The 12 Best Grow Lights of 2023

Jun 07, 2023

Help your plants flourish without natural sunlight.

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Real Simple / Brian Kopinski

If you dream of lush indoor plants but are limited by natural sunlight, opt for a grow light to achieve healthy, flourishing greenery. From germinating seeds to propagating cuttings, a grow light can nurture plants year-round—even from a dark or dimly lit space.

“It is better to pick LED grow lights because standard LED lights only provide the illumination that people need to see, but may not provide the light plants use,” says Nancy Trautz-Awot, a horticultural specialist at Burpee Gardening. "Grow lights provide a wide spectrum of blue and red light which is the light plants need to thrive.”

To find the best grow lights, we compared dozens of options while considering type, color temperature, wattage, size, and power. We also spoke to Trautz-Awot for her expert insight on finding the best grow light for your plant collection.

Amazon

It fits most light fixtures and can blend in with your existing decor.

It has a light pinkish hue, which may not be for everyone.

This grow light from GE Lighting is a simple solution for those who don’t have enough natural sun to grow high-light plants like fiddleleafs and monsteras. You can pop this bulb into your existing fixtures for a seamless lighting system that allows your greenery to flourish. Plus, it can double as a regular light bulb for lamps in your home. Though this is one of our favorite features, keep in mind that the bulb emits a slight pinkish hue that might not suit every space or decor style.

With a PPF output of 15 micromoles per second (aka the amount of light emitted), this bulb provides the maximum light needed for houseplants and is also suitable for low-light houseplants. It has an advanced red spectrum light for seedlings, herbs, and blossoming vegetables, but the brand also offers a balanced spectrum light option with a mix of red and blue light. Overall, if you want an effective grow light that conserves energy—this pick is our top choice.

Price at time of publish: $56 for 4

Type: LED bulb | Wattage: 9 watts | Size: BR30

Amazon

This hanging grow light offers ample light coverage for indoor plants.

A longer cable may make it more convenient.

If you want a grow light that gives you the most bang for your buck, opt for the Dymond BoostGro LED Grow Light. This full-spectrum light bathes your plants in a yellow and green light, which is the closest equivalent to natural sunlight. It also has red lamp beads for seed germination and fruit and flower growth.

The all-in-one light fixture is easy to set up: It has built-in hooks at both ends and hanging cables to attach to a frame or install directly on your ceiling. It also comes in 2-, 3-, and 4-foot options. Each light has a 30,000-hour lifespan and comes with a one-year limited warranty. The cable is only 5 feet long, so be sure you have an outlet nearby to connect to.

While effective, the hanging grow light probably won’t blend in with your home decor (though we have other options for that below). But if you need a practical and lightweight grow light for sprouting seeds, micro greens, and flowers in a basement or spare room, this is a great pick.

Price at time of publish: $20

Type: Hanging LED | Wattage: 16 watts | Size: 2-foot, 3-foot, 4-foot hanging options

Amazon

A self-timer allows you to set how much light you want your seedlings to receive each day.

There is no dimmer to control light intensity.

If you dream of having an herb garden in your home, an LED light is one of the best ways to grow without relying on finicky or inconsistent natural light. The GrowLED Grow Lights come with full-spectrum, height-adjustable 20W lights that you can modify to suit your growing herbs. It can accommodate stems up to 1.5 feet tall. Plus, a convenient self-timer function allows you to turn the light on and off in 8, 12, 16, or 24 hours.

The GrowLED includes a tray big enough for eight plant pots up to 4 inches in diameter. It can also hold similarly-sized seed starters (as long as they are not too big). While it’s not a smart grow light, it does come with a smart plug for scheduling the lights. Unfortunately, there is no dimmer, so you may want to install a dimmer switch to cut down energy costs.

Price at time of publish: $73

Type: Tabletop LED | Wattage: 20 watts | Size: 18.3 x 7.6 x 18.7 inches

Amazon

This grow light provides full-spectrum light and offers heat for growing plants.

