LED Grow Lights

As with anything, it’s unwise to jump head first into something that you don’t fully understand. If you’re considering buying LED grow lights, then read along to become acquainted with this type of product before you make a substantial purchase.

Who’ll Benefit from Owning a LED Grow Lights?

The individuals that will benefit from owning LED grow lights are those that absolutely want to reduce their electricity bill. If you’ve grown cannabis with HID lighting, then you know how big of a surprise the electricity bill can be during the summer months.

HID lighting increases the heat in your room, so not only are you using an abundant amount of energy with the lights alone, but you also create the need to cool your room down with additional electricity through the use of an AC unit. This pairing puts stress on your electricity consumption, which eventually results in an eye-popping electricity bill.

Growers who are looking to become cost-effective will benefit from using LED grow lights because they emit far less heat, which decreases the strain on your AC unit. Another type of grower that will benefit from owning LED grow lights is one that is compelled to reduce his or her carbon footprint.

Each HID light provides a massive amount of lighting, but at an environmental cost. The more electricity that’s consumed is directly the result of power plants producing this energy. Growers who cultivate cannabis in small places are also a large contingent who’ll benefit from using LED grow lights. Smaller rooms require less intense lighting, and they become heat traps when a HID system is placed within.

There’s no reason why you’d place a 1,000-watt HPS light inside of a 2’x2’ grow tent as this would destroy your crop quickly unless you have an incredibly efficient AC system in place.

Who Won’t Benefit From LED Grow Lights?

The main individuals that won’t benefit from LED grow lights are commercial producers. Those who are obligated to provide hundreds or thousands of pounds of cannabis will normally use traditional lighting (HIDs) or commercial-specific plasma lighting.

Although professional growers use LED grow lights, major producers are used to cultivating marijuana with metal halide and high-pressure sodium bulbs. Most commercial operations are fully outfitted with AC systems and environmental controllers that allow the grow room to be completely automated.

This doesn’t mean that their method is efficient since they can drastically reduce their operating costs by incorporating LED grow lights into their operation.

Before Buying an LED Grow Light

Now that you know who will benefit from owning an LED grow light let’s take a look at what you need to think about before becoming a part of the LED community.

Why Are You Buying an LED Grow Light?

You need to remember why you’re doing this in the first place. It’s crucial that you remember that you aren’t willing to pay the high price of electricity due to HID lighting.

LED grow light technology is new, but it’s been proven by the agricultural industry. When you consider it, the high price of electricity makes your cannabis cultivation endeavours null because you’re essentially paying more rather than if you paid the retail cost of cannabis products at a storefront dispensary. Now’s the time to produce cannabis on your own time, all while paying less and becoming self-sufficient.

How Many Plants Will You Grow?

This is a fundamental question that you must ask yourself, regardless of the type of lighting system that you intend on using. The number of plants that you grow will directly affect the type of LED grow light that you should purchase. Most cannabis-friendly states allow residents to grow up to 6 mature cannabis plants, but this isn’t always the case. There are states that allow only 3, and others allow upwards of 9.

Some states allow you to act as a caregiver to others and increase your plant count. This issue is further complicated if you’re one of the lucky few to have received a cultivators’ license from your local jurisdiction. In general, 4 plants within a square meter will benefit from a 600-watt LED grow light. The higher you raise your lights to accommodate for more plants, the PAR (photosynthetic photon flux) value becomes increased.

When the light density for photosynthesis increases, the less light your plant receives. This is why it’s crucial for you to consider your plant count and plant size to make sure that your LED grow light is sufficient. If your LED grow light is too large for your space, you become inefficient. The same occurs if you buy a too small LED grow light, which leads to inefficiency. To realize the benefits of LED technology, you must find the ideal balance by accommodating the correct number of plants.

How Large is Your Grow Room?

If you’re growing within a 2’x2’ closet space, then you’ll have a far easier time finding an adequate LED grow light. If your grow area is a 15’x 15’, then you’ll need to place multiple LED grow lights at strategic points to ensure your entire marijuana canopy is covered.

When growing in larger areas, you’ll need to have a pre-determined plan that considers how tall your plants will be, how many plants, and their exact location. If you can provide all of these details, then you’ll be better equipped to purchase the correct amount of LED grow lights.

What’s Your Budget?

Unfortunately, LED grow lights still command a high price. These devices are cost-effective in the long run, so it’s essential that you understand that there will be a significant upfront cost when purchasing a new LED grow light. Similar to the solar industry, the upfront cost scares away many, but the long-term savings pay for the unit and then some in as little as a year of use.

1000 Watt or 600 Watt LED Grow Light?

If you’ve grown multiple cannabis crops in the past with a power-hungry HID (high-intensity discharge) light, you know how large your electricity bill can be at the end of the month.

