Best LED lights for Indoor Growing

It is not easy to get started in your own indoor growing operation. More likely than not, you are doing this on your own without previous experience. 

There is a lot to know to get yourself set up and you want to start out with the right equipment from the beginning. 

You don’t want to experiment with what will and won’t work as that can be expensive.

The grow light that you chose will be one of the single most essential pieces of equipment for growing your plants. 

You want it to do its job properly so you get them most from your time, effort and money. 

 

Mars Hydro LED Grow Lights

Mars Hydro is a manufacturer of LED grow lights that is known for its affordable and quality line of grow products. 

If you are looking for LED lights for your small to medium-size grow area, the price and quality from Mars Hydro cannot be beaten.

We have chosen seven different models from Mars Hydro. 

Each light will have a different feature, like size, that would be advantageous to growing plants indoors depending on how large the area will be. 

 

List Of The Best Mars Hydro LED Grow Lights

1) Mars Hydro COB 100 watt LED Grow Light

Mars Hydro offers a CREE powered COB LED light in 100 watts. In case, like me, you were unsure what COB stood for, COB is short for Chip-on-Board. 

This Chip-on Board packaging technology describes the mounting of multiple LED chips onto a surface where it forms a single module. 

This process has tiny LEDs wired and packaged together into a single ceramic or copper board, and they function as a sole light source. 

CREE's are super high-performing, energy-efficient LEDs that provide a crisp output. When you combine those two, you get a superior growth light. 

Important to create a trouble-free operation, the Mars Hydro COB light has an IP65 enclosure that has complete protection against particles and water. 

This is especially important in a growing environment that has a lot of moisture. 

Using Meanwell drivers, CXB-3590 COB diodes, there are supplemental red and blue spectrum diodes built with Osram and Cree chips. 

The addition of a fan radiator helps to keep the area you are growing in cool and quiet. 

Specs

• BTU: 378.78BTU
• Compare to HPS/MH/HID: 250w HPS
• Certificate: CE, RoHS
• Draw power: 110W + - 5%@AC120V 108W + - 5%@AC240V
• Amps: 0.987A/120V 0.46 A/240V
• Voltage: AC100-240V AC277 for North America only
• Decibel value: 0db
• N.W/G.W: 3.4KG(7.5lb)
• Coverage: Core coverage: 2.5'x2.5' / Max coverage: 4.5'x4.5'
• Lifespan: 50000 hours
• spectrum: 450~475nm 620~630nm, 650~660nm, and white
• Plug Type: USA. UK, EU, AU, Japan
• UPC Number: 600740988462
• Dimension: 290*220*210mm (12'x9'x8')
• Work Temperature: -4°F ~105°F (-20°C ~ 40°C)
• humidity: =<90%
• Warehouse: USA, UK, DE, AU, Canada
• Chip Brand: Osram, Cree

 

2) Mars Hydro Mars TS 1000 Quantum Board LED Grow Light

A compact grow light, the TS 1000 has, at the highest intensity, about 590 uMols. That is exactly what you need for the vegetative phase. 

It has a simple design and is a full dimmable spectrum LED grow light.  While the TS series of grow lights are basic, they are a quality product at a budget price. 

This set of lights features a white light spectrum. Current thought believes that a white spectrum to be better than just red or blue alone. 

The TS 1000 maintains a strong intensity at the edges. The TS series are all quantum board style fixtures. 

Using Epistar 3030 chips, the efficiency of these lights will save you in the cost to run them. The TS 1000 will cover a 2' X 2' area when hanging at a lower height as in the blooming stage. 

The recommended distance to hand above your plants is: seeding: 24", germination: 24" - 30", vegetation: 18" - 24" and bloom at 12" - 18". 

You can add to these lights so that you could start with one or two and add as your budget permits.

 

• Actual Power: 150W+/-5%@100--277V
• Coverage:Veg:3’x3’(90x90cm); Bloom:2’x2’(60x60cm)
• Compared to HPS/MH/HID:250W
• Average Yields: 1.5g/W
• PPE:2.1--2.35umol/J 

 

3) Mars Hydro TSL 2000 Quantum Board LED Grow Light

Suitable for plants in all growing stages, the Mars Hydro TSL Quantum Board LED grow light will make your indoor growing easier. 

The simple and efficient design of this grow light consists of two long LED boards and an aluminum reflector and two drivers. 

At a length of 40 inches, this grow light fits nicely in a 2 X 4-foot tent. The length will put the light directly above the majority of the tent space. 

Other LED lights employ cooling fans that reduce the efficiency of the light and add to the energy costs. 

The Mars Hydro TSL is fanless. The design of the light allows the heat to passively dissipates off the light. 

