If you don't have an outdoor space, or you live in a cool climate with a short growing season, indoor gardening is the way to go. Plants need the right kind of lighting to thrive, however, so you'll probably need to invest in some LED grow lights.

The question is, which ones? You can find hundreds of LED grow lights for sale, and not all are created equal.

Read our full guide to LED lights, and discover how to find the perfect lights to fit your requirements. Or buy with confidence by selecting from our top recommendations.

Do Plants Really Need Special Lights?

Regular LED or incandescent bulbs are designed to illuminate homes and other dark places, and generally, they perform this task effectively. But, grow lights are designed with a whole different purpose in mind. If the goal is to grow plants indoors, it really pays to learn as much as possible about indoor grow lights. Starting with the wrong setup can make the entire situation much more complicated than it should be.

The natural light spectrum found outdoors in sunlight is a perfect resource for photosynthesis to occur. This allows the plant to develop and grow. Full Spectrum grow lights are set up to mimic this feature as closely as possible. Regular light bulbs are not manufactured with the correct wavelength to allow plants to thrive. Using a quality, full-spectrum light is one of the first steps in setting up the indoor grow space.

How Do LED Grow Lights Work?

LEDs, or light emitting diode grow lights, are powered electronically.

LED grow lights are made up of LED chips made using semiconductor materials called electrons and holes. This is how they function to provide optimal lighting conditions for your plants:

Electrons have a negative charge, and holes have a positive charge.

These electrons and holes collide when voltage is applied to an LED light, causing a current to flow through it - this collision is what releases energy in the form of light.

The LED chips are covered by lenses, which help to direct the light emitting from the chips to where it needs to go.

Lenses may also be tinted in order to control the amounts of which colors pass through and change the overall color of the light.

Together, a chip and a lens creates what is called a diode.

GrowBright Command Series 660W LED Grow Light

Features:
GrowBright Command Series LED grow lights deliver powerful and uniform PPFD output with 1178 µmol and a red-enhanced full spectrum. Featuring on-board/remote programming capabilities and 8 individually adjustable LED bars, Command Series fixtures provide ultimate lighting control for crops with varying light requirements. A spanning but slender frame and cool operating temperature allow Command Series fixtures to be mounted close to the canopy to deliver more growth-driving light while covering a large area. Designed to accommodate any horticultural application, the system offers coverage for up to 4'x4′ of high-yielding full-cycle growth.

GrowPros HM660 LED Grow Light

Features:
With 3504 pcs Philips diodes, this GrowPros Led grow light draws 660 watts with 1820umol/s, achieving an impressive PPE of 2.6 umol/J, coverage for 4'x4′ of high-yielding full-cycle growth. Unique designed 4-LED bars provide more even canopy coverage, especially to the outer edges cultivation areas. Passively cooled design and alumium material contribute to better airflow and great heat dissipation. HM660 plant growing light comes with a detachable driver, reducing ambient heat for extended lifespan. The daisy-chain function allows you to connect up to 10 HM660(20 HM960) LED growing lights. Widely applied in the commercial growing (horizontal and vertical), climate rooms, house garden, home grows (grow box and tents), greenhouse cultivation, pipeline cultivation, hydroponics.

Things to consider before buying an LED grow light

While just about every plant loves light, they don't all have the same taste. Here are some things to consider when buying an LED grow light.

Power consumption
Even though LEDs are much more efficient than their older counterparts, they still require a constant stream of energy to run. And leaving them on all the time - especially if you're running a lot of them - can really start to ramp up the ecological impact and your electric bill.

Older bulbs used to measure power in watts, but LEDs don't quite work like that. Input power on an LED suggests how much power it'll use, but not necessarily how bright it will be. High-efficiency LEDs can put out a lot of light with a few lamps, while other arrays use a higher number of smaller lamps.
Your needs are specific to your plants, but don't go buying an LED light array just because it has a high wattage rating. Look for an equivalent wattage number or other methods of measurement.

Spectrum coverage
Full-spectrum lights can mean different things depending on the model. True full-spectrum lights include infrared modules that emit waves you can't technically see. Different light wavelengths often serve different parts of the growing process, so you'll want to match up the spectrum performance with the plants you're trying to grow. If your plants aren't picky, most "full spectrum" lights should do a fine job. But, it's worth doing a little research about your specific plants to make sure the light you're buying offers what they need.

Dimmability
Not all grow lights are dimmable. Some have either an on or off setting and not much else. Other LED grow lights can offer ten or even more different levels of illumination so you're not always blasting them on full power.

Self-timers
Plants don't need light 24 hours per day, so you'll want to turn lights on and off as needed. Some lights have built-in timers that allow you to program in a custom schedule. That absolves you from having to remember to hit the switch, which can have a profound effect on plants, especially if you're trying to start outdoor plants inside.

Conclusion

These growing lights are highly designed to meet your plants desires. Most of the grow lightts are used to shorten the period cycle.

The grow light comes with effective features and new technology that make tropical plants thrive.

With these growing lights you don't have to worry about heat, because they dissipate heat based on the materials they are produced with.