Our Top Picks For 2020!

What are LED grow lights?

Light-emitting diode (LED) grow lights are some of the best on the market. They provide a high light output across the full spectrum, including visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. Recent developments in technology have seen LED’s become more affordable and effective, making them perfect for an indoor garden.

Here at The Hippie House we absolutely love LED grow lights. Despite higher upfront costs, LED’s are far more efficient than other types of grow lights, saving on power and electricity costs – some run for as little as 30 cents per day.

Because of the full spectrum of light produced by LED’s, they yield exceptional results in both vegetative and flower cycles. The normal life-cycle of an LED bulb is about 50,000 hours, five times that of a fluorescent bulb, so you’ll get years of use without any need for replacements or upgrades.

We stock a wide variety of LED grow lights, including full spectrum, reflector, wide-band and chip on board (COB). Head to our website to shop our selection of the best grow lights, including leading brands such as ViparSpectra, Mars Hydro, Spider Farmer and Electric Sky:

https://thehippiehouse.com.au/collections/best-led-grow-lights

Things to consider When Buying A LED Grow Light

• Coverage area – each grow light will have a different area of light coverage. It is critical that you are aware of the precise dimensions of your indoor garden so that your plants are getting access to a sufficient amount of light. Getting this right will make sure that your plants are growing as big and fast as they can.
• Growth stages – the best LED grow lights will support all growth stages of your plants, from vegetation to flowering and fruiting. Ask yourself what stage of development your plants are at and whether you will be keeping them under grow lights throughout their entire life-cycle. If you do intend to keep your plants indoors during all stages of growth, then you need to ensure that your chosen grow light offers a full spectrum of light to obtain maximum growth and yields.

• Budget – in general, higher priced grow lights will offer higher quality and better results. If you are a novice gardener, you may be tempted to go with the cheaper option. Just make sure you are buying from a trusted brand with positive customer reviews. If you are more experienced or serious about your indoor garden, spending that little bit extra will guarantee the best results.  

What are the best brands of grow light?

With LED grow light technology rapidly evolving, it can be hard keeping up with the best brands and types of grow lights. Additionally, the many points to consider can make it tough to decide on the perfect light for you. Luckily, we have made it easy by selecting our three favourite brands of 2020:

ViparSpectra

ViparSpectra have become one of the most popular LED grow lights over the years, and are one of our favourites here at The Hippie House. They are the perfect grow light for the everyday indoor gardener thanks to their affordability and great results in both the growth and flowering cycles.

In 2020, ViparSpectra released their Pro Series, an upgrade to the previous Reflector Series. The Pro Series comes in a green housing and has a full sprectrum lighting, as opposed to the silver casing and red and blue lights of the Reflector Series. Shop our collection of ViparSpectra lights here:

https://thehippiehouse.com.au/collections/viparspectra-led-grow-lights

At The Hippie House, we are authorized distributors of ViparSpectra within Australia. We offer full warranties and can answer any questions you may have with regards to ViparSpectra LED's. This means you can shop with confidence, knowing you’ll get fast and friendly support from our team if anything ever goes wrong.

Spider Farmer 

Spider Farmer LED Grow Lights are made for all stages of growth; propagation (clones + cuttings), seedling, vegetative and flowering. They come at a great price, though punch well above their weight in terms of performance. Fitted with high efficiency Samsung diodes and dimmable Meanwell drivers, these grow lights are for both novice and expert growers who appreciate high quality and hefty yields. Available in three different sizes – SF1000, SF2000 and SF4000 – you’ll be sure to find a suitable model and sized light for your indoor garden within the Spider Farmer range. Shop our options here:

https://thehippiehouse.com.au/collections/spider-farmer-led-grow-lights

Electric Sky 

The Electric Sky 300 V2 is the Green Sunshine company’s flagship LED grow light, and it’s easy to see why. These lights are designed to mimic natural sunlight by producing a wideband spectrum of light. A recently debunked myth is that plants only require red and blue light to thrive. It is now understood that different parts of the plant absorb specific types of light. While red and blue light is still critical to the growth of a plant, they will grow much faster and larger when additionally exposed to other types of light, such as purple and white. This is where the wideband technology of the ES300 excels in providing your plants the full complement of light that it requires to flourish.

While other LED grow lights employ a point-source design, the ES300 utilises the latest technology in linear optics to produce a much larger sweet spot. By producing an evenly distributed rectangle of light, you are able to place the light closer to the canopy without burning your plants, making these lights extremely efficient while also saving on space.

The ES300 boasts a true power consumption of 300 watts, twice that of a high-pressure sodium (HPS) grow light, as well as an estimated lifetime of 60,000 hours without the need for changing bulbs. All stages of a plant’s growth is supported through full light intensity adjustment, with a daisy-chain dimming kit included so you can control multiple lights at once.  

These lights have grower-proven results from a wide range of plants including peppers, tomatoes, leafy greens, cannabis and exotic flowering plants. As an added bonus, we plant five trees through the National Forest Foundation for each ES300 sold, so you’re helping the planet with each purchase! 

Recommended configurations For ES300 V2: 

• 1x ES300 will Flower a 2’x4′ – 3’x5′ rectangular area – Grow 2-6 Plants

• 2x ES300 will Flower a 4’x4′ – 5’x5′ square area – Grow 4-10 Plants

To grab either the ES180 or ES300 in Australia click the link below: 

https://thehippiehouse.com.au/collections/electric-sky-led-grow-lights

Growth stages

While LED grow lights support all phases of a plants development, it is important be aware of the appropriate amount of light depending on the stage of growth. Below is a guide to how much light your plants should receive depending on its phase:

• Seedling: 16 hours on, 8 hours off
• Vegetative: 18 hours on, 6 hours off
• Flowering: 12 hours on, 12 hours off 

Taking the time to get these subtle changes right will help you to achieve top results .

Grow tents

Utilising a grow tent can help take your indoor setup to the next level. They maximise output efficiency by preventing light from escaping, helping you to achieve maximum yields. Our picks for the best led grow lights fit perfectly into grow tents, thanks to their rectangular design. If you’re serious about getting great results from your indoor garden you should consider investing in a grow tent as well. You can shop our options here:

https://thehippiehouse.com.au/collections/grow-tents

The choice is yours!

There are heaps of great options out there for LED grow lights in 2020. Whichever you chose, make sure you do your research and know exactly what you are looking for. The key to yielding the best results is finding the perfect grow light for your individual setup. We’ve highlighted the best options in 2020, you can’t go wrong with any of these great brands.