowering 3.75′ x 3.75′ Vegging	5 years	High quality, USA made	Check on Amazon
Phlizon CREE COB 3000W	600W	4′ x 4′	2 years, 30 days money back	Best among Cheapest	Check on Amazon
NextLight Core	190W	3′ x 3′ for Flowering 4′ x 4′ for Vegging	5 years	Good quality, Lightweight	Check on Amazon
BESTVA DC Series 3000W	615W	8′ x 7.8′ (at 24 inches)	90 days return	Cheapest	Check on Amazon

HID Grow Light Comparison Table

HID Grow Light	Watts (Actual)	Coverage	Warranty	Verdict	Price
iPower 400W Cool Tube Hood Reflector (Top Pick)	400W	5′ x 5′	Ballast 2 years HPS bulb 1 year MH bulb 1 year	Best value	Check on Amazon
iPower 400W Wing Reflector	400W	4′ x 4′	Ballast 2 years HPS bulb 1 year MH bulb 1 year	Budget, Cheapest	Check on Amazon
iPower 400W Cool Tube Reflector	400W	4′ x 4′	Not specified	Good for grow tent	Check on Amazon

Grow Light Buying Guide to Help you Choose the Right One

1) What are the different types of grow lights?

If you are a beginner, this is probably the first question in your mind. There are 3 different types of grow lights available in the market.

1. Fluorescent Grow Lights
2. HID (high-intensity discharge) Grow Lights
3. LED (light-emitting diode) Grow Lights

2) What are the Important Colors of Light for Growing Plants?

Blue wavelengths of light – it promotes foliage growth (helps elongate cells)
Red wavelengths of light – it encourages flowering and fruiting
Green wavelength light – plants do not absorb green light and reflect it.
Other colors – Less important, but plants prefer a little bit of most colors.

The most important light colors for growing plants are Blue and Red. Keep this in mind, this will help you understand the rest of the article better.

3) What type of Plants can I Grow with Grow Lights?

Basically, you can divide plants into two different categories-
i) Plants with low light requirements like basil, thyme, oregano, other herbs, lettuce, leafy greens, etc.
ii) Plants with high light requirements like cannabis, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, citrus, most vegetables, etc.

You can grow both low light and high light requirement plants with grow lights.

4) What are the Different Types of Grow Lights Available?

4.1) Fluorescent Grow Lights

Use fluorescent if you are growing a couple of plants, as a hobby or just for fun! They have very low output, so growing at a larger scale will not be cost-effective. Fluorescent cab be used for vegging and cloning, but if that’s not your agenda, skip it.

4.1.1) Types of Fluorescent Grow Lights

• CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) – Small and fits into most standard household sockets, can be used for few plants.
• T5 (tube light) – Can support a larger number of plants, provides light on the blue spectrum, cool enough, good for flowering.
• T8, T12 (tube lights) – Similar to T5, but different in thickness. Not as efficient as T5.

4.1.2) Reasons you should not use Fluorescent Grow Lights

• Weak light intensity. Does not have the light intensity to support a large grow, you have to keep your plants short.
• Not powerful enough for flowering.
• Not cost-effective or efficient in the long run.
• Every bulb or tube needs a separate socket, hard to expand & maintain.
• Fluorescent grow lights need to be quite close to the plants, you will need to adjust the height regularly as plants grow. (emits less heat)

4.1.3) Scenarios where you can use Fluorescent Grow Lights

• Fluorescent grow lights can be used is for cloning or vegging, especially where the roof is too low. They produce less heat and can be hung pretty close to the plants without harming them.
• If you are really tight on budget you can use them. They are the cheapest among grow lights.
• If you want to get something quick & fast, you can get Fluorescent grow lights at any hardware store, Walmart, etc. Most of them fit into any standard socket.
• Fluorescent CFL or T5 tubes can be used for supporting your succulents as they do not need much light.
• Or if you just need some supplemental lighting with your HID or LED setup, fluorescent light can be a good choice.