The industrial design might not suit your style.

For anyone who wants to upgrade their indoor vegetable garden, we recommend the Spider Farmer SF1000. This full-spectrum grow light has white, blue, red, and white wavelengths plus infrared light to provide heat radiation and speed up plant growth. The color temperature of this light ranges from 3000K to 5000K, so it is suitable for growing plants from seeds to harvest.

The grow light has an impressive brightness that you can adjust with the dimmer knob located at the top. It also can be connected to other lights, which you can control from its panel. The light diodes on these panels are arranged in clusters to spread the light evenly across the surface and boost plant production. Though this grow light is pricier than average, its high quality makes it worth considering.

Price at time of publish: $190

Type: Hanging LED | Wattage: 100 watts | Size: 10.5 x 11.8 x 2.3 inches

Amazon

It has wide light coverage suitable for newly planted seeds.

It does not come with a remote or dimmer.

Whether seed starting in trays or pots, a full-spectrum grow light like the iGrowTek Grow Light is the best option for steady growth. This pick consists of five LED lights that hang securely from a slender iron frame, which can cover most standard-sized seedling trays and small pots. The frame comes in 2-foot or 4-foot stand options and has a button on the top to adjust the height as seedlings grow. It has 660 nanometers of red light to mimic bright sunlight on your budding plants.

When it comes to size, the grow light is compact enough to fit on a table or wide windowsill. Though we appreciate how easy it is to set up and use, we wish it came with a remote to turn it on and off and a dimmer so we could control the light.

Price at time of publish: $57

Type: Hanging LED | Wattage: 10 watts | Size: ‎27.2 x 2.3 x 19.7 inches

Bloomscape

This overhead LED light is long-lasting and well-designed.

Adjusting the height is a bit of a hassle.

Most of our picks are ideal for small- to medium-sized plants, but for large greenery like birds of paradise or towering umbrella plants, you need something more powerful. This LED pick is designed as an overhead lamp that you can hang from the ceiling to keep your plants growing and healthy.

It comes in 40W and 20W options with a color temperature of 3000K, which provides a warm white light that encourages growth, flowers, and fruit. Due to its size, we think large and small plant collections will thrive if placed directly under its light. It also has a 90,000-hour lifespan and is made to last about 15 years—the highest lifespan of any grow light on this list. We like that this light is programmable and has a timer you can schedule. And while it’s pretty pricey for a grow light, it includes a five-year warranty and a 90-day return guarantee.

Price at time of publish: $200

Type: Overhead LED | Wattage: 20 watts, 40 watts | Size: 6.5 x 4 inches

Amazon

This convenient option is portable and compact.

You can’t attach a smart plug to it, so scheduling options are limited.

If you want a grow light that doubles as a desk lamp, there is no better option than a clip-on light. With the GoongTop LED Grow Lights, your desktop plants can get the light they need to flourish and give your space a pop of greenery.

The extra-long gooseneck can turn 360 degrees, so your plants get light from all angles. It’s also a full-spectrum, 6000K white light, which is equivalent to blasting your plant with intense midday sun. Plus, it comes with a red spectrum light for optimal growth. The included remote can control the lights from a distance, and the self-timer can power the lights off at four, eight, or 12-hour intervals.

As long as you don’t mind screwing it on your desk, we think this is one of the better options for a singular plant or small plant collection. However, it is not compatible with a smart plug, so you won’t be able to get full automation.

Price at time of publish: From $35

Type: Clip-on LED | Wattage: 50 watts, 100 watts | Size: ‎22 x 14 x 7.9 inches

Amazon

Along with being practical, it’s super stylish.

It’s quite heavy, so exercise caution when hanging it.

