Indoor gardening has become a more popular pastime in recent years thanks to improvements in methods and tools. An essential part of any indoor garden, whether you're growing your plants hydroponically or traditionally with soil, is the lighting system you use. The technology for light-emitting diodes, better known as LED, has been around since the 1960s, but it's getting better every year.
The latest in indoor gardening lighting systems is the COB LED grow light, which produces more light, a wider range of a light spectrum, and it is more efficient than older methods. Whether this is your first introduction, or you're already familiar with COB LED grow lights, this buying guide will help you learn about the lights, and help you choose the best COB LED grow light for you and your indoor garden.
Comparison Chart for Best COB LED Grow Lights
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Roleadro 400W COB Full SpectrumLED Grow Light with On Off Switch |
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Morsen COB Full Spectrum 600W LED Grow Light for Veg and Flowering Greenhouse Growing Lamp Kit |
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Morsen MAX4 3600W COB Led Grow Light Full Spectrumfor Indoor Plant Greenhouse Grow Lamp Kit |
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King X6 1800W COB LED Grow Lightor Greenhouse and Indoor Plant Flowering Growing |
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Roleadro 200W Grow Light COB Reflector-Series for Indoor Plants Veg and Bloom |
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What is a COB LED Grow Light?
Let's start by breaking down each part of this grow light that's still relatively new on the market. There are LED lights, and then there's the COB part of the light. You may be familiar with LEDs and why they're great to use for simulating sunlight, but let's go over that, too.
LEDs
Typically, LEDs used as grow lights for indoor gardens include an array of colors to help mimic that of sunlight. So, plants get a spectrum of red and blue lights, along with green sometimes (these sometimes appear white). You may have seen these spread out in grow lights that are large with each individual LED encased in a tiny bulb.
COB
This stands for "chip on board," and it's a way of clustering LEDs in a concentrated area. When it's turned on, it looks like a single light, rather than an array of tiny lights like a spider web. These lights are usually housed in ceramic, copper, or aluminum, which acts as a heat sink to help dissipate heat generated by all those little lights.
Fans
Most COB LED grow lights include fans because they're necessary – the heatsink isn't enough to quickly dissipate the heat produced. These fans help protect the life of the LEDs, and they help reduce the heat your plants will feel when they get close to those lights.
What They Look Like
In a way, they look a little like speakers. They come packaged in boxes that you can mount above your plants, and you can purchase a single light, a pair of COB LED grow lights, and they come in multiples, such as four, six, and even 12 lights.
How Does a COB LED Compare to Other Grow Lights?
If you're already an old pro when it comes to indoor gardening, then you're likely familiar with the types of grow lights available. If you're new to growing plants indoors, then this should be a handy resource for you.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
These types of bulbs wouldn't be suggested for seedlings, but they'd work well for plants that need lots of sunlight and can handle intense levels of light. There are several types of HID lights, including metal halide (MH), ceramic metal halide (CMH or CDM), and high-pressure sodium (HPS). It's safe to say that HPS are the most efficient type of HID lights for growing plants, and many people stick to the 600W type, as they produce up to 7 percent more light watt-for-watt compared to a 1000W HID bulb.
When it comes to life span, though, you're looking at an average of 15,000 hours, depending on the type of HID light you choose. The range is somewhere between 10,000 to 24,000 hours. Also, you'll need a specific ballast with a particular wattage to use these bulbs. You can make your own, or you can buy a kit. The initial cost of a kit is slightly more affordable than COB LED grow lights.
Fluorescent
When it comes to energy efficiency, you can't beat fluorescents. These long bulbs should be familiar to you if you've ever worked in an office. They seem to last forever, and they cost next to nothing to run. If you use tube-style fluorescent lights, you'll need a ballast to run them, and you can expect somewhere between 30 lumens per watt to 90 lumens per watt. They're not the most intense of lights, but they're good for sprouting seeds or growing herbs.
Perhaps the best feature of fluorescents is a long life: You can expect a lifespan of 10,000 to 20,000 hours, depending on whether you choose compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which are a bit brighter and have shorter life spans, or tube-style, which are softer lights with longer life spans. These are probably the most affordable grow lights available, at least for initial cost, but it's important to take lifespan and energy costs into account.