4.1.4) How far should Plants be from Fluorescent Lights?

Fluorescent lights should hang within 12 inches on top of your plants. They produce minimum heat and should be hung as close to the plant as possible without burning them.

4.1.5) How many Fluorescent bulbs do I need?

The number of bulbs does not really matter, typically you should aim for 60 watts for vegging and 100 watts for flowering per square foot. This is actual watts, not “equivalent” watts. Place enough lights to make sure there are no shadows on the plants.

4.1.6) Pros and Cons of Fluorescent Grow Lights

4.1.7) What to look for when Buying Fluorescent Grow Lights?

• Buy both low Kelvin and high Kelvin lights (bulb or tubes).
• Use 5500K to 6500K (cool/blue) light(s) for supporting foliage growth.
• Use 2700K to 3000K (warm/red) light(s) for supporting flowering & fruiting.
• High Output (HO) bulbs are recommended
• If you are buying a tube, go with T5 as they are more efficient than T8 & T12.

4.1.8) Best Fluorescent Grow Lights (Products)

Philips is well known for making high-quality CFL bulbs.

• i) Philips 6500-Kelvin 23 watt (CFL, cool blue) – Check on Amazon  
• ii) Philips 2700-Kelvin, 23 watt (CFL, warm red) – Check on Amazon  

If you are only vegging or growing herbs, Hydrofarm Agrobrite T5 is a good choice. Note that these are not great for flowering.

• iii) Hydrofarm Agrobrite T5 (Tube) – Check on Amazon  

4.2) HID Grow Lights 

You can grow a large indoor garden or a  business with HID (high-intensity discharge) grow lights. It’s cheaper than LEDs. A complete HID grow kit with HPS bulb, MH bulb, hangers, ballast, timer & reflector costs less than a LED grow kit.

4.2.1) Who should use HID Grow Lights?

HID grow kits can be used by anyone who wants to run a business with an indoor garden. HID is well known for growing greens, like kitchen herbs, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, etc.

4.2.2) Types of HID Bulbs

2 types of HID bulbs are available in the market – MH & HPS.

MH (Metal-Halide) Bulb – emits strong blue spectrum, good for vegetative stage, but not so much for the flowering stage
HPS (High-Pressure Sodium) Bulb – emits strong red spectrum, good for the flowering stage, but too much can cause the plant to grow weak & tall during the vegetative stage

4.2.3) Should I use Double Ended or Single Ended HID lights?

Both MH and HPS bulbs are available in 2 variations – Single ended (SE) and Double ended (DE). As the name indicates, SE bulbs are connected from one end and DE bulbs are connected & fires from both ends.

Tests show that DE bulbs maintain 90% of its lumens after 10000 hours while SE bulbs come down to 90% of its lumen after only 4000 hours. However double-ended HID bulbs are pretty expensive than single-ended bulbs. For that reason, a lot of growers still use quality single-ended bulbs.

4.2.4) Several Disadvantages of using HID Grow Lights

• Emits a lot of heat compared to any other grow lights.
• Needs an additional cooling system to dispense heat.
• Ideally, you will need both MH & HPS bulbs to grow a healthy harvest.
• Each bulb needs a socket, ballast & reflector.
• Have to replace bulbs more frequently.
• The ceiling needs to be high enough, HID systems has to be suspended far above the plants due to high heat output.
• Not as cost-effective as LED in the long run.
• HIDs have a high failure rate.

4.2.5) Reasons to use HID Grow Lights

• If you are on a budget, then you can go with HID lights. (cheaper than LED).
• HID systems provide deep light penetration and high yields (HPS).
• If you are located in a cooler region and can benefit from the extra heat from HID produces.
• HID systems provide deep light penetration and good coverage, if you have a low initial budget go with HID.

4.2.6) How far should Plants be from HID Lights?

