Apollo Horticulture GL60LED Full Spectrum 180W LED Grow Light for Plant Growing
Apollo Horticulture is a well-known brand that has been leading the indoor lighting market in innovative technological advances since 2011. Popular with hydroponic grow systems due to their many other products offered, the company has recognized the needs of dependable, and affordable, lighting systems for both hobbyist growers to more large-scale operations- and everything in between.
Whether you are considering starting out your seedlings prior to spring planting, or are a serious cultivator of production crops, you most likely already know the important role light plays for the growth of your plants. Apollo Horticulture is a business that specializes in products that support environmentally sustainable horticulture, no matter whether you are a backyard enthusiast, or a major farm producer. Some of their most popular products include their LED lighting choices, which includes the Apollo Horticulture GL60LED Grow Light which applies innovative technology to provide you with a powerful, yet compact light to use in small grow set-ups. In researching this particular product, we found it to be something worth taking a closer look at. Our personal Apollo LED grow light review can be found below.
WHAT IS THE APOLLO HORTICULTURE GL60LED 180 WATT GROW LIGHT?
Apollo Horticulture is a well-known brand that has been leading the indoor lighting market in innovative technological advances since 2011. Popular with hydroponic grow systems due to their many other products offered, the company has recognized the needs of dependable, and affordable, lighting systems for both hobbyist growers to more large-scale operations- and everything in between.
The GL60LED 180w Grow Light is a system specific to more compact grows to use in smaller spaces, or for simple seasonal applications within the home. It is the perfect light to help get seedlings started, or to help supply fresh herbs and produce to your kitchen through the winter months. Also popular with closet or tent set-ups, this is a decent choice for enclosed spaces due to how cool it runs. Plants need a few specific things to keep them growing and healthy, and proper light is one of the most important due to the chemical process of photosynthesis that converts light energy into energy the plant can use to grow and produce. To keep it simple, these lights only produce the spectral colors specific to plant growth and production to help keep your plants happy and healthy all year round.
PROS
- Quiet fan
- Sturdy Construction
- Excellent veg stage growth
- Excellent customer service
CONS
- Not as strong for bloom stages
- LEDs may not last 50,000 hours
FEATURES AND BENEFITS OF THE APOLLO HORTICULTURE GL60LED 180W GROW LIGHT
With a diameter of 10.5 inches, and weighing only 5 pounds, this little light provides a seriously bright spectrum popular with smaller indoor grows, and for getting your garden seedlings going prior to spring planting.
60, 3 WATT EPISTAR LED BULBS
Epistar is globally known company that provides cutting-edge technological advances specializing in high quality LED lighting solutions. Their lighting is used in a multitude of everyday products, making them an obvious choice for Apollo Horticulture to utilize within their own products.
The GL60LED Grow Light uses 60, 3 watt LED bulbs to provide you with the specific spectrum plants need to thrive and grow. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode, and their small size allows for customization of spectrum coverage for a variety of needs. They also provide cool energy, which makes them an ideal choice for close placement and high light intensity areas without fear of overheating.
50,000 HOUR LED LIFESPAN
The average lifespan of LED light is right around 50,000 hours, providing you with years of dependable lighting even when you are running your lights for 18 hours a day (which is often recommended for maximum growth).
These are a powerful, and durable choice when making a choice concerning grow lights, especially since they draw less energy to run- which makes them an affordable choice as well.
4 SQUARE FOOT GROWTH COVERAGE FOR FLOWERING
Flowering and producing plants need a very specific light spectrum (as described below) as well as a more intensely concentrated light footprint to achieve the best results. Since bulbs focus most of their energy downwards, in order to achieve the maximum energy output, your plants should be centered around the 4 square feet of light provide directly under the system.
5 SQUARE FOOT GROWTH COVERAGE FOR NON-FLOWERING
Non-producing plants usually only need a steady light source for maintenance. Because of this you can take more advantage of the light spread provided by this system, and allow your plants to be a bit more spaced out. Since these plants will utilize light energy slightly differently, you may be also able to raise the height of the light to encompass a bit of a larger area for this type of use.