Light Emitting Diode (LED)
Tiny LEDs have been used in many rows on a lighting system to create a grow light, which helps up the wattage of the unit. Each bulb generally measures .5w to 1w in power, but some LEDs go as high as 3w to 5w each. The higher the wattage, though, the more heat is produced.
The COB LED grow lights cluster a bunch of small bulbs together into one light source, which measures, for example, 300w, but because of the way it's designed, it draws less power, making it more energy efficient.
Compared to other options, LED grow lights are a bit pricier, but you're looking at 50,000 to 90,000 hours of life out of these bulbs, which is more cost-efficient in the end. Plus, the energy savings adds up.
If you've decided that you want to go with the latest in grow light technology, then check out these COB LED grow lights reviews.
Best COB LED Grow Light: The Reviews
Roleadro 400W COB Full Spectrum LED Grow Light with On Off Switch, 2nd Generation
- Wattage: 400W
- Actual power: 200W (± 5%)
- Dimensions: 14.2 L x 9.4 H x 5.5 D inches
- Weight: 5.9 lbs.
- Chip size: 45mil
- Input voltage: AC85 – 265V
- Frequency: 50 – 60Hz
If you’re looking for a COB LED grow light that’s easy to expand when your garden does, this could be a great choice for you.
A single Roleadro 400W COB LED grow light includes two clusters of LEDs to help you grow your plants indoors almost effortlessly. The concentration of red and blue lights in one wide spectrum (that violet light) helps the growth and flowering of your plants. You may even notice your plants growing taller, but that could be because it's missing some of the blue light.
The necessary fans keep the lights cooler, but may be a bit noisy for some users. One of these dual array COB LED grow lights can produce enough simulated sunlight for about a 3-by-3-foot area. If you need to light more plants than that, you can buy more of these lights and daisy-chain them together, which reduces clutter of plugs and electric cords.
The reflectors around each cluster of LEDs helps spread the light, but you might notice a bit of loss of light in the space between those lights. The lifespan of these lights is about 50,000 hours, which equates to about seven years or more, if you used these every day for 18 hours each day. If a light burns out prematurely, or a fan or driver stops working, the good news is that you have a two-year warranty to get a replacement.
PROS
- Long lifespan
- Intense, bright lights
- Easy to expand
- Covers large space
- Built-in fans
- Affordable
CONS
- Fans are noisy
- A few "dark" spots
Morsen COB Full Spectrum 600W LED Grow Light for Veg and Flowering Greenhouse Growing Lamp Kit
- Wattage: 600W
- Actual power: 96W
- Dimensions: 14 L x 9.5 H x 5.25 D inches
- Weight: 5.2 lbs.
- Input voltage: AC85 – 265V
- Frequency: 50 – 60Hz
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
If you're looking for a COB LED grow light that lets you control the intensity of light, this could be a great option – and it's super energy-efficient.
There are a few good reasons why this Morsen COB LED light is so popular and gets great reviews. Plenty of other lights exist that are similar, but this one in particular is one of the most energy-efficient options available. The bright, intense lights offer a wide spectrum of light, but it goes easy on green light, so you may need a green screen for your plants. You also get 600 watts, but the energy used is only about 96W.
Most COB LED grow lights include on-board fans, but many of them can be noisy. The ones on this unit are quiet and work well to keep the temperature down. The size of this light is big enough to light a 4-by-4-foot area or tent, which gives you plenty of room to grow your plants. The lifespan of this dual array grow light is about 50,000 hours.
One of the best features of this Morsen grow light is the optional on/off switches. You can have both lights on, or turn off one side or the other. This will reduce the intensity when you're sprouting seeds, or growing plants that don't need too much simulated sun. The biggest issue has been reports of defective chips, but customer support is helpful and will send replacements – the warranty is three years.
PROS
- Quiet fans
- Reflectors to direct light
- On/off switches for less light
- High wattage/low energy
- Affordable
CONS
- A few reports of defective units
Morsen MAX4 3600W COB Led Grow Light Full Spectrum for Indoor Plant Greenhouse Grow Lamp Kit
- Wattage: 3600W
- Actual power: 545W
- Dimensions: 18.8 L x 12.9 H x 3.54 D inches
- Weight: 17.05 lbs.
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Warranty: 3 years
When you need to cover a larger space with bright light, this grow light could be your best bet.
