The Different Types of Grow Lights and Their Pros & Cons

Experienced growers know just how important having the right grow lights are, to maintaining healthy plants, and harvesting the highest yield. For beginners though, all the grow light options will seem confusing. Here we will take a look at the different types of lights available, and the pros and cons for each one!

CFL (Fluorescent Grow Lights)
CFL stands for compact fluorescent light. They can be found in many stores including home improvement stores & grocery stores. Many first-time growers start with these types of lights.


​Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Good for small grows
• Available in many stores
• Works in any standard light fixture
• Available in various color temperatures

Cons:

• Low light output compared to other types of bulbs
• Need to be close to plants
• Need to use several
• Not meant for bigger grows

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HID Grow Lights
High Intensity Grow (HID) lights are used by experienced growers, as many of them consider HIDs to be the best for growing and obtaining the highest yield. There are two main types of HIDs, Metal Halide & High-Pressure Sodium. Metal Halide lights have a blueish hue good for the vegetative stage. High pressure sodium lights have a more reddish hue, making them great for the flowering phase.

Pros

• Costs less than other high-quality lights
• Produces great results
• Easy to setup and operate

 
Cons

• Produces a lot of heat, requiring ventilation and exhausts.
• Limited lifetime
• Does not plug into a normal socket
• Requires special hood & ballast
• Can significantly increase electric bill

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​LED Grow Lights
Before, LEDs were only used for seedlings and clones, but technology has developed them in recent years. Now, LEDs are able to produce enough light intensity for the most demanding grows. The right LEDs can compete with or beat other types of grow lights.


​Pros

• The most energy efficient grow light
• Barely produces heat
• Plugs into standard outlet

Cons

• High initial costs
• Be wary of cheap knock-offs, you get what you pay for!

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