LED grow lights have become increasingly popular over the last several years and anyone investing in a personal indoor garden or larger commercial grow operation wants to choose the best LED grow light for their needs. LED grow lights are considered some of the best indoor grow lights available, but with hundreds of models making hard to sort through claims that they’re the best flowering or vegetative grow light, the best full spectrum grow light, or the top rated grow light of the year, you need reliable information from LED grow light experts to make a decision about what grow light is best for you..

You don’t want just any grow light for your plants – you want the best yields, best grow rates, and best density you can get. It’s not enough for an LED grow light to be popular on Amazon; it has to be the best light for you. Our experienced staff of grow light experts have done the hard work of evaluating the full range of LED grow lights on the market today to bring you a reliable review of the best LED grow lights for 2020.

Table of Contents

The Best Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights of 2020

NextLight Mega
HLG 650R Full-Spectrum Quantum Board LED Grow Light
Electric Sky ES 300 V2
Grower’s Choice ROI-680
Luxx Lighting 645w LED PRO
HLG-600H Quantum Board V2 R-Spec DIY Kit

The Best Flowering LED Grow Lights of 2020

Spectrum King LED LowPro Flower Grow Light
Grow-It-LED Aegis Series S2 (Full-Cycle Flower)
Apache Tech AT600
G8LED 450 Bloom Only Grow Light
HLG 100 V2 Quantum Board 3000K

The Best Veg/Clone Grow Lights of 2020

NextLight Veg8
Spectrum King LED LowPro Veg
HLG 300L V2 BSpec Quantum Board LED Grow Light
Horticulture Lighting Group HLG-600H Quantum Board V2 B-Spec DIY Kit
Scynce LED Raging Kale Veg LED Grow Light
California Lightworks SolarSystem 550 Veg (w/ controller)

The Best of COB (chip-on-board) LED Grow Lights of 2020

Optic LED 1 XL COB LED Grow Light
Amare Technology SolarECLIPSE SE 500
Amare Technology SolarECLIPSE SE 300 LED

LED stands for light-emitting diodes. LED lighting systems produce very little heat, come ready to plug-and-play, and can produce high yields with incredible energy efficiency. LED grow lights do not require a reflector and ballast like HID lights and LEDs can last for decades, where HID bulbs may have to be replaced yearly as they begin to lose Lumens.

But one of the main reasons LED grow lights have become a standard for serious growers is the spectrum of light they produce.

Full spectrum LED grow lights will make a huge difference in helping your plants grow to their full potential and yields. Red & blue spectrums are important, but infrared and ultraviolet spectrums can be essential depending on the growth stage of your plants. The light’s power is also an important factor, but different wave lengths are needed to be taken into consideration to ensure maximum growth.

You’ll also want to take into consideration the amount of space you need to cover with your LED lights. Every LED grow light will have a range of space that it effectively can cover, so it’s important to measure your grow space down carefully. Then you can research and read reviews for LED lights can actually cover your grow space efficiently and effectively.

Another factor when choosing the best LED grow light for you is durability and electrical efficiency since an LED grow light will typically operate for 12-18 hours a day. Remember, when researching LED lights you’ll want to note the total output. The more light your new LED light actually gives off, the bigger yields you should get, so choose the most powerful LED grow lights (within reason) for your grow space.

The “Mega” in the NextLight Mega’s name doesn’t mean it’s huge in size; it’s called the “Mega” because of its enormous production power and large footprint it provides for your canopy. It’s the perfect grow light for gardeners and growers who are looking to cover a large area while keeping power consumption down to a low 650 watts.

Because it’s a full-spectrum light that uses only white LEDs, the NextLight Mega doesn’t have separate settings for vegatative and bloom/flower cycles. It has a better spectrum with the same coverage area as a 1000 watt high pressure sodium (HPS). The NextLight Mega has one of the largest coverage areas of any 1000 watt equivalent LED light on the market and with a PPF of 1400 umol per second / 2.15 PPF per watt, it’s also one of the most efficient full-spectrum LED grow lights in the industry!

The Horticultural Lighting Group HLG 650R Commercial Indoor LED grow light is a very powerful, top rated LED grow light that is capable of producing some of the highest yields possible for your growing environment. The 650R draws 630 watts from the outlet - powerful enough to flower a remarkable 5’ x 5’ space, and veg an impressive 7’ x 7’ space. Thanks to the same convenient dimmer as the HLG 550 V2, the 650R can drop from 630 watts down to 60 watts.

The HLG 650R is priced hundreds of dollars cheaper than these other high end models but comes equipped with the new Samsung LM301H LEDs to light your plants with 4000K spectrum. The experts at Horticultural Lighting Group were able to max out both the blue and red wavelengths (an improvement over the 550 Eco), making it ideal for full cycle plant growth.

