Finding the right HID grow lights for your plants is one of the most important parts of maintaining any grow room.
When you’re growing plants in an indoor grow tent or grow room, your plants aren’t getting any of the light that they would typically get from the sun if they were growing outdoors. Instead, the plants in your grow room rely on the light that comes from the grow lamps you provide for them.
To ensure you’re giving them the right amount of light, you’ll want to find an HID grow light with the proper wattage. There’s more to grow lights than wattage, though — determining the best wattage for your grow room involves considering a few other factors, as well.
Table of Contents
- Grow Light Lumens
-
Grow Light Wattage
- Grow Light Footprint
- Grow Light Reflector Shape
- Best Wattages for Your Grow Room
- What’s the Best Wattage HID Grow Light for My Grow Room?
Below, we’ll cover everything you need to know to figure out what the best wattage HID grow light for your grow room is. We’ll provide you with all of the information you should keep a lookout for, and we’ll even leave you with a few grow light suggestions.
Grow Light Lumens
To determine what wattage HID grow light will work best in your grow room, you first need to look at how many lumens your plants will need to grow.
Lumens are the amount of light that a particular light source — such as a grow light — emits per second. Specifically, lumens measure the light that is perceivable by the human eye.
Basically, the more lumens a plant light emits, the brighter the light is. If a grow light has a low amount of lumens, it will be dimmer.
Are Lumens Important for Growing?
Knowing the specific amount of lumens your plants need is an essential part of choosing the right HID grow light for your grow room or indoor garden. This is because light is vital to a plant's growth.
Your plants will need to get enough light to go through photosynthesis and grow healthily so they can produce the best, largest harvests possible. On the other hand, if your plants receive too much light, it could overwhelm them and lead to problems like dead leaves, nutrient deficiencies, and light burn.
Part of the reason plant lights are such an important component of your indoor garden is that there’s no sun indoors to provide light. Your plants are relying on your grow lights to give them the right amount of lumens to thrive.
The right amount of lumens is unique to each plant, so it’s important to do research on exactly what your plants need when you’re choosing an HID grow light. Generally, flowering plants need a greater amount of lumens than those in the vegetative stage, though all plants are different, so it’s important to keep any differences in mind regarding the plants you’re growing.
- Necessary Lumens for Vegging Plants: Plants in the vegetative period will need about 2000 to 3000 lumens per square foot.
- Necessary Lumens for Flowering Plants: Plants in the flowering stage typically need the most light — anywhere from 5000 to 10000 lumens.
- Remember That All Plants Are Unique: Some flowering houseplants will be able to thrive with less lumens than others. African violets, for example, will need about 500 to 1200 lumens per square foot. Meanwhile, some orchids will need as little as 1000 to 1500 lumens. And succulents will require a minimum of 2000 lumens.
As you can see, lumen requirements for plants vary. That said, finding the perfect wattage for your grow room starts with finding a light with the right amount of lumens for your plants.
For more on lumens, see our guide to The Top 5 Grow Lights with Optimal Lumen Output.
Grow Light Wattage
Now that you know the important part is really all about knowing how many lumens your plants need, it’s time to get into what that means when it comes to wattage.
While lumens determine the amount of light a bulb gives off, wattage refers to the energy a grow light can offer in order to create that light.
Many first-time growers pay the most attention to wattage when selecting grow lights for their new grow room. While wattage is something you should keep in mind as it relates to lumen output and grow light intensity, what you should really consider is the amount of lumens an HID grow light offers.
What Wattage Is Best for Growing?
Generally, the higher the wattage, the higher the lumens, which equals more light. However, some grow bulbs can emit large amounts of light while still keeping energy usage down.
This is why you shouldn’t base the amount of light you think you’ll be getting from a particular HID grow light just on its wattage. You should always pay attention to lumens first to know exactly how much light a grow bulb will provide for your plants.
So, to answer the question about what wattage is best for growing:
- The best wattage grow light is the one that helps you get the lumens necessary for your plants to thrive.
- 400w, 600w, and 1000w grow light bulbs give off a certain amount of lumens necessary for your plants.
- Therefore, the best wattage (400w/600w/1000w) for your plants is the wattage that gives your plants the lumens they need.
Once you know how many lumens you need, you can find plant lights that match those lumen needs.
Grow Light Footprint
Lumens and wattage both play a vital role in the footprint of a grow light.
Your grow light’s footprint is the entire area the light covers. The more intense an HID grow light is, the stronger the footprint will be.
Why Is a Grow Light’s Footprint Important?
The size and intensity of a grow light’s footprint changes based on how far up the light is raised above the plants in your grow room. Raising a grow light to make its footprint less intense can be vital to the health of your plants — if they’re too close to a strong light, they could end up suffering from light burn.
There’s definitely such a thing as too much light! That’s why it’s important to know the intensity of your light, the amount of lumens your plants need, and how far up you need to raise your grow lights to make sure the plants are not overwhelmed.
Dimming lights via a dimmable ballast is another way to lower a light’s lumen output. This will help keep lumens at a comfortable number for your plants to ensure you don’t overwhelm or fry them.