Get a grow light—but make it a statement piece. The Smart Standard Growframe is like a picture frame for your plants and makes an elegant addition to your walls or set on a tabletop. It’s a full-spectrum, dimmable 4000K natural white light, so both low-light and high-light plants can benefit from it. The frames aren’t that large, so it’s best to use them with smaller plants like aloes, hoyas, vining plants, flowers, and herbs.

We love that the grow light connects to a smart app that controls the lights and offers pairing recommendations for plants based on their sunlight requirements. Along with its 25,000-hour lifespan, it comes with a three-year warranty. Our only complaint is that at 8 pounds, it is fairly heavy, which may be an issue if you want to mount it on your wall. It comes in four colors: white, black, emerald, and turmeric.

Price at time of publish: $219

Type: Frame LED | Wattage: Not listed | Size: 20.8 x 17 x 5.5 inches

Amazon

This smart grow light has bonus features like vacation mode and sunrise/sunset.

This is the most expensive grow light on our list.

The AeroGarden Bounty Elite’s features are so advanced that your typical growing woes will fade into a thing of the past. This indoor garden system allows you to grow up to nine different herbs and vegetables simultaneously. We also like that it has a hydroponic kit and seed pods to use with water.

And, since it is a smart pick, the AeroGarden comes with bells and whistles like an automatic timer and a tracker that monitors your plants' health, which alerts you to water or add more fertilizer. The handy vacation mode uses less water, while a sunrise/sunset feature gradually turns the lights on in the morning and dims them in the evening to mimic the sun’s patterns. It's compatible with Amazon Alexa, too. Our only issue is the cost, which is above all the other picks on our list—but it's way more than just a grow light for plants.

Price at time of publish: $430

Type: Smart LED | Wattage: 50 watts | Size: 16 x 6 x 8 inches

Amazon

This light is suitable for plant arrangements up to 5 feet tall.

The arms could be a little longer for more light reach.

Instead of a clip-on or overhead light, the Lxyoug grow light uses a tripod and 10 brightness settings to provide supplemental light for your indoor greenery. The tripod is adjustable from 15 to 60 inches and can be used for large and small plants up to 5 feet tall (side note: this is the perfect pick to complement plant stands). It features four pods that have various light settings, from a 3000K warm white light to a red and blue light that encourages plant growth and germination.

This pick also comes with a remote control and automatic timer so you can set it and forget it. Although this was one of our top picks for its full-spectrum light range, we wish the arms were a tad longer for more light coverage.

Price at time of publish: $27

Type: Tripod LED | Wattage: Not listed | Size: 15–60 inches

Amazon

You can adjust the height to accommodate growing plants.

It’s only available in one color.

If you want to get a jump start on the next growing season, the LED SunLite Compact Tabletop Garden is worth a mention. For starters, these grow lights have two full-spectrum LED light tubes to nourish plants of all types and sizes. They are also packed inside a sturdy and sleek metal frame, making them compact and stylish while on display. Plus, there are chains hanging from the top that you can adjust relative to the plants in your garden.

These lights are ideal for sprouting seed trays and providing direct light for house plants or flowers to thrive. In addition to the light metal frame, it also has a bottom tray that collects excess water. The color temperature is 6500K, which is similar to bright daylight conditions. The only downside is that it only comes in black, which might not match every decor style.

Price at time of publish: $229

Type: Tabletop LED | Wattage: 20 watts | Size: 25.5 x 15.25 x 21.75 inches

Amazon

This commercial-grade pick has had impressive power.

It uses more energy than other grow light options.

The Hydrofarm AgroBrite T5 is a commercial grow light suitable for greenhouses or large amounts of produce in your garage or basement. At 96 watts and with an impressive temperature range of 6400K, it is perfect for growing fruits and veggies like peppers, greens, and tomatoes.

These lights come in seven sizes, ranging from two to 12 light tubes. You can also choose between 2 feet and 4 feet to suit your plant-growing needs. To get the most light coverage for your plants, string the light up from your ceiling vertically, horizontally, or directly overhead. Unfortunately, you can’t control the brightness because it doesn't have a dimmer switch. And keep in mind that because it’s fluorescent, you won’t get the energy-saving benefits of LED lights.