No matter how large or how small your grow or garden, you want consistent, high-quality results from the best LED grow lights you can find. The Electric Sky ES 300 V2’s wideband spectrum with balanced color ratio replicates some of the sun’s infrared wavelengths for maximum yields. Their innovative design means high-dosages of near-infrared light, so large flowers initiate sooner, vegetation grows faster, and the plant makes more efficient use of light (the Emerson Effect).

The energy efficient ES 300 led grow light pulls a true 300 watts from the outlet and has been proven in side-by-side tests to achieve equal or better results than HID with 40% less power and 50% of the heat. This professional grade led grow light is designed for maximum results in all stages of growth, so no more switching spectrums or swapping bulbs between veg and flower. Power your garden with one of the most popular LED grow lights recommended by thousands of growers all over the world.

Growers Choice collaborated with TSL Horti Tech (Top Shelf Lighting) to produce a monster of a light that easily makes our list of the best full spectrum LED grow lights. The Grower’s Choice ROI-680 only pulls 680 watts at full power. It includes a dimmer so the output can be adjusted down to 80%, 60% or 40%. The ROI-680’s PAR output measures an incredible 1700 umol/s PPF for a PAR efficacy of 2.5 umol/j making it an extremely efficient light with one of the highest PAR outputs of any LED grow light on the market.

The practical 8 bar design allows for light to be evenly distributed across a 4'x4' or 5'x5' grow space. Grower’s Choice built this light using top bin OSRAM diodes, including 660nm for flowering, with their well known 3k CMH full phase spectrum. The ROI- 680 is passively cooled for added savings and efficiency and it is compatible with the Grower’s Choice Master Lighting controller, giving you the ability to easily control important settings such as on/off, sunrise/sunset, and precise temperature displays.

Luxx Lighting has once again brought their A-game with the LUXX 645 LED PRO – a top-rated full spectrum LED grow light by any measure. This 645w LED grow lamp utilizes a 6 bar design to deliver an amazing 2,226 diodes. Along with a strenuous, 3 year review of SMD chips and a variety of the best drivers, the LEDs were also developed from two of the top LED R&D companies - Samsung and Osram reds – to produce a top quality light that deserves a place on any review of the best LED grow lights of 2020.

An IP66 waterproof rating and 5 year warranty are expected from high quality lights from Luxx, along with their uncompromising attention to detail, quality control, and innovation that make the LUXX645 LED PRO a top choice when you need longer life, higher efficiency, greater control, directional lighting, color range and much more. The Luxx 645 LED PRO LED delivers serious performance and functionality for the serious cultivator or home gardener.

The HLG 600 Watt Quantum Board 288 V2 RSpec DIY LED Grow Light Kit from Horticulture Lighting Group is the go-to way to get a high-quality LED grow light at a price anyone can afford. This ready-to-assemble kit easily replaces any standard 1000 watt HID while only drawing 620 watts and producing a stunning 1250 PPF. The RSpec spectrum is designed to enhance flowering while still maintaining its ability to function as a great full spectrum light (Check out the BSpec for veg) This powerful grow light can flower a 5’ x 5’ space with its efficient 3500K white light and 660 nm deep red. For vegging, the 600H RSpec can cover a massive 7’ x 7’ grow space.

Horticultural Lighting Group’s 600H Rspec DIY Kit utilizes Samsung and Osram LEDs and the Meanwell drivers. These high quality components are extremely efficient, delivering high output while consuming less power and generating less heat than most lights currently on the market. Costs go down, yields go up, you and your plants are both very happy. The HLG 600H kit is all round incredible value.

The Spectrum King LowPro Flower LED grow light has been designed by the LED grow light experts at Spectrum King with a spectrum specifically meant for plants in the grow and flowering phase. The total light output of this LED flowering grow light is divided over five bars, resulting in a very uniform light distribution over your cultivation area.

This Spectrum King LED grow light is marketed to professional indoor growers who want the latest technology and the best in LED grow lights for the flowering stage, but this versatile light is perfect for the discerning hobby grower or home gardener looking for the best yields and most prolific flowering for the buck.

The Aegis Series S2 by Grow-it-LED is a commercial-grade LED grow light that’s been designed to produce the perfect static spectrum for flowering plants (tomatoes, citrus, ornamental flowers, etc.) for standalone indoor commercial grows and home growers or supplemental lighting in greenhouses. The S2 is intended to replace 1000w HPS or Metal Halide lamps (depending on the spectrum and wattage). The S2 LED flowering grow light features active cooling for increased LED longevity and fixture output meaning you can expect an astonishing 100,000h from this fixture.