Morsen makes a variety of COB LED grow lights, but this is its largest and most powerful at 3600W. The good news is that it's also quite efficient when it comes to the energy it draws: only about 545W. By the way, that's at max power. You may want to run your lights dimmer. There are a few switches included on this unit so you can focus light on certain plants, and not on others. This is helpful if you're sprouting seeds next to full-grown plants that need different lighting.
While smaller COB LED grow lights only cover about a 3-by-3-foot space, this one is intended for a 5-by-5-foot area, or even larger, depending on the height you need the light, and the plants you're growing. At 3600W, this is a lot of light and power that the unit is going to put out, but the included built-in fans cool it off well enough.
Like many similar units, this COB LED grow light includes a clamp for hanging it above your plants, but it may be too small for some users. If you have any issues with a defective part, you can contact customer service to get a replacement for up to three years, thanks to the long warranty.
PROS
- Effective cooling system
- Intense lights
- Options for lights on/off
- Energy-efficient
- Affordable
CONS
- Hanging clamp is too small
King X6 1800W COB LED Grow Light Module Design Full Spectrum for Greenhouse and Indoor Plant Flowering Growing
- Wattage: 1800W
- Actual power: 325W
- Dimensions: 15.8 L x 8.35 H x 2.44 D inches
- Weight: 7.85 lbs.
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Warranty: 3 years
This could be the grow light you need for your plants, as long as you don’t require a dimmer or option to turn some lights off.
King LED claims its 1800W COB LED grow light works well for all phases of plant growth, from sprouting seeds to full-grown plants that need continued simulated sunlight. The 1800 watts this 6-slot unit puts out only uses about 325 watts of energy, which makes it quite efficient in any application. There are three built-in fans to help dissipate all the heat that's produced by this grow light, which is helpful in keeping your greenhouse or indoor garden room from getting too hot.
One of these 1800W grow lights from King LED can cover an area of 4-by-6-foot, which is impressive, but it really depends on what your plants need. The lifespan of this unit is the same as most COD LED grow lights at 50,000 hours.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of this particular unit is that it doesn't include a dimmer or optional switch to turn some lights on and others off to reduce the intensity when you're sprouting seeds. The manufacturer claims that it isn't an issue, but it would be nice to have the option. The three-year warranty is a decent length, but the only way to contact customer service is by email.
PROS
- Includes three built-in fans
- Bright light casts far
- Energy-efficient
- Decent warranty
CONS
- No switch for optional light
Roleadro 200W Grow Light COB Reflector-Series LED Plant Growing Lamp Fixtures with IR for Indoor Plants Veg and Bloom
- Wattage: 200W
- Actual power: 93W
- Dimensions: 15.8 L x 8.35 H x 2.44 D inches
- Weight: 4.4 lbs.
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Warranty: 1 year
If you need a little extra boost of light here and there, this could be a good COB LED grow light supplement for your indoor garden.
Roleadro offers a 200W COB LED grow light that is energy-efficient, quiet, and bright enough to help plants at any stage of growth. At 200 watts, it's really not a ton of energy output, but the draw is even lower at about 93W, so it's incredibly efficient. However, it may not be enough for your indoor garden or greenhouse. The good news is that you can daisy-chain these units together to create a larger grow light.
The construction of this light is sturdy, and they're easy to hang. This light will work well to cover a small space – about a 2-by-2-foot area. The fan keeps things cool enough, but with such a low-wattage light, it doesn't need to work too hard to keep the heat at bay.
Because this is such a small unit with low wattage, you can expect a ton of light, but the reds and blues that are present are effective. It's best to use these as supplemental units. The one-year warranty isn't very inspiring, though.
PROS
- Sturdy construction
- Quiet fans
- Daisy-chain feature
- Affordable
CONS
- Not terribly strong
The Bottom Line
Unless you're just getting started with a small indoor garden or a couple of potted herb plants, the hands-down best choice among the best COB LED grow lights has to be the Morsen MAX4 3600W COB Led Grow Light Full Spectrum for Indoor Plant Greenhouse Grow Lamp Kit. This light lets you adjust the amount of light you want on or off, it's powerful, and it covers a large area. Even with the 3600 watts, it's energy-efficient, so you won't see a giant increase on your electric bill.
Whether you're growing peppers and tomatoes, herbs, flowers, or cannabis (in places where that's legal, you lucky dog, you), a COB LED grow light can help with seed sprouting, flowering, and yields. And it'll keep energy costs down. Just don't look directly at these super-intense lights, or at least wear sunglasses.