SPECIFIC BLUE AND RED SPECTRAL LIGHT RANGE
Plants only utilize specific parts of the light spectrum during their stages of growth and production. As mentioned, the smaller size of LED bulbs allows for the construction of light panels to include specific light ranges to better maximize plant exposure to these spectrums.
Light is measured in wavelengths and the temperatures they produce, with warmer temperature blue lights emitting short wavelength best utilized by early growth and production, and cooler temperature red lights best utilized by bloom and production stages. Although the plant will use all of the light available to them found within these ranges at any stage- by providing specific spectrum you ensure correct usage for healthy plants. Light wavelengths are measured in nanometers, with the visible spectral wavelengths falling between 400nm and 700nm. These represent the colors we are able to distinguish with the naked eye.
VEGETATED STAGE LIGHT SPECTRUM: 430-475NM, 620-630NM, 660NM
The veg stage of plant growth is best described by the leafing out and overall growth of seedlings to reach a mature vegetative state. This growth best utilizes the blue end of the light spectrum found between 400 and 500nm. The LED bulbs found in this unit include a 430-475nm range, providing a specific blue wavelength to allow maximum growth. As the plant grows it also will begin to use cooler temperature wavelengths as well found within the red spectral range.
BLOOM STAGE LIGHT SPECTRUM: 620-630NM, 660NM, 730NM
The bloom stage of growth represents mature plants entering into reproduction stages when they are focusing their energy towards flowering and production. In these stages, the cooler red wavelength temperatures are being more utilized for healthy crop yields. Found between 620nm and 750nm, this unit more than offers these spectral opportunities for healthy, producing plants.
BUILT IN FAN FOR IMPROVED AIR CIRCULATION
Despite LED lights putting out very little heat, they do expend energy with can create some warmth. Apollo Horticulture included in all their light system fans and proper ventilation in order to help dissipate any collected heat and also provide good airflow within the space you have it placed within. This is important to keep any sort of heat sinks from occurring which could damage your unit, or even cause issues with your plants and their growth.
The fan within the GL60LED Grow Light is centered above the lights and works with the well-spaced ventilation found around the entirety of the unit. It is considered whisper quiet as well to keep from becoming an issue within small spaces.
STAINLESS STEEL HANGING KIT AND POWER CORD INCLUDED
Many light set-ups come without the materials needed to hang, or mount, your lights. Included with this system is a stainless steel mounting setup, as well as a power cord so you can better customize how, and where you will be hanging your light for maximum effect.
2 YEAR WARRANTY
A 2 year limited warranty protecting against manufacturer’s defects also comes standard with each light. The customer service of the company is considered easy to deal with and helpful with any issues that may arise with your product.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Customers are sold on the power of such a small unit and are impressed with the vegetative growth stage spectrum more so than anything else. Comments surrounding doubling growth, lush green leaves, and noticeably healthy plants are made multiple times in reviews, as is how extremely cool, and quiet, this unit runs- making it ideal for smaller grow spaces.
There is some talk surrounding having to play with height distances for maximum light utilization, but most people are happy with their results once they find what works best for them. Concerns do arise surrounding the efficiency of the bloom spectrum, as many feel it could be stronger, although comments pertaining to this also all do make note of how efficient the veg stage growth lights are.
The only downside of the reviews was that some people experienced early LED bulb burnout. Although often covered under the warranty, which they state is very good, it is slightly problematic to those it occurs to.
CONCLUSION
Trying to sift through the many LED grow lights currently available on the market doesn’t have to be a total headache. The Apollo Horticulture GL60LED 180 Watt Grow Light is an excellent choice for small growth whether you are looking to provide additional light to your tenders through the year, or are looking for fresh herbs and produce through the winter. The cool running unit provides the spectrum specific to both vegetative and bloom stages of growth, and its built-in fan helps ensure a smoothly running unit for years to come. If you have any questions or comments pertaining to this product or have seen it in action, we would love to hear about it below. And, as always, please share!