The Aegis S2’s LEDs are a blend of 30k and 50k Samsung 301H diodes and 660 Hyper Red Samsung 351H diodes. The engineers at Grow-It-LED have chosen Inventronics LED drivers for their incredible efficiency and product longevity. The S2 fixture comes standard with a dimming knob to vary the outputs from 450w to 600w. The S2’s spectrum can be controlled manually via a potentiometer dial or optionally from Casambi wireless spectrum control software for smartphones which can control each fixture individually and allows for DLI control and sunrise/sunset functions. Casambi can be used on Apple or Android devices.

The Apache Tech AT600 LED grow light is arguably the best LED grow light on the market today. Most notably, the AT600 delivers more PAR per watt to your plants than any other LED grow light and is such a high quality, dependable light, it’s used by NASA and Stanford University research labs.

The Apache Tech AT600 produces spectacular light output while using 80% less energy than HID and maintaining an amazingly low heat signature thanks to a think-finned by an aluminum heatsink. The fixture’s lenses direct light at 14 degrees or 50 degrees, depending on which option you choose, to concentrate PAR exactly where you need it to go. While this light is at the top of the price spectrum, typically you’ll see an ROI in less than two years.

G8LED spent years of research and development, constantly improving their products and the 600 Watt Full Bloom Plant LED Grow Light is a spectacular example of their amazing line of LED grow lights. The G8LED 600 Watt Full Bloom light has a simple, uncomplicated design that produces just the right amount of light while consuming a fraction of the power other grow lights devour.

The G8-600B Full Spectrum Bloom Only light is designed for the flowering phase of the plant’s growth cycle and provides coverage for 6-10 blooming plants. This light replaces 800-1000 watt high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulb, while only using 360 watts of power. The G8-600 is a full spectrum flowering light that provides intense coverage for 20 square feet of grow space and will save you 50% - 60% on your electrical consumption. The electrical savings can pay for the light within the first year of usage.

The Horticulture Lighting Group HLG 100 LED grow light is the next step up from the classic HLG 65. The HLG 100 is a full-spectrum white light available in 3000K which is best for flowering or 4000K which is best for veg. This versatile light can be used for a full cycle grow at 3000K for the best yields (we recommend the 4000K to focus on quality over yields). The HLG 100 uses 192 top-bin Samsung LM561C S6 diodes. The PAR efficacy of the unit is an impressive 2.3 μmol/J with a PPF output coming in at 235 umol/s.

This superior flowering LED grow light produces 15,000+ lumens with just 95 watts of power - equivalent to 220W T5 or 300W CFL output or a 200W metal halide. If you’re using this light for supplemental lighting, consider hanging this fixture at 18" to 36", but when used as a primary fixture, it can hang as low as 12" for the highest intensity. The HLG 100’s flower footprint is 3 - 4 sq ft, while the veg footprint is around 6 - 9 sq ft. Truly one of the best LED grow lights in the flowering category.

If you’re tired of changing out those T5 florescent bulbs, the full spectrum, bright white LED grow light Veg8 Pro from NextLight is just for you. The Veg8 boasts a 100,000 hour life rating and a 5 year full manufacturer’s warranty, so it’s a perfect replacement choice for any 8 tube T5. The Veg8 Pro will also save you money with half the power usage of a T5 bulb, minimal heat (lower cooling costs), and virtually no noise.

NextLight’s Veg8 Pro features the high-yield NextLight Full Spectrum, which offers the same benefits as sunlight, without the high heat and high energy requirements. This light covers a 2’ x 4’ veg footprint while drawing only 210 watts and the full spectrum is guaranteed to give you the best results, faster growth, tighter internodal spacing, and increased overall yield.

Spectrum King’s LowPro Veg easily made it into our list of the best LED lights for vegetative growth. The LowPro Veg provides excellent coverage and even light spread with as little as six inches of clearance over your plants up to three feet. Its low form factor makes it incredibly easy for growers who are vertical farming to veg plants on shelves with very low overhead.

For a higher level of control, the LowPro Veg has a manual dimmer option as well as a Remote Power System option for large, commercial scale operations to control important functions such as light schedule, levels, group sections together, etc… from one central, convenient panel.

The HLG 300L V2 BSpec LED Grow Light from Horticulture Lighting Group has a new and improved longer design for even more light coverage, making this another candidate for best LED grow light for vegetative growth. The 300L BSpec is excellent for vegging, but is not the best choice for flowering or the full grow cycle. For a companion flowering LED grow light, check out the HLG 300L V2 RSpec.

HLG’s 300L V2 BSpec features 2 high efficiency QB-288 V2 BSpec Quantum Boards with 544 highest bin Samsung LM301B LED’s and 32 Osram deep blue diodes for enhanced vegetative growth, making it one of the most efficient grow lights on the market. The HGL 300L flowering grow light consumes only 270 watts, but produces the same as a 600 watt MH system or LED lights that consume 400 to 450 watts. Enjoy lower energy cost, less heat and more output.