It’s important to hang MH or HPS grow lights far enough above the plants. The distance depends on the bulb wattage covering the area. Higher the wattage per square foot area, further away the lights should be hung above.

You can use your palm method to feel the heat and adjust the height accordingly, as I mentioned to do with fluorescent lights. Additionally, check the table below to get a better idea of how far to hang HID lights.

4.2.7) How many HID Lights or Watts do I need?

A 150 watts HID bulb can cover a primary area of 2’x2′. Higher the wattage the more area it can cover. I have tabulated wattage and coverage area along with the distance to hang the lights above plants, to give you a better idea.

This table is a guide to help you calculate the light requirements for your grow space. For example, if you have a grow space of 2,500 square feet (50′ x 50′), you will need 100,000 watts in total.

So, you can buy one hundred 1000 watt lights or two hundred fifty 400 watt HID grow lights to cover your area. You can mix it up as well to add up to the 100,000 watts requirement.

4.2.8) Pros and Cons of HID Grow Lights

4.2.9) What to look for when Buying HID Grow Lights?

Bulb Type
Buy both MH & HPS bulbs. MH is best for vegetative state, replace some MH with HPS in the flowering stage. Or use both together for best results. If you are on a tight budget and looking to purchase only one type of bulb, then buy HPS bulbs.

Wattage
Use between to 250 watt to 1000 watt bulbs, but 600-watt bulbs are best in terms of efficiency. Note that 1000 watts bulbs run very hot and you need to have adequate cooling to support it.

Single or Double Ended
Even though double ended bulbs are more efficient than single-ended bulbs, it’s quite a bit more expensive as well. I recommend you go with single-ended fixtures. Also, make sure you have a good cooling system in the grow room.

Reflectors

• Cool Tube Reflector – cheapest, small coverage, needs to be connected to air ducts. Best for growers with tight budget and ventilated closed space.
• Wing reflector – cheap, good coverage, good light penetration. Best for growers with a ventilated room and a small budget.
• Cool Tube Hood Reflector – large coverage, needs to run into air ducts. Best for growers with ventilation ducts and needs large coverage.

Complete Kits
Buy HID kits with complete set (bulb, ballast, reflector, hangers, etc.). Easier to set up.

Ventilation
Your grow room or grow tent should be well ventilated or have sufficient cooling to run HID lights.

4.2.10) Best HID Grow Lights (Products)