Grow Light Reflector Shape
Another important factor to pay attention to is the reflector shape of the HID grow light you’re considering buying for your grow room. This will play a role in the spread and focus of your plant light and have an effect on the size and intensity of its footprint.
What Does a Grow Light Reflector Do?
A grow light reflector is a shield made out of reflective material (normally aluminum) that helps reflect and direct light down onto your plants.
There are many types of grow light reflectors out there. The most common types of reflectors are air-cooled hoods, non-air-cooled hoods, and adjustable wing-style reflectors.
- Hooded reflectors have a hooded shape to direct light. The air-cooled versions provide openings that allow you to connect a ventilation system to the reflector in order to keep temperatures down. Air-cooled hoods are a great option to consider as your plant lights and other grow room equipment can heat things up pretty quickly otherwise.
- Wing style reflectors have two adjustable wings that you can situate to help direct the light from your grow lamps wherever you need it to go in the grow room. Wing reflectors are also pretty good for keeping heat levels down.
Ultimately, whatever reflector your chosen HID grow light is equipped with will affect the intensity level of the light your plants are receiving. As such, you should definitely keep that in mind and do research to find the grow light reflector that works best for your situation.
Best Grow Lights for Your Grow Room
After you’ve considered everything above, you should have a good idea of what wattage HID grow light your plants will need. If you still need a little help choosing a plant light, here are some options for the best grow lights based on the size of your grow area.
400w HPS Grow Lights — Perfect for 2x4 and 3x3 Grow Areas
For growers working with mid-sized, 2x4ft or 3x3ft grow tents or grow rooms, 400w grow lights are the ideal option. This is because they offer a comfortable 55,000 lumens, which is the sweet spot for growing 1 to 2 plants.
If you’re looking for a 400w HID grow light, we recommend using one of the following.
Yield Lab 400w HPS+MH Wing Reflector Grow Light Kit — Best HPS Grow Light for Beginners
The Yield Lab 400W HPS+MH Wing Reflector Grow Light Kit is super easy to use with a simple design, making it perfect for beginner growers.
This plant light has everything you need to get growing: a 400w HPS grow bulb, 400w MH grow bulb, wing reflector, and digital dimmable ballast.
The extra large 20x20in wing reflector will come in handy to ensure your plants get full light coverage. This reflector is sure to give your plants all the light they need with maximum intensity, which will promote photosynthesis and growth.
The dimmable ballast allows you to reduce your grow light intensity by up to 50 percent to ensure you don’t overwhelm you plants. That means you won’t need to worry about exposing them to too much light and burning them.
HID Grow Light Specs
- Lumen Output: 55,000 lumens (400w HPS grow bulb); 36,000 lumens (400w MH grow bulb)
- Color Temperature: 2100k (HPS bulb); 5500k (MH bulb)
- Coverage: 1 to 2 plants
- Reflector: Wing
Our Price: $149.95 | Click Here to Buy This HID Grow Light
400w HPS+MH Cool Tube Reflector Digital Grow Light Kit — Best HPS Grow Light for Small Growing Spaces
The Yield Lab 400W HPS+MH Cool Tube Reflector Grow Light Kit will fill small growing spaces with a great amount of lumens to let plants thrive even in a limited area.
This HID grow light is complete with an HPS grow bulb, MH grow bulb, a 25in air-cooled reflector tube, and dimmable ballast.
The reflector tube allows you to direct powerful light onto your plants while keeping temperatures down. Together with the dimmable ballast, this HID grow light kit gives you complete control over the light’s lumen intensity.
HID Grow Light Specs
- Lumen Output: 55,000 lumens (HPS bulb); 36,000 lumens (MH bulb)
- Color Temperature: 2100k (HPS bulb); 5500k (MH bulb)
- Coverage: 1 to 2 plants
- Reflector: Cool tube
Our Price: $169.95 | Click Here to Buy This HID Grow Light
600w HPS Grow Lights — Great for 4x4 Areas
600w grow lights are the perfect option for 4x4ft grow tents and grow rooms. They offer 90,000 lumens, making them ideal for helping at least 2 to 3 flowering plants thrive.
Here are two 600w HID grow light options you might want to consider if you’re growing in a 4x4ft area.
Yield Lab 600w HPS+MH Air Cool Hood Reflector Digital Grow Light Kit — Best for Focused Light Intensity
If your plants need strong light intensity, the Yield Lab 600W HPS+MH Air Cool Hood Reflector Grow Light Kit is the HID grow light for you.
This plant light is complete with a 600w HPS bulb, 600w MH bulb, air-cooled hood, and dimmable ballast.
The air-cooled hood reflector included with this HID will help focus the powerful light from the grow bulb down onto your plants with even more intensity than the light initially gives off. As an added bonus, the reflector is designed to resist moisture, saving you from dealing with the problems that can arise in a humid grow room environment.
And of course, the dimmable ballast allows you to adjust light intensity and heat levels as needed. So if you need that strong light to be a bit less intense, you can adjust accordingly.
