With regard to the indoor weed growing, the grow light is surely one of the most significant factors to take into consideration. Making a bad choice may drastically impact your plants and get them to grow slowly or improperly.

With hundreds of light options in the market, you can feel overwhelmed when looking for a grow lamp. The things get even more complicated when you are on a budget and want to buy a cheap light that is still well-suited and reliable.

Don’t worry! We will help you to make the right decision by putting together the best cheap LED grow lights.

Depending on the special preferences and budget, anyone can find a LED grow light from our list. Even better, try out each of these lamps to see which one suits your plants best. In this review, we’ll go through various LED grow light and find the perfect fit for your grow operation.

5 Cheapest LED Grow Lights for 2023

1. TaoTronics Led Grow lights Bulb – Best LED Grow Light For the Money

We know that most of you have a small grow space for just one or two plants. If you are a beginner who wants to try out something low-cost and small-scale for his very first indoor crop, this is a great option for you.

This grow light is tailored for folks who are new in their gardening operation and want to start from scratch, as it allows you to master the craft without a huge initial investment.

Why spend hundreds of dollars on high-end, costly grow lights if you only possess a single plant? Taotronics is the best seller when it comes to supplemental or single plant lighting.

Despite being small, this light packs quite a punch in the small package. With twelve individual LEDs (10 red and 2 blue  LEDs) and 36W of power, it’s a pretty powerful light that delivers a wide spectrum of red and blue lighting.

What else you need to know about this grow light bulb is that it features a 60-degree beam angle, fits standard E26 sockets, and lasts up to 50,000 hours. It discharges three groups of light, ranging from 460nm to 660nm. This way it supports the growth of your plants.

Nevertheless, we recommend that you use 2 bulbs for the best results even if you have one plant. The bulb works great for seedlings and clones because they don’t require extremely powerful lights to grow and thrive. You can also successfully use it as a supplemental grow light.

Pros:

• Low power consumption
• Great for the growing phase
• Strong aluminum fins
• Broad spectrum
• Minimal heat
• Very cheap

Cons:

• It is not favorable for the flowering stage
• Not very powerful
• Not really full spectrum

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2. Roleadro LED Grow Light Bulb – Best LED Grow Light For Indoor Plants

Measuring just over 10×10 inches, this hanging LED lamp panel contains 52 blue LED lights and 117 red LED lights. That gives it a blue-red ratio of 1:2.25. With such a perfect ratio, this 45W grow light ensures that your plants grow healthily in a favorable environment.

If you are on the market for lights for growing plants indoors, then make sure to check the Roleadro LED Grow Light Bulb. It is suitable for any small indoor garden, from vegetables to houseplants.

The blue and red LEDs are uniformly distributed across the rectangular surface to be more efficient. This results in high levels of light output and low levels of power consumption.

That also means your growing lights will last longer – for about 50,000 hours of use. Depending on the specific phase of your plants, Roleadro suggests that you hang the lamp panel from 18 to 48 inches above them for the best results.

The only significant drawback is that the lamp may start getting hot when continuously used, which is quite dangerous if you touch the lamp while it’s overheating.

Additionally, the hooks that hang the lamp are flimsy, which may prompt you to separately purchase mounting equipment. All that aside, Roleadro LED grow light is a good value for money.

Pros:

• Excellent ratio of red to blue lights
• Power efficient
• Great for small seedlings and micro greens
• Long-lasting
• Comes with a 12-month warranty
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Mounting equipment is pretty unreliable
• With continuous use, the lamp can overheat
• No on/off switch

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3. Shengsite LED Plant Grow Lights – Best Cheap LED Light For Marijuana

Unlike the majority of LED lights for grow rooms, Shengsite light has a circle shape instead of a classic rectangle. This 50W light is 1.2 inches thick and has 13.1 inches in diameter. In that area, there’s a total of 250 LED lights – 186 red and 64 blue ones.

Within the “sea” of red LED lights, the blue light-emitting diodes are placed in straight lines. Such an arrangement of LEDs makes the lamp has a more geometric and structured appearance.

Shengsite grow light is specially designed with energy efficiency in mind so that it features low energy usage yet high light output. Besides, it boasts a 50,000-hour lifespan.

It’s recommended that you hang the light anywhere from 8-58 inches above your plants, depending on the particular plant type as well as the phase of the life cycle.

The light is especially convenient for beginner use and hence is a great choice for novice gardeners on a budget. It is large enough to cater to the needs of decent-sized indoor gardens and luminous enough to make your cannabis plants happy.

Pros:

• Surprisingly bright
• Long power life
• Covers a lot of space
• Highly efficient
• Modern design
• Good for the money

Cons:

• The outlet is slightly difficult to access while hanging
• Hardware doesn’t fit well
• Poor craftsmanship

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4. KINGBO Plant Grow Light Panel – Best Grow Light For Seedlings

This 225-diode downlight from KINGBO produces a six-band light spectrum, ranging from 380 to 740 nanometers, alongside IR and UV LEDs. While the UV lights encourage plants to grow faster, IR LEDs help plants get the most out of outdoor transplants.