HID Fixture	Features
iPower 400w Wing Relfector (Budget, Cheapest)	Product: iPower 400 Watt HPS MH with Wing Reflector – 400 Actual Watts – 1 x 400W super HPS bulb (2100K) – 1 x 400W MH bulb (6000K) – 1 x Dimmable Electronic Ballast (50%, 75%, 100%) – 1 x 19 inch Wing Reflector – 1 x 8′ High quality power cable – 1 x Pair of 8 feet adjustable ratchet clip hanger rope (rated for 150 lbs) – No timer included – Coverage: 4′ x 4′ – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Reflector is 95% reflective Aluminium (0.4mm) – Voltage: 120V to 240V – Dimensions: 21 x 5 x 17 inches – Weight: 11 lbs – Lifespan: HPS 32000 hours, MH 12000 hours – Warranty: Ballast 2 years, HPS bulb 1 year, MH bulb 1 year – Made: China Other Models (Wing Reflectors) iPower 600 Watt HPS MH – 600 true watts iPower 1000 Watt HPS MH – 1000 true watts Summary iPower HID fixture with wing reflectors has decent light penetration, adequate coverage but it has no air ducts. The room needs to be well ventilated. It’s a good choice for budget growers. Check on Amazon
iPower 400w Cool Tube Reflector (Good for grow tent)	Product: iPower 400 Watt HPS MH with Cool Tube Reflector – 400 Actual Watts – 1 x 400W super HPS bulb (2100K) – 1 x 400W MH bulb (6000K) – 1 x Dimmable Electronic Ballast (50%, 75%, 100%) – 1 x 6 inch Cool Tube Reflector – 1 x 8′ High quality power cable – 1 x Pair of 8 feet adjustable ratchet clip hanger rope (up to 150 lbs) – 1 x 7-day Digital Programmable Timer (dual outlets) – Coverage: 4′ x 4′ – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Highly reflective aluminium reflector – Voltage: 120V to 240V – Dimensions: 29.3 x 13 x 8.5 inches – Weight: 15.5 lbs – Lifespan: HPS 32000 hours, MH 12000 hours – Warranty: Not specified – Made: China Other Models (Cool Tube Reflectors) iPower 600 Watt HPS MH – 600 true watts iPower 1000 Watt HPS MH – 1000 true watts Summary The iPower 400 grow light kit with wing cool tube reflector is one of the mid priced option available in the market. The small reflector allows lot of light loss and a small portion of the light is refracted by the glass tube. The fixture needs to be connected to vent ducts for cooling. It’s best for growers with very tight budget in compact space, for example a grow tent. Check on Amazon
iPower 400w Cool Tube Hood Reflector (Best value)	Product: iPower 400 Watt HPS MH Cool Tube Hood Reflector – 400 Actual Watts – 1 x 400W super HPS bulb (2100K) – 1 x 400W MH bulb (6000K) – 1 x Dimmable Electronic Ballast (50%, 75%, 100%) – 1 x 6 inch Wing Reflector Hood with XL Wing – 1 x Mechanical Timer – 1 x 8′ quality power cord – 1 x Pair of 8 feet adjustable ratchet clip hanger rope (can hold 150 lbs) – Coverage: 5′ x 5′ – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Aluminium reflector – Voltage: 120V to 240V – Dimensions: 14 x 33 x 14 inches – Weight: 19.4 lbs – Lifespan: HPS 32000 hours, MH 12000 hours – Warranty: Ballast 2 years, HPS bulb 1 year, MH bulb 1 year – Made: China Other Models (Cool Tube Hood with XL Wing Reflectors) iPower 1000 Watt HPS MH – 1000 true watts Summary iPower Cool Tube Hood with XL Wing Reflector have adequate light penetration and better coverage. It needs to be connected to air ducts to keep plants cool. It’s more expensive than other HID fixtures, but much more efficient. Check on Amazon

Overall, HID systems are still very popular among growers. If you are already using HID fixtures, and want to expand I recommend continue using HID grow kits to expand, because switching to LED system will be a new learning curve and your yields can suffer until you get the hang of it.

On the other hand, if you are a new grower and/or cautious about your operating costs, I would recommend skipping HID and go with LED grow lights, assuming you have the budget for it.

4.3) LED Grow Lights

If you are planning to run a full-fledge indoor garden, LED grow lights are the most efficient and cost-effective. Although this latest tech in grow lights has a higher initial investment, it will clearly make up for that when it comes to your electricity bill and it’s lifespan.

LED grow lights are available with full-spectrum (mimic sunlight) color or the vital red-blue colors. These lights can certainly support a large indoor grow house when utilized correctly.

4.3.1) Some Disadvantages of LED grow lights

– The initial cost is higher compared to similar HID grow lights setup.
– LEDs produce less heat, so if you are located in a cooler region, you may need extra heating for your grow room.
– If you are switching from a HID setup, there will be a learning curve where your yields can be affected while you learn.
– Too many low-quality options in the market, hard to find and choose the best ones.

4.3.2) Good reasons to use LED grow lights

– Lower operating costs than HID in terms of electricity and lifespan.
– Pretty easy to install, most fixtures basically plugin and play.
– You don’t need additional equipment. e.g. Separate reflectors, ballasts etc.
– Compared to HID, LED is much more efficient, it consumes far less power for the same output.
– LED lights generate much less heat and run cooler than HID lights, requires less cooling.
– LED light does not contain any mercury content which is bad for the environment.
– High-quality LEDs let you have more control color spectra. For example, during vegging, you can turn off the red light and just keep on blue lights which is mainly needed during vegging.
– LED promotes better growth, resin output and produces high yields when used correctly.

