The 5 Best LED Grow Lights for Plants in Canada in 2024

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The only downside of being a tropical plant addict and living in Canada is that we have to deal with the consequences of our dreadfully long and dark winter. As humans, we can thrive with a few doses of synthetic vitamin D per week, and your plants are no exception. However, instead of taking a vitamin, your plants require synthetic sunlight to thrive in those dark winter months.

The best way to replicate natural sunlight for your plants is through the use of a grow light. Luckily, grow lights for indoor plants are easy to buy in Canada. However, deciding which grow light you need for the optimal growth of your plant collection can be a bit daunting. 

Keep reading to learn more about grow lights for plants. We’ll also highlight the best LED grow lights you can buy for your plants in Canada.

Do You Really Need Grow Lights?

Light is a crucial factor when it comes to growing plants indoors. Since most indoor houseplants plants are from tropical or subtropical regions, they are really banking on that full year of sunshine for optimal growth. This is especially true for plants that flower or provide fruits or vegetables. If their sunlight requirements aren’t met on a regular basis, you will likely end up with a tomato plant that doesn’t produce tomatoes or an orchid that doesn’t bloom. 

Even on the sunniest days of summer, it’s likely that your indoor plants are not getting the sun exposure that they would otherwise get in their homeland. That’s mostly true for plants that are located too far from a window or are sitting by a north-facing window. Not to mention, a dusty window will have a huge impact on the amount of energy your plant is able to absorb from that diluted sunlight.

That said, grow lights are essential if you want your indoor plants to thrive all year round.

The 5 Best LED Grow Lights For Plants in Canada in 2024

We’ve analyzed and compiled a list of the top-selling indoor LED grow lights you can buy in Canada this year. Here they are:

Likesuns LED Portable Grow Lights

Each light’s flexible gooseneck can be rotated up to 360° to obtain the perfect angle for your plants. They have a reliable built-in timer with 3 timer settings and their brightness can easily be adjusted between 1 and 5.

A big bonus is their portability. Since they have the option to be powered by a USB-rechargeable battery, these lights do not need to be hooked up to a power source at all times. This means you can set them up anywhere without requiring a nearby power source. If needed, you also have the option to plug them into a power outlet.

Lxyoug Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights

The light fixture comes with both a remote and a built-in controller that lets you set a timer, switch between red or blue lighting (or a combination of both) and adjust the level of brightness. Each of the 4 bulbs can be turned on or off individually which is useful for indoor gardens with a mix of lighting requirements.

The light’s floor / tripod design is useful for indoor spaces where plants are on the floor. Since the tripod’s positioning is height-adjustable and each of the four light’s angles can also be adjusted, this light fixture can provide adequate lighting to floor plants and nearby shelved plants at the same time.

DOMMIA LED Grow Light Panels

Each light panel features 132 LED lights with a combination of red and white lights that mimic natural sunlight. At just 20 watts, these lights are an energy-efficient choice. Little heat is emitted from the lights, making them safe to use in most environments. They also boast a lifespan of over 50,000 hours. With proper care, you can continue using these grow lights for several years. 

The lights have a built-in timer that has a 24-hour cycle feature. This feature essentially simulates a natural daylight cycle without having to manually adjust the settings. This means you can leave for a vacation and rest-assured that your plants are still thriving. However, don’t forget to have someone water your plants while you’re gone! 

If you plan on building a mini indoor greenhouse, DOMMIA’s grow lights are an excellent choice.

Monios-L T5 Hanging Grow Light

With 60 watt bulbs, these lights do not heat up too much or require a noisy fan. The small amount of heat that does get produced by the lighting system gets dissipated by its aluminum frame. Since these lights don’t produce much heat, they’re a great choice for indoor growing in hot summer conditions, especially if you will be setting up multiple lights. Their lack of noise is also a huge benefit.

Despite their more advanced technology, these grow lights are fairly simple to set up and use. The package includes in-depth instructions on how to benefit from each setting based on what you’re growing. Once they’re installed, their brightness can easily be adjusted using a simple knob. It comes with a digital display that lets you easily keep track of temperature, humidity and timers. 

HYPHOTONFLUX HPF4000 LED Hanging Grow Light

For vegetable gardens, it can cover up to 6 square feet. The HYPHOTONFLUX  also claims a 150,000-hour bulb lifespan which is 3 times more than the typical LED light’s lifespan. The brightness can be conveniently controlled by an app. For large grow operations or greenhouses, multiple lights can be connected together and controlled simultaneously. The light fixture is completely waterproof thanks to a glue coating so you will not have to worry about damage caused by moisture over time or potential safety concerns.

It’s simple to operate but very powerful, despite not requiring a fan. This means you can reap the benefits of a professional-grade grow light without a noisy fan or additional cooling system needed. Its aluminum bars offer adequate heat dissipation in order to prevent heat damage to your plants. 

When not in use, the light fixture can be folded and stored safely and compactly.

What is The Best LED Grow Light Bulb?

Instead of buying a separate grow light fixture for plants, some people prefer to simply replace the bulb of their own lamp with an LED grow light bulb. This is a great idea, especially if space is limited in your home, since it doesn’t require adding a new lamp to your space. The only thing to take into consideration is the distance between the lamp’s light bulb and your plants. 

