The 10 Best Grow Lights, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

LBW LED Grow Light

$30 $22 at Amazon

Out of all the grow lights we tested, the LBW Grow Light stood out as the most versatile. Thanks to its full-spectrum lighting (380nm to 800nm) and adjustable tripod and gooseneck (adjustable arm), this grow light provides the right amount of light for various stages of plant growth, from seedlings to larger plants.

We were so impressed after our original round of testing with basil, tomato, and spinach seeds, that we moved all of our houseplants–basil, spider, ivy, and other standard green non-flowering house plants and small clippings—under the light during the winter months in Iowa. Some of the plants had shown signs of slowing down for the winter, but moving them under the light allowed them to thrive again.

While you can’t adjust the red, blue, warm, white, and cold white chips individually, we found it easy to change the six brightness settings and set a timer for four-, eight-, or 12-hour intervals on the controller for the entire unit. The light also comes with hardware, so you can hang it from the ceiling if that works better for your needs. Also, note that this isn't a subtle grow light or particularly stylish, so it does stand out.

We've continued to use this light in our basement, mostly to give our houseplants extra lighting (and we've even lent it out to friends growing seedlings in the spring), so we haven't found it to be distracting at all. However, if you do want to put it away when not in use, the tripod is easy to fold and store, and the light doesn’t take up much room. If you find that you need even more lighting, this option is available with two lightheads and with a larger lighthead (or without the timer, for a few dollars less).

_{Dimensions: 8.7 x 4.9 inches (light), 15 to 48 inches (stand) | Bulb Type: LED | Wattage: Not listed}

Best Adjustable-Spectrum

Leoter Grow Light for Indoor Plants

$24 at Amazon

If you want to control the type of light at each stage of growth, the Leoter Grow Light is a great choice. We loved how simple this light was to set up, with no assembly required. We found it very easy to clip onto our bookshelf where we were starting our seedlings. The four lights were very easy to bend and adjust, which came in handy when we wanted to cover multiple plants or as our seedlings grew taller.

While this grow light is relatively simple in design—there are no smart features or touch controls—we found the remote on the wire very easy to understand and use. It has a timer for three-, nine-, and 12-hour intervals, and we found them to be very accurate. It also offers 10 different dimmer settings, so you can control the brightness in the room.

Unlike many lights on this list, you can choose between warm (white), red and blue, or red, blue, and warm light (380nm-800nm), depending on the growth stage of the plants. A combination of all three delivers the most positive growth results.

During six months of additional testing, including winter in Connecticut, all of our plants have continued to thrive, looking stronger and taller and producing new leaves compared to our non-grow light plants. We’ve rotated houseplants under the light and continued to grow the tomato seedlings. The clip and flexible arms make this easy, so we can easily move it around to accommodate different plants. 

We’ve continued to use the 12-hour timer feature for consistent light, and we love not having to remember to turn it on and off. The only thing we would change about this grow light is the timer, which we wish had the option to stay on a little longer.

_{Dimensions: 13.46 x 5.71 x 3.27 inches | Bulb Type: LED | Wattage: 80 watts}

Best for Seedlings

iGrowtek Grow Light

$57 at Amazon

Whether you are starting seedlings indoors for the first time or need a small option for your space, this grow light from iGrowtek will give your plants a good start. At 2 feet long, this grow light setup doesn’t take up much room and fits a larger seeding tray or a few plants. We used it in our basement, but you could fit it on a small table in any room, as long as you don’t mind a bright light.

We installed the light and stand in under five minutes, which included putting the light on the iron stand, adjusting the straps to get the light to the right height, and plugging it in.  It does come with instructions, but we found the fixture was intuitive enough to set up without them. 

Aside from the stand and adjustable cords, the light doesn’t come with any other features, like a timer or dimmer, so you will have to remember to turn it on and off (or purchase an external timer).

