ECO Farm Z6–600 Samsung LM301B LED Grow Light VS Fluence SPYDR 2i 630W LED Grow Light

 Growing plants is an exciting, yet challenging venture; one that requires meticulous research and dedication. For instance, there are a lot of things to consider when first starting out, like buying the best LED grow lights, providing enough space, getting all the right tools for the job, and etc.

Still, with so many options out there, it’s hard to keep track. Luckily for you, we did our homework and compiled a comprehensive list of the best LED lights for plants regarding their power consumption, area coverage, durability, warranties, discounts and so on.

The Re-Emergence of LED Grow Lights

When LED grow lights first arrived on the market, they were expensive and only available in the purple light spectrum. The manufacturers thought this was optimal, but it actually wasn’t. They also weren’t technically purple.

The light appeared purple due to the different colored diodes being utilized, mainly blue and red. This pink-purple glow has been called “blurple,” a term that is now considered a bit derogatory.

But, why?

This is because the majority of the earliest LED grow lights, especially those from China, emitted this “blurple” light instead of a modern, white full spectrum. The plants growers who bought these blurple lights were highly dissatisfied with it’s flowering capabilities, as they ended up with a light that wouldn’t even grow mint, let alone plants.

They were expensive and not very efficient, and they understandably developed a bad reputation among plants growers.

However, LED technology has rapidly advanced, especially within the last few years. Now, LEDs are giving HID grow lights a run for their money, and are even replacing HIDs en masse because of efficiency, temperature, and light distribution

Measuring Grow Light Efficiency
The efficiency determines a grow light’s ability to convert electricity (Watts) into photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) that can be used by plants. Essentially, this means how effectively a light is able to convert electricity into the light that can be used by plants for photosynthesis. This is measured using photosynthetic photon efficacy (PPE), which describes how much light a grow light produced from the input power. The metric used for this is micromoles per second per Watt — which simplifies to µmol/J since a Watt is a Joule per second. The metric for measuring efficiency of a light is umols per Joule which simplifies to how much light you get vs how much electricity it costs. This figure is on all grow light manual specs page.

Using LED Grow Lights
More often than not, LED grow lights are going to be superior to HID grow lights and will be your better option. They distribute light more effectively, they are overall more energy efficient, and they’re improving year after year.

LED grow lights have better light distribution, especially the bar lights. Rather than having a single focal point of light in your grow tent, light instead comes straight down from the entire LED fixture surface area, and covers the whole space below. LEDs are significantly more efficient and emit more light, which is a big part of why LED grow lights are taking over the market and you should consider purchasing one.

ECO Farm Z6–600 Samsung LM301B LED Grow Light

Features:

This ECO Farm LED grow light has 1632 individual LED’s covering the Samsung LM301B Full Spectrum White Light Diodes, 660nm Red Diodes, IR+UV Diodes on independent controls. our grow lights are ideal for all growth stages. Plus, it works and supports all growth stages such as full bloom and high yield growth. ECO Farm’s high-quality product is a USA brand and constructed to last for years. We use the highest quality materials and back our products with a 5-year warranty. Our top-of-the-line components allow us to stand behind our product for years longer than our competition, making it the best choice for LED Grow Lights. Many growers are switching from the heat-producing HPS lights to our ultra-high performance LED bar lights. ECO Farm LED grow lights utilize the latest technology on the market–from intensive research for optimum performance, to customized spectrums to achieve the highest yields possible.

Fluence SPYDR 2i 630W LED Grow Light

Features:

The Fluence LED grow light combined with the intense PAR output of 2.7μmol per Watt helps the Fluence SPYDR 2i secure a spot right towards the top of the table when it comes to first class grow lights. Uniform coverage is key too, and thanks to the large, wide-spread design which positions the diodes evenly across your growing area, all plants receive an equal share of the precious light. The unique PhysioSpec™ Indoor spectrum of the SPYDR 2i precisely meets the needs of plants being grown indoors and is perfectly balanced for use over the entire lifecycle. It creates a natural workspace with lively colours and proper contrast, delivering sensational yields and exceptional crop quality come harvest-time. In many ways acting like a mini version of the sun for your grow room, the unit has a colour rendering index of 85cri (85% comparable to sunlight).

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best LED Grow Lights

Among the many styles of grow light available today, LED grow lights continue to be our favorite for all but the most specialized grows. Some growers are biased against them because of their being relatively recent technology — but with the yields they offer at a minimum of effort and upkeep, we’re huge LED fans.

Before getting into the differences between the three styles of LED grow lights for growing plants, let’s consider some of their many benefits.

Benefits of Choosing LED Grow Lights
Of all the lights available today, LEDs are the most energy efficient for growing plants. In a day-by-day comparison of operating costs versus power output, they easily beat out fluorescents — and even the HID lights that have dominated the indoor growing scene for decades.

A big advantage of this efficiency is their cooler operating temperatures. With very little heat put off during their lighting cycles, using LED grow lights can often let you do away with ventilation systems altogether. Even if you’d prefer to keep a vent fan for humidity’s sake, you’re still able to position LEDs closer to your plants without fear of light burn.

While LED grow lights will often be a more costly initial investment, their return on yields is only the beginning of where they pay off. Overall, we consistently choose LED grow lights for our cultivation because they just make things simpler.

Plug them straight into an outlet (unlike the ballast needed for HIDs), and their low-heat operation will keep you watering and adding nutrients less… And trimming and harvesting more.

Conclusion

Ultimately, full-spectrum LED grow lights are the key to unlocking your plants’ crop’s potential.

By harnessing the usable (PAR) range of light that matters to indoor plants, you’ll yield bigger buds that are drenched in trichomes and terpenes. However, if you’re on the hunt for a bundle package that includes a full-spectrum LED light, grow tent, and other crucial products — head over to our Best Grow Tent Kits for Cultivators page to find out more.

Once you buy the full-spectrum LED system of your choice — jump into our Grow Guide for essential information on growing plants indoors or outdoors.