4.3.3) How far should Plants be from LED Lights?

Typically you should place your LED lights between 12 to 30 inches above your plants. Use the palm method to test the heat as I mentioned above.

4.3.4) LED Wattage – Difference between Theoretical and True wattage?

Most manufacturers advertise their LED grow lights using theoretical wattage instead of actual true wattage, which can be very misleading to most people. You can get really confused and buy the wrong LED setup and end up losing money and yields. So, its very important for you to understand this clearly when buying LED grow lights.

i) What is Theoretical wattage of LED?
LED is made up of a group of many small diodes. Theoretical wattage is the “maximum watts” of all the diodes combined. For example, A LED fixture consisting of 100 diodes with a 3-watt rating is typically advertised as 300 watts (100 x 3)

ii) What is True wattage of LED?
In reality, to prevent diodes from burning out and increase its lifespan, the diodes never run at full wattage. So taking the example above, the individual diodes may only run at say 1.5 watt each (1.5 x 100), therefore you only get 150 true watts from this fixture.

4.3.5) How many LED Lights or Watts do I need?

First, you need to measure out your grow space in square feet if you already haven’t done so. The watt calculations we are going to do here is based on the area and not the number of plants.

However, depending on what type of plant you are growing and how much space it takes, you can also easily calculate how many such plants you can grow in that space.

For high light requiring plants, LED requires between 30 to 40 true watts to cover 1 square foot space.
For low light requiring plants, it would be about 15 to 20 true watts to cover 1 square foot space.

Note: For this chart, the number of plants is calculated assuming that each plant takes 2’x2′ or 4 square feet of space.

4.3.5) Pros and Cons of LED Grow Lights

4.3.6) What to look for when Buying LED Grow Lights?

True / Actual Wattage
Double-check the specs and find the True wattage, not the advertised Theoretical wattage. Calculate your watt requirements based on True wattage.

Full Spectrum or Multi-Colored
Both Full spectrum LED and Colored LED can support plants in all growing stages. However, I recommend getting Full-spectrum LEDs for best results, they’re more expensive but best for all stages of growth. And if it includes infrared and/or ultraviolet, that is even better.

There are 2 options for Full-spectrum LEDs, White LEDs, and Multiple Colored LEDs. Full-spectrum white LEDs are closer natural sunlight, but the yellow and green lights are not used by plants anyways. The colored lights are specially designed to output lights that are they crave the most, and many good quality fixtures include white light in it as well.

There is endless debate on which one is better. Both are great, you can choose either depending on your budget.

Coverage Area
Coverage increases if you move your plant higher but light intensity or the PAR value decreases. If you move your light closer the PAR increase and the coverage decreases.

The coverage listed on most LED lights indicate it can provide sufficient light intensity for flowering & fruiting. However, the PAR value listed by many manufacturers can be misleading, some lists the PAR at the center of the area which is always higher than the rest of the surrounding area. Your best bet is to buy from a quality manufacturer.

Larger or Smaller Fixtures
It’s better to buy multiple smaller LED fixtures than less larger fixtures. Buy both types of fixtures and mix them up to add up to your total wattage/space requirements. That way your plants will get light from more directions.

Warranty & Manufacturer
Make sure your LEDs come with a warranty. And buy your grow lights from a well-known established manufacturer. Many new grow light companies came and then have gone out of business soon after, if the company does not exist, there is no warranty to claim. So keep that in mind as well.

4.3.7) Best LED Grow Lights (Products)

I have listed some of the best LED grow lights in different price ranges available in the market. A key consideration when picking the products was looking into which companies list their True wattage (being honest) along with the Theoretical wattage.