When your plants are in the vegetative phase, the lights are left on for 18 hours out of 24. This stage of growth can last anywhere from one week to 6 weeks – depending on how large you’d like your plants to be. This accumulation of time significantly affects your cost of operations, since each minute of lighting is costing your a certain dollar value.

Once you’ve completed the vegetative phase, it’s time to move onto the flowering stage. Although this phase of growth requires less lighting (12-hours), it still aggregates over time because this process takes between 7-11-weeks to finish.

After considering that you’re looking at 8-17 weeks of lighting, which doesn’t include the lighting required for seed germination, clone propagation, mother maintenance, or the juvenile growth stage.

Another aspect that you’d need to take into consideration is how many HID lights are required to cover your given canopy space. Most of the time, 1 600-watt HPS light isn’t enough to cover a 4’x8’ grow tent. As you begin to place additional lights into your grow room, you exponentially increase the cost of electricity.

Once you switch over to a 1,000-watt LED grow light, you immediately reduce your energy consumption. Although LED companies label their lighting systems as 1,000-watt, they draw far less energy from the outlet. Typically, a 1,000-watt LED grow light will consume upwards of 400-watts of power; thus, consuming a fraction of energy compared to a 1,000-watt HID.

By slashing your power bill in half, you can spend these savings on additional tools, new cannabis genetics, or better yet, place them into your bank account. Although a full spectrum 1,000w LED grow light isn’t exactly equivalent to a 1,000w HPS, they offer additional benefits that outcompete traditional HIDs.

Benefits of a 1000 Watt LED Grow Light

It goes without saying that a 1,000-watt LED grow light significantly reduces your electricity bill. Aside from your main electricity bill, there are many benefits associated with owning a 1,000-watt LED grow light.

Save Water –

As the temperature within your grow room increases, the moisture within the medium begins to evaporate. Your cannabis crop will start to wilt, which is a clear sign of heat stress. This is a scenario that countless growers face when using HID lighting in an enclosed grow room without an effective ventilation system.

Most of us think that we can get away with a miniature AC system, but in reality, we’re trying to reduce our overall costs. Instead, you’re putting your plants into a precarious situation by forcing them to walk on a tightrope. Inadequate ventilation will leave your plants stressed while the intense heat from a 1,000-watt HPS is bearing down on them.

The main advantage of a LED grow light is that it reduces the heat in your grow room, which simultaneously decreases the plants’ water needs. If your room isn’t hot, then your plants intake water at a reasonable rate according to their size. The medium doesn’t lose moisture quickly when the temperature isn’t soaring into the triple digits.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint –

Although most of us don’t think about it, we place a high amount of stress on the planet with our needs. It’s important to realize that the amount of energy that’s necessary to power multiple HID lighting systems is unsustainable.

Now that cannabis cultivation is legal in many states, the amount of growers is increasing. If every grower is compelled to use LED technology, we can reduce our overall power consumption and energy use. By reducing our energy use, we can sustainably grow cannabis. The more sustainable our cultivation practices, less stress is placed on the environment. Implementing LED technology will reduce our overall carbon footprint and improve our lives.

Save Money on Bulbs –

You’ll no longer need to buy separate MH or HPS bulbs once you’ve switched over to an LED grow light. Most LED grow lights are customizable, meaning you can choose which color spectrum at any moment. This is done by the use of a remote controller or by buttons located on the LED grow light itself.

Reduce Your Weight –

Traditional HID lighting requires heavy equipment to power each bulb. Magnetic and digital ballasts weigh roughly 30-40 pounds each. A power cord is attached to the ballast, which then joins the hood and bulb.

Most growers keep the ballast outside of the grow room because it generates heat while its in operation. Ballasts are generally fixed to walls or placed in a safe area on the ground. It’s challenging to put ballasts on a wall due to their weight, so it’s common to find these pieces of equipment on the ground.

Instead, a 1,000-watt LED grow light doesn’t require a ballast. This automatically reduces their weight, which makes them incredibly easy to hang within your garden.

Increase Your Safety –

As stated previously, traditional HID lighting requires the use of a ballast. Once your room consists of more than one ballast, you may find yourself in a dangerous situation.

Many growers place their ballasts on the floor, with wires crisscrossing in all directions. This presents a specific fire risk, which does occur often. Ballasts are also prone to overheating or malfunctioning, which increases their overall safety concern.

LED grow lights reduce this concern significantly by not requiring a ballast for operation. These are solid state devices which have far fewer points of failure while in use, which makes them considerably safer to use compared to HID lighting.

Cannabis and LED Grow Lights

This is where many sceptics doubt LED grow lights. They claim that LED lights don’t produce large and resinous cannabis flowers. This myth has perpetuated through many growing circles, which has led to many avoiding this beneficial technology.