With fully dimmable drivers, these dimmers are conveniently on top of the ballast. 

Other versions of grow lights require you to unscrew the ballast to dim the grow light, but the TSL makes it easy for you to dim the lights.

 

• Actual Power:300W+/-5%@100--277V
• Coverage:Veg:3’x5’(90x150cm); Bloom:2’x4’(60x120cm)
• Compared to HPS/MH/HID:450W
• Average Yields: 1.5g/W
• PPE:2.1--2.35umol/J

4) Mars Hydro TSW 2000 W Quantum Board LED Grow Light

The TSW 2000W LED grow light is an upgrade compared to lights that are only a few years old as the TSW provides the full-spectrum indoor plants needed to thrive. 

While similar to the TSL, the difference between the two is that the TSW adds more coverage area. 

The wider quantum board configuration is 3 X 3 feet during the flowering stage. This size makes it perfect for a 3 X 3 grow tent and easy to install. 

When considering a PAR perspective, the TSW has a balance of natural white light, and it also has a mix of red and blue lights.

With a PAR value at about 910umol, this lighting spectrum is great for plants to grow in. 

Being a solid unit that emits little heat the TSW does not have fans. It does not need them because of the quantum board technology. 

This makes the TSW very quiet. On the TSW, an angled stainless steel housing redirects lights towards your plants, increasing the efficiency of the light. 

As safety dictates, don't look directly at the light unless you are wearing protective eyeglasses. 

The TSW has a dimmable feature in case you need to adjust the intensity in the various stages of growth. 

 

• Actual Power: 310W+/ -5%@ 100--277V
• Coverage: Veg: 4’x4’(120x120cm); Bloom: 3’x3’(90x90cm)
• Compared to HPS/MH/HID: 450W
• Average Yields: 1.5g/W 
• PPE: 2.1-- 2.35umol/J

 

5) Mars Hydro TS 3000 Quantum Board LED Grow Light

Wanting to design a better full-spectrum light, Mars Hydro created the TS series of lights and this particular board is a 3000-watt level. 

The TS 3000 has an improved quantum board along with a heat reduction cooling system. The light consumes around 450 watts without the need for built-in fans. 

While this is valuable at all stages of the growing cycles, the TS 3000 does an exceptional job during the bloom phase. 

This particular grow light is also suited for use in a commercial setting, or for the person who wants the optimum performance from their grow lights. 

What is nice about this light is that Mars Hydro has put this quality within reach of the average grower. It is much less expensive without sacrificing quality. 

It;s fan-less and therefore quiet light, the reflector on the light reduces the light's heat output. 

The light's aluminum structure also does double duty to intensify the light output by about 20%. 

The TS 3000 uses a full wideband spectrum that mimics natural sunlight. This makes the light ideal for growing different types of plants. 

The best growing area for the TS 3000 is 5 X 5 feet.  From seed to harvest, the TS 3000 can deliver the light needed at each stage.

 

• Actual Power: 450W+/ -5%@ 100--277V
• Coverage: Veg: 5’x5’(150x150cm); Bloom: 4’x4’(120x120cm)
• Compared to HPS/MH/HID: 800W
• Average Yields: 1.5g/W 
• PPE: 2.1-- 2.35umol/J

 

6) Mars Hydro SP-150 Quantum Board Full Spectrum LED Grow Light

 

One of the advantages of the Mars Hydro SP-150 is its ability to perform in an ultra-humid environment. 

The LEDs are protected from moisture, making the light waterproof. This feature also extends the life of the SP-150. 

The SP-150 uses white SMD diodes from Epistar, so these lights are very similar to quantum board lights.  

They also added IR and UV diodes to help round out the spectrum in the areas that all-white LEDs can fall short. 

This results in the optimum spectrum for every stage of growth. 

Mimicking natural sunlight and adding red and blue light means that your plants will be getting all of the colors of light that they need the most. 

The Epistar diodes have a dimmable driver with about 245 watts at full power. 

This light will achieve a PPFD of 944umol when you hang the light 12 inches from the canopy in a 2 X 4-foot coverage area. 

When in the vegetative stage, hang the light at about 18 inches, and it will achieve 632 umol. 

The rectangle shape of the SP-150 can be an advantage when you have several rows of plants or if you stack your plants vertically. 

The light's rectangle shape allows you to install the lights directly above each row and not waste the light by illuminating aisles, as square lights will do. 

With a fixture of this shape, the light does not have to travel as far to reach the outsides of the coverage area and therefore does not lose as much intensity.

