LED Grow Light Distance Chart: How Far Should Led Grow Lights Be From Plants? 2021 Updated

Most people are worried about whether their tender plants are getting enough natural light during this approaching winter. If that’s the case and those who are considering gardening indoor, this led grow light for indoor plants review will be helpful.

Getting sufficient light for their plants is always a concern for gardeners during winter because there isn’t enough natural sunlight during these times, and plants can’t be exposed to the severe cold outside. No way, not by any stretch of the imagination.

So, to offer the solution to this concern, the grow lights have come up with some unique features. No matter whatever plants an individual is growing in an indoor firm, these lights offer the perfect replacement for natural lights and are suitable for all kinds of indoor farming.

How far should LED lights be from plants?
LED lights should generally be at least 12 inches above your plants to prevent leaf burn.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Grow Light?
If you’ve got a sunlight-hungry plant and a bright spot by a big window, using a grow light may not be necessary. But during the winter months when the sun is low or obstructed, plants often don’t get enough of what they need, and an indoor LED light can fill that void, keeping them growing all year long.

Even if you do have sun-facing windows, you may be running out of windowsill real estate for new plants, and a grow light allows you to put your new additions anywhere you want, even in a small backroom with poor natural lighting.

Achieving a balance of light across the spectrum is important too, as plants tend to compensate for whatever color of the spectrum they’re lacking. For example, plants with an excess of shady blue will grow stretchy to search for the sunlight, while on the opposite end, an overdose of high-end infrareds can cause burning and bleaching.

Whatever light you grow with, it’ll need to be on for long stretches, often 12-16 hours, with at least eight hours of darkness. Keep that in mind especially if you’re getting plants for a bedroom, where you may not want a light shining all day. Also if the light doesn’t already come with a built-in timer, we suggest investing in one, to set it and forget it.

Gardening, even with just a couple small plants, is a deeply rewarding activity where you reap the benefits of a greener home, connection to nature, and get fresh fruits and veggies too. These are the best LED grow lights to help you get there.

Crecer Lighting MetriX 300 LED Grow Light

PROS:
The panel costs less compared to other LEDs of the same watt.
Covers almost a square area of 4ft x 3.6ft at 24″ Height which is perfect for a small tent
Do not require much ventilation as it runs at a lower temperature
Light spectrum perfectly mimics natural sun which is best for plant at all stages and also for cannabis growth
CONS:
Some users complained of LED light burning easily after few days of purchase and no noticeable increase in their tomato

PHOTOBIO PHOTOBIO•T 600W LED Grow Light

Pros:

The strongest cheap LED grow light on the market.
True full spectrum
3yr warranty/ 30 days money back
Great product reviews
Dual light mode switches
Highest PPFD readings in 600w grow light segment
Cons:

Small coverage area

What to Consider When Choosing the Best LED Grow Lights
The following sections detail some of the most important qualities to keep in mind when shopping for the best LED grow lights for your needs.

Light Spectrum
Natural sunlight features all the colors on the electromagnetic spectrum. Some LED lights can reproduce only certain color frequencies, while full-spectrum white LED lights produce all the hues necessary for every stage of the growing process.

Blue light helps plants grow in the earliest stages of their lives. It’s the first color that plants can absorb in their vegetative state.
Purple light is also used in the vegetative state; however, it’s not as effective for photosynthesis as blue light.
Red light helps in the latter stages of growing and is essential for buds to flower.
White light encompasses all the colors of the spectrum. Used alone, it can be effective for every developmental stage.
Power
It’s a bit difficult to compare LED grow lights because manufacturers use a variety of metrics to measure the power of their lights and the amount of light they emit. The brightness of LED lights is measured in lumens. Seedlings require approximately 2,000 lumens per square foot to thrive, while flowering plants may need as much as 10,000 lumens.

While lumens measure visible light, biologists often use photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) or photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) to measure light intensity in terms of the light that plants will actually absorb. PPF is measured in μmol/second, which is the amount of photons of light emitted every second. PPFD is measured in μmol/m2/s and measures the density of light distributed per square meter per second. The higher the PPF and PPFD, the more effective the light should be.

To establish how much electricity a light uses, look for its “actual power draw” or “actual power consumption.” This is measured in watts and gives a good indication of the light’s power. Bulb wattage is not a good indicator because LEDs are designed to be energy-efficient.

Heat Output
One of the risks when using a grow light is that the heat emitted by the bulbs can damage your plants. However, LED lights give off very little heat relative to the amount of light they produce. But they do produce some heat, so many models are equipped with built-in cooling systems to ensure proper temperature regulation.

Some LED lights have aluminum heat sinks, and others come equipped with fans. A unit with a fan might be loud, so factor noise level into your choice when selecting a grow light.

Connecting
Many LED grow lights are designed to link to other units to cover larger areas, which is typically referred to as “daisy chain connectivity.” Products with this capability simply plug into each other and then plug into one outlet, which minimizes the number of cords required for setup.

Final Conclusion
Gowers are advised to consider these factors while choosing full spectrum LED grow light for their indoor plants. For a large-scale operation or a business project, you will have to invest richly to get a high quality and long-lasting LED growing light such as ECO Farm LED grow light. Notwithstanding, other conventional LED lights can be enough for a start in the case of small projects.