In fact, LED grow lights have been studied to grow a wide variety of crops effectively. Most LED grow lights even come equipped with IR and UV, which adds a new component that’s natural to sunlight for increased plant growth.

Since LEDs are composed of diodes, each diode is capable of producing a particular color light. LED growers enjoy the benefits of being able to cycle between red and blue lights at a moments notice.

What To Look For When Buying a 1000 Watt LED Grow Light

Here are a few tips on what to look for before you purchase your first 1000 watt LED grow light.

Power Output –

Before making a substantial investment into a 1000 watt LED grow light, you want to make sure how much power it consumes.

In general, a 1 000 watt LED grow light will draw 400-500-watts of power. At this range, it’s producing an intense light that will adequately cover a 4’x4’ area. Some manufacturers produce 1,000-watt LED grow lights that are rated at far lower wattages.

Marketing schemes are abundant within the LED industry, so it’s crucial that you research how much power a given LED grow light draws.

Weight –

Weight is another vital factor to consider before buying a 1000 watt LED grow light. Are you growing in a tent or room? If you’re growing in a tent, then you must obtain a LED grow light that weighs a modest amount.

This is because you won’t normally place just the LED light above the plants. Other tools, such as carbon filters, inline fans, and oscillating fans are hung from the roof as well; so it’s essential that your LED grow light doesn’t weigh too much.

Each manufacturer will always include the weight of their LED grow lights, so make sure that you understand this simple fact before making a purchase.

Quiet Fans –

One of the main selling points of heavy-duty 1000 watt LED grow lights are their onboard fans. The fans are quiet and keep the entire system running cool.

If you’re hoping to build a discreet grow space, then a quiet built-in fan is a must when shopping for a 1,000w LED grow light. Traditional HID lighting also offers onboard ballast fans, but these are known to cause a large amount of noise. Even though these founds sound like they’re working on overdrive, the result is still an overly warm ballast.

LED Chips –

LED chips come in a variety of wattages, with the most common for cannabis production being 3-watt, 5-watt, and 10-watt.

The higher the rating, the hotter the diode becomes during use. Although a 10-watt diode will produce a brighter light compared to a 3-watt diode, it emits over double the amount of heat. Therefore, it’s essential to know which diode a certain product contains.

Aside from the watt-rating, you should also understand which LED chip is used. Not all LED chips are created equal, and it’s best to find a LED grow light manufacturer that uses brand name LED chips.

Examples of name brand products are:

• Cree
• Nichia
• Toyoda Gosei
• Osram
• Phillips Lumileds
• LG Innotek
• Edison Opto
• Seoul Semiconductor

When you’re diving into the mechanics of your LED grow light, make sure that you see these brand names to ensure your diodes are made with high-quality materials.

Color Spectrum –

Cannabis production requires specific wavelengths for the best results. The preferred wavelengths fall into the red/orange and white/blue range.

The reason behind this need for a specific color spectrum is due to the natural lifecycle of a cannabis plant. Cannabis is an annual plant, which means that it germinates, grows, flowers, and reproduces within a single year.

Cannabis plants are phototropic, which means they respond to certain levels of light. During their primary growing season, daylight hours are extended due to the summer months, and the natural color spectrum is blue/white. This is because the sun is high on the horizon.

As the daylight hours decrease and the summer season begins to transition towards fall, cannabis plants recognize the red/orange color spectrum that’s associated with a sun closer to the horizon. This phototropic stimulus drives them to switch to the flowering stage of their lifecycle.

This is why growers prefer to use the blue/white color range during the vegetative stage and the red/orange spectrum during the flowering stage. By mimicking the natural wavelengths found in nature, cultivators can give their crops the most ideal environment to grow in.

PAR Rating –

Not all light is created equal. This is because plants interact with light in a range of usability. 1000 watts of any kind of light isn’t as efficient as 1000 watts of light fixed at a specific photosynthetic range.

LED lighting has a clear advantage over traditional HID lights because they’re built to operate within a range that’s ideal for photosynthesis.

As you may know, photosynthesis is the primary function for the majority of plants to produce energy. The ideal range for photosynthesis to occur is between 400-700nm. Many LED grow lights have a high PAR rating, but it’s imperative that you seek a product that caters to plants within this range.

Grow Room Size –

We always mention grow room size because this is a critical factor that you’ll need to understand before making any kind of purchase. A 1000 watt LED grow light will optimally cover a 2’x2’ to 4’x4’ grow space, but what if your room is larger or smaller?

You’ll need to measure your available growing area before you make a substantial investment in a LED grow light. Although LED grow lights emit minimal heat, your efficiency may decrease if you place a 1,000w LED grow light in too small of an area. If you find yourself in a large room, then you’ll need to purchase multiple 1,000w LED grow lights to ensure a fully-covered canopy.