The best LED grow light bulb will depend on your particular setup, but an excellent all-around LED grow light bulb is the A19 LED Grow Light Bulb by Briignite. It’s a full spectrum grow light that gives off what appears to be standard white light, but actually has a red and blue light spectrum. It also boasts a 50,000-hour lifespan, which is equivalent to almost 6 years of nonstop usage. For best results, the A19 grow light bulb should be positioned between 6 and 9 inches from the plants, depending on their light requirements.

What Are The Best Types of Bulbs For Grow Lights?

When shopping for indoor grow lights, you will likely come across a few different types of light bulbs. While the most common household grow light is LED, commercial grade grow lights are often made from high pressure sodium (HPS) light bulbs. Keep reading to learn about the different types of light bulbs for grow lights to choose from.

LED Grow Lights

Due to their energy efficiency and lower long-term maintenance costs, high-output LED lights are growing in popularity. While you might pay more initially, the long-term savings are worth the investment. Similar to fluorescent bulbs, LED bulbs also produce little to no heat, so you don’t have to worry about heat damage. Another huge advantage to LED lights is that they’re economical in the long-term and environmentally friendly at the same time.

Since LED bulbs use significantly less electricity than traditional bulbs, they’re a great cost-saving option if your indoor plant setup requires multiple lights. They also have a longer lifespan than fluorescent or sodium lighting solutions, so you won’t have to replace your bulbs as often.

Fluorescent Grow Lights

Fluorescent grow lights are another affordable option for grow lights. They are also safer alternatives to incandescent bulbs as they produce little to no heat. The only downside is that they tend to be not as powerful, so you can’t rely on fluorescent bulbs to produce flowering. Despite that, they are a good option for seed germination or for tropical plants that don’t flower.

Incandescent Grow Lights

Incandescent grow lights are another popular option since they’re the most affordable type of grow lights for indoor plants. The main problem with these types of bulbs is that they produce heat which can burn your plants leaves if not correctly set up. When using grow lights with incandescent bulbs, be sure to keep them at least a few feet away from the leaves of your plants to prevent irreversible heat damage.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) Grow Lights

HPS grow lights are commonly used in professional greenhouse environments due to their high wattage. Since they’re generally created for commercial use, sodium lamps will cost you more than household grow lights. Another detail to consider is that the wattage of HPS bulbs ranges from 100 w to well over 1000w.

For that reason, these types of grow lights are not suitable for home environments and can actually be detrimental to your plants if not set up correctly. Just so you understand, a 1000 watt bulb can produce the amount of heat comparable to a heater of the same wattage. That is why the light would need to be placed several feet away from your plants.

You would also require some form of cooling system to avoid overheating your home, especially if you have multiple HPS lights set up. Generally speaking, a 1000-watt lighting system should only be used if you plan on lighting at least 25 square feet of plants.

How To Choose The Best LED Grow Lights For Plants

Nowadays, there are so many different types of grow lights to choose from. Some are hanging, some are attachable, some are LED, others are fluorescent. You might think you’ve found the best deal on a grow light, only to find out later that the grow light you’re about to buy is only 45 watts. Is 45 watts strong enough to keep my collection of cacti happy throughout the winter? Maybe, but maybe not.

Here are some specs to lookout for when shopping for LED grow lights for plants.

Lumens

Lumens will indicate the amount of light emitted by the bulb. The higher the lumens value, the brighter the light will be. Since LED lights are much lower in wattage, it’s important to look at their lumens value to assess their level of brightness.

If lumens are confusing to understand, consider using a calculator to convert lumens to watts.

Power Wattage

An LED light bulb’s wattage will indicate the amount of power it consumes. Due to the prevalence of energy-efficient LED grow lights, higher power wattage does not necessarily mean a brighter light. Nonetheless, power wattage will help you assess the long-term cost of operating your grow lights. This is critical if you’ll be purchasing multiple lights for your indoor garden. 

If you’re not shopping for energy-efficient grow lights, you only need between 10 and 45 watts per square foot of indoor growing space. So if your plant collection is small, opt for a grow light with a lower wattage. Take note that different plants require different intensities of light.

For that reason, you might want to consider separating your low-light plants from your succulents. Low-light plants can thrive with as little as 10-watts of light per square foot of indoor growing space while succulents require at least 30 watts to thrive. 

Energy Efficiency

This is another critical detail if you plan on purchasing multiple lights and don’t want to rank up your power bill. When it comes to indoor growing environments, LED grow lights are the best energy-efficient option. Bulbs with higher wattage will typically require more energy.

Types of Light Waves

Full, natural sunlight provides outdoor plants with a mix of both red and blue light. For that reason, it’s important to look into the color spectrum of the LED grow lights you choose to buy.

Red light waves are essential if you’re hoping for your plants to produce flowers or fruits. Red lights are also ideal for seed germination. On the other hand, blue light waves are excellent for ensuring that your plants grow healthy stems and leaves. Pale leaves could be a sign of a blue light deficiency.

Light Fixture Design

There are many different types of design for indoor LED grow lights. The most popular designs either clamp onto furniture or hang from the ceiling. Freestanding or countertop grow lights are also quite popular for home grow light systems since they are very easy to install. If you can handle some additional setup time, stackable lights are another great option.

Grow Light FAQs