8 LED manufacturers to illuminate your new or existing grow

Added on 28 April 2023

LED grow light basics

LED lights come in three distinct types: standard, chip-on-board (COB), and spread.

Standard LEDs are made using dozens or even hundreds of small, low-wattage LEDs in a single fixture. These lights are often referred to as “purple LEDs” due to their mix of red and blue lights. Standard or purple LEDs were among the first of this technology to be applied to indoor growing, but improvements have been made with COB and spread-style lights for better light output, efficiency, and control. As an older technology, these lights often are available from international manufacturers with a lower starting price, allowing budget-conscious growers to get in on the trend.

COB LEDs include hundreds of tiny LED lights installed on a single chip in direct contact with a substrate to produce LED arrays. COBs typically come in multi-chip packages, greatly increasing the lumen output per square inch. When compared with a standard LED, COBs offer better light density through the use of multiple diodes, allowing them to produce intense white light similar to the natural output of the sun. Some COBs are comparable to HID light output but with far better efficiency. With fewer components than other types of LED lights, COBs have fewer areas to fail, which increases their reliability. However, COB lights do have a drawback in their fixed spectrum, typically formulated by a custom blend of phosphor used to coat the lights.