Advantages of LEDs Over Traditional HID Systems

LEDs are better than HID systems in many ways. Let’s take a look at how 1,000w LED grow lights out-compete 1,000w HPS and MH systems.

Long Lasting –

1,000w full specrum LED grow lights are incredibly long-lasting. Their chips are generally rated for over 10,000 continuous hours of use.

Competition amongst LED manufacturers has skyrocketed in the last few years, which resulted in companies offering chips that last longer than 50,000 hours.

Traditional 1000 watt HPS or MH bulb are changed replaced after 2 grow cycles. HPS and MH bulbs aren’t cheap, and these replacements incur a significant cost throughout your career in cannabis cultivation.

Cycling –

1,000w LED grow lights can be turned on and off without the risk of failure. In contrast to metal halide and high-pressure sodium systems, you won’t have to worry about destroying your light if you need to turn on your light suddenly.

When you turn off a HID system, the ballast needs time to cool down before it can turn back on. The process of turning on an HID system takes a large amount of power, and it’ not recommended that you cycle between the on and off state frequently.

Durable –

We’ll be the first to admit that we’ve fumbled a brand new HPS light bulb as we took it out of its box. Seeing a $120 light bulb shatter before our eyes was soul-crushing.

Although we don’t recommend that you drop your new 1000 watt LED grow light onto the ground, they’re far more durable than traditional HID lights.

A 1000 watt LED grow light is a near solid-state device. All of its components are built within the system, and you won’t hear any of its mechanics jingling around as you transport it.

The body of LED grow lights are encased in rugged aluminum or a heavy-duty and heat-resistant plastic. Compare this durable design with a metal halide or high-pressure sodium bulb, which is made of delicate glass.

Quick Warm Up –

When you switch on a 1000 watt HID system, do you note how long it takes for it to turn on completely? It takes roughly 1-minute to boot, which is a long time compared to that of a 1000 watt LED grow light system.

A 1000 watt LED grow light system turns on instantly. The moment the timer reaches the predetermined time, your LED grow light will emit its powerful rays upon your crop.

Customizable –

Many 1000 watt LED grow light systems benefit from customization. It’s not uncommon to find systems that come equipped buttons that allow you to select your preferred color spectrum. Some 1000 watt LED grow lights even offer green color options so you can view your cannabis crop at night without stressing them.

Low Heat –

This is the game changer. Low heat reduces water loss, decreases your electricity bill, and increase your overall efficiency. Your cannabis plants will thank you with an abundant harvest by providing them with an optimal grow room temperature.

Reduce Electricity Bills –

What will you do with the money you save from switching from a 1000 watt HID system to a 1000 watt LED grow light? As the threat of global warming looms across many states, electricity providers are continuously increasing power rates.

California, for example, charges 15.2 cents per kWh. Hawaii residents pay a sky-high rate of 33 cents per kWh. Each state varies, but one fact remains the same: electricity isn’t cheap.

This is why it’s crucial to begin your new cannabis endeavors with a power-efficient LED grow light system. A 1000 watt LED grow light is potentially the best bang for your buck, but ultimately, only you can decide if it is or not.

Is a 1000 Watt Grow Light the Right Choice?

This is the question that we all hope to answer. After you’ve read through our list of aspects to consider, do you fall into the category that can benefit from a 1000 watt LED grow light?

If you’re a commercial producer, then you can surely benefit from reducing your overall production costs. This is the goal in any industry, and improving your efficiency should be one of your primary aims.

As a hobbyist grower, the same desire for efficiency should be your primary goal. The more cannabis you produce at a lower cost will make growing marijuana a profitable business.

If it costs more to grow cannabis then buying it directly from a dispensary, then your effectiveness is low. This is why it makes the most sense to use a power-efficient 1000 watt LED grow light compared to any other lighting system on the market.

Making the Switch to 600 Watt Grow Lights

This is the fundamental question. Before we describe the primary benefits of using a 600 watt LED grow light, we should talk about something more philosophical.

Currently, the world is in a precarious position, with droughts across the USA, global crop decline, record-breaking winters, and never-ending summers. This is the situation we’re dealing with, and reducing the amount of stress on the planet is becoming essential.

Every action counts, and this is where using a 600 watt LED grow light comes into the picture. These devices are capable of cutting your electricity bills in half when cultivating cannabis indoors or outdoors.

This increased efficiency and decreased energy consumption are proving necessary for the well-being of our world. Cannabis can be a sustainable crop, as long as the practices that we use to cultivate it are eco-friendly.

Whether you’re researching 600 watt LED grow lights for their green technology or to increase your bank account, understanding their impact is critical.

LED Grow Lights Equivalent to 600w HPS Grow Lights?