• Coverage: 2'X2'
• Max Yield: 1.8g/watt
• PPFD: 387 µmol/m²s
• Replace HID/MH: 250w
• Draw Power: 134W + - 5%@AC120V  138.9W + - 5%@AC240V

 

7) Mars Hydro SP-3000 Quantum Board Full Spectrum Grow Light

The Mars Hydro SP-3000 can be a more user-friendly light with its daisy chain capability. 

With this ability, you can plug the power cord into another SP-3000 light instead of having to run the cord to a power outlet.  

There is also an easy dimming knob on the unit. The SP-3000 uses high-quality Samsung and Osram LEDs. 

Use this light to cover a 4 X 5 foot grow area in the seedling and vegetative phases of growth. Mars Hydro uses ultraviolet wavelengths in its light spectrum.

The rest of the range is made up of 3000 Kelvin white that includes red wavelengths for flowering and blue wavelength s for seedling and vegetative stages. 

You can use this as the main light, or even as a sidelight. It can be mounted horizontally or vertically. 

The no fan design has a powerful heat sink, so it is a quiet grow operation.

 

• Best-Selling Samsung LM301B Leds 960pcss Samsung LM301B and Osram 660nm led chips

• Upgraded Sunlike Full Spectrum More warm white and red chips 

• Boom Yield & Increasing Crop Quality High PPFD at 2.8 umol/j, average yield at 1.8g/w

• Daisy Chain Dimming Function Dimmer knob added. Up to 15 lights can be daisy-chained and control together on just one light.

• No-fan Design & Aluminum Heatsink & Removable Driver No fan design, 

• IP 65 Waterproof  IP65 waterproof ratings

Brief History Of Grow Lights

The first light-emitting diode (LED) was developed in 1962 and was a red light. 

In an application concerning plant growth, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) used LEDs in 1988 for its space-based plant growth investigations. 

It was not until 2000 in Japan that the commercial use of LEDs for plant production paved the way for their use for personal growers. 

 

LED Lights Work Great For Growing Indoors

Today, grow lights have become the most crucial element of an indoor garden. It does not matter if you are a seasoned grower or if you dabble now and then. 

You still want equipment that is going to deliver a quality product for your effort.

The light that you choose to grow your plants will be the single most crucial item essential to your indoor garden. 

Lights are the way that you will develop your plants from start to finish. 

You will use grow lights to start your seeds in preparation for planting. Grow lights will also extend "daylight" hours for your plants.

Light Spectrum

As an indoor grower, it is important to know a few basic concepts about lighting in general so that you understand how light affects your plants. 

When you know this, you will also be able to see what makes a particular type grow light more suitable for your goals. In turn, this will save you time and money.

Light, both visible and invisible, falls in a range somewhere on a light spectrum. Spectrum measurements are nanometers. 

 

 

These nanometers correspond to the wavelength of light. As an indoor grower, you will need the 400 - 700-nanometer range. 

The Importance of PAR

Photosynthetically Active Radiation, or PAR, reflects the spectrum of light that plants need to grow.

We all know that photosynthesis is critical to your growing plants. 

Photosynthesis is the process where plants use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water. 

PAR refers to the wavelengths of light that plants can use for all of its needs regarding photosynthesis.

 

The Grow Range For Plants

Within the main 400 - 700 nanometers range, there are ranges that plants use for specific purposes.

400 - 490 nanometers: this is the “blue” light range that plants use during their vegetative growth stage

580 - 700 nanometers: this “orange-red” range is used by plants when they are in the flowering and fruiting stage.

Just in case you want to know that happens in the 490 nm to 580 nm range, that is the range that the chloroplasts in the plant cells reflect green light, and with our eyes, we see the green in the 510 - 570 nm range.

 

The Advantage of LED

There is a variety of grow lights on the market. High-Intensity Discharge (HID), High-Pressure Sodium (HPS), Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH), and Fluorescent.

Surpassing the use of the above lights is a relative newcomer, the Light Emitting Diode (LED)

LEDs are very popular with indoor growers because they have benefits other lights can’t match. 

An LED uses an extremely low amount of energy while putting out very little heat. 

This is a tremendous advantage for indoor growers who usually don’t have the space to deal with a lot of heat output. 

LED bulbs degrade far slower than any other type of bulb. For example, an incandescent bulb will degrade in 6 - 9 months, while that same LED bulb will take 15 - 20 years. 

LED lights have this advantage:

• Take less energy
• Last longer
• Smaller
• Solid-state, so more durable
• Produce lower heat 

In Conclusion

With the time, effort, and money you put into growing plants indoors, you want to know that you are getting the optimal results.

Mars Hydro's selection of LED grow lights will enable you to successfully take your indoor plants all the way through their life cycle and ensure you of a productive harvest.  

 

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