What makes this grow light very popular with beginners is its affordable price. It comes with an on-off switch and cooling heat sinks, which are very rare among low-budget models. You’ll get a hanging kit, too.

Unlike more intense models, this panel does not produce a lot of heat. Perhaps the max coverage area of 2 x 2 feet is not that impressive, but it’s still sufficient for small indoor gardens. It is particularly good for seedlings and young sprouts.

Pros:

• Full 6-band spectrum
• Highly efficient
• Aluminum heat sinks
• Super bright
• Easy to use
• Trendy

Cons:

• Not suitable for large, established growing setups
• Prongs don’t fit into a standard outlet
• The switch is built terribly

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5. Osunby LED Grow Light – Best LED Grow Light Under $50

By incorporating blue and red blue LEDs along with IR and UV bulbs, this 12.2-inch device provides the plants with all kinds of light required for optimal growth.

With 58 blue and 163 red LEDs, as well as two IR and two UV LED lights, your plants will get everything they will ever need to thrive.

The LED lights are arranged in a rectangular shape across a big surface to get the light shines on an area of 3 feet by 3 feet. Although you can adjust the height according to your preference, it’s advisable to hang the light roughly 2 feet above your plants.

The Osunby 45W LED grow light is designed in such a way to be easy to set up. That does not refer to the adjustment, though. You may need to buy a pulley system separately in order to easily move this grow light up and down.

Pros:

• Contains blue, red, IR, and UV LEDs
• Decent coverage area
• Very large for this price range
• Wide application
• Easy to set up
• Fairly priced

Cons:

• Outer surfaces may get damaged easily
• Short power cable
• Missing parts

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Things You Must Know Before Buying a LED Grow Light 

There are a few things you must consider prior to buying a LED grow light. But before we muse on these considerations, let’s see first why you need to go with LED lights.

Benefits of Using LED Grow Lights

Cultivating cannabis plants indoors commonly requires lots of power consumption and energy. Inadequate or dimmed lighting can wreak havoc on your crop, so it’s crucial to have a steady and powerful source of light for healthy and proper plant development. That is where the best LED grow lights come in.

The LED lights turned out to be the best option for growing cannabis indoors because they are brighter and more efficient than other lights. Those grow lights are regarded as a champion of efficiency because they consume less electricity than fluorescent and incandescent lights, and are approximately 80% more efficient.

Coverage

The first thing you need to consider is the area you wanna cover with grow lights. Once you have figured out what amount of space needs to be covered, you’ll have a clear sense of how many LEDs you should purchase as well as what type of LED lights will ensure the best coverage. Larger coverage area means a larger kit size.

Each grow light has a max range of coverage, so it’s important to know the exact dimensions of your growing space. After measuring your grow room, take the time to read out feedback and led grow lights reviews from other customers on the actual coverage of a certain LED light. Sometimes the lamps aren’t as advertised.

The manufacturers usually state information on the coverage area their lights cover at a specific height above the plants. For seed germination, you are advised to place a bright LED light up higher than suggested by the manufacturer to cover more space.

Maybe one LED lamp isn’t enough to properly cover all of your plants. If so, you will need two or more lamps. It’s a good idea to hang more lights next to each other if you need a larger coverage area. Check out if the seller allows daisy chaining or offers any other method so as to link a couple of lights together.

Spectrum

The full spectrum LED grow lights imitate the intensity and spectrum of the sunlight very well, thereby encouraging plants to grow. These lights can assist your plants in any phase of their growth. Some models come with dimmers and/or switches for every growth stage. While the plants need blue and red spectrums throughout the life cycle, they may also need ultraviolet or infrared spectrums at some point in time.

This is why the full spectrum grow lights are a safe bet. A powerful grow light with varying wavelengths can assure maximum growth. Most LEDs emit a diverse range of colors. The best ones are those that can provide the full range of colors to the plants, including ultraviolet light.

Although the full-spectrum lamps are relatively new in the industry, they grow in popularity and you can find them in many growers catalogs. It doesn’t come as a surprise, as those lights cost less over time, run cool (which eliminates the need for additional fans), and have a long lifespan.

Intensity (Wattage) 

In addition to spectrum, you should also take into account the intensity of grow lights. It actually refers to the wattage of the LED light for indoor gardening, i.e. The amount of energy a grow light outputs at maximum capacity. That gives you an idea of how powerful light is and how many lights you’ll need for growing space.

Make sure to pick out the grow lights that give more watts for better performance. For example, a 50W light bulb offers higher performance than a 20W bulb.

Angle and Direction of Light

Take note of the dispersion angle within a LED bulb you are looking for. The smaller angles mean more direct light and less dispersion, whereas larger angles give more coverage.