Price at time of publish: $164

Type: Hanging fluorescent | Wattage: 96 watts | Size: 2-feet, 4-feet

Our top pick is the GE Lighting Grow Light for its convenient bulb design that you can install in an existing light fixture in your home. If you want an affordable hanging grow light for seed trays and plants, the Dymond BoostGro LED is our go-to. These lights have a 30,000-hour lifespan, so you are guaranteed bang for your buck.

Bulbs, tabletop lights, clip-on lights, and hanging lights are some of the most common grow lights to level up your plant collection. If you have many plants, opt for a light fixture (i.e. hanging lights) that provides a lot of light, recommends Nancy Trautz-Awot, a horticultural specialist at Burpee Gardening.

For those with small spaces and plant shelves, "clip-on lights can be attached almost anywhere and perfectly positioned over your plants,” she says.

Meanwhile, “bulbs are ideal for a small number of plants, they can be put into almost any lamp or fixture,” says Trautz-Awot. Bulbs typically come in either LED or fluorescent types, both full-spectrum lights. Full-spectrum lights contain the red or blue lights essential to healthy and steady plant growth.

If you have a medium to small collection of plants, opt for a tabletop light. They are ideal for seed starting—“tabletop lights are great for a small to medium collection of plants," says Trautz-Awot. "They’re also a great option for seed starting.”

The other common type of grow light is HID (high-intensity discharge) lights, which are more commercial, though home gardeners can use them too. These lights give off heat, burn more energy than LED lights, and are ideal for plants, fruits, and vegetables that require a lot of light.

For seedlings and plants to thrive, you need a grow light with the correct color temperature. According to Trautz-Awot, this is usually between 2,700–7,000 Kelvin, similar to natural sunlight. If the color temperature is too high, it may cause photosynthesis to decrease and can cause damage to the plant. And if too low, plant growth slows down, and it might not produce smaller amounts of fruits or blossoms.

The power your plants need depends on external factors like the plant type, how big or dense they are, and their individual light requirements. Most experts recommend 40 watts per square foot for optimal growth.

You also might see grow lights with the term PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) on the label—this term refers to the amount of light given off by grow lights. Most plants thrive between 200–900 PPFD, depending on their stage of maturity.

Depending on the type of plants you have, certain grow lights are better suited for flourishing, healthy greenery. For instance, fluorescent lights are ideal for low-light plants like lettuce, snake plants, and peace lily plants. LED lights are suitable for all plant types but especially flowers and vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, or orchids due to the presence of blue and red spectrum light. HID lights are best for herbs, fruits, or flowering plants.

While standard LED lights can grow indoor plants, they typically don't offer enough light output or power to help your greenery flower and flourish. Grow lights use powerful, full-spectrum lighting with warm red and blue light, which your plants need for photosynthesis and flower and fruit production.

“I recommend placing the grow light above the plant to prevent it from growing sideways,” says Trautz-Awot. “If you can’t place the light directly above, be sure to rotate the position of your plant in front of the light to ensure even growth. Also, you should leave your grow light on for 16 hours a day and off for eight hours.”

“Without enough sunlight, your plants will struggle and could even fail to grow,” says Trautz-Awot. “If your plants are receiving enough sunlight throughout the day, a grow light may not be necessary. However, a grow light is certainly worth it if your plants are not receiving enough sunlight, as they can supplement, and even fully replace, sunlight for your plants depending on the strength of the light.”

This article was written by Nor’adila Hepburn, a contributing writer for Real Simple. To compile this list, we researched top grow light options and assessed them on type, color temperature, power, and compatible plant types. We also spoke with Nancy Trautz-Awot, a horticultural specialist at Burpee Gardening, for her expert insight on finding the right grow light for flourishing plants.