HID Grow Light Specs
- Lumen Output: 90,000 lumens (600w HPS grow bulb); 61,000 lumens (600w MH grow bulb)
- Color Temperature: 2100k (HPS bulb); 5500k (MH bulb)
- Coverage: 2 to 3 plants
- Reflector: Air-cooled hood
Our Price: $219.95 | Click Here to Buy This HID Grow Light
Yield Lab 600w HPS+MH Air Cool Tube Digital Dimming Grow Light Kit — Best for a Wide Spread of Light
Maybe you don’t need so much focused light in your grow room. If you’re looking for a wider spread of light intensity, the Yield Lab 600W HPS+MH Air Cool Tube Reflector Digital Grow Light Kit will get the job done.
You get everything you need right out of the box with this grow light kit: HPS bulb, MH bulb, air-cooled tube reflector, and ballast.
The air-cooled tube reflector will spread the HPS grow bulb’s 90,000 lumens further than ever thanks to its aluminum reflectivity of 90 percent. That way you can cover a little more area without sacrificing too many lumens, and your plants can get all the light they need to grow healthily.
Plus, for those periods when you need to adjust the lumen levels, this plant light kit features a lightweight dimmable ballast. It even has large heat sinks and a greater surface area for even more effective cooling. If you need an HPS grow light but don’t want to deal with overheating your grow room, this is a great option.
HID Grow Light Specs
- Lumen Output: 90,000 lumens (HPS bulb); 61,000 lumens (MH bulb)
- Color Temperature: 2100k (HPS bulb); 5500k (MH bulb)
- Coverage: 2 to 3 plants
- Reflector: Air-cooled tube
Our Price: $199.95 | Click Here to Buy This HID Grow Light
1000w HPS Grow Lights — Best for 5x5 Growing Areas
If you’re working with more plants in a larger grow room, you’ll want to go with a higher wattage. 1000w HPS grow lights are the best choice for 5x5ft grow tents and grow rooms because they pack a punch with 130,000 lumens of light. That’s enough to support 3 to 5 flowering plants per light.
Here are a few 1000w HID grow light options to consider for your grow room.
Yield Lab 1000w HPS+MH Cool Hood Reflector Grow Light Kit — Strongest HPS Grow Light
If you’re looking for the most intensity out of an HID grow light, the Yield Lab 1000W HPS+MH Cool Hood Reflector Grow Light Kit will give you exactly that.
With this HID grow light you’ll get: a 1000w HPS bulb, 1000w MH bulb, cool hood reflector, and dimmable ballast.
The reflector and grow light in this kit will provide a strict 5x5 footprint that’s as intense as it gets. That’s a lot of optimal lumens straight to your plants!
Of course, if you ever need to dial back the light, this HID also comes with a dimmable ballast to keep things under control and avoid overwhelming and frying your plants.
HID Grow Light Specs
- Lumen Output: 130,000 lumens (1000w HPS grow bulb); 110,000 lumens (1000w MH grow bulb)
- Color Temperature: 2100k (HPS bulb); 5500k (MH bulb)
- Coverage: 3 to 4 plants
- Reflector: Cool hood
Our Price: $239.95 | Click Here to Buy This HID Grow Light
Yield Lab 1000w HPS+MH Cool Tube Hood Reflector Digital Grow Light Kit — Best HPS Grow Light for Extra Coverage
HID grow lights great because of their versatility, especially at higher wattages. The Yield Lab 1000w HPS+MH Cool Tube Hood Reflector Grow Light Kit offers up intense light but disperses it for additional coverage.
Included in this 1000w HID grow light kit is an HPS bulb, MH bulb, cool tube hood reflector, and dimmable ballast.
This digital grow light kit uses virtually the same technology as the previous 1000w HID grow light listed above. The main difference is that this cool tube hood reflector increases your growing area by about 6 extra inches.
This plant light is perfect for covering the most area, offering a wider footprint that will only sacrifice a small amount of lumen intensity for more coverage. That means you could potentially add an extra plant in your grow room for maximum yields!
HID Grow Light Specs
- Lumen Output: 130,000 lumens (HPS bulb); 110,000 (MH bulb)
- Color Temperature: 2100k (HPS bulb); 5500k (MH bulb)
- Coverage: 3 to 5 plants
- Reflector: Cool tube hood
Our Price: $219.95 | Click Here to Buy This HID Grow Light
What’s the Best Wattage HID Grow Light for My Grow Room?
Ultimately, figuring out the best wattage HID grow light for your grow room comes down to looking at all the other factors that play into the light your plants are getting.
When selecting the best grow light for your plants and your growing goals, you’ll need to keep everything in mind from the grow light’s footprint, to its reflector, and especially the lumen output. These factors are absolutely pivotal to your plants’ growth, so it’s essential that you choose an HID grow light that will offer optimal results within your grow tent or grow room environment.
Finally, once you figure out the proper wattage for your grow room, any one of the lights we’ve listed above will be a great fit for your grow room and help your plants thrive.