Besides the angle of dispersion, check out the direction of light, too. Keep in mind that the LEDs are too small to be placed conveniently on the flat surfaces on the contrary to other light sources. That makes LED lights easy to manipulate so that you can get them shining in a specified direction.

Unlike other bulbs that emit light all around, LED lights can produce direct beams in any direction. So your light will be directed to a specific area instead of bouncing off the ceiling and walls. That makes a huge difference!

Electrical Usage

Less electrical usage means lower electricity bills. The LED light is also supposed to be highly efficient, so take a closer look at the power draw – the wattage spent during use. By knowing this fact, you will be able to roughly estimate the energy costs.

A good LED grow light is the one that can operate for at least 10 hours a day. As a general rule of thumb, the more powerful LEDs with higher total outputs are more cost-effective.

Lifespan

There’s nothing more annoying than getting into a grow room, hitting a power switch and ending up with a dead bulb. With a LED lamp, this won’t happen anymore or at least it’ll happen less frequently.

Lifespan is measured in hours and it shows you how long your LED light will last. In general, LEDs have a lifespan around 30 times longer than the incandescent light bulbs and about 6 times longer than fluorescent bulbs.

Offering 50,000 hours of continuous use, the LED grow lights on our list are quite longevous. The more expensive models can last for more than 100,000 hours.

LED vs HPS Grow Lights

The LED vs HPS conflict has been around for years. If you visit grow forums, you’ll frequently find people debating which light is better – LED or HPS. HPS lights have been regarded as the clear winner a few years ago. However, as the LED technology has developed over the last years, this argument is not that clear these days.

Most HPS light users resist the switch to LEDs due to a higher price. Nevertheless, LED fixtures are typically less expensive to run over a long period of time. That’s because they eliminate the need for regular maintenance and reduce power consumption.

Unlike HPS bulbs, LED lights do not lose intensity over time. This means you will not replace them frequently as is the case with HPS bulbs. LEDs have a lifespan of anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 hours which is really amazing. Other advantages over HPS include customized color spectrum, simpler installation (Plug-And-Play), and less heat.

When it comes to the drawbacks, LED grow lights feature a higher upfront cost and lack of consistency. Also, they are not as standardized among manufacturers as HPS products and you can often see many confusing claims.

So, what’s the bottom line? Both LED and HPS grow lights can produce great yields. As you can see, they both have some advantages and disadvantages. If the initial cost isn’t your top concern, your choice will depend on other factors such as the size of the growing area, as well as the environmental conditions and preferred growing method.

FAQ’s About Cheap LED Grow Lights

Why Use LED Grow Lights for Growing Cannabis? 

Apart from efficiency and brightness, there are also many other good reasons to go for LED light systems. Here are some main advantages of LED grow lights:

• Mimic true sunlight
• Boost potency
• Improve flavor
• Run cool and do not require extra fans
• Cost less in the long run
• Long lifespan
• Easy to install
• Environmentally friendly
• Extremely durable
• Very safe

For all these reasons, you should update your outdated light system to a LED lamp or panel.

How to Grow with LEDs?

An increasing number of weed growers are switching to LEDs. Considering the benefits of these lights, it comes as no surprise. If you’ve already turned to LED grow lights, be sure to:

• Get them close to cannabis canopy – Less heat lets you get your LED lights closer. Thus, you will increase the intensity of light and get better results. But make sure that this distance provides an optimal balance between coverage area and light intensity.
• Reduce the irrigation – When using LED lights,
  you should avoid watering your plants too often. Since the temperature in your grow tent/room will not be so high, the water evaporation will be considerably lower. That’s why you should reduce the watering schedule.
• Cut down the nutrients – The less water and less heat cause marijuana plants to use their food more slowly. Therefore, you will need to reduce the nutrients to roughly 30% in order to minimize the risk of over-fertilizing.

Are LED Grow Lights For Sale Proven to Be Effective?

Not all LED lights on the market are created equal. Some poorly designed LED lights don’t have sufficient intensity, while others don’t offer the right light ratios for marijuana plants.

However, with high-quality LED grow lights, you will be able to grow your plants with great success. They promote high yields, don’t need ballast, and are more economical in the long run. So, be sure to choose LED grow lights that really work.

The Bottom Line

Did you select a cheap grow light from our list? No matter what you pick out, it’s really hard to go wrong with any of these LED grow lights. That’s because these five lamps are all great options that’ll provide your plants with the ingredients they need to thrive.

However, before making a final decision on the cheap LED weed grow lights, it’s important to consider all the facts mentioned in the buyer’s guide. Be sure that the LED light you choose is big enough so as to completely cover your growing area.

It’s also supposed to be reliable as you want the light that lasts for quite a while. Once you install the cannabis LED grow lights, your plants will soon start growing and flourishing to your satisfaction.