The HLG-600H Quantum Board V2 BSpec DIY Kit comes with everything you need to start getting bigger yields and better results out of your vegetative cycle. The 600H BSpec is designed with replacing any 1000 watt HID in mind. While using only 620 watts, this easy to assemble grow light kit produces an incredible 1540 PPF total output - 20% more light than the SE1000 watt while drawing 40% less power!

HLG’s 600H BSpec kit features 1088 highest bin Samsung LM301B LED’s and 64 deep blue diodes to make it one of the most efficient veg grow light kit on the market. HLG’s BSpec Spectrum is primarily for veg applications and has 3500k white diodes mixed with deep blue. Yet another serious vegging contender from the pros at Horticultural Lighting Group.

The Raging Kale Veg LED grow light from Scynce is the 1st light that can change like a chameleon into whatever you and your plants need. Scynce’s innovative team added spectrum tuning to the light, but their innovative technology allows you to go to 100% power, anywhere on the spectrum, and control the entire process plus much more through Scynce’s THEIA Wireless Control App.

Raging Kale’s are equipped with a cool white channel (6500K) and a warm white channel (2700K), each boasting 768 LEDs for a total of over 1,500. Use this fixture’s 250 watts of power however you want to meet your plants’ lighting needs. Keep your sunrises cool and your sunsets warm without any loss of power. This is one of Scynce’s best light’s for vegetative growth with patented optics that allow your plants to get light of equal intensity from every angle, like natural sunlight, for more density below the canopy with fewer hot spots, burned leaves, or bleaching.

California Lightworks’ SolarSystem series marks a groundbreaking move in horticultural lighting, offering a turn-key lighting solution for growers with any size garden or operation. The SolarSystem 550 Veg LED grow light has the same design as the full cycle SolarSystem 550, but with heavier blue LED concentration for increased vegetative growth. The required Solar System Controller lets you customize the grow light spectrum and intensity to your plants specific growth stage.

The Solar System 550 Veg’s controller allows you to customize lighting for specific plants and save the settings such as daily sunrise/sunset to season-specific light conditions including summer-like blue dominant lighting for increased vegetative growth or fall-like red dominant light for the flowering stage. The Solar System 550 Veg controller also includes grower-proven pre-set lighting programs.

The California Light Works Solar System 550 Veg will deliver exactly what your plants desire, no matter what stage of growth, for healthier plants with larger and better quality results.

Optic LED offers some of the highest quality and most powerful COB LED grow lights on the market today and the Optic 1 XL COB LED Grow Light is one of the best COB lights we’ve found. The Optic 1 XL features a single CREE XLamp – a spectacularly efficient light delivering warm white light with a color temperature of 3500K. It is a full cycle light that works well for any stage of growth..

The Optic 1 XL COB LED features a passive heatsink that’s been overbuilt by 25% to help the light run cooler and extend the lifespan of the COB; a 100 watt Mean Well driver generating twice the output to produce yields of 200 g or up to 2 grams per watt; and innovative glass lens technology that focuses the photons right into the desired coverage area while providing unmatched canopy penetration for more developed flowers deep in your canopy and higher yields

The Amare SolarECLIPSE SE 500 COB LED grow light is an exceptional COB LED grow light from the first company to offer COB LEDs and enhanced white light spectrum back in 2014. The SolarECLIPSE SE 500 utilizes Amare’s Equatorial Spectrum, which contains increased red spectrum light and more light in the UV and IR ranges to produce uniform, natural white light that is as close to natural sunlight as you can get.

The SolarECLIPSE SE500 is one of the best COB LED grow lights for vegging a 4.5' x 4.5' or flowering a 4' x 4' area and will exceed the light saturation point of medical plants (1500umol/sec/m2 ) and natural noon sunlight (2000umol/sec/m2). This fixture also offers dual operating modes for grow and bloom and comes equipped with a UVB bulb that extends down the center of the light to be used to increase resin production in medical plants..

The Amare SolarECLIPSE 300 is the little brother of the incredible SE 500 – all the features you love scaled down for growers looking for a smaller footprint and slightly less power draw. Like the SolarEclipse SE 500, the SE 300 is an exceptional COB LED grow light utilizing Amare’s Equatorial Spectrum, with increased light in the red spectrum, UV, and IR ranges to produce Amare’s legendary uniform, natural white light that mimics natural sunlight at the equator..

The SolarECLIPSE SE300 is a top rated COB LED grow light ideal for vegging a 3.5' x 3.5' or flowering a 3' x 3' area – slightly smaller than the SE 500 but with all the yield potential top-bin CREE CXB3070/Citizen CLU-058 and CREE XP-C2/XPE2 supplemental diodes can bring to the party. Like the SE 500, the Amare SolarECLIPSE 300 is recommended for grow tents; full-cycle growing from seedling to flower; soil, hydroponic, aeroponic, or aquaponic systems.