The short answer is yes and no. The long answer is more complicated because it depends on how you would define efficiency. If we are to compare the outright wattage of 600w LEDs versus 600w HPS, then high-pressure sodiums lamps are the clear winner. They pump out 600-watts of lumens and provide an extensive amount of coverage, along with above-average light penetration.

Compared to 600-watts that HPS lamp produces, 600w LED grow lights use between 90-300- watts of power. This is a clear reduction in energy consumption, which results in less coverage, light intensity, and light penetration.

If you’re comparing watt output, then 600 watt LED grow lights are at a disadvantage compared to high-pressure sodium bulbs. What happens when you compare the overall efficiency of growing cannabis?

First of all, it’s not all about raw power output. Even if you have a 600w-1,000w HPS grow lights, you’ll have to consider the amount of cannabis produced.

A way of calculating this is the total amount of grams produced compared with the total wattage used. If you wanted to go even further to determine the efficiency of your grow, you’d need to factor in the amount of water and nutrients used; but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll leave this between watts and grams.

In the eyes of cannabis producers, producing 1 gram per watt is the golden number. Once you hit this goal, you can consider yourself a green thumb.

The calculation is as follows: Total dried flower weight divided by the total amount of watts used. So, if you produced 380-grams with 600-watts of light, then your efficiency comes out to 0.6333g/watt.

When using a 600 watt LED grow lights, your energy consumption is far less, and you can potentially produce an abundant harvest that boosts your overall gram per watt ratio.

For example, if you produce 250-grams of dried cannabis flowers while using a 600 watt LED grow light that consumes 280-watts of power, your ratio climbs to 0.892g/watt. This is a significant increase, and when compared with the electricity-reducing benefits associated with LED grow lights, you’re in for a treat.

So, when comparing efficiency, 600 watt LED grow lights are the clear winner. They offer multiple ways to make your cannabis operation profitable.

When using power-hungry HID grow lights, you need to produce an abundant harvest. If using a LED grow light, you can fumble your harvest and still remain profitable due to your potential energy savings. This aspect gives commercial producers and small-scale growers a significant amount of flexibility in their grow room.

Where Can You Use 600 Watt LED Grow Lights?

A significant benefit of 600 watt LED grow lights is that they can be used indoors and outdoors. Let’s take a look at how each of these scenarios can benefit from a 600w full spectrum LED grow light.

Indoors –

Indoor use is the obvious application for a 600w full spectrum LED grow light system. Most of you will cultivate cannabis indoors because this method offers the most flexibility, quality, and yield potential.

600 watt LED grow lights are light in weight compared to that of 600w HPS grow systems. This makes them ideal for hanging indoors, especially when cultivating cannabis inside a grow tent.

Grow tents adequately hold various tools, as long as the weight doesn’t overcome the supporting structure. You won’t have to worry about a collapsed roof when you hang multiple 600 watts LED grow lights.

Depending on the accessories and built-in features, your 600 watts LED grow light can weigh from a wispy 5-pounds to 20-pounds.

Outdoors –

Initially, the agricultural industry used LED lighting to supplement produce that was being grown in greenhouses. Aside from greenhouses, horticulturalists used LED technology to increase bloom rates due to their specific wavelengths.

If you’re an outdoor grower, you can efficiently utilize multiple 600w full spectrum LED grow lights to grow year-round. This means that you’ll save a significant sum of money by using the Sun when it’s high in the sky, and turning on your 600 watts LED grow lights as the Sun begins to set.

By doing so, you can keep your marijuana plants in the vegetative state for as long as you need. Once you’re ready to flower, you can utilize the Sun for the majority of lighting, but your 600 watt LED grow lights can supplement additional lighting that will increase the size of your buds.

The Primary Advantages of Using 600 Watt LED Grow Lights

Let’s take a look a the main beneficial aspects of owning a 600w full spectrum grow light.

User-Friendly –

It goes without saying that setting up a 600 watt LED grow light is a breeze. LEDs don’t require a ballast, which traditional HPS and MH bulbs need.

This feature turns LED lights into plug-and-play systems. It doesn’t get any easier than hanging your LED grow light and plugging it into an electrical source.

Multiple Features –

Every grower jumped for joy when digital ballast manufacturers introduced dimming options. This simple, yet effective capability turned HID lighting into multi-capable grow light systems. Yet, the problem of costly electrical bills remained.

600 watt LED grow lights, on the other hand, offer these same dimming options, but with a reduced impact on your wallet. Most 600 watt LED grow lights come equipped with remote controls or built-in LED screens that allow you to fully customize your light output.

Going a step further, LED manufacturers allow you to choose the ratio of your color-spectrum. By doing so, you can switch over to the red or blue range at a push of a button.

This advantage allows you to use a single 600w LED grow light for any stage of growth. Seedlings, clones, juveniles, mothers, mature plants, and flowering plants can all benefit from the use of a single 600w LED grow light.

