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Oct 30, 2023

The 10 Best LED Grow Lights for 2022

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The smartest way to ensure your plants get all the (artificial) sunlight they need.

Little natural light in your home doesn't have to mean living without plants — if you invest in an LED grow light. They're designed to mimic the sunshine plants need for photosynthesis, a process that gives them the energy they need to grow and bloom. LED grow lights produce a full spectrum of light, and they’re also long-lasting, energy-efficient, and cool to the touch.

Plus, they come in a range of styles, from multiple bulbs on a strand just like outdoor string lights or Christmas lights to countertop LED grow lights for potted herbs. There are also LED grow light strips that you can mount underneath a shelf and panels that are several feet wide and offer coverage for large-scale growing operations.

While the LED grow lights are often more expensive than other types of grow lights, for many, the benefits are worth the additional cost. Read on for our recommendations on the best LED grow lights for your plants, plus advice to consider before you start shopping.

LED grow lights come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, so you’ll want to consider where you plan to use the light. Just to name a few, there are stick-on LED grow light strips and LED grow lights with a clip to attach to a shelf or desk, as well as classic hanging grow lights for single plants or large indoor gardening setups.

You’ll also want to consider the more technical aspects of grow lights as you shop. Most LED grow lights have full-spectrum bulbs, which give off both cool and warm light to replicate natural sunlight. However, you’ll want to look at each product's light output, which is indicated by its PPF rating. PPF is the number of photons that a light produces per second, and different PPF levels are better for different types of plants. For instance, low-light plants and seedlings only need a PPF of 100–200, while fruiting vegetables need a much higher PPF of 400–500.

Other factors to consider as you shop include the light's ability to be dimmed, whether it has a built-in timer, and lifespan.

To find the best grow lights to suit different setups, we looked for top-rated products in a wide range of styles. We evaluated each product based on factors such as its size, installation requirements, energy use, and bulb life, prioritizing options that are easy to use for gardeners of all skill levels. We only selected products with an average customer rating of 4 stars or more, and we read dozens of reviews to get a sense of how each product performs in real-life applications.

Looking for more ways to grow and showcase your plants? Check out our stories on the best greenhouse kits, the best plant stands, and the best raised garden beds.

While slightly expensive, this LED grow light is a worthwhile investment to help your indoor plants thrive. The light is a 3-by-3-foot square with more than 350 LED bulbs that delivers wide-angle light coverage, and its PPF ranges from 150 to 1,000-plus, depending on how much you dim it.

There's a knob on top of the light that makes it easy to dim or brighten, and if you have a large setup, you can connect up to 60 of these lights together. Plus, it comes with a plug-in timer, as well as a digital thermometer, providing everything you need for happy, healthy plants.

You can grow fresh herbs virtually anywhere in your house with the help of this attractive LED grow light. The light is mounted above a 7.5-by-17.7-inch tray, where you can arrange several small pots, and the height of the light itself can easily be raised or lowered to suit your growing needs.

The unit's PPF is around 1,150, and there are five brightness levels and four timer settings, including eight, 12, 16, and 24 hours. The unit is also compatible with smart plugs.

For large-scale growing, you’re going to want an oversized LED grow light, such as this one from Barrina. The hanging panel is a 4-by-4-foot square, but it has adjustable side panels that can be lowered down to create a more focused coverage area.

The PPF value in the center of the light can reach up to 1,600, making it ideal for a wide range of growing applications, and the light features a dimming knob, as well as an on/off switch. It's also backed by a three-year warranty.

These LED strips are another budget-friendly option that are easy to install. The set comes with two 13-inch LED light strips, as well as double-sided tape that you can use to attach the lights underneath a cabinet or shelf. The controller has a built-in timer that can be set to two, four, or eight hours, and there are four brightness levels, as well. Plus, the LED strips have an impressive 50,000-hour lifespan, so they will last you for many years.

You can turn virtually any light fixture into a grow light with the help of this LED bulb from GE. The grow light bulbs come in three sizes—A19, BR30, and PAR38—and they offer full-spectrum light to help plants grow. The bulbs use a minimal amount of energy and barely generate any heat, and they’ll typically last for around three years if used for 12 hours a day.

While this LED bulb is extremely affordable, you’ll want to keep in mind that they have a fairly low PPF, which means they’re not the most powerful option out there.

The Stonepoint LED Grow String Light can be used to provide supplemental light to indoor or outdoor plants. Just like decorative string lights, they're mounted on a durable 12-foot cord, and there are three lights in total, each 4 feet apart on the strand. There's also a carabiner attached to each light, so they're easy to position directly over plants and they cast a wide 120-degree coverage area with a PPF of around 34. All the mounting hardware comes with the lights, and you can connect multiple strands together, if desired, up to 660 watts.

You can give your large houseplants plenty of light with this LED grow light, which comes with a height-adjustable stand. You can choose from options with one, two, or three light heads, and the one-head model is also available with or without a built-in timer.

This light's stand can be adjusted anywhere between 15 and 48 inches, and the light itself is mounted on a flexible gooseneck for easy angling. Its PPF is around 450, and the light can also be removed from the stand and hung over your plants, if desired.

If you just have a few houseplants that you want to provide with supplemental light, this LED grow light is affordable and easy to use. It has a clip-on design for attaching to a shelf or tabletop, and it features two tube-shaped lights that are held up by flexible goosenecks.

You can bend the supports to angle the lights in any direction, and the controller offers five brightness settings, as well as a built-in timer that can be set to four, eight, or 12 hour cycles.

If you just want a grow light for a single plant, this LED grow light is the way to go. It's mounted on a telescoping metal stake, and all you have to do is stick the support into your plant's pot and adjust the height of the light as needed, up to 26 inches. The light panel itself can also be rotated 180 degrees.

The LED grow light has four brightness settings, as well as a built-in timer with four, eight, or 12-hour options, and it will last for up to 50,000 hours.

This LED grow light is a 24-inch bar that's designed to hang directly over plants. It uses a balanced light spectrum with a red:blue ratio inspired by best practices of professional growers. It has a PPF of 72, making it well-suited for starting seeds, and its light appears white, so it won't be a nuisance when used indoors. The unit comes with mounting chains, as well as a 5-foot power cord, and it's rated to last for up to 25,000 hours.

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her four years as a product tester, she's tested hundreds of items firsthand, and her work appears in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, The Spruce, Food52, and more.

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