Remember that this setup is only for seedlings or very small plants. During our year of testing, we loved using it for seedlings, but once the plants got taller (the light can only be as high as 6 to 7 inches), we moved them to another grow light or brought them outside when the weather was warmer. However, we did find it easy to store when not in use.

_{Dimensions: ‎‎‎27.2 x 2.3 x 19.7 inches | Bulb Type: LED | Wattage: 10 watts}

Best Value

UEHICT Plant Grow Light with Metal Stand

$27 $26 at Amazon

Although we’ve tested and included several grow lights in this price range, the Uehict Plant Grow Light stands out as an excellent value. Not only was it effective in helping our basil seedlings thrive, but we also found it versatile and stylish. We think it’s a great pick for beginners and has advanced features that experienced grow light users will also appreciate.

We love that this grow light comes with a stand, but you can choose to just use the pole to stake it directly into your plant. We were testing small seedlings, so it made sense for us to use the stand and place it right next to the plant since our pot was shallow. Thanks to the adjustable, telescopic pole, we were able to lower it for small seedlings and then raise it when they grew. It also tilts so we could angle for the best coverage. 

The light is very easy to set up right out of the box. We just needed to use the instructions for the different light and timer settings located on the cord. The full-spectrum LED light is dimmable and features three light settings (warm white, red and blue, and red, white, and blue), plus three timer options (three, nine, or 12 hours). We didn’t find the light distracting at all and found it to be a welcoming nightlight.

We wish the instructions indicated which settings were best for different plants, which would be helpful for beginners. Also, we want to note that the first light we received stopped working after a few weeks into our test, but the company was very responsive. We received a new one promptly, and it has been working great for months since. 

_{Size: 3.93 x 3.93 x 7.1 inches | Type: LED | Wattage: Not listed}

Best Large Capacity

Mars Hydro TS series

$110 $88 at Amazon

We tested and loved an older version of the Mars Hydro LED Grow Light and were excited to test this newest model. We’ve found that both versions of this full-spectrum light are great for basements or other areas in your home dedicated to growing seedlings and plant care. 

We love that multiple fixtures (purchased separately) can be connected using the same control panel, also known as daisy chaining. This comes in handy if you have a large number of plants and space. It also is designed to work inside a grow tent, which gives you better control of the humidity levels, temperature, and lighting for your plants. 

We set up this newer version on a bookshelf in our apartment, confirming this isn’t an ideal grow light for smaller or common spaces (it provides 2.5 x 2.5 feet of lighting). However, it did effectively grow our seedlings during testing, and we loved that we could dim the light enough so it wasn’t too distracting.

We hooked it up under one of the shelves so it was high enough not to burn our seedlings, but it was much too low for most mature plants. We recommend hanging it up higher to accommodate plants as they grow. 

Wherever you decide to place it, it shouldn’t take up too much time. Hanging it up in our basement took less than 10 minutes. Although it has a control panel with dimmer settings, it doesn’t have a timer. However, you can use a smart plug or external timer, which we did when testing the older version in our basement.

_{Size: 14.2 x 13.2 x 1.4 inches | Type: LED | Wattage: 150 watts}

Best for Houseplants

AeroGarden Trio Grow Light

$80 at Amazon View on Aerogarden.com

If you want a stylish fixture that adds to your decor, we love the AeroGarden Trio Grow light. During our six months of testing, we found that it’s perfect for smaller houseplants or seedlings (we used it on seedlings, succulents, and other small plants) because it has three adjustable lamp heads (11 to 17 inches) and blends in perfectly on a bookshelf or table.

It also offers different lighting settings—full-spectrum, white, warm, and cool—that you can choose depending on the plant stage. 

We think this is a great grow light for beginners because it took less than three minutes to set up and is easy to use. The timer is automatically set to 10 hours.  Just tap the light to change the lighting modes or to turn it off and on. 