Anti-Microbial –

You may read this and remain skeptical, but LED grow lights are equipped with UV and IR capabilities. 600 watt LED grow lights are no different since most manufacturers have realized the benefit of offering this revolutionary feature.

Ultraviolet and infrared rays are natural wavelengths that plants have utilized since the beginning of time. Humans are unable to see these wavelengths without specialized equipment, but they’re responsible for sunburns and skin cancer when overexposed. Plants, on the other hand, utilize IR and UV to keep bacteria and fungi at bay.

Most microbial pests are sensitive to high amounts of UV and IR, so it’s an essential aspect to consider when you’re searching for the best 600w LED grow light. It’s a growing phenomenon that microbial pests are becoming far more resistant to chemical agents due to bad agricultural practices. This means that many types of bacteria and fungi are a challenge to get rid of, and the best method in preventing them is by using this natural method.

Customizable Color-Spectrum –

Besides energy savings, a customizable color spectrum is the ultimate game-changer for cannabis cultivation. Research has shown specific color-spectrums add to the vigor and yield of many plant species. Cannabis fully benefits from the red/orange and blue/white range due to their natural growing characteristics.

A color-spectrum doesn’t matter if the PAR rating is low, so it’s essential that you consider 600 watts LED grow lights with a substantial PAR rating. Photosynthetically Active Radiation is the level in which a plant takes in photons from light. The ideal range lands between 400-700nm.

So, if you combine a PAR rating with the overall color-spectrum, you’ll have a well-rounded lighting system that will give your cannabis plants precisely what they need.

With a customizable lighting capability, you can switch 75% of your diodes to the red/orange range, while the other 25% remains at the blue/white spectrum.

By doing so, your cannabis crop will bathe in a full-spectrum light that gives the benefit that these two color-spectrums offer. Some 600w LED grow light manufacturers even offer the green color range to allow nighttime inspections.

During lights-off, it’s imperative that you don’t disrupt your cannabis crops’ sleep cycle. If you do, you may stress your marijuana plants, and they can potentially turn hermaphrodite. This is the last thing you want to experience, especially if you’re already late into the flowering stage.

Plant’s don’t respond to green light because their leaves are green due to the chlorophyll pigment. This pigment allows them to absorb all other color-spectrums effectively while reducing the effectiveness of the green wavelength.

By allowing green diodes into your 600w LED grow light, you won’t need to worry about stressing your cannabis crop if you need to do an emergency check during the night cycle. You may not intend on having to do this during your grow, but you’d be surprised how often this issue comes up.

Energy-Saving Technology –

This is most likely the reason why you’re here. When it comes down to it, most of you are considering the feasibility of growing your own cannabis.

There’s nothing like producing your own medicine or recreational product because you’ll feel empowered that you don’t have to rely on anybody else.

It’s also cost-effective to produce your own cannabis. In general, an 1/8th of marijuana costs $30-60, depending on the state that you’re in. This, in itself, is a significant sum of money to pay and will drain your savings account rapidly. So, how do you balance wanting to save money and produce your own marijuana cheaply? This is done by using a sufficient 600w LED grow light.

Most 600 watts LED grow lights use between 90-300-watts of power. If you compare this to a 600w HPS grow light, then you’ve already reduced your electricity bill by 50% or more.

Secondary Optical Lens –

Most LED skeptics will claim that a 600w LED grow light won’t penetrate a canopy the same way a 600w HID will. Although we would have agreed with this statement in the past, LED lights have come a long way.

Most LED manufacturers implement secondary optical lenses to increase the magnification of the light. This feature focuses the light into a more direct beam, which is then cast down onto your marijuana crop.

The only downside of secondary optical lenses is that they may focus too much light into a dense beam, which may adversely affect your marijuana plants if they’re too close. Although this is a rare occurrence, it’s something to keep in mind.

Lightweight –

There’s nothing like having lightweight equipment. Not only does it make installation that much easier, but it also allows you to transport your equipment at a moments notice. Life can force you to move suddenly, so it’s a significant advantage to have tools that aren’t a hassle to move.

Most 600w LED grow lights weigh in at a miniscule 10-15-pounds. Compare that to traditional HID grow light systems, which, when accounting for bulb, ballast, and hood, can range between 35-45-pounds. The moment your grow room requires additional lights, you’ll be thankful that you switched over to a 600w LED grow light.

By adding an extra HPS or MH grow light system, the overall weight of your light setup turns into a complicated task in setting up, taking down, or transporting.

Long-Lasting Diodes –

LED diodes are the light emitting bulbs on your LED grow light system. These are typically rated for a lifespan of 10,000 to 50,000+ hours. This means they have the capability of lasting from over a year to potentially 6 years.