LED Fixture	Features
Black Dog LED PhytoMAX-2 200 (High quality, USA made)	Product: Black Dog LED PhytoMAX-2 200 – 210 Actual Watts – 420 Theoritical Watts – Coverage: 3′ X 3′ flowering, 3.75′ x 3.75′ Vegging – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Color: Full Spectrum (365-750nm, UV to NIR) – Contains 84 x 5 watt leds – High intensity light (High PAR) – Unique Phyto-Genesis Spectrum – Included Guide book “Maximum Yields” – Box includes adjustable hangers & 8 feet power cable – Voltage: 100V to 250V – Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 5 inches – Weight: ~18 lbs – Lifespan: 50,000+ hours – Warranty: 5 years – Made: USA Other Models Black Dog LED Phytomax-2 600 – 630 true watts Black Dog LED Phytomax-2 800 – 840 true watts Black Dog LED Phytomax-2 1000 – 1050 true watts Summary Black Dog is one of the top LED manufacturers in the USA. The Phytomax-2 LEDs use PHYTO-GENESIS Spectrum which provides perfect lights for plants including lights ranging from UV-A to near IR, resulting in higher yields. Plus, the Phyto-Genesis Spectrum appears white which makes it easier for you to clearly see and identify any problems with the plants. And then there is the 5 years solid warranty. Overall, if you have the budget definitely go with Black Dog grow lights. Check on Amazon
NextLight Core (Good quality, Lightweight)	Product: NextLight Core Full Spectrum – 190 Actual Watts – 400 watt HID replacement – Coverage: 3′ x 3′ for Flowering, 4′ x 4′ for Vegging – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Color: Full Spectrum White light – Contains blend of 3000K and 5000K diodes – PPF: 380 umol/s – Does not have a dimming option – Hanging Height: between 8 to 12 inches – Package includes: Light fixture, 9.5′ power cord & V-Hooks – Voltage: 120V to 240V – Dimensions: 20.9 x 22 x 2.5 inches – Weight: 9 lbs – Lifespan: 100,000 hours – Warranty: 5 years warranty – Made: USA Other Models NextLight Mega – 650 watts  Summary NextLight Core is a full spectrum White LED which emits light closer to sunlight. The white light makes it easier for you to check your plant’s health clearly. The fixture emits high-intensity light with deep penetration and performs better than a 400 watt HPS setup consuming only ~190 watts. It’s perfect for small growing high yields in small spaces. If you need larger coverage with more efficiency, NextLight Mega offers 5’x5′ coverage with 650 watts of true power. Check on Amazon
Advanced Platinum Series (Cheapest USA made)	Product: Advanced Platinum Series P450 – 255 Actual Watts – 450 Theoritical Watts – 600 watt HPS replacement – Coverage: 4.5′ x 4′ (at 18 inch height) – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Color: 12-band Full spectrum – Contains 150 x 3w leds – High PAR output – Aluminum heat sinks for cooling – Option to raise intensity in flowering/fruiting stages – Voltage: 85V to 260V – Dimensions: 19 x 3 x 11 inches – Weight: 21 lbs – Lifespan: 50,000 to 100,000 hours – Warranty: 5 years warranty and 90 day return gaurantee – Made: USA Other Models Advanced Platinum Series P150 – 87 true watts  Advanced Platinum Series P300 – 180 true watts Advanced Platinum Series P600 – 368 true watts  Summary Platinum Series LEDs are great buy if you are looking for quality grow lights at lower prices. These grow lights provide high PAR values when compared to other LEDs in the same price range. It’s great for both vegging and flowering. The fixture has separate switches for “veg” and “bloom”. While vegging you can save money by keeping the “veg” switch turned on, and only turn on “bloom” when the plant reaches the flowering stage. The built-in fans are quite effective in keeping the LEDs cool. Overall, a great choice and value for money. Check on Amazon
Phlizon CREE COB (Best among Cheapest)	Product: Phlizon CREE COB 3000W – 600 Actual Watts – 3000 Theoretical Watts – Coverage: 4′ x 4′ – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Color: Full spectrum Multi-Colored – COB LED – Contains 6pcs COB + 110pcs 630-660nm + 12pcs 470nm + 12pcs 6500k + 4pcs UV + 6pcs IR – High PPFD – at 18 inch hang, PPFD is 2523 umol/m²s – Recommend Hang is 24 inches – High power & Brightness – Option to increase intensity in flowering or fruiting stages – Fireproof cover & metal frame – Voltage: 100V to 265V – Dimensions: 23.2 x 20.5 x 6.3 inches – Weight: 22.6 lbs – Lifespan: 50,000+ Hours – Warranty: 2 years warranty and a 30 days money back guarantee – Made: China Other Models (available on the same page) Phlizon CREE COB LED 1000W – 250 true watts Phlizon CREE COB LED 1500W – 300 true watts Phlizon CREE COB LED 2000W – 400 true watts Phlizon CREE COB LED 2500W – 440 true watts Summary The Phlizon is a very decent quality product for its price. With with ability to draw ~600 true watts, it can light up your “grow space” with ample brightness. The cooling system is a bit noisy but helps keep the fixture quite cool for its wattage. The fixture has 2 lighting modes for easy light control, “Veg & Bloom” and “Strong” switches. Veg & Bloom should be always on. And you should turn on the “Strong” mode once the seedlings start getting growing bigger. Customer support has been rated impressive by most buyers. Check on Amazon
BESTVA DC Series (Cheapest)	Product: BESTVA DC Series 3000W – 615 Actual Watts – 3000 Theoretical Watts – Coverage: 8′ x 7.8′ at 24 inches – Used for: Veg & Flowering – Color: Full spectrum Multi-Colored – Contains 300 x 10w dual chip LEDs – Distance during germination & seedling: 26 to 30 inches – Distance during vegging: 20 ro 26 inches – Distance during flowering: 18 to 24 inches – Decent PAR values for its price – Thick aluminum plate radiator for better cooling – Separate buttons to control light intensity for Vegging and Flowering – Voltage: 85V to 265V – Dimensions: 20.66×11.4×2.36 inches – Weight: 10.36 lbs – Lifespan: 100,000 Hours – Warranty: 90 days return guarantee – Made: China Other Models BESTVA 1000W LED – 185 watts BESTVA DC Series 2000W LED – 390 watts BESTVA DC Series 4000W LED – 690 watts   Summary Another decent product at a good price. However, consider the coverage at least feet less for flowering than what is listed above. The fixture uses dual-chip LEDs to emit light suitable for plants in all growing stages. It features separate switches for Veg and Bloom which most growers look for. Plus, a ton of people have successfully grown a lot of plants using this. Check on Amazon

If you don’t have any experience growing with HID lights, I recommend you should start with LED grow lights. Because LEDs will get more cost-effective and cheaper, and therefore is the future of indoor gardening. You will face two learning curves if you start with HID and then switch to LED eventually.

On the other hand, if you are already growing using HID lights, you can continue to use HPS/MS lights. Because growing with LED is different from growing with HID. You will experience a learning curve when if you switch to LED.

5) Final Words

I have listed both high-quality USA made grow lights and cheaper but decent lights made in China. Whether we like it or not, we all have our budget limitations. So, with the options above you can choose wisely depending on your budget and needs.

I hope your search for where to buy grow lights has met a successful end. Amazon, being one of the most trusted retailers, I have given Amazon links for each of the products above. Their customer support and return policy makes it a much safer option to buy grow lights from Amazon.

Summary

Article Name

Where to Buy Grow Lights & Buying Guide for Beginners (Best)

Description

Want to start a thriving indoor garden? Read my deep researched guide on where to buy grow lights and the best options available in the market.

Author

Raymond Kartzman

Publisher Name

Just Home Gardening

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