For more setting options, we downloaded the app to our phone (although it’s not necessary for basic use). There, we could program the light to fade in and out at sunrise and sunset, adjust the timer, and more. And unlike other options on this list, it has a longer timer setting (up to 24 hours), so you can program it for longer cycles if needed. We found the app to be hard to use at first, but once we selected our grow light type, we had no trouble using it. 

It does require a little bit of work to make sure the lights hit your plants at the right angle without toppling over, but we found that this just takes a few minutes to adjust. We like how wide a radius of light it produces for such a small grow light, making it good for small spaces but also able to cover a lot of plants at once. But keep in mind that this grow light is designed for plants less than 12 inches tall, so you will need another option for larger plants.

_{Dimensions: 17 x 11 x 24 inches | Bulb Type: LED | Wattage: 5 watts}

Best for Large Plants

Glowruim Grow Lights for Indoor Plants with Stand

$60 $48 at Amazon

Adjustable to over 5 feet tall, the Glowrium Grow Light is a great option for taller houseplants or indoor trees. We loved this grow light’s slim design and could easily put it next to a plant in a corner of the room. Plus, it helped keep our lemon tree healthy during the winter months. 

We found that this grow light has many of the same features as our best overall pick—it has a sturdy stand, multiple light settings (including full spectrum), and a timer (3, 9, and 12 hours). The Glowrium is several inches taller, though, and looks more like a ring light than a traditional grow light. 

You can adjust the height of the stand and tilt the lamp head, making it useful for a variety of plants and locations. If you like the design but need an option for smaller plants (this one adjusts down to 32 inches tall), our best value pick is a good alternative. 

We found it easy to set up this grow light, but we would have liked more information on the different light settings. The instructions did include what each light setting was good for, but they weren’t labeled on the light switch. However, a lack of detailed instructions was a common complaint with many of the grow lights we tested.

_{Size: 10.8 x 10.8 x 62.9 inches | Type: LED | Wattage: 20 watts}

Best Hanging

Soltech Solutions Aspect Grow Light

$200 at Amazon View on Bloomscape.com View on Soltech.com

Hanging grow lights allow you to save space while providing light for a larger number of plants. But they can be tricky and time-consuming to install, and sometimes, they don’t blend in well with your decor. While testing the Soltech Aspect Grow Light, we found it to be a great hanging option because it’s easy to install and looks like a regular light fixture (including the braided cable), so it blends in even in small spaces (we're using it in a bedroom in New York). It's also easy to adjust as your plants grow.

After over a year of testing, this grow light has made our houseplants flourish, with new branches or blooming flowers. Our plants under the grow light continue to do much better than those receiving only natural light by the window. We love that it provides ample lighting for many of our plants at once. We even brought our Meyer lemon tree in during the winter months, and it's fruiting and doing well.

We originally tested the smaller version of this light—5.8 x 3.8 inches with 2,000 lumens, 20 watts—and were impressed by its performance and the amount of natural-looking light it emitted. We also tested the larger version—7 x 4 inches with 4,000 lumens, 40 watts—and were just as impressed. Both are extremely powerful and provide a nice amount of natural-looking light. 

Whether you choose the small or large version, each grow light includes a 15-foot fabric cord, three ceiling hooks, two wall fairleads (Soltech’s cable management accessory), and a swag hook. The cable and fairleads allow you to move the lamp closer or farther away from your plants, depending on the type and growth stage.

Installing the larger light took us only 10 minutes. However, depending on your experience hanging fixtures and where you are installing it, it may take longer. The light comes with clear instructions, clearly labeled hardware, and instructions on which drill bit to use depending on the surface, which we found helped speed along the process.

Like any other grow light, and especially for any requiring installation, make sure you hang it in an area where you won’t find it distracting. The light doesn’t have any dimming capabilities, and while it provides a nice, effective growing light, it is very bright (although the smaller version is less bright).

It does come with an analog timer (although we swapped that out for a smart plug), which provides light for 12 hours per day. Other than that, it has no other features; you simply plug it in.