Traditional 600w HPS bulbs are typically used for 2-4 cycles, which means they’re acceptable to use for 3-12 months. HPS and MH lamps are incredibly expensive, ranging from $40-120 each.

By switching over to a 600w LED grow light system, you won’t be required to switch bulbs (since LED systems run both red and blue spectrums), and you’ll save an estimated $300 on bulbs per year.

So, not only you saving money on the cost of electricity from the light produced and from the energy needed to power an AC unit, but also on the cost of lamps.

Reduced Heat in the Grow Room –

One sure thing is that one aspect will always affect another. This is undoubtedly the case when you consider the heat generated by a grow light and the cooling power needed to reduce it.

HID grow lights are notoriously known for the heat that they generate. 600w-1,000w HID lights will turn your grow rooms into a furnace if you don’t have a proper AC unit to counter their effects. This necessity, in turn, forces you to ramp up your AC unit, as well as your overall ventilation system.

As your cooling and ventilation systems are running on overdrive to cool your grow room, your electricity bill is skyrocketing. Paired with the power needed to run the lights, you’re looking at a significant amount of money at the end of the month.

Since a 600w LED grow light only consumes a fraction of an HID lamp, they emit far less heat. This makes them more manageable and allows you to reduce your AC settings to the bare minimum. Therefore, your electricity bill will remain low since you won’t need to use a high amount of energy to cool your room down to an acceptable level.

Instantaneous Heat-Up –

LED grow lights benefit from a nearly instant turn-on time. This means that once the internal timer turns on the device, your light will switch on with full brightness. Traditional HID systems take 1-2 minutes to fully turn on, so this is a significant advantage to consider over HPS and MH lamps.

Effective Cycling –

Another advantage that can be attributed to 600w LED grow lights is the fact that they can cycle between on and off without any detrimental effects. Traditional MH and HPS systems aren’t recommended to be turned on and off within a certain amount of time, as this can damage the unit.

LEDs are efficiently wired without the use of a ballast, so they won’t become damaged if you find yourself needing to turn your system on and off in rapid succession.

Disadvantages of 600 watt LED Grow Lights

LED Grow Lights As with anything, there’s always a negative when presented with a positive. With so many positives attributed to 600 watt LED grow lights, there must be detrimental aspects to consider. Let’s take a look at what you may find unappealing when searching for the perfect 600w full spectrum LED grow light.

Expensive –

Many top-of-the-line 600w LED grow lights are expensive for most. Although we picked the most affordable 600 watt LED grow lights for this review, many brands price their lights at a premium price.

We want to note that although we’ve placed this category in the disadvantages section, it’s only because of the upfront cost associated with LED grow lights.

After long-term use, this disadvantage disappears. This is because LED grow lights eventually pay for themselves in the long-run due to their energy savings.

Less Light Intensity –

Due to a 600 watts LED grow lights’ ability to reduce your electricity bill, it’ll correspond with less intense light. Although 600 watts LED grow lights come equipped with secondary optical lenses to promote deeper light penetration, they’re still not quite comparable to HID systems.

This is the primary trade-off that you need to consider before buying a 600w LED grow light. If you’re prepared for a diminished light, then you won’t be surprised when you switch on your light.

If you’re new to cannabis cultivation and a 600w LED grow light is your first system, then you’ll be in awe once you power your device on. If you’re coming from a 600w-1,000w HPS system, then you may feel slightly disappointed.

Diode Malfunctions –

Whether you purchase an LED or HID system, you’ll find that you may come across a defective product. Typically, this isn’t a common issue with well-known brands, but there’s a high chance you’ll find a few burned-out diodes on your brand new 600w LED grow light system.

When this occurs, you’ll be highly pleased that you purchased a 600w LED grow light that’s covered by a warranty. Many popular brands offer 2-3-year warranties, as long as you didn’t modify the light in any way. Even if you have to pay extra, it’s always worth it to ensure your product with a warranty.

Diodes are liable to go out at any given time considering most LED grow lights have a large number of diodes. Although these burn-outs can occur after the estimated lifespan of the system, it’s more likely that you’ll find a handful of non-working diodes along the panel.

Potential Learning Curve –

If you’ve been growing cannabis with traditional HID systems, then you may find that switching to a 600w LED grow light frustrating. This is because you’ll have to change your plant count, spacing, nutrient dosage, and watering routine. You’ll probably need to reduce your plant count while growing with a 600w LED grow light if you’re used to growing cannabis with a 600w HPS. This is because the footprint of the LED grow light will be less-effective overall compared to the HID system.

Cannabis plants should be spaced adequately when growing with a 600w LED grow light. This means that you won’t be able to cram as many plants in a square meter as you would generally like.

Nutrient dosages and water requirements will differ once you go down the LED route because there will be less in the grow space. Although less heat is a significant benefit, it will change your routine and force you to manage your garden differently.