_{Size: 4 x 4 x 7 inches | Type: LED | Wattage: 40 watts}

Best Light Bulb

GE LED Grow Light Bulb

$24 at Amazon $17 at Walmart $16 at Lowes

For a versatile and affordable option you can easily install into most standard-sized lamps, we love the GE Grow Light LED Indoor Flood Light Bulb. We’ve tested this bulb several times, including during our most recent at-home grow light test, and think it’s a great option for beginners and more experienced indoor gardeners alike. 

At 120 volts, it conveniently fits into most standard lamps, which means you don’t have to go out and buy any additional accessories or equipment, and it should blend in pretty well with your other decor.

We originally installed it in a desk lamp that we clamped onto a bookshelf (and could easily adjust to the right distance to the plants), but during our most recent test, we placed it on a flood light socket that we connected to one of our existing grow light stands, so you can place it wherever it meets the needs of your plants.  

This light offers an advanced red spectrum, ideal for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, fruit trees, and flowers. While assembly is as simple as screwing in a lightbulb, the package did come with helpful height recommendations and illustrations for high-light plants (they listed tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers), as well as low-light plants (leafy greens and herbs). It also recommends using the light 18 hours a day. This bulb does not come with a timer, but we were able to use one of our own. 

We also think it's a great option for an outdoor plant you want to bring indoors during the winter months. When we brought a coleus indoors to overwinter, it did quite well. We also grew cilantro and a cucumber seedling.

Unlike many other grow lights on this list, you will need to replace the bulb in a few months (depending on how often it is used). However, you can buy it in packs of two, so you'll always have a replacement handy. Also, this light is similar to a flood light, so it can be bright but can be pretty lightweight to move (depending on the lamp).

We did notice humming from the lightbulb (when on) during our testing, which only got more distracting as time went on. So we recommend placing this lightbulb in an area where the noise isn't disturbing. However, for a simple way to provide supplemental lighting to one plant or a few small plants, this continues to be a great choice.

_{Dimensions: 4.06 x 5.94 inches | Type: LED | Wattage: 9 watts}

Best Mounted

Soltech Solutions LED Grow Light

$130 at Amazon View on Soltech.com

Another space-saving solution we love is the Soltech Solutions Grove LED Grow Light. This versatile grow light has many "hidden" features to help you provide the right amount of light for your seedlings or houseplants while taking up very little space—you can even mount it under an overhead kitchen cabinet.

We found it surprisingly lightweight, and it takes just a few minutes to install on a shelf or wall (or you could place it right onto a shelf). We chose to stick it onto our wall, but it also comes with hardware, so you can screw it onto the wall for a more permanent placement.

The lighting is bright, but you can change the settings by tapping on the bulb. Placing it under a shelf will also help keep the lighting from spilling into the room. You can also rotate the bulb to direct the lighting towards your plants. 

We found the timer to be a bit tricky to set up, but it does come with clear instructions (we misplaced them for a bit, but once we found them, they were easy to understand). You do need to set up the timer at the time you want the lighting to start, but you can then program the amount of light you want in 24 hours. If you’d rather just turn it on and off when you want it, you can just tap the bulb, or use the "outlet on" switch on the timer.

We do want to note a few hiccups we had during the installation. Make sure the wall or shelf is smooth, since it may not strongly stick to textured surfaces. We installed it on a slightly textured wall, and it did have a hard time staying put (and did take a little paint down in the process). This proved to be an impromptu durability test, since it fell onto the floor a few times and still worked perfectly with no scratches. Once we installed removable Command Strips, we never had any other issues. 

This isn’t an ideal option if you know you will need to move your lighting as the plants grow (unless you don’t install it on the wall), but it’s great for small houseplants or seedlings that you know you will move outside once they grow taller. After six months of use, we noticed new growth in houseplants that had struggled in the past, and our seedlings continued to thrive.

_{Dimensions: ‎‎18 x 1 inches | Bulb Type: LED | Wattage: Not listed}