If you find that you’ve perfected your growing style with 600w HID lights, then you’ll surely feel the difference once you make the jump to LED grow lights.

Purchasing 600 Watt Grow Lights

While you’re browsing the near-infinite number of 600w LED grow lights, make sure you consider these aspects before making a purchase.

Name Brand Diodes –

Even if an LED manufacturer has a shining reputation, make sure that you research which diodes they’re using. An LED grow light isn’t worth anything if the light bulbs don’t function properly, or if they go out with each passing day.

There are a handful of well-known brand names, such as Phillips, GE, Cree, Nichia, Osram, LG, and Seoul Semiconductor Co. If you find that your preferred 600w LED grow light comes equipped with any of these brands, then you’ll likely be in the clear.

Functionality –

As we’ve mentioned earlier, 600w LED grow light manufacturers have implemented a wide range of functions to enhance your cultivation experience. These come in the form of dimming, color spectrum customization, remote controls, and secondary optical lenses.

Warranty –

There’s always the potential that some of your diodes will malfunction before the estimated lifespan. This is why it’s crucial that you find a 600w LED grow light with a 2-3 year warranty. This is adequate time to put in a lot of use, which may account for half the life expectancy of your 600w LED grow light unit.

For example, Platinum LED’s 600w 12-band LED grow light offers a 5-year warranty. This is beyond expectations and shows how confident Platinum is regarding its product.

User Reviews –

Besides our own 600w LED grow light review, we encourage you to look at the various reports that you can find throughout the internet.

User reviews are invaluable and hold profound insight into the usability of most 600w LED grow lights on the market. By reading user reviews in conjunction with doing your own research, you’ll have an excellent idea of what to expect before making a substantial purchase.

Accessories –

You may find a stellar deal on a stand-alone 600w LED grow light unit, but you might end up paying more than you expected if it doesn’t come with additional accessories.

These accessories come in the form of timers, rope ratchets, light hangers, remote controls, power cords, and even environmental monitors (thermometer/hygrometer).

When your 600w LED grow light doesn’t come equipped with any of these necessary tools, you’ll have to purchase these separately. There’s no doubt that buying LED grow light units with additional accessories will save you money and a trip to the local hydroponics store.

Number of Bands –

Each 600w LED grow light will display the number of band wavelengths. Wavelength bands are essentially the number of color spectrums that a grow light emits.

The more bands aren’t necessarily a good thing since it increases the number of wavelengths. As you already know, cannabis plants enjoy red, orange, blue, and white the most. These colors fall within the optimal PAR rating of 400nm-700nm.

As you include more bands, the effectiveness of the light diminishes. This is why you should find LED grow lights that are rated between 6-8 bands.

Actual Power Output –

600w LED grow lights don’t emit 600w of light. This label is slightly misleading, but manufacturers are trying to say that their lights are equivalent to 600w HPS and MH bulbs.

The reality of the situation is that 600w LED grow lights only emit 90-300-watts of power. As we’ve previously mentioned, this reduces the intensity of the light but increases your energy savings.

You should always check how much power your LED unit uses. By doing so, you’ll be able to estimate how much money you’ll pay per month while using this device.

For example, the Philzon LED grow light uses 100-watts during operation, which is significantly less than that of a 400-600w HPS lamp.

UV and IR

Ultraviolet and infrared rays are quickly becoming a must-have option when cultivating cannabis. Pests and disease are becoming a problem, as more growers are growing marijuana.

Just as certain bacteria become resistant to antibiotics with increased treatments, so do diseases and pests on agricultural crops. The agriculture industry has already witnessed this with many invasive plant species, in which they’ve grown resistant to various herbicides.

Increased exposure to a chemical sometimes has the opposite effect, and that’s what the cannabis industry is currently seeing with specific issues. Powdery mildew, blight, spider mites, rot, and many others are becoming far more challenging to get rid of. This is why it’s crucial that you find a 600w LED grow light that comes equipped with IR and UV light.

There are no pests or diseases that show resistance to these two natural lights, and having a variety of tools in your arsenal is always a good idea when combating these silent killers.

Built-In Fan –

The vast majority of 600w LED grow lights will come with a built-in fan. The difference is how quiet it operates. Some will have dual fans, while others have a single option.

These fans are of utmost importance because they reduce the internal temperature of the device, which effectively reduces the temperature of your grow space.

If your diodes aren’t overheating, then they’ll last far longer than if they are regularly exposed to high levels of heat. This is why you must search for a 600w LED grow light with an adequate fan.

In most cases, there’s usually a trade-off. This trade-off comes in the form of discreteness. The more active the fan, the louder it is. If you find a 600w LED grow light that’s both quiet and incredibly effective, then you’ve potentially found